Synopsis: 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. Also known as: A Terrible Night

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Here at Codex Mortis, we generally review only feature-length movies, not shorts or series. But in light of the often-brief nature of the oldest cinematic treasures, we make an exception for movies released before 1920.

Calamity Brains:

For those who are afraid of bugs, this would still smack of A Terrible Night! Our hero (Georges Méliès) goes to bed and is tormented by a horrifyingly large insect, crawling very convincingly over his legs. He then can’t get back to sleep for feeling bugs everywhere. (I think many of us can relate!)

This is much less magician/illusion-based than some of Méliès other work. Though brief – A Terrible Night clocks in at just over a minute – it’s to the point and rather fun. I always appreciate being able to feel a connection with people over a hundred years ago when I watch these older movies; this one definitely makes that happen.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: B
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