Director: Georges Méliès
Cast: Georges Méliès
Screenplay: Georges Méliès
2 mins. Not Rated.

I had plans for another film today, but then I caught a short film from the master of early experimental short films, Georges Méliès. I’ve been trying to catch some older short films from the early days of horror for my own personal benefit, and I wanted to share a quick little reaction to this one.

The story’s rather simple. Two demons are partaking in a magic ritual, taking captive victims and placing them in a boiling cauldron, attempting to summon spirits forth.

That’s it. That’s the synopsis. Again, this is only 2 minutes long. That’s not really important, though, because it’s such a beautifully looking piece of classic cinema that entranced me for all of its seconds. The way Georges Méliès is able to shoot these two characters as they prepare for their ritual, with the use of set design and the editing creating the appearance of magic. It’s strange to say that I was awestruck with a short piece of footage from over 120 years ago, but that’s the case.

Max has the best quality version of the short film, and I highly suggest checking it out. C’mon, it doesn’t take a lot of attention to try out this classic piece of experimental footage from the king of testing the limits of film-making. The Infernal Cauldron comes highly recommended.

4.5/5
-Kyle A. Goethe