Modern Times (1936) dir. Charlie Chaplin. USA. So it goes, and mighty pleasantly, too, with Charlie keeping faith with his old public by bringing back the tricks he used so well when the cinema was very young, and by extending his following among the moderns by employing devices new to the clown dynasty. If you need … Continue reading Film 37: Modern Times
Tag: comedy
“Off the Record”
Alright, boys and girls. So it’s difficult to say whether it’s any good, but here it is! If you’re curious, click the link below for a PDF of the script. We’ll post longer thoughts on the whole thing tomorrow, but right now we’re going to bed. Off the Record
Film 27: Duck Soup
Duck Soup (1933) dir. Leo McCarey. USA. My father loved the Marx Brothers above all other comedians or, indeed, all other movie stars. The first movie he ever took me to was "A Day at the Races." All I remember about that experience was the fact of my father's laughter. But there was something else, … Continue reading Film 27: Duck Soup
Film 31: The Thin Man
The Thin Man (1934) dir. W. S. Van Dyke. USA. For audiences in the middle of the Depression, "The Thin Man," like the Astaire and Rogers musicals it visually resembles, was pure escapism: Beautiful people in expensive surroundings make small talk all the day long, without a care in the world, and even murder is … Continue reading Film 31: The Thin Man
Film 23: City Lights
City Lights (1931) dir. Charlie Chaplin. USA. If only one of Charles Chaplin's films could be preserved, “City Lights” (1931) would come the closest to representing all the different notes of his genius. It contains the slapstick, the pathos, the pantomime, the effortless physical coordination, the melodrama, the bawdiness, the grace, and, of course, the … Continue reading Film 23: City Lights
Film 32: Top Hat
Top Hat (1935) dir. Mark Sandrich. USA. Because we are human, because we are bound by gravity and the limitations of our bodies, because we live in a world where the news is often bad and the prospects disturbing, there is a need for another world somewhere, a world where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers … Continue reading Film 32: Top Hat
Film 16: The Circus
The Circus (1928) dir. Charlie Chaplin. USA. Charlie Chaplin was a perfectionist in his films and a calamity in his private life. These two traits clashed as he was making "The Circus," one of his funniest films and certainly the most troubled. When he sat down to write his autobiography, he simply never mentioned it, … Continue reading Film 16: The Circus
Film 9: The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush (1924) dir. Charlie Chaplin. USA. 'The Tramp—small, innocent, beleaguered, romantic, oblivious, resourceful, idealistic—lives inside everyone, but Charlie Chaplin made him manifest, with humor that is never cruel, never aggressive, and always speaks to our best selves. The Gold Rush takes the Tramp, in his longest outing to date, from rags to riches, … Continue reading Film 9: The Gold Rush
Film 7: Sherlock Jr.
Sherlock, Jr. (1924) dir. Buster Keaton. USA. (NB: We switched film 7 and 8 on our docket for timing purposes. They were both released in 1924.) 'The greatest of the silent clowns is Buster Keaton, not only because of what he did, but because of how he did it. Harold Lloyd made us laugh as … Continue reading Film 7: Sherlock Jr.
Film History Docket
Here it is! 365 films for 365 days. These are all significant movies that we haven't seen, taken (largely) from one of three lists. First, the 2012 Sight & Sound Best Films list, as voted on by prominent critics and directors. We combined the critics list and the directors list, eliminated duplicates, and eliminated films … Continue reading Film History Docket
Movie in a Weekend 