In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This past Christmas, I was glancing through a bargain bin of DVDs and found a compilation of Christmas shorts. While several of the titles in the collection turn up on numerous other compilations (the hazards of public domain!), I was surprised to find that one of the shorts was Lotte Reiniger's STAR OF BETHLEHEM. This is, perhaps, one of three titles by her still available. The only other early cut-out animation from this pioneer of the process is the excellent DVD of THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED, which not only contains that Arabian Nights feature, but a documentary on Reiniger, as well as an animated silent theatrical commercial by her for a popular bath soap. It's a pity that a more comprehensive compilation of her fairy tales has not been put together.