School Begins: A Blast of Pure, Old-School Mayhem 🤣

Alright, so look, if you need deep existential dread or super slick CGI, you're gonna want to skip School Begins. This is for the folks who get a kick out of old silent shorts, the kind of simple, pure slapstick that just makes you smile. If you love the early 'Our Gang' stuff, or just need a quick, unpretentious laugh, this one's a winner. Everyone else? Probably best to grab a different flick. 🤷‍♀️

The whole thing kicks off with the universal struggle: kids trying to avoid school. We see a few of the gang members, like Joe Cobb, putting on their best, most pitiful faces. And the notes they're trying to pass off? Oh man. One is literally a drawing of a skull and crossbones. Another is a barely-legible scribble saying 'My Mother is Sick.' The grown-ups, of course, aren't buying it. It's all very charmingly low-stakes trickery. 😂

But the real *kick* of the short comes from Bobby 'Wheezer' Hutchins. He's so incredibly small here, a tiny tot, and he just strolls into frame, completely oblivious to all the school drama. And he's not alone! He's got a whole parade of escaped circus seals following him, right down the street, towards the school. It’s a completely wild, out-of-nowhere bit that instantly grabs you.

The seals are the real stars once they get going. They're just flopping around, making their little barks, and causing absolute pandemonium in the schoolyard. There’s a moment where one of them tries to climb the school steps, and it’s just the most awkward, clumsy thing. You can tell they’re real seals, which adds to the charm, you know?

Little Farina (Allen 'Farina' Hoskins) is great in this, too. He's got that classic wide-eyed innocence mixed with a bit of mischief. His reactions to the seals are perfect. Like, when he's just trying to mind his own business, and a seal flops past him. It’s these small, genuine moments that make it work, not some grand plot point.

And The Wonder Dog Pal gets in on the action, too. He’s trying to herd the seals, or maybe just play with them, it’s hard to tell. But his enthusiasm is definitely contagious. There’s a shot where he’s just *barking* his head off at a seal, and it’s kinda funny how long they let that go on.

The movie doesn't bother with much of a 'plot' beyond 'school starts, seals appear, chaos ensues.' And that’s totally fine. It’s really about the joy of seeing these kids and animals just *exist* in a silly situation. There's no big message, no profound exploration. Just pure, unadulterated fun.

It’s a short, sweet watch, a little piece of film history that’s still capable of bringing a smile. If you’re ever looking for something light and undeniably goofy, this one might just hit the spot. Definitely a fun one to revisit if you're into the vintage stuff. 😊