The Mesmerist

2003 0h 16m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 4

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Made by re-editing a deteriorated nitrate print of The Bells (1926), starring Lionel Barrymore and Boris Karloff, this work shows the fragility of the film image while foreshadowing the Holocaust.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Lionel Barrymore
The Innkeeper (archive footage)
Boris Karloff
(archive footage)
Laura La Varnie
(archive footage)
E. Alyn Warren
(archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bill Morrison
Writers: James Young, Bill Morrison, Emile Erckmann
Languages: No Language
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 16-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bill Frisell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bill Morrison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lionel Barrymore and Boris Karloff and Laura La Varnie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1368117 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bill Morrison directs. Bill Frisell scores. Bill Morrison cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 16-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by Bill Frisell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bill Morrison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Lionel Barrymore and Boris Karloff and Laura La Varnie carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt1368117 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.