Action Countdown #24: THE GENERAL is the original spectacle action movie
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
Before there was computer-generated imagery (CGI) there was Buster Keaton.
Ryan Silberstein's Best Discoveries of 2022
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
This is my favorite list to put together all year. I watched a ton of “new to me” movies in 2022, and so many of them brought me joy that it was hard to even narrow down to just 12.
SUMMER OF STARS #25: Buster Keaton
by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport
Buster is considered today to be one the of most prolific actor/directors that ever graced the silver screen.
Old, Cold, and Mostly Dead: 10 Ghost stories for spooky season
by Ashley Jane Davis & Jaime Davis, Staff Writers
Please enjoy a few recommendations for old (and dead) ghost movies. Happy Spooky Season!
Seven Chances
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
In the flick, Seven Chances, Buster plays James Shannon, a broker who is…broke. After he learns that his grandfather has passed away and that he is the sole heir set to inherit seven million dollars, his financial problems seem to be a thing of the past. The only catch is, that in order to receive the loot he has to be married by 7:00 pm on his twenty-seventh birthday. No big deal, except that he is set to turn twenty-seven in twenty-four hours. To say this creates a mad dash to the alter is quite the understatement. As the time ticks away, James’ desperation to find a bride, any bride, grows.
Read MoreThe Great Buster
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Starring Peter Bogdanovich, Mel Brooks, Buster Keaton
Running time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
MPAA rating: Not rated
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport
“Silence is of the gods…”
– Buster Keaton
The Great Buster could have been so much more, and sadly the same could probably be said about the career of Buster Keaton.
Read MoreThe General Spy Jawns
by Daniel Scully
Most people don’t look at a movie like The General and categorize it as a spy movie. And why would they? Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent classic may be considered a masterwork from the early days of cinema, but nothing about it rings of espionage. Anyone who has seen it knows that it’s just a long showcase of visual gags designed to exhibit the technical ingenuity of the filmmakers, and as the last entry in Keaton’s independent filmography before moving into a tumultuous relationship with the studio system, it could even be argued that it’s the first legitimate stunt reel ever made. If anything, it’s a relic from such an early time in Hollywood that it almost predates genre, existing in the minds of many viewers as a “silly silent movie that I’m supposed to respect because film nerds tell me I should.” And while it’s not not that, it really is so much more…
Read MoreHappy Birthday, Directors! October Edition
Join the MJ crew in celebrating the birthdays of these filmmakers throughout the month of October!
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