Stranger Than Fiction, #15: A weird, dusty time capsule

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, it depends on how much you like staring at the past. If you’re into the kind of stuff that would have been on a vaudeville stage or a carnival circuit in the early 20th century, you’ll dig this. If you want narrative, stay away. You’ll be bored to tears within three minutes.

The whole thing kicks off with this guy, Charles E. Ford. He’s missing his arms, but the camera just loves showing him doing normal chores. It’s not treated with any real sensitivity; it’s treated like a party trick. It feels a bit uncomfortable to watch today, but that’s just how they did things back then.

Then we’re off to Marrakech. Why? Who knows. There’s some footage of fakirs doing their thing, and then suddenly we’re watching a girl chug boiling water like it’s a lukewarm soda. It’s the kind of thing that makes you rub your eyes and wonder if the projectionist just grabbed the wrong reel off the shelf. It’s just so random.

The pacing is non-existent. It’s just "look at this guy on a bike" followed by "look at this electric organ" and then *poof*, it’s over. It’s a very different vibe from something like Body and Soul, which at least tries to tell you a story. This? This is just a collection of "hey, look at that" moments.

I found myself zoning out during the bicycle segment, but the boiling water part? Hard to look away. It’s like a car crash of early filmmaking. 🤷‍♂️

If you liked the disjointed, weird energy of Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle, you’ll probably find a home here. It’s not art, really. It’s just a snapshot of a time when people would pay a nickel to see just about anything. It’s fascinating in a dry, dusty way.

Don’t go looking for deep meaning. You won’t find it. Just watch the guy ride the bike and keep moving.