A Terrible Night (1896) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: A Terrible Night
Year: 1896
Director: Georges Melies
Country: France
Language: N/A

On December 27th, 1895 Georges Melies attended a special private demonstration of the Lumière brothers' cinematograph, given for owners of Parisian houses of spectacle. He was amazed by their machine and offered to pay for a copy, but the Lumiere brothers were adamant about keeping close control of their invention. Méliès then traveled to London, to obtain an Animatograph from Robert W. Paul. By 1896 he would begin his lengthy film career. 

In this, a man tries to get a good night's sleep, but is disturbed by a giant spider that leaps onto his bed, and a battle ensues in hilarious comic fashion

In total, Méliès made 78 films in 1896. He had covered every genre of film, which included the Lumière-like documentaries, comedies, historical reconstructions, dramas, magic tricks and horror. A Terrible Night (1896) is certainly a contender for "first horror film". Albeit Georges Melies' picture is not entirely scary & The Haunted Castle (1896) may have come out earlier, though most historical sources aren't quite sure of the timeline. 

A Terrible Night predates Méliès's use of cinematic special effects in his film, as the first known Melies picture with camera effects was The Vanishing Lady, which was made later in 1896. This is an early demonstrator of the man's keen eye for fascinating visuals and an indication of a very creative mind. Amusing, but not terribly entertaining, the film is worthwhile for its historical value in Cinema. 

I must commend Melies for trying to tell a story, when most pictures at the time didn't bother. Still, what we get in terms of story is really just a bug on a string. It has a bit of a charm, and because it's 1896 I have to give it a pass anyways. When recounting the history of horror pictures, one should not leave this short film out. 

No Stars