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Cult Review
Archivist John
Senior Editor
Okay, so "Odds and Ends." This one is definitely not for everyone. If you’re into old, silent documentary shorts, the kind that just… show things, you might find something interesting here. But if you need a story, or even a clear theme, you’re gonna be lost. Probably. 🤷♀️
It's a "magazine" film from back when that meant literally just stitching together random clips. Like flipping through an old dusty almanac. You get 10 separate segments, no sound, just intertitles to guide you. That's it.
We start with Fujiyama, the "prayer mountain." It’s pretty, serene. Lots of folks hiking up, looking reverent. Then, suddenly, we're in Wyoming on a dude ranch. Cowboys. Rope tricks. The transition is jarring, almost funny in its abruptness.
The Andean blanket weaving is fascinating, showing the intricate handwork. You can almost feel the texture through the grainy film. But then you’re hit with a flapjacks machine churning out pancakes at an alarming rate. 🥞 So mechanical. So different.
The film *really* takes a turn when it shows Voodoo worship. It’s presented very matter-of-factly, almost like a travelogue, that feels kinda unsettling today. There's a strange voyeuristic quality to it.
Then, boom, *vacuum cleaner art*. Yes, exactly what it sounds like. Someone using a vacuum cleaner to create patterns on a floor. It felt like the movie was trying to show off just how many random things it could cram in. 😅 I mean, really?
The goose farming segment is exactly what you'd expect. Lots of geese waddling around. A very short, kinda uneventful bit, it just... happens.
"Minute Curiosities" is a highlight because it’s basically a grab-bag *within* the grab-bag. Tiny things, strange inventions, just blink-and-you-miss-it oddities. This segment felt like the truest embodiment of the title.
We move to Batik Javanese. More intricate textile work, similar to the blankets but with a different technique. It’s beautiful, visually. It makes you wonder how much skill those artists had.
And the grand finale: a religious gentleman building an ark. 🚢 This one is just… out there. You see him with his blueprints, working on this huge boat. No explanation, just "here's a guy building an ark." It’s a very *personal* project shown impersonally.
What strikes me is the complete lack of continuity. No overarching message. No attempt to connect the dots. It’s like someone emptied out a drawer of film reels and just spliced them together.
Some segments feel *a bit long* for what they're showing. Like the dude ranch, after a while, you've seen enough rope tricks. You almost feel the editor just leaving the camera running.
But for all its disjointedness, there’s a charm to it. It’s a snapshot of a particular time, showing what filmmakers thought was "interesting" to an audience back then. The sheer variety is kinda cool, if you lean into it.
You won’t find deep meaning here. No profound explorations. Just a collection of *stuff*. A very literal "odds and ends" of the world. And sometimes, that’s all you need. Or don't. Depends on your mood, really. 🤔
IMDb —
1924
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