Lileks mentions in passing "He Who Gets Slapped", with Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer.
Ah, that film holds a special place in my heart. Other than being one of a number of amazing films Chaney made, that was the first film I used as a reference in a paper I wrote *way* back in grade seven honours English class. I remember getting back a nastygram by my teacher on that paper, scolding me for using "obscure references no one had ever heard of". My already low estimation of that teacher dropped another dozen rungs that day.
Outside of his really really early stuff, and maybe not even then, I don't think Chaney made a film that could be viewed on only one level.
And if you're feeling really psychologically stable that evening, check out one of the Chaney/Browning movies--West of Zanzibar and The Unknown are a pair of really unsettling films.
Check them out, and find out that "horror film" can have a significantly different meaning....
Posted by lsefton at October 31, 2003 07:08 AM