Monkey See, Monkey Do

Dear Hangover 2:

You're about 80 years too late.

Buster Keaton gets a monkey as a sidekick in The Cameraman (1928), and together they make their way through a gang war in Chinatown.

It's kind of hard to top a gang war.

I'm just sayin'.

Just In Case

I was just thinking about this xkcd comic


and I just want to say:

If the dead start walking the earth, I call dibs on Buster Keaton.

Love, Locomotives and Laughs... with live music!

April is off to a good start! I went on the 4th to see "The General" with live music accompaniment by the National Symphony Orchestra and acclaimed organist Dennis James. The concert hall that the event was held in was rather large and I am happy to report that most seats were taken. And that there were a great deal of youngsters there.

Sadly, I could only afford the cheap seats, in a tiered level all the way in the back. (I opted for seating further back but straight on over closer but on the sides). My sister went with me. I was disappointed with how small the screen was; it was like watching the film on a small television screen across a very large room. Also, the lights were merely dimmed so that the orchestra players could read their music, which I understand, but sadly made the contrast too low to see most of the "night" scenes.

Having said that, it was a great experience. It was my first time seeing a silent film with live music accompaniment, and I've been wanting to watch Buster Keaton with live music for ages.

The live music accompaniment was great, but the live audience was even better. I have watched Buster's movies so many times, but often alone or with my sister (or, very rarely, with the occasional soul I've tricked, bribed, shamed or guilted into giving Keaton's movies a chance).

I got the impression that many people in the audience hadn't seen the film before, or had seen it so long ago that it was new to them again. It was magical to hear other people enjoy Keaton's work, especially since it's so hard to find outside of that setting. It's like a drug, really. I'm jonesing for another dose of Keaton with a live crowd (and even better, live music, as well).

We were encouraged to cheer the hero and hiss at the bad guy.

A few people attempted hissing, but it never really caught on.

Applauding Keaton, however, was enthusiastically embraced. Some scenes with memorable rounds of applause included the cannon firing "straight", Keaton clearing off the last piece of wood from the tracks with the one that got him caught up on the cow chaser, the reclaiming of The General, the switched rail line that leads the enemy's engines onto the raised drop-off after appearing like it was about to run into The General, the infamous train crash, and Johnnie Gray getting his Lieutenant uniform.

A few, me included, clapped for the bad guys once, sort of. It's the scene after Johnnie Gray has bent the rail with a chain and the Northern Army has spent several scenes struggling to fix the rail, with the engineer watching from behind. The scene I love is when, after quite a bit of bumbling by a dozen soldiers, the engineer walks up and fixes their problem in 30 seconds flat.

Big laughs came from the recruitment scene, the cannon scene, all the abuse poor Annabelle Lee endures, and--oh, well countless scenes. All of the sight gags went over well, and I was glad to hear so many of the subtle humor in the film being caught and appreciated.

As we were leaving, I heard dozens of comments of praise for the film. And I heard one woman talking about how handsome Buster Keaton was. And I smiled. For all the sheer brilliance of the film, Buster Keaton himself will never go unnoticed.

Certainly not while I'm around.

1000 Times, Yes

*Blip*

What was that sound? Oh, that was Holly Hunter, who is now on my radar.
....


Holly Hunter was the guest on Craig Ferguson's show tonight (well, technically, this morning).

At one point during the interview, she mentioned that she was watching a lot of Charlie Chaplin lately. Ferguson didn't seem to know what to say to that and kind of laughed and made an uncommitted joke.

Hunter then said something like, "Forget Chaplin. Let's talk about Keaton. Buster Keaton." Ferguson obviously isn't terribly familiar or fond of the silent era, because he was still at a bit of a loss for words. I think he asked what she wanted to talk about relating to Buster Keaton.

Hunter asked (paraphrasing), "Well, is he better than Chaplin?"

Ferguson didn't have much of a response. He said he hasn't really given it much thought, but didn't Keaton's career die sometime in the 1920's? Holly Hunter told him he should look them up again. He then moved the conversation on by saying he watches Marx Brothers with his kid.

I would like to take this moment to answer Hunter's question, on behalf of Craig Ferguson:

Yes.

The Fall and a Birthday Wish

To steal Craig Ferguson's line, it's a great day for America. Why? Because Buster Keaton was born on this day in Piqua, Kansas in 1895.

I, for one, intend to celebrate with a marathon of Buster's movies, a couple games of cards, and possibly a Buster-related purchase on eBay (what better day to treat myself to a birthday wish, since I can't treat Buster to one?).

For anyone interested in watching a new or different sort of a movie in celebration and commemoration of Buster Keaton, I recommend viewing Tarsem's The Fall, starring Lee Pace and newcomer Catinca Untaru.

The Fall is a beautifully filmed and acted story about Roy (Pace), a stuntman from the silent era who has become paralyzed from the waist down due to a stunt gone wrong. His heartbreak over the loss of his love compounded with his new handicap has led him into a spiral of suicidal depression. Enter Alexandria (Untaru), a young girl wandering the hospital with a broken arm. Roy captures her attention with a fantastical story that is an allegory for his own life. As Alexandria urges the story forward, however, it becomes uniquely theirs. In her innocence, however, Alexandria doesn't realize that Roy is using her interest in him and their story for ulterior motives.

It is a well-acted, charming little movie with stunning visuals. The film is a nice tribute to the silent era of film making, and I would recommend viewing it on that alone. I recommend it here, in particular, because Buster Keaton also makes a cameo of sorts.

I've got to get to celebrating, so that's all for today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUSTER KEATON!

Wall-E (the character)

Some notes on Wall-E the character and his relation to Buster Keaton:

Curiosity
Wall-E's fascination with the objects surrounding him is reminiscent of Buster Keaton's fascination with the motion picture camera. It also brings to mind all of the little contraptions Keaton made, his constant curiosity and desire to see what he can make.

Tenacity
Both Wall-E and the Keaton character have incredible tenacity when courting the affection of the one they fancy, as well as overcoming unexpected obstacles. Wall-E's devotion and goal-oriented behavior regarding Eve parallels Keaton's determination to win over almost every one of his love interests, particularly in the Keaton films The General and The Cameraman.

Romantic Innocence
As with Wall-E, the Keaton character tends to be experiencing first love. With such situations, the smallest things are celebrated on a grand scale, such as holding hands or a chaste first kiss. Consider Wall-E's thrilling as Eve kisses him in space, literally floating away in a spiral of wonder. The Cameraman has a scene where the love interest gives Keaton's character a peck on the cheek after their date, and Keaton reacts much the same way, floating away in wonder.

Curtis Eller's "Buster Keaton" & Silence in "talkies"

My last post included images of a project where I created imagined CD art for "Taking Up Serpents Again" by Curtis Eller's American Circus. I thought maybe I should explain who that is, for anyone who might be unfamiliar with them.

Curtis Eller is "New York City's angriest yodelling banjo player." As far as I can tell, Eller sometimes performs alone as Curtis Eller, but when accompanied, the group is called Curtis Eller's American Circus. Curtis Eller happens to have a song dedicated to Buster Keaton named, appropriately, "Buster Keaton." It's on the CD "Taking Up Serpents Again." Video and lyrics below:

"Buster Keaton" by Curtis Eller

Well, since they started in with the talkies, you can't get a moments peace
But they're talking just to hear their own voices, well at least...
That's what it seems like
'Cause there's nothing that I've heard that bears repeatin'
Won't you come back to the movies, Buster Keaton

You know it barely took a decade for those negatives to decay
But what the Hell, there was nitrate in the film stock from those days..
I guess that's the problem
But I'm not tired enough to admit that I've been beaten
Won't you come back to the movies, Buster Keaton

I wish that I was Buster Keaton when they took it all away
Gettin' drunk every night on Irish whisky
Or maybe Fatty Arbuckle when the headlines finally declared,
"Well I guess that it's just a mystery"
But I'm not gonna be like Charlie Chaplin, jumpin' on the first boat
And sail away before they have a chance to miss me
No, I'm stayin' here...here in New York City
I don't care how bad it gets

Well they keep on making pictures, but they're worthless and they're sad
And they never will make up for the silence that we had
And now we're stuck with it...
And the kids are watching T.V. while they're eatin'
Won't you come back to the movies, Buster Keaton
Won't you come back to the movies, Buster Keaton

It's a fantastic song, and it's hook, "won't you come back to the movies, Buster Keaton," reflects my thoughts exactly. That was the inspiration for the CD art I created; inserting Buster Keaton into some more modern iconic movie imagery.

Watching current movies, I often imagine how the movie would be different or improved if Buster had a hand in making it. I believe Buster could hold his own in today's movie climate, although I wouldn't go so far as to say he'd be making blockbusters or movies that were terribly commercially successful. But they would likely have been critically successful.

Consider 2007's No Country for Old Men. There was quite a lot of marvel and praise when the movie came out for how quiet the movie is, for its use of dialog only when necessary.

This isn't a revolutionary approach to film-making. Buster Keaton was saying since the invent of the talkies that people needn't talk for the sake of talking, and that a story with minimal dialog makes the spoken aspect all the more powerful and relevant. Here are excerpts from an interview with Buster when he talks about this:

When sound came, we found this out--we found this out from our own pictures--that sound didn't bother us at all. There was only one thing I wanted at all times, and insisted on: that you go ahead and talk in the most natural way, in your situations. Don't give me puns. Don't give me jokes. No wisecracks. Give that to Abbott and Costello. Give that to the Marx Brothers. Because as soon as our plot is set and everything is going smooth, I'm always going to find places in the story where dialogue is not called for. There can be two or three people in a room working at jobs--well, they work at them without talking. That's the way I want it. So you get those stretches in your picture of six, seven, eight, nine minutes where there isn't a word of dialogue. In those, we did our old routines. Then, when it was natural to talk, you talked. Then, when it was natural to talk, you talked. You didn't avoid it. But you laid out your material that way, and in many places it didn't call for dialogue....

Then, of course, when you give me a Jimmie Durante.... Well, Durante just can't keep quiet. He's going to talk no matter what happens.... They'd say, "This is funny," and I'd say, "I don't think so." "This'll be good"; I'd say, "It stinks." It didn't make any difference; we did it anyhow. I'd only argue about so far, and then let it go. And I knew better.

Consider what No Country for Old Men would look like with Buster Keaton helming it. It would be a totally different movie. Probably, the only resemblance to the original would be part of the plot's basic conflict, and the dominating silence.

Links:
Curtis Eller's website and Myspace

Interview excerpts were taken from

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

About a week ago, I was pleasantly surprised to receive this text message from a friend:

Puppet of B K from Mr Magorium. Can you see it?

My response was enthusiastic pride that a Buster Keaton sighting is automatically reported to me by my friends. I sent back a message of thanks and love. Naturally, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium got an immediate addition to my Netflix queue.

The Buster Keaton puppet has a small cameo about 12 minutes into the movie. However small, the scene is, in more ways than one, magical to Keaton enthusiasts. In its cameo, the Buster Keaton puppet has life, and finds itself tangled up in the very strings meant to control it. Without expression (of course), the Great Stone Face inspects the strings and seems to be assessing its situation and how to overcome it.

Here are some screen caps:





The scene is quintessential Buster Keaton: A quiet moment while chaos ensues around him, facing an obstacle with calm curiosity, and undoubtedly about to conquer it.

The scene also resonates with anyone who is familiar with the story of a young Buster Keaton who was fascinated with a vaudevillian ventriloquist dummy named Redtop. After "talking" with Redtop one day, and having few friends, Keaton decided to steal the dummy. The dummy's owner, however, had caught on to Keaton's plan and surprised the young boy just as he was about to steal the puppet by bringing it to life to warn Keaton away. It frightened the living daylights out of the child. This incident is remembered by Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr.; during the hurricane sequence, when he is "caught on stage," there is a moment where the wind animates a dummy sitting on a table next to Keaton and startles him. And now, almost a century later, Buster Keaton is himself the animated puppet.

Indeed, there were many aspects of magic and the surreal throughout Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium that seem quite in the spirit of Buster Keaton's work. I have a feeling that the core of the movie would have resonated deeply with Buster Keaton.

Because of that, I cannot help but enjoy the movie, as uneven as it may be.

Introduction

I've decided to start a blog dedicated to my all-time favorite comedian, actor, director, inventor, magician, and genius (one often in slapshoes and a flat hat): Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton is my favorite of the silent comedians, and tops my list of all-time favorite comedians. Too many people assume that because Buster's movies are silent, in black-and-white, and made in the 20s, they must be slow, boring, and/or too dated to be relative or relatable to modern viewers. Not true. His movies were in fact quite visionary and ahead of their time.

His life was incredibly interesting, as well: his godfather was Harry Houdini; he was being thrown around the Vaudeville stage before other kids learned their times tables; he survived a crushed finger, split head, and a ride in a cyclone all in one day, as an infant; he invented crazy contraptions to embarrass tourists before kids today can drive; he performed one of the most dangerous stunts in cinema history because he believed that whenever possible, whatever the audience sees should be real, in a fundamental sense.

I could go on, but I won't. Not right now. Another day, another post. That's what this blog is for; it's my excuse to revisit Buster on a regular basis. By chronicling how he makes his way into my life on a regular basis, whether by chance or design. This blog is my own little world celebrating my obsession. And if I'm lucky, maybe someone will join me every once in a while in celebrating all things Buster Keaton.