by Francis Friel

One of the best-known silent films, right? It's as good as its reputation and solidified Melies' status as the greatest director of his era. Everything about this film was masterful, from the elaborate costumes and makeup to the mechanical moving sets to the backdrops that turned into props to the politically subversive script to the long-as-hell 15-minute runtime. It really has to be seen to be believed. It's currently streaming in HD on Netflix in both black & white and hand-painted color versions. Go watch it right now. It's one of the coolest things you're ever gonna see.

(score by AIR)

1902 Honorable Mention:
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Georges Melies (again!)