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Philly Cheesesteak

What About Short Films?

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A thought occurred to me just now: is there room in the Canon for short films or is the Canon the exclusive property of fully feature length affairs only?

 

It's a valid expression in the cinematic arts, isn't it? Certain short films have a reputation for experimenting with form or conveying heady subject matter using concise cinematic language even many regular ol' films still fail to get across with a thousand monologues. Isn't that worth something?

 

Think of some of the most famous short films in history: La Jetée, Doodlebug, Trip to the Moon, The Cathedral, Geometria, Paperman...

 

Do any of these deserve a spot in our beloved Canon?

 

I'd love to hear your two cents on this, fellas. If the Canon is open to all cinema, shouldn't the short film be acknowledged as a legitimate expression of it? Shouldn't it have at least one representative? And if so, what would it be?

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It seems like I would want to say no to short films but Un Chien Andalou does quickly come to mind as a possible canon nominee. But then again why not just discuss the Exterminating Angel instead?

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It seems like I would want to say no to short films but Un Chien Andalou does quickly come to mind as a possible canon nominee. But then again why not just discuss the Exterminating Angel instead?

 

True, true, it's a fair point. But what about short films that weren't remade into full lengthed features? Like Paperman, Trip to the Moon, and Doodlebug?

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The Exterminating Angel isn't a long version of un Chien Andalou, but just a great feature length film by the same director. I was just questioning why a director with great feature films should have a short film inducted instead.

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If we do another Keaton, Sherlock, Jr. could very well be submitted as a short film--seeing as it clocks in at only 45 minutes. That, and any excuse to talk about Sherlock, Jr. is a good excuse.

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The Exterminating Angel isn't a long version of un Chien Andalou, but just a great feature length film by the same director. I was just questioning why a director with great feature films should have a short film inducted instead.

 

It's not like Bunuel can only have one film in the canon. While I do like Exterminating Angel better, Un Chien Andalou is a masterpiece of early surrealist film making, thus I would say it deserves its shot.

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The Exterminating Angel should 100% be discussed, one of my favorite movies ever! Buñuel should be in the Canon.

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