That's right: movies over 100 years old can be watched on the Internet for free, and it's legal. I already watched Le Voyage dans la Lune, a French film about austronauts going to the moon from 1902. It's the first science fiction film EVER. You can watch it on YouTube here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZV-t3KzTpw).
Make fun of these movies if you want, but know that all of your fancy-pants cinema you enjoy today wouldn't even exist if these weren't around.
I heard that the first film was made by Edison or someone like that... it was a quick cilp of a tidal wave coming right at the camera.
People freaked the hell out when they wakled in to see a wave coming at them.
Th first movie ever, that still survives at least, is the Roudhay Garden Scene, a two second clip of people walking in a garden.
What you said also reminds me of a 50 second film from 1895 France (I forgot the name) of a train pulling into the station and people boarding it or getting off. Because the camera was located close enough to the tracks to make it look like the train was really coming straight towards the camera, the film is known for a rumor about people believing the train was really coming at them and rushing towads the back of the theatre. :P
Also, whether or not this is legal, in my search I have found a full length copy of The Passion of Joan of Arc (a 1928 French fim depicting Joan of Arc's final hours that is considered one of the greatest movies ever made) on YouTube. While it does take extremely long to download, it is definetly worth the wait. One of those movies you have to see before you die.
Films over 70 years old usually have had their copyright expired. Unless of course, they decide to renew, but in most cases, that isn't so.
Really? Well, then that widens the list of movies I can watch. ;D
I hope I can find Greed on the Internet. The only known copy to exist is owned by Turner Classic Movies (a television channel for classical movies) so you can't get it on Netflix. :'(
And if it turns up on the Internet, I suggest Sherlock, Jr. by Buster Keaton. It's among the funniest things I've ever seen.
Oh, and Nosferatu (perhaps the most legendary vampire film ever) is also on YouTube.
Dracula trumps Nosferuto. Nosferuto was actually based on Dracula, but they couldn't get Bram Stoker's widows permission to use the name Dracula, I think she refused them.
But in terms of World of Darkness's Vampire: The Requiem, Nosferatu are the best vampires to be.
Even though they're hideous.
I already knew about Count Orlok pretty much being a thinly veiled form of Count Dracula. But I thought Nosferatu (the movie) was better. And I should comment that many Dracula and Gothic Horror fans consider Nosferatu better than any other vampire film.
Oh, and you can't get Sherlock, Jr. or Greed on YouTube. I checked. Too bad, though.