Thrills of Yesterday: A Weird, Winking Trip to the Past

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much patience you have for 1920s-style meta-humor. If you dig old serials or just want to see something that feels like a fever dream, dive in. If you need a coherent story, you're going to be annoyed within the first three minutes. 🤷‍♂️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Thrills of Yesterday (1931) through its definitive frames.

It’s not trying to be The Bat Whispers. It’s just a collection of goofs. Some of it lands, some of it just feels like someone found an old film reel and decided to narrate over it while eating lunch.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Thrills of Yesterday (1931) through its definitive frames.

The Houdini Moment

The highlight is definitely the segment with Harry Houdini. They tie him up, and you’re just waiting for the punchline because, well, he’s Houdini. The way he just stares at the camera is priceless. It’s like he’s bored of his own tropes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Thrills of Yesterday (1931) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is all over the place, which is fine. It’s a short. Why bother with smooth transitions?

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Thrills of Yesterday (1931) through its definitive frames.

Oddly Specific Observations

• The "dancing blond white woman" in the Africa segment is… a choice. It’s so campy it almost circles back to being avant-garde.
• The skyscraper scene in "The Yellow Tickee" looks like it was filmed on a very small, very shaky set. You can basically see the plywood.
• The sound design is basically non-existent, but the silence makes the overacting feel even louder.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in McFadden's Flats, where things happen just because they have to, not because they make sense. You aren't watching this for the plot. You're watching it because it’s a weird time capsule.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Thrills of Yesterday (1931) through its definitive frames.

Some of the dialogue is just painfully earnest. It’s clear the writers were having a laugh, but the actors seem to be taking the parody so seriously it’s actually kind of charming. 🎥

It’s a strange, disjointed experience. Don't look for a lesson. Just watch the villains chase people around. It’s fine that it doesn’t go anywhere. Sometimes the best movies are the ones that just run out of ideas and stop.