- Forum Clout
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Even though I prefer the Gabriel era of Genesis, I think you and I have similar taste in early cinema.
Much appreciated. That era was actually the one I pushed to try and get to sing the most - it was a longshot, but they compromised with me on a few things: the first part of Suppers Ready, for example, I was able to sing on the CAS tour. Mike and Tony's edict was "no long plays"; they felt the audience would tune it out. Thankfully, blokes like Steve Hackett, and even my own concerts, have proven that's not true.
But yeah, classic films fascinate me, and are a great reminder to the typical mass about how much cinema has regressed in effort and content. Sure, a lot of the old films are slower, but some of what they did is just incredible: "Faust" and "The Golem" from Germany had amazing visuals, all from camera tricks and handmade props that to this day are still striking - the Fox-produced "Sunrise" by F.W. Murnau built on all of that experience, in a simpler, melodramatic American film. Then there's "Wings" by Paramount, a Clara Bow vehicle about pilots, filmed with cameras attached to actual planes at a time where it had never been done before. Hell, I believe she's even bare breasted in a brief scene - this is the late 20's, mind you.
Old cinema to me is a reflection of society and where it was going... Or what it could've been. I feel like for every step we take forward in striving for equality and peace, we take three steps back and just make things worse.
Oh yeah, we were talking about horror films. I'm still waiting for my import of the Universal Monster set on 4K. I don't go back on tour for another week, so I'm hoping I get to watch all four before I'm on the road again.