Review: A fairly straight forward Keaton film but one with clear goals and a cavalcade of good gags.
Watch it if: You're prepared for some material that's very much of its time.
And if you liked: Battling Butler, The Navigator
Wednesday, May 31
Friday, May 26
The General
Director: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
Review: Tense and funny throughout with some fascinating work on a genuinely mind-blowing scale.
Watch it if: You want to see something that can still impress and bewilder nearly 100 years later.
And if you liked: Sherlock Jr., Mad Max: Fury Road
Check this out: The Great Locomotive Chase
Battling Butler
Director: Buster Keaton
Review: Drags out the plot a little longer than it needs to but still carries the charm and fun that's customary at this point.
Watch it if: You're going through the films of Buster Keaton.
And if you liked: Seven Chances, The Navigator
Check this out: Battling Buttler
Friday, May 19
Go West
Director: Buster Keaton
Review: Silly and light in the right ways while also delivering more genuine sweetness and heart than is characteristic for Keaton.
Watch it if: You want to see oddly well choreographed animal acting.
And if you liked: The Navigator, Our Hospitality, Babe
Wednesday, May 17
Seven Chances
Director: Buster Keaton
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016332
Review: Doesn't hit the high notes of his other work but clips along at a nice pace with some legitimately good laughs.
Watch it if: You're ok with seeing some stuff that has aged very badly.
And if you liked: The Navigator, Our Hospitality
Check this out: Seven Chances
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016332
Review: Doesn't hit the high notes of his other work but clips along at a nice pace with some legitimately good laughs.
Watch it if: You're ok with seeing some stuff that has aged very badly.
And if you liked: The Navigator, Our Hospitality
Check this out: Seven Chances
Monday, May 15
Fool's Paradise
Director: Charlie Day
Review: Never really lands on anything that sticks in a way that's confusing and leaves one hunting for something to latch onto.
Watch it if: You're that much of a Charlie Day fan.
And if you liked: Big Daddy, Being There
Friday, May 12
The Hand
Director: Oliver Stone
Review: Some interesting sections and shots but fails in most regards and really overstays its welcome.
Watch it if: You want to see someone try to force depth onto a piece without really understanding how.
And if you liked: The Dead Zone, Evil Dead 2, Raising Cain, The Brood
Check this out: The Lizard's Tail
The Navigator
Director: Donald Crisp and Buster Keaton
Review: Just the right levels of silly with an ending gag that casually drops one's jaw.
Watch it if: You want to see how many gags can be squeezed out of a fairly simple premise.
And if you liked: Three Ages, Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr.
Tuesday, May 9
Sherlock Jr.
Director: Buster Keaton
Review: Inventive and funny with a plot that zips and meanders in delightful ways.
Watch it if: You want something that's just idea after idea after idea.
And if you liked: Three Ages, Our Hospitality
Monday, May 8
Our Hospitality
Director: John G. Blystone and Buster Keaton
Review: Bathes in its silliness with a constant stream of funny ideas and great sense of tension.
Watch it if: You want to see how good invention and humour can be timeless.
And if you liked: Three Ages, Airplane!
Friday, May 5
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Director: James Gunn
Review: Carries immense emotional heft but wields the balance shakily leaving much of the film overshadowed by the previous harrowing section.
Watch it if: You can handle some fairly intense animal cruelty imagery.
And if you liked: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Three Ages
Director: Edward F. Cline and Buster Keaton
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014538
Review: Funny and compelling throughout with genuinely jaw dropping stunts and plenty of invention.
Watch it if: You want to see something that is one hundred years old.
And if you liked: Airplane!, Blazing Saddles