Die Filmstadt Hollywood is a weirdly cool time capsule

If you love old movies, you should probably watch this today. It is not a story, so don't go in expecting a plot or dramatic twists. 🎬

It is mostly just for people who like to see how things used to look. If you hate slow, grainy footage of guys in hats standing around, you will be bored to tears.

I found it oddly relaxing. It is like a 1920s version of those 'making of' videos on YouTube, but way more unfiltered.

The writer, Arnold Höllriegel, takes us through the big studios. You see the massive cameras that look like they weigh a thousand pounds. 🎥

There is a moment where they show the sets being built. It looks like a big construction site rather than a dream factory. I liked that part the most.

It makes the movies of that era feel more real. You realize they were just people in the dirt trying to make something look pretty for the lens.

Max Goldschmidt pops up and he has this look on his face like he isn't quite sure where the camera is. It is charming in a clunky way.

Some of the shots linger for way too long. Like, we get it, that is a palm tree in California. We don't need to stare at it for thirty seconds. 🌴

I kept thinking about other films from around then. It feels less polished than something like The Escape, but that is the point I guess.

It is raw. You see the lunch breaks and the extras wandering around looking tired.

One scene shows a fake street being used for a chase. It reminded me of the stuff in Beyond the Law but without the actual tension.

The film is slightly falling apart in some scenes. There are scratches on the celluloid that dance across the screen.

I actually think the damage makes it better. It feels like you are looking at a ghost of a city that doesn't exist anymore.

There is a segment about the lighting. They used these massive mirrors to bounce sunlight because the indoor lights weren't good enough yet. ☀️

It is funny how much work they did for things we take for granted now. They were basically wrestling with the sun just to get a clear shot of a face.

I wonder if the people in this movie knew we would be watching them a hundred years later. Probably not.

It feels a bit like looking through someone's private photo album. A bit messy and unorganized but very human.

If you enjoyed the vibe of My Lady Robin Hood, you might find this interesting as a companion piece. It shows the world those actors lived in.

The pacing is all over the place. One minute they are showing a laboratory, and the next it is just people walking down a sidewalk.

I stopped trying to find a message halfway through. It is just a vibe. It is a stroll through a graveyard that is still very much alive on film.

The ending just sort of happens. It doesn't wrap up or give you a big final thought.

It just stops. Which is fine, because I was starting to get a headache from the flickering anyway. Worth a look if you have an hour to kill and an interest in old Hollywod. 🎞️