Rose Hobart (1936)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Actress Rose Hobart isn't that well remembered today even though genre fans might know her from roles in such films as DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (March), TOWER OF London, THE MAD GHOUL and THE SOUL OF A MONSTER. This short here is without a doubt one of the strangest you're likely to see as I'm not certain if it's an obsessed fan just showing his love for the actress or perhaps it's some art film that certain film snobs would see as a masterpiece and ground-breaking piece of work. Hobart's 1931 film EAST OF BORNEO is cut down to 19-minutes and we have a blue tint put over the image. What we basically get is an avant garde film where director Joseph Cornell takes footage from the film and re-imagines it by editing it in a different order and showing the sound film in a silent speed with Brazilian music. Sound weird? Well, it's pretty much is. I can appreciate what the director was going for but at the same time I can't say I was overly entertained by it. I think the director certainly did a good job with the editing, which was certainly the best thing. I'm sure the film would probably get better on repeat viewings to where one could really study the edits and see exactly what the director was going for. In the liner notes it's said people weren't too fond of the movie when it was released and that's probably the same reception it would get today. However, many consider it a masterpiece so you can be the judge!
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Actress Rose Hobart isn't that well remembered today even though genre fans might know her from roles in such films as DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (March), TOWER OF London, THE MAD GHOUL and THE SOUL OF A MONSTER. This short here is without a doubt one of the strangest you're likely to see as I'm not certain if it's an obsessed fan just showing his love for the actress or perhaps it's some art film that certain film snobs would see as a masterpiece and ground-breaking piece of work. Hobart's 1931 film EAST OF BORNEO is cut down to 19-minutes and we have a blue tint put over the image. What we basically get is an avant garde film where director Joseph Cornell takes footage from the film and re-imagines it by editing it in a different order and showing the sound film in a silent speed with Brazilian music. Sound weird? Well, it's pretty much is. I can appreciate what the director was going for but at the same time I can't say I was overly entertained by it. I think the director certainly did a good job with the editing, which was certainly the best thing. I'm sure the film would probably get better on repeat viewings to where one could really study the edits and see exactly what the director was going for. In the liner notes it's said people weren't too fond of the movie when it was released and that's probably the same reception it would get today. However, many consider it a masterpiece so you can be the judge!