events

Movie Night! Discovery Green Shows Imaginative Silent Films on Oversize Screen

Movie Night! Discovery Green Shows Imaginative Silent Films on Oversize Screen

'A Trip to the Moon' by Méliès

THIS FRIDAY, FEB. 2, Houston Francophiles and silent-film fanatics are invited to bundle up and enjoy Cinema Luminaire at Discovery Green, a program of rarely screened, extraordinarily imaginative silent films created between 1902 and 1907 by magician, actor, and director Georges Méliès. The screenings will be accompanied by live music from Houston-based French violinist Kami Ghavi Helm. The films will be screened on an oversized movie screen on The Anheuser-Busch Stage. Cinema Luminaire is presented in partnership between Discovery Green and the artist residency organization Villa Albertine in Houston.

The event’s title namechecks brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière, French manufacturers of photography equipment, and best known for their Cinématographe motion picture system and the short films they produced between 1895 and 1905.

When Méliès saw these films, each one a simply framed and straightforward shot of a physical activity such as kids jumping off a dock into the ocean (La Mer) and a baby reaching into a fish bowl for a goldfish (La Pêche aux poissons rouges), he was inspired to use this new technology to create something much weirder and more imaginative. Méliès got his own camera, constructed a studio, designed sets, wrote scripts, and created a series of groundbreaking, stylish, and highly influential films using pioneering camera tricks such as stop motion, slow motion, superimposition, and double exposure.

The program begins with Méliès’s 13-minute masterpiece A Trip to the Moon (1902). An inspiration for the video of The Smashing Pumpkins song, “Tonight, Tonight,” this is the one where a rocket launched from Earth lands in the right eye of the Moon. Following A Trip to the Moon is a selection of his short films introduced by Keith Houk, professor at the University of Houston. The rest of the program includes The Eclipse (1907), Good Glue Sticks (1907), The Cook in Trouble (1904), and The Living Playing Cards (1905). The event is free, but registration is encouraged.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Art + Entertainment
promoted

Chlorophyll Water, Special Spa Treatments, More: Tips for Mom Bods Emerging from Long Winter’s Nap

Chlorophyll Water, Special Spa Treatments, More: Tips for Mom Bods Emerging from Long Winter’s Nap

The author suggests Pilates as part of her plan for ‘mom bods’ to renew for spring.

AS WE SWAP out our warm comfy PJs for swimsuits, the thought of showing off our bodies can stir up all kinds of emotions, especially for us moms. Here are a few strategic steps to stride into the spring and summer months with confidence and feeling your best.

Keep Reading Show less
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less