Audiences first saw Charlie Chaplin on a movie screen on February 2, 1914. (Thousands had already seen him live.) On that day, his first Keystone one-reeler, "Making a Living," premiered to audiences who were not, reportedly all that excited. But with his second flick, "Kid Auto Races in Venice," he became a sensation. In other … Continue reading Special Charlie Chaplin Day at Castro in January
Category: Comedy
Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
B Documentary Directed by Mevlet Akkava and Ron Frank I didn't know it at the time (after all, I grew up in Los Angeles), but I was raised on Catskills Mountain humor. Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye, and Buddy Hackett taught me to laugh. As I grew older, Carl Reiner, Woody Allen, and Tom Lehrer took … Continue reading Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
My Thoughts on Blue Jasmine
Cate Blanchett can do anything. In Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine, which my wife and I saw Saturday night, she gives a great performance in an otherwise shallow and unbelievable drama. You probably already know the story. Jasmine (Blanchett) enjoys a life of indulgence and privilege as the spoiled wife of an extremely rich, New York-based … Continue reading My Thoughts on Blue Jasmine
Serious Farce: My review of Afternoon Delight
B+ Officially a comedy Written and directed by Jill Soloway The plot sounds like broad, comic farce--a feminist take on Down and Out in Beverly Hills. A bored, Jewish young mother and housewife (Kathryn Hahn) worries about the lack of sex in her marriage. Then, for reasons that are never really explained, she invites a … Continue reading Serious Farce: My review of Afternoon Delight
Laughing at Hitler: My Blu-ray review of To Be or Not to Be
The Nazis conquered Poland with frightening speed. But they prove no match for Carol Lombard and Jack Benny in Ernst Lubitsch's World War II comic masterpiece, available on Blu-ray August 27 from Criterion. Lombard and Benny play a married pair of egotistical stars of the Warsaw stage, heading a theatrical troupe of slightly lesser egos. … Continue reading Laughing at Hitler: My Blu-ray review of To Be or Not to Be
Silent Film Festival Report: Sunday
Kings of (Silent) Comedy Of course it was funny. There was really no question about it. This was my first chance seeing "Mighty Like a Moose" and "The Immigrant" on the big screen, and both were wonderful that way. The cartoon, "Felix Goes West," wasn't of the same quality, but it delivered enough laugh to … Continue reading Silent Film Festival Report: Sunday
SF Silent Film Festival Report: Saturday
This was an exceptionally exhausting day at the festival. I saw five programs, and lacked the stamina for a sixth. Windsor McCay, His Life and Art Animation historian John Canemaker narrated this entertaining lecture/film presentation on the work of the brilliant cartoonist, vaudeville performer, and animation pioneer Windsor McCay. The presentation covered his ground-breaking comic … Continue reading SF Silent Film Festival Report: Saturday
SF Silent Film Festival, Saturday Report
Amazing Tales from the Archive First, Robert Byrne of the Festival discussed the restoration of The Half Breed, the 1916 Douglas Fairbanks feature that will have its restoration premiere Saturday. He and his team had to work with three different, incomplete prints, most from questionable sources. Byrne divided his talk into three categories: Continuity: Trying … Continue reading SF Silent Film Festival, Saturday Report
Much Ado About Nothing
A Romantic comedy Adapted and directed by Joss Whedon From the play by William Shakespeare It seems like a stupid question: Who could better adapt one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies to the big screen: Kenneth Branagh or Joss Whedon? The first is our generation's Olivier. The second is known for movies and TV shows … Continue reading Much Ado About Nothing
Nail-biting Laughter: My Blu-ray review of Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last!
Even Alfred Hitchcock never mastered that delicate balance between comedy and suspense as perfectly as silent comedian Harold Lloyd. Learning his craft carefully and consciously, he discovered that scaring the audience put them in an emotional pressure cooker, intensifying their reaction to a good gag. When the two effects were mixed expertly, by someone who … Continue reading Nail-biting Laughter: My Blu-ray review of Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last!
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