Watching the clock tick in 1936

If you're the kind of person who gets a kick out of old-timey fonts and the scratchy, tinny audio of a bygone era, you’ll probably find something to love here. But if you're looking for a plot, or pacing, or anything resembling a modern narrative? You're going to hate this. It’s literally just raw history, unfiltered and honestly a bit dusty.

There’s something about the way these newsreels were edited that feels so deliberately slow. Every frame feels heavy with the weight of people wearing hats they didn't know would look funny eighty years later. I spent a good five minutes just staring at the background extras in a crowd scene, wondering if they knew they were being filmed or if they were just trying to get home before the rain started.

It’s funny how much this reminds me of the pacing in Broadway Highlights No. 1, where the camera just sort of hovers over things until you stop asking 'why' and just accept the flicker. There's no music to hide the silence, just that constant, rhythmic hum of the projector. It’s almost soothing, in a weird, slightly haunted way.

There's a bit in the middle where a speaker just stands there, hands behind his back, talking about some policy or event that has zero relevance now. He keeps adjusting his glasses. It’s so distracting. I watched his hands more than I listened to the actual words.

It’s definitely not as manic as Daredevil Jack, which felt like it was trying to outrun its own shadow. This is just… sitting there. Existing.

Sometimes the film cuts to a shot of a street or a factory, and the lighting is just flat. It’s like the sun forgot to show up that day. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it. It’s just news, right? But even then, there's a certain texture to it that you just don't get in digital stuff.

I found myself comparing it to the more theatrical vibes of The White Devil, even though they are completely different animals. One is a staged drama, this is just… a Tuesday in 1936. It’s a weird, small time capsule. 📽️

Don't expect a resolution. Don't expect to feel 'informed' by the end of it. You'll just walk away feeling like you stood on a street corner for ten minutes and watched the world pass by. Which, in its own way, is fine by me.