L'oeuf du sorcier (1903)
*** (out of 4)
aka The Prolific Magic Egg
If you're a die-hard fan of Georges Melies then you're probably going to be overly familiar with the type of film we get here. Melies plays a magician who does a couple tricks with an egg before placing it on a board where it begins to grow larger before turning into some real human heads. The "trick" film is what the director is best remembered for and it's easy to see why but I've always felt that the real magic comes from the performer Melies. Just take a look at how hard he's working for the camera because he really comes off so incredibly charming that you can't help but smile even when the special effect is so obvious. The effects here are obvious with today's eyes but I'm sure even people in 1903 were quick to catch them. That's not to say they're poor because they're really not. They too have a certain level of charm that will put a smile on your face. Melies jumps all around the frame and this just pours so much charm and magic that you can't help but be entertained. One of the highlights comes at the very end and involves a skeleton.