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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. By the Light of the Silvery Moon remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like weird old cartoons that feel like they were made by people who hadn't slept in three days, yes. If you need a plot or 4K graphics, you will absolutely hate this. 🌙
It’s basically a music video from 1931. It starts with a cat trying to be romantic, but the animation makes him look slightly unhinged.
The Fleischers had this way of making everything bounce. Even the trees seem like they have rubber bones.
I noticed the moon has this really tired face. Like it's bored of watching the cats down below.
There is a gag where a shoe gets thrown at a cat. It’s a classic move, but the way the shoe flies through the air feels physically impossible even for a cartoon.
Then the bouncing ball happens. This was the big tech of the time, I guess.
The lyrics crawl across the bottom of the screen. I tried to sing along but the ball moves faster than you'd think.
The song itself is a relic. It’s catchy in a way that gets stuck in your head until you want to scream. 🎶
I keep thinking about how different this is from the stuff Chaplin was doing in The Gold Rush. Chaplin felt like art, but this feels like a fever dream someone drew on a lunch break.
The background art is actually pretty nice if you look past the jittery characters. It has this soft, charcoal look that they don't really do anymore.
One of the cats has these eyes that are just two black dots. They never blink. It’s deeply unsettling if you stare too long.
There isn't really a conclusion. The song ends, the ball disappears, and the cartoon just... stops.
It's not 'good' in a traditional sense. But it's a neat little window into what people thought was funny ninety years ago.
I wouldn't go out of my way to find it again. But I'm glad I saw the moon's bored face at least once.
Actually, the way the cat’s mouth opens to sing is kind of impressive. The animatons back then were so fluid even when they were creepy.
Anyway, it's short. Watch it if you're bored. Skip it if you want something that makes sense. 🐈