Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for the trains!

It was our great train weekend a couple of weekends ago in Niles.

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903): I've seen this one many times. Arguably the first American narrative film, and featuring our patron saint Broncho Billy Anderson (before he was Broncho Billy) in a triple role. Although I've seen it many times (most recently last year at our Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival) for some reason the last time I actually wrote about it was at the Great Nickelodeon Show back in 2009 (either that or I'm really bad at searching my own blog.) In any case, it's still a great film, silly fakeness and all. They were inventing how to make movies back then, and this was a huge step in bringing it from a novelty to the world's dominant art form.

TEDDY AT THE THROTTLE (1917): Another one I've seen many times, and wrote about as recently as 2012. Back then I said:

TEDDY AT THE THROTTLE (1917): I'd seen this before, and I still don't understand the complicated will with the marriage clause any better. But the important thing is Gloria Dawn (Gloria Swanson) is engaged to her sweetheart Bobbie Knight (Bobby Vernon) but her evil guardian (Wallace Beery) is trying to break them up and have Bobbie marry his (Wallace Beery's) sister so they can keep control of his inheritance. And Teddy is a wonder dog who rescues them all, even after Wallace Beery does the ultimate villainy cliche of tying Gloria to the railroad tracks. Again, funny and high energy.

All still true. Especially the confusion about the will and the marriage clause. It's from a different time, I guess.

Then an intermission, and on to the feature.

THE GREAT K&A TRAIN ROBBERY (1926): Finally, one I hadn't seen before, and it's an action packed riot. Tom Mix is the real deal, with charm, humor, heroics, and stunt-work like crazy. Heck, he's introduced hanging on a rope over the end of a cliff, spying on the robbers, then slides down zipline-style and lands right on his horse. He's a detective who was hired by the head of the railroad to stop the gang that keeps robbing his train. But he quickly discovers that the railroad secretary--the boss's main confidante--is in cahoots with the robbers. So rather than reveal himself, he goes undercover and is chased as a robber. But he's still got the moves and the style to stop the robbers, win the girl, and catch the secretary. All in just under an hour. Lean, but action-packed--just like I like 'em!

Total Running Time: 90 minutes
My Total Minutes: 477,844

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for the Big Earthquake show--featuring recently discovered footage of San Francisco after the quake

So I skipped Saturday night at SFFILM, because I had an incredible opportunity back at my local silent film theater.

A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET (1906): The film that, through a 60 Minutes piece (look for me in the final seconds in the audience at the show!) made our little film museum famous! A camera attached to a streetcar, from 8th street to the Ferry Building. Watch all the traffic going past! Read the license plates! Watch the guy in the bowler hat go back and forth a half dozen times! Watch for the puddles at the end! Realize these are all inside jokes, because they're part of how David Kiehn figured out that it was made just 4 days before the famous 1906 earthquakes.

SAN FRANCISCO AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE (1906): So this was the amazing treat. A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET was filmed by the Miles Brothers Studio, and was on a train to New York the night before the earthquake. But when they heard about the earthquake, they took a crew onto a train back to San Francisco and started filming some of the first footage of the aftermath. And that footage was discovered at a yard sale, and the museum is in the process of restoring it. This was a digital work-in-progress screening, but it was still incredibly moving. And the 35 mm restoration will premiere at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (with TRAPPOLA) in under a month!

Then a brief intermission, and the feature.

OLD SAN FRANCISCO (1927): A thriller of land deals, organized crime, and Chinatown (complete with really bad Chinese stereotypes. Some of the challenge of these old films is dealing with old attitudes.) The Vazquez family was one of the oldest in San Francisco, but they're in decline. Just an old man, his granddaughter, and his grand but crumbling estate. And a sleazy businessman with Chinese crime connections who wants their land...and the daughter...and will resort to ruthless means to get them. And there's the dashing hero, who happens to be the nephew of an employee of the villain and also happens to be smitten with the granddaughter. He might be able to save the day, maybe with a little help by the shaking earth.

Total Running Time: 106 minutes
My Total Minutes: 477,028

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for TRAFFIC IN SOULS

But first a couple of shorts

BELLE BOYD, CONFEDERATE SPY (1913): While Belle Boyd was a real historic figure, this film is entirely fiction. Winifred Greenwood plays Belle, who is sewing up Confederate soldiers uniforms in the beginning, when the announcement comes that the Union troops are approaching. The Union soldiers "borrow" Belle's home to make plans, but she spies on them from upstairs (through a hole in the floor) and saves the day...umm...for the Confederacy. A well made film for the time, but much like Keaton's classic THE GENERAL, you have to get over the fact that the Confederates are the heroes in this one.

BROKEN BUBBLES (1920): Hank Mann is one of those great forgotten film comedians. Perusing his credits on IMDb, it's really amazing how many films he made, including bit parts in famous Chaplin features like MODERN TIMES, THE GREAT DICTATOR, and CITY LIGHTS (where his role as a boxer is a little more than a bit part.) He also appeared in dramas like THE MALTESE FALCON, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, and INHERIT THE WIND (according to IMDb, his 452nd and final acting credit.) He was also the oldest surviving original Keystone Kop, and according to Edgar Kennedy, he was the one who came up with the concept (and was the original chief, before passing the role on to Ford Sterling.)

Anyway, all that introduction is to say...while I remember laughing a lot at this film, I don't actually remember what happened in it. Weird. I think I need to get more rest.

Then a brief intermission, and then the feature film.

TRAFFIC IN SOULS (1913): An early feature film (in 1913 most films were still short one or two-reelers) and an early example of a "social commentary" film, which were fairly popular in the silent era. This one delves into the social ills of prostitution. Particularly, new immigrants in New York forced into a white slavery prostitution racket. It also features very naturalistic acting for its time, rather than the exaggerated stage acting that was more common. And it features shots on location, so the exterior shots are very realistic (too bad that many of the interior shots were kind of obviously prop sets.) But for the time it took great pains for realism, which was played up in the advertisements. The story is solid drama, with many subplots, but the main one being the girl whose sister is missing, the policeman who tracks her to one of these forced prostitution rings, and the wealthy civic leader who is secretly behind it all. A very solid drama, with a true sense of danger and suspense, despite the primitive techniques. Of course, they were inventing the techniques as they went along at this time, so it's a pretty amazing achievement.

Total Running Time: 105 minutes
My Total Minutes: 471,010

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum to learn about HAUNTED WINE COUNTRY

Okay, this was actually a fundraiser for the wine country fires from last year, and I was already volunteering at the museum. So really I just stayed a bit longer to see this film from Tom Wyrsch.

I bet this would've been a lot more interesting if I believed in ghosts and spirits and all that stuff. As it was, it's a showcase of paranormal experts talking about the historic events (often gruesome murders) that led to the restless spirits still haunting the buildings. And that's the problem--it's mostly just people talking. Wyrsch gamely tries to add a little reenactment, some recreations of the hauntings. But the whole thing is just terribly un-cinematic. Probably a fun resource for a paranormal believer who's planning a trip to the area. But kind of boring for a skeptical film fan.

Running Time: 81 minutes
My Total Minutes: 470,682

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for a comedy shorts night

It's good to be back at my local silent film theater, and comedy shorts nights are always great.

THE COUNT (1916): Charlie Chaplin as a tailor's assistant. When they find an invitation to a ball at Miss Moneybag's (Edna Purviance) mansion, they both go impersonating the count. Wacky hijinx ensue, especially when the real count shows up.

MY WIFE'S RELATIONS (1922): Buster Keaton loved playing the unhappily married husband, especially when he was married to Natalie Talmadge (whom he married just the year before.) As a showbiz family, they took the ribbing with good humor, especially when Buster was a huge star making a fortune. Anyway, in this film a wacky mixup involving a broken window, a large Irish woman (Kate Price,) and a Polish judge who doesn't speak a word of English leads to the great stone face getting accidentally married. And his new in-laws are big, strapping guys who will break him. That is, until word comes in that he inherited a fortune and they suddenly make an about-face and have to be nice. Hilarious.

Then a brief intermission, and back for the last two shorts.

CRAZY LIKE A FOX (1926): Charley Chase is my favorite nearly-forgotten silent film comedian (he also had a talkie career, but never starred in his own feature films and so his fame didn't last the same as Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, or Laurel and Hardy. Probably his most famous feature role was as the boisterous brother from Texas in Laurel and Hardy's SONS OF THE DESERT.) In this one he plays the son of a rich capitalist. His marriage to the daughter of another capitalist has been arranged, but neither are happy about it. In fact, he'd rather marry the sweet, pretty girl he ran into at the train station (Martha Sleeper.) So he comes up with a plan. He has his valet add a p.s. to his note of introduction, describing how he's prone to harmless fits of madness. All he has to do is act crazy and the wedding will be off. So after a bit of practice, he goes about tormenting his fiance's family. Which prompts a response from the local asylum, with hilarious results. Especially when he finds out who the girl he's supposed to marry really is.

FROM SOUP TO NUTS (1928): The Boys, Laurel and Hardy, as clumsy, inexperienced waiters at a fancy dinner party. A simple premise that piles on the gags expertly. Directed by Edgar Kennedy (the master of the slow burn) and co-starring the under-appreciated Anita Garvin. Fantastically funny, on of their bests, and a great way to end another delightful comedy shorts night.

Total Running Time: 91 minutes
My Total Minutes: 470,601

Jason comes back from hiatus

I know I said I'd be back in 2018, and here it is nearly a month in. I don't think I explicitly said I'd be back at the beginning of 2018, but that was the intention. I didn't account for how busy the beginning of each quarter is for me.

Anyway, I've seen a small handful of movies since I went on hiatus. Of course, I finished of Another Hole in the Head and the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival (both fun festivals, and frustrating that they're at the same time. But I think the entire crossover audience of Jewish films and horror fans is...me.)

I caught THOR: RAGNAROK, which was hilarious is excellent the Taika Waititi way I hoped it would be.

COCO made me cry. OLAF'S FROZEN ADVENTURE made me wretch.

I spent a lot of time with silent films, mostly at my beloved Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, but also at the glorious Castro for SF Silent Film Fest's Day of Silents.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI deserves all the praise it's getting, and none of the baffling backlash.

Of course I saw STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI--twice. It also deserves all the praise and...very little of the backlash. But then, I didn't feel that way until after the second screening. I didn't get all of what Rian Johnson was going for the first time. Also, I have to say that scene--you know the one I'm talking about--is just about the greatest thing ever put on cinema. I'll always call it the "Oh, SHIT!" scene, because the first time I saw it, on opening night (thanks to a good friend who scored some tickets) when that scene came up, the movie was silent and the audience was silent save for one guy who yelled out, "Oh, SHIT!"

And the night before taking off to see my family in Anchorage, AK, I celebrated a Noir City Xmas with Eddie Mueller, MANHANDLED, and ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE.

And then earlier in 2018, I kicked it off with a little Midnites for Maniacs tribute to Gus Van Sant. TO DIE FOR is hilarious and provocative, a great satire on celebrity culture, with a faux-documentary format that it seems every sitcom is copying now (no, it didn't start with THE OFFICE, it at least goes back to 1995. And then Van Sant's controversial shot-for-shot remake of PSYCHO (1998.) I'll admit I was one of the snobs who didn't care to see it back then because, heck, the original is already perfect (I am a big fan of remaking shitty, forgotten movies, though.) But I do remember my sister and cousin seeing it, and saying they liked it better than "the black and white version." I chalked it up to them being young and stupid, but.... Okay, it might still be unnecessary, since the original is still perfect. But it's also a good movie, and good movies are totally necessary. I'm happy I finally saw it.

Oh, I saw THE SHAPE OF WATER. Yeah, that chick totally has sex with a fish-dude. And it's an exciting story about love, acceptance, and the Cold War. But what really excited me about it was...she lives upstairs from a theater! Oh my God! I wanna live upstairs from a theater! Especially a grand movie palace! Why aren't there apartments above the Castro?

THE POST is...pretty good. I can't say there's anything particularly wrong about it. But here's a sampling of what I was thinking when I watched it:
Man, Meryl Streep is a great actress. Yup, that's totally Meryl Streep being a great actress playing...what's her name, the owner of the paper. Yup, in this movie The Washington Post is owned by Meryl Streep.
Man, Tom Hanks is a great actor. Yup, that's totally Tom Hanks being a great actor playing...what's his name, the editor of the paper. Yup, in this movie The Washington Post is edited by Tome Hanks.
Hey, that's Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, from MR. SHOW WITH BOB AND DAVID. They're both playing serious roles. They've both played serious roles before. I don't know if I've seen them do that together, though. They probable have. But still, it's weird that Bob and David are doing scenes together but it's not a Mr. Show sketch.
Hey, remember when Tom Hanks was a comic actor, and then he made the leap into serious drama with PHILADELPHIA? Tom Hanks is in this movie, too. Maybe Bob and David are hoping some of that magic rubs off on them.
Boy, they're really, really hammering the point that it's bad for the President to attack the press. They seriously hope Trump will watch it...but even if he does there's no chance he changes his tune.
A whole lot of other thoughts....
...
And somewhere near the bottom...
...
The Pentagon Papers.

I had more fun at Niles, included the long-awaited DVD release of our brand new (a couple of years old) silent film, BRONCHO BILLY AND THE BANDIT'S SECRET. Stop by the museum and pick yourself up a copy.

And finally, I'm currently in Noir City. But that deserves it's own post.

My Total Minutes:466,047

Jason...takes a hiatus

Some might notice I basically already have. Anyway, it was just about a year ago today that I rebooted, because 2016 just...broke me. Turns out this year has been just as hard. So I'm not even rebooting. I apologize to the remainder of Docfest, to the day I spent at Frameline (especially Julie Sokolow's excellent WOMAN ON FIRE,) to the Niles Film Museum, both for Charlie Chaplin Days (featuring the excellent insights and entertainment of Dan Kamin, the guy who taught Robert Downey, Jr. to play Chaplin) and for the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival.

I especially apologize to my friends who made the hilarious webseries Doucheaholics. I had a great time at the premiere and after party, and if I can find some time in my hectic life, I really want to be part of season 2.

I apologize to the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival and to Another Hole in the Head, both playing right now and for the next couple of weeks. In fact, I'm emceeing Another Hole in the Head, so please come out and watch some horror films with me. And I'll be back at SVJFF for the end, just as soon as Holehead is over.

And I apologize to my readers (I hesitate to imagine I actually have fans) because I'm sure you were just dying to hear my insights about all these festivals as well as some feature films like SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (very good, but missing a scene where the people of New York come to the rescue, which were the best parts of previouse Spider-Man movies) or WONDER WOMAN (awesome!!!!) or MOTHER! (yikes! Darren Aronofsky hates God, and isn't afraid to say it!) or BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Gorgeous, liked it, still processing what it's "about"--much like the first BLADE RUNNER.)

Anyway, this time I'm not even up for a reboot. This is a hiatus. I'm officially giving myself permission to walk away from this blog...until the New Year. See you in 2018. If something strikes me as especially noteworthy, I'll write about it on my Facebook and/or Twitter.

Of course, I'm still counting the minutes I spend watching movies.

My Total Minutes: 434,109

Jason goes to Niles for a Laurel and Hardy Mother's Day

And, of course, Our Gang, which actually had mothers.

BOUNCING BABIES (1929): Weezer is jealous of his new baby brother, even sleeps in his crib. But mommy says he has to grow up. Like if he can't get up in time for breakfast, he'll have to make his own pancakes (just don't use the plaster of Paris as batter.) Later he tries to take the baby back to the hospital and trade him for a goat. That doesn't work too well, either.

COME CLEAN (1931): The Hardys want a nice quiet evening at home. Unfortunately, the Laurels come calling. And while out getting ice cream for their little get together, Stan and Ollie come across a suicidal woman named Kate (Mae Busch). They save her life, but she's a little crazy and insists they're now responsible for her. She's moving in whether they like it or not, or she'll scream and claim they tried to drown her. And she's moving in whether or note they decide to tell their wives (spoiler warning--they don't.)

FORGOTTEN BABIES (1933): Our Gang goes fishing. Except for Spanky, who is tricked into staying behind and baby sitting the really little ones. And hilarious mayhem ensues.

DIRTY WORK (1933): Laurel and Hardy as chimney sweeps, making quite a mess in a mad scientist's living room. And then things get stranger when the are introduced to his amazing rejuvenation tank. Wacky, childish hijinx ensue.

Total Running Time: 78 minutes
My Total Minutes: 427,873

Jason goes to Niles for a Buster Keaton Weekend--part 2

The fun continued on Sunday

First up was a panel discussion with Harry Keaton (Buster's nephew) and historians Martha Jett and Lloyd Williams. Led by our very own Larry Telles, it was a jovial conversation about Buster, mostly about debunking the rumors about his life. No, he wasn't illiterate. He didn't have much schooling but was tutored on the road in the tent shows/vaudeville circuit. Yes, Harry Houdini was a family friend, and Buster's dad Joe Keaton did tell the story of how Harry Houdini named him "Buster." But Joe was also a great...advertiser. So let's go ahead and call that one true. We also had great stories of Buster shooting his classic THE GENERAL in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and how he became a fixture in the town for a time.

And that was a nice lead-in to a very short clip of Buster Keaton on location shooting THE GENERAL.

And then a Warner Brothers Cartoon HOLLYWOOD STEPS OUT, featuring a shot of cartoon Buster Keaton. Check out the Wikipedia article for all the references its making.

Then we were treated to s series of commercials Buster did later in his career for Alka-Seltzer, Country Club Malt Lager, and more.

And finally, that afternoon was the grand finale, ending with his greatest classic. More copy-paste from previous times I've seen them.

THE SCARECROW (1920):

Buster and his fellow farmhand (who live in a wonderfully inventive house. Eating breakfast is an adventure in and of itself) are both after the hand of the farmer's lovely daughter. Wacky hijinx ensue, eventually leading to Buster disguising himself as a scarecrow. And getting the girl--actually matrimony is the recurring theme in these shorts.

Yup, still hilarious.

THE BOAT (1921):

THE BOAT (1921): Buster Keaton in yet another movie I'd seen before at Niles. Here's what I said in August 2009:

Buster Keaton's classic of destruction. Just trying to take his boat the Damfino on it's maiden voyage, he destroys his house, his car, the dock, and more. He ends up soaked, the Damfino does somersaults on the waves, and when he sends an S.O.S and they ask what boat is calling, answering "Damfino" doesn't result in help.

Yup, that sums it up pretty well. Plus there's a treat at the end for any lip-readers.

Yeah, pardon the nested references to previous reviews. I've seen it a few times. An excellent showcase of Keaton's inventiveness, as well as his physical skills. Also, I should recommend Kevin Brownlow's excellent "The Parade's Gone By" for...well, for many reasons. But high among them is Keaton's description of how he finally pulled off the boat-sinking gag. So much work for just a couple of seconds of screen time. But perfectionism pays off this time.

And finally...

THE GENERAL (1926):

Buster Keaton's classic! No need, really, to describe it. If you haven't seen it, just go see it. But I will tell you instead about the first time I saw it on the big screen. Which was at the Castro. And with the Alloy Orchestra. This was at the San Francisco International Film Festival in...I think 2004. I had seen a few silent films before, but mostly on DVD at home and it might have been my first experience seeing a silent film in a theater with live music. At the very least, it was the first time I really appreciated what the big screen, enthusiastic audience, and live music can do for a film. It was then that I realized you haven't necessarily "seen" a silent film if you only watched it alone at home. It was a complete revelation, and still one of my favorite film events ever. And it definitely holds up to multiple viewings.

Huh. Well, that's not very descriptive. So here goes. It's actually based on a true story from the Civil War, and Buster plays a Confederate engineer (train driver, not thing builder) named Johnie Gray. He tries to enlist, but is rejected because he's too valuable to the Confederacy as an engineer. But when his engine is stolen, he chases it behind Union lines, steals it back, and saves the day. You do have to be able to accept a Confederate as the hero, but this isn't a politically charged film like BIRTH OF A NATION. It's just a fact that the story is one of Confederate heroism. Anyway, I found it easy to get over it. And it's both a hilarious physical comedy, but also a thrilling action flick. And it's fantastic on both counts. Truly a master at the top of his game.

Total Running Time: 129 minutes
My Total Minutes: 425,041

Jason goes to Niles for Buster Keaton Weekend, Part 1

Last weekend was a Keaton-palooza at Niles. I missed the opening night so I could see the US whup Honduras 6-0 at Avaya Stadium, but I was there for a full day of Keaton hilariousness on Saturday.

Most of the films I had seen before, so let's look at what I wrote before.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1921):

Buster Keaton is a clumsy bank clerk. Counterfeiters have rigged up their hideout to seem like it's haunted to scare people away. But Buster and an awful cast of actors in costume for Faust have some wacky hijinx in there and end up foiling the crooks. Hilarious.

Yup, that's right.

THE HIGH SIGN (1921):

Keaton as a not-so-sharp sharpshooter who is simultaneously hired to protect and assassinate the local miser August Nickelnurser. The Blinking Buzzards want to kill him because he has refused to pay their extortion price. So not only does Mr. Nickelnurser hire the most inept bodyguard, he also rigs his house with all sorts of secret passages, leading to a pretty frantic and hilarious final act chase.

Yup, and "hilarious" is going to be a theme of this weekend.

THE CAMERAMAN (1928):

What can I say, this is Buster Keaton being a comic genius. It's also the first film he made for MGM, and the start of him losing control over his own films--something he later called his worst mistake in his life. But he's still great in this as a humble tin-type photographer who sees a pretty girl (Marceline Day,) finds out she works at an MGM newsreel office, and decides to clear out his savings account to buy movie camera, get the great footage, and really impress her. He just has a bit of a learning curve. But with his stone-faced gumption and a very clever monkey, he saves the day. It also includes a hilarious public pool sequence that is surprisingly risque for the time. Hilarious, and I just had to wonder how the cameramen on the movie felt about the scene showing a monkey could do their job.

Ooh, "comic genius" should also be a theme of the weekend.

Then a short intermission and on to the next show!

ONE WEEK (1920):

Buster Keaton in one of his best shorts. He and his new wife are given a house as a wedding gift. Trouble is, it comes as a kit, unbuilt. Bigger trouble, the man she turned down to marry Buster messes with the numbers on the kit and they end up with the craziest house ever.

Yup, one of his best shorts. Also, it's not just built crazily, there's a huge storm that destroys their housewarming. Also, I love this observation I made about the house in ONE WEEK and Richard Elfman's THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, and VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST GIRL. Remember, one of the best reasons to watch silent films is because they're still inspiring modern films!

THE PLAY HOUSE (1920):

It opens with a brilliant all-Buster vaudeville show--including an all-Buster audience (and it bears reminding that this was all done in camera--no CGI, no green screen. All these tricks were done in-camera.) Then Buster wakes up and he's just a stagehand backstage in the theater. But he does get his chance to shine when the monkey escapes and he fills in at the last minute. Pretty hilarious. And, of course, he gets the girl in the end but that's really just a side plot--the recurring gag is that there are twins and he's always grabbing the wrong one.

Yeah, "brilliant." That's another word that should dominate the weekend.

STEAMBOAT BILL JR.  (1928):

The Buster Keaton classic. What can I say? Keaton at the top of his game, playing the puny college son of burly steamboat captain William "Steamboat Bill" Canfield (Ernest Torrence.) He's an embarrassment to his father, and to make things worse it turns out his college sweetheart is actually the daughter of his father's worst enemy, the rich and powerful (and appropriately named) Mr. King. It seems he's in for nothing but trouble, but when a big storm hits town, Steamboat Bill, Jr. uses his wits to save everyone and win the girl. It also features one of Keaton's most famous gags--where the side of a house falls on him, leaving him unscathed as the open window frame falls right around him.

"Classic" absolutely. I actually believe there's a legitimate debate to be made over whether this or THE GENERAL is Keaton's greatest masterpiece.

Another intermission, a little Bronco Billy's pizza, and on to the evening show!
COPS (1922):

Buster Keaton, in one of him most famous shorts. Through a series of missteps, he ends up stealing a policeman's wallet, "buying" a truckload of a furniture, and ending up in the policeman's parade. And that's just the start, as his wacky missteps lead to the entire police force chasing after him. All, of course, to make something of himself and win the hand of his girlfriend.

Yup, one of his most famous and most hilarious. And I'll add a shout-out to the "goat glands" scene. If you want to know more, there's a hilarious documentary about the doctor who pioneered goat glands treatment, NUTS.

THE BLACKSMITH(1922):

A workplace theme, with Keaton as a blacksmith's (way too weak) assistant. He shoes a horse, gets filth all over it, and destroys a beautiful white Rolls Royce. A bit of trivia--the car he destroys is his own, given to him by in-laws with whom he was no longer on speaking terms. A bit of on-screen real life revenge.

True, but I forgot to say something like "hilarious" or "classic" or "brilliant." It's all of these things.

COLLEGE (1927): Hmmm...this appears to be the only one that I hadn't blogged about before. I think I had only seen it on DVD at home before. Anyway, Keaton plays the valedictorian at his high school, but his speech is kind of upstaged by a rainy day and a warm heater that shrinks his clothes in a very embarrassing way. Anyway, anyone who listened to his speech knows he is a fan of books and not a fan of sports. Unfortunately, his girlfriend doesn't particularly like that attitude, so when he gets to the same college as her, he tries out for all kinds of sports. Baseball, track and field, etc. And he fails at all, with hilarious results. Eventually he's put on the crew team as the coxswain--partly because he's small and smart, but mostly because the dean likes him and sympathizes with his romantic plight. But his real athletic prowess comes when he finds out that his girl is being held in her room and threatened by the campus jock (a scene that is way too creepy to fly in a modern film.)

And that was last Saturday at Niles. Awesome, hilarious fun, made even better by the fact that I barely had to write anything new, I could blog most of the day just by cutting and pasting!

Total Running Time: 363 minutes
My Total Minutes: 424,912

Jason goes to Niles for a Baby Peggy Benefit Weekend

I'd seen almost all the movies this weekend before. But this was about helping out a wonderful lady, a woman I met at her 90th Birthday party, an excellent writer/Hollywood historian, and the last surviving silent film star. Diana Serra Cary, aka Baby Peggy.

Anyway, I'm not good at writing about how awesome a 97 year old lady is, or the conflict I have about whether I love her more as a 97 year old or as a 2 year old, so let's just get to the movies.

On Saturday Night

PEG O' THE MOUNTED (1924): Here's what I said the last time I saw it:

Peggy is playing beside a mountain cabin in Canada (actually Yosemite) when a wounded, exhausted Mountie shows up. After Peggy nurses him back to health, he explains that he was chasing some moonshiners. So now it's Peggy's job to track them down and bring them to justice.

Yeah, I guess that's technically true. Although I didn't say anything about how funny and cute it was. That's also important.

BABY PEGGY'S 90TH BIRTHDAY NEWSREEL (2009): This is the one movie of the weekend I hadn't seen before. And I was actually in it! Like I said, I first met her at her 90th Birthday. So it was really cool to finally see it! And I hadn't noticed that Vera Iwerebor was there shooting footage for her documentary BABY PEGGY, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll just say great job by her of getting the footage without being distracting.

CAPTAIN JANUARY (1924): Another one I've seen over and over. Here's what I said the last time:

 I've seen this over and over again (starting with when I first met Diana six years ago at her 90th birthday party.) And it always gets me. The friendship between the Captain and Jeremiah Judkins (Hobart Bosworth.) The nosy busy-bodies trying to take her away. The tragedy, the comedy, and the beautiful ending. This film always gets me, and it's just beautiful. I like to think I would love it even if I wasn't friends with the star.

Well, I'll stick by that, other than failing to explain that "the Captain" is daddy Judkin's nickname for Baby Peggy's character, named after he found her washed up after a shipwreck (he's the lighthouse keeper, and she helps out now.)

On then on Sunday, I worked in the story during the day so I missed the screening of THE FAMILY SECRET (1924.) I had seen it a few times anyway.

But I did stick around for BABY PEGGY, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. Again, I've seen it many times and own the DVD (which includes CAPTAIN JANUARY.) Here's what I said last time:

It's a nice overview of her career, but what makes it interesting is not the Baby Peggy part of her life but the Diana Serra Carey part of her life. See, far from a wonderful blessing, Baby Peggy for most of her life was something of a curse. This is very common for child stars (and Diana has chronicled this in her book Hollywood's Children--available here) She was very aware even at 18 months of age that she was working and the main breadwinner for her family. She lost her childhood (however much her parents insisted that she thought she was just playing make-believe) and her status as the breadwinner caused quite a lot of family tension. And it all became worse when her step-grandfather ran off with all the family's money.

You know...it's actually kind of hard for me to review this. It is, after all, the often sad life story of a woman who is now 93 years old, who I met at her 90th birthday party, and who I now consider a friend. I'm just very happy that her life has turned out well and Baby Peggy is enjoying a rediscovery and revival now.

Well, update 93 to 97. And I'd add that the scene where Diana's sister writes her a thank-you note always brings a tear to my eye. It's a beautiful scene, in a wonderful movie, about an exceptional woman.

Total Running Time: 131 minutes
My Total Minutes: 413,976

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for the Halloween show

And, of course, Happy Birthday to me! No place else I'd rather celebrate. Especially with the entire audience singing to me while Jon Marsalis played. But enough about me, let me tell you what I thought of the movies...from my perspective....me.

THE HAUNTED KITCHEN (1907): Segundo de Chomón, an early special effects master in the mold of Georges Méliès, made this amusing little film about a couple of contortionist demons who take over a kitchen and run amok.

KOKO'S HAUNTED HOUSE (1928): The Fleischer Brothers' star clown once again jumps out of the inkwell. Although this time one of the animators stretches his inkwell into a house, and when Koko and his dog Fitz run in, they run into all sorts of comical ghosts, skeletons, and the like and have scary, funny adventures.

THE FRAIDY CAT (1924): Charley Chase as his character Jimmy Jump is afraid of everything and everyone--including the local kids playing pranks. But when he learns (incorrectly) that he doesn't have long to live, he hilariously screws up his courage and takes on his tormentors. Good fun featuring my favorite overlooked silent film comedian.

And then a brief intermission, and on to our feature...

THE LAST WARNING (1929): Paul Leni's funny/scary backstage murder mystery, and much like his CAT AND THE CANARY established all the clichés for haunted house movies, this does the same for backstage murders (well, I guess Phantom of the Opera did a lot of that first, but still...) The opening scenes set the stage (pun intended) brilliantly. Famous actor John Woodford dies on stage during a performance of his play "The Snare." Chloroform poisoning seems to be the cause, murder is suspected, and the leading lady Miss Doris Terry (Laura La Plante) is the prime suspect. And then...the body mysteriously disappears before the coroner can conduct his autopsy. Flash forward five years, the theater has been closed, the cast has gone their separate ways. And now a new producer wants to open it up, putting on a new production of "The Snare" with the original cast (minus, of course, Woodford.) And soon after a phantom-like character appears to torment the cast with warnings and more. A nice mix of humor and suspense that Paul Leni was great at (too bad he died shortly after making this film) and an effective reveal at the end. Good film.

Total Running Time: 100 minutes
My Total Minutes: 407,761

Jason goes to Niles for a Creature Features show

Ah, one of my favorite Halloween in Niles traditions, at least when they do it.

For those who didn't grow up in the Bay Area (like me,) Bob Wilkins was an iconic late-night horror TV host. And he was famous for not dressing up as a monster, but being the "regular guy" who made fun of the movies (if they were bad. If not, he actually praised them honestly.) and interviewed stars, did interesting segments around the commercial breaks, etc.

Only 4 complete episodes of his show exist, as most of the tapes for his segments were handed to the news department after they aired so they could tape news segments over them. Tom Wyrsch, local historical documentarian, has retrieved them and compiled them into complete shows, with the movie, Bob Wilkins segments, and vintage commercials inserted in the appropriate places. And a couple of Sundays ago, we saw the last of the four, there will never be more.

Oh, and as an extra treat, John Stanley was there. He's the guy who took over the show when Bob retired.

So, as for the movie. X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES (1963) is one of the good ones (although it was shown as a double feature with some awful trash they didn't play, which makes it kind of confusing at the end when Bob Wilkins says, "See, I told you it was bad.") Roger Corman directed this, with Ray Milland starring as a Dr. James Xavier who develops a formula to give himself x-ray vision. At first it's great for his career as a surgeon, but it leads to some problems when his colleagues try to get him to stop and he kills one of them. On the run, he resurfaces as a carnival sideshow act, a psychic who can see what's in people's pockets and the like. But that becomes problematic when his manager (Mr. Warmth himself, Don Rickles) starts exploiting him as a healer. So Xavier is on the run again with his girlfriend who has tracked him down. This time to Vegas to make a little money at blackjack. He just needs enough to continue his research. Oh yeah, did I mention that his x-ray formula is also kind of fucking up his brain? That's kind of important. Obviously, things won't end well. Except for the audience, the audience gets a great little treat.

Total Running Time: 126 minutes
My Total Minutes: 407,323

Jason goes to Niles for JACK PIERCE, MAKER OF MONSTERS

Catching up with the last month. And October always means some Halloween fun at Niles.

JACK PIERCE, MAKER OF MONSTERS is the new documentary by Strephon Taylor of November Fire. Jack Pierce was the makeup guru behind all the famous Universal Pictures monsters. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, etc. Or one of my favorites, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (later the inspiration for Batman's nemesis the Joker.) The film uses interviews, archival footage, news clippings, etc. to go over his exhaustive career, from free-lancing to heading up Universal's makeup department, to largely being forgotten and dismissed. Oh, and along the way coaching the Universal Pictures basketball team, which formed the nucleus of the 1936 Olympic champions. Truly a man of many talents, and one all horror fans--nay, all film fans--should know more about.

Then for the die-hards there was a brief archival Bela Lugosi interview, and then a bonus feature, WHITE ZOMBIE (1932.) Featuring of course Jack Pierce's makeup and Bela Lugosi as a creepy master of an island where he keeps "workers" enslaved as zombies using a mind-control drug (this was long before George Romero changed what we think of as "zombies.") A love triangle and some duplicity set up the story, with Madeline (Madge Bellamy) getting all zombified before the jealous suitor who tried to steal her away has a change of heart. It's not as famous as the iconic Universal monster pictures, but still an overlooked little gem of the time.

Total Running Time: 151 minutes
My Total Minutes: 406,285

Jason goes to Niles for a Laurel and Hardy matinee--August 9th

Four funny films a few weeks ago. Sorry, but I gotta make this brief.

DIVOT DIGGERS (1935): Our Gang gets up to a heck of a lot of mischief filling in for the striking caddies at the local golf course.

THE CHIMP (1932): Laurel and Hardy work at a failing circus. In fact, when the circus folds instead of back pay they get...a flea circus and a chimpanzee. Wacky hijinx ensue (especially when the chimp has the same name as their landlord's wife.)

MANHATTAN MONKEY BUSINESS (1930): Charley Chase, with a little windfall expects to have a nice night out. But when he accidentally overtips the cabbie, he's left with no money for dinner and has to work it off while keeping up appearances. Very funny.

DIRTY WORK (1933): Laurel and Hardy as chimney sweeps, making quite a mess in a mad scientist's living room. And then things get stranger when the are introduced to his amazing rejuvenation tank. Wacky, childish hijinx ensue.

Total Running Time: 84 minutes
My Total Minutes: 405,457

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for a Leonard Nimoy tribute

What does he have to do with silent film? Why did we do this?

Nothing. And because we can

First up was a veritable smorgasbord (love that word) of clips from Creature Features, interviews, Star Trek bloopers, etc. all courtesy of local historical documentary filmmaker and friend of the museum Tom Wyrsch (look for a couple of his shows coming to the museum in October!) They're all edited together in a clever and playful way that allows Leonard Nimoy to basically tell the story of his career. Very cool.

And then a brief intermission, a costume contest (where everyone knew the Klingon had to win) and the feature film.

KID MONK BARONI (1952): Nimoy's first starring role, and in the first scenes he's nearly unrecognizable, not just because he's so young (he was about 20 at the time) but because his face is partially hidden under a ridiculously bent up nose. This makes him a fighter, the tough leader of a Little Italy street gang. When they're caught tearing apart a banister for firewood, local priest Father Callahan (Richard Rober) takes him under his wing and teaches him how to box. He finds a home in the church with friends and perhaps a nice girl. And boxing teaches him discipline and a little respect. And he's good enough that he starts winning some amateur bouts and is looking to go pro. But insecurities over his looks lead him to make bad decisions. And when he gets plastic surgery and becomes a younger version of that handsome Vulcan we all know (seriously, on a side note, Zachary Quinto does really look like a young Leonard Nimoy)...that doesn't help him with his psychological issues. In fact, fear of messing up his face actually makes him a worse boxer. A good story well told, and a solid morality tale that still works, mostly.

Total Running Time: 158 minutes
My Total Minutes: 403,299

Jason goes to the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival--Day 3

I skipped Day 2 to see my Quakes take on the hated L.A. Galaxy at Stanford...a grand day full of drinking and victory!

THE FAMILY SECRET (1924): The last day of the festival started with this Baby Peggy gem (and she was there in person and still beautiful.) This isn't the first time it has played at our festival, the last time I saw it was 2011, when I said this:

Baby Peggy is that secret, as her parents were married in secret. See, Margaret and Garry loved each other and got married, even though her father disapproved. When he catches him in the house, he sets him up as a burglar and has the police take him away for 4 years. In the meantime, Peggy is born and starts growing up. Her mom is depressed and spends days in bed. Her nanny is at best humorless and at worst negligent as she reads romance novels while Peggy wanders off. The nurse won't let Peggy stay with mommy because she gets to nervous. Grandpa has little time for her. So she spends her time playing with the cook and the maid, who dote on her as she gets into all sorts of hijinx. Meanwhile Garry is finally released from prison, but doesn't know how to find his daughter (even though they're still living in the same home. That seems like a plot hole to me). But you know what, I'll overlook that plot hole. The real heart of the movie is how Baby Peggy can melt anyone's heart. Her grandfather's character arc is particularly nice. And I loved how the audience was totally into it, cheering the good guys and hissing at the villains.

That's all still true. A beautiful movie with great heart. And I have it on good authority that a new DVD of it will be released soon. Details to come...

And then we ended the night with a bunch of Hazards of Helen flicks.

IN DANGER'S PATH (1915): Hazards of Helen often involved trains. In fact, all in this program did. In this one Helen (Holmes) has to escape from a refrigerator car and avert a train disaster. Very exciting.

THE GHOST OF THE CANYON (1920): Also played at the festival back in 2011. Here's what I said then:

The rare moments when Helen Holmes used a stunt double, her double was Helen Gibson (back when she was still Rose Gibson), so she was a natural to step into the role when Holmes left. This movie feels like the inspiration for a Scooby Doo mystery, with a ghost haunting a railroad trestle. Tons of fun, with more amazing stunts.

Ha ha, cool! I still agree, and it's definitely got a Scooby Doo plot (only...almost 50 years before Scooby-Doo was a thing.)

THE WILD ENGINE (1915): In this one, we're back to Helen Holmes. This time a runaway train is rumbling down the track and she has to make a mad dash by motorcycle and swim across a river to warn the excursion train and all their passengers. Wild stunts, and of course a just-in-the-nick-of-time ending.

MISTAKEN ORDERS (1925): Not surprisingly, the later these get the more sophisticated the plot. In this one, Helen Holmes is Helen Barton, and the plot revolves around whether it's safe to have a girl working for the railroad. And of course she has to prove the chauvinists wrong with a mad dash to the rescue once again. Very thrilling, and a great way to end the 2015 version of the festival.

Total Running Time: 177 minutes

My Total Minutes: 402,545

Jason goes to the Broncho Billy film festival--Day 1

Our little weekend silent film festival in Niles kicked off in style with a couple of 100 year old locally made flicks.

BRONCHO BILLY AND THE CLAIM JUMPERS (1915): Our "patron saint," Broncho Billy Anderson kicked off the festival with this story of evil men who try to prevent him from registering his claim by drugging the stagecoach driver. Luckily the driver's daughter (and Broncho Billy's sweetheart) Marguerite Clayton steps in and helps save the day. Very exciting.

WHEN SLIPPERY SLIM WENT FOR THE EGGS (1915): Then the Snakeville gang, the local jokesters had some fun picking on Slippery Slim (Victor Potel.) In particular, Mustang Pete (Harry Todd) and Hiram Clutts (Ernest Van Pelt) have quite a few laughs before the tables are turned. Very funny.

THE TOMBOY (1924): And then the feature, starring Dorothy Devore as Tommy Smith, a tomboy who runs a boarding house with her father. A stranger Alden Farwell (Herbert Rawlinson) comes to town and stays at their boarding house. A bit of a love triangle ensues as she likes him, but he gets vamped by trendy flapper Sweetie Higgins (Helen Lynch.) There's also a plot about a bootlegging ring and Mr. Smith is the prime suspect. It all makes for an entertaining hybrid of action melodrama and romantic comedy.

Total Running Time: 84 minutes

Jason goes to Niles for Comedy Shorts Night

Still catching up...this was Comedy Shorts Night a month ago.

SHANGHAIED (1915): Chaplin, in his Essanay days, in a very funny short where the tramp helps to shanghai a crew and then gets shanghaied himself. There he works in the kitchen and has to save himself and his girlfriend who stowed away (Edna Purviance.) Oh yeah, and the owner actually intends to scuttle the ship for the insurance money.

ONE WEEK (1920): A Buster Keaton classic. Here's what I said the last time I saw it:

Buster is given a house as a wedding present--all he has to do is build it himself. Unfortunately, his spurned rival messes with the plans and he ends up with a bizarre monstrosity.

Yup, still hilarious.

Then a brief intermission, and a couple more shorts.

NO FATHER TO GUIDE HIM (1925): Charley Chase (my favorite little-known silent era comedian) in a very funny short. Like much of his movies, it revolves around marital discord, but in this case he gets along fine with his wife and son. He doesn't get along with his mother-in-law, who has barred him from the house. So he has to sneak his son out for a day at the beach, where hilarity ensues (including lost swimsuits, yowza!)

YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' (1928): Another one I had seen and written about before:

Laurel and Hardy as lousy musicians (they don't play by ear or by reading music, they play by brute force) in an orchestra. They get fired, try to survive as street performers, and get into all sorts of hilarious trouble.

Yup, still hilarious.

Total Running Time: 76 minutes
My Total Minutes: 402,160

Jason goes to Niles to see THE MIDNIGHT GIRL

But of course, first a couple of shorts:

AT FIRST SIGHT (1924): One of Charley Chase's "Jimmy Jump" comedies. Hilarious sight gags like his hat gets set on fire and he gets drenched in a storm trying to help a young lady with her convertible. Then it becomes a wacky romantic comedy as he tries to impress the girl but doesn't have enough money for a nice suit. So his kind boss lets him borrow one of his. But then it turns out the girl isn't a fancy society lady, but just the maid. And there are more twists and more hijinx, and it's a sweet and funny film.

FEARLESS HARRY (1926): Little know Earl McCarthy as "Hairbreadth Harry" based on an old comic strip. Harry has to rescue Beautiful Belinda (so warm-hearted, she has to wear asbestos lingerie) from the diabolical Relentless Rudolph. Hilariously over the top gags that really look like they came straight out of a comic strip. Very cool.

Then intermission, and on to the feature program.

THE MIDNIGHT GIRL (1925): Bela Lugosi in an early silent role. He plays a creepy opera patron, infamous for casting his girlfriends over more talented singers. In fact, his latest girlfriend is destroying the opera. His son calls him on it, and decides to leave and forge his own path, forgoing his father's financial support. But he actually has talent as a musician, and grooms a lovely young lady as a star in the local nightclub. When she's accomplished enough, he takes her to meet his father in hopes of turning her into a star and maybe even reconciling with him. But instead, a really creepy love triangle ensues. Actually, that's not right. She doesn't love the father, he just tries to take advantage of her, and it's really creepy. Damn, Bela Lugosi has that creepy look down, even before he was Dracula. And there's even a point in the sexual assault scene where I swear it looks like he was about to bite her neck. That was really weird, as is this movie. But it was fun to watch.

Total Running Time: 96 minutes
My Total Minutes: 392,301