Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum--Dec 4

Here we go:

KOKO'S FIELD DAZE (1922): Koko and his dog pal compete in a track and field "field day" events, of course sabotaging each other. And then they jump off the page into the Fleisher's cartoonist's Field Day, where they sabotage that, too. Hilarious.

IT'S A GIFT (1923): Snub Pollard stars as an inventor with hilarious Rube Goldberg devices (on a more modern take, I felt like I was watching Wallace and Gromit at times). His magnet-powered car might even be the solution to the oil crisis.

AIR POCKETS (1924): Little known forgotten comic Lige Conley (I had never heard of him before) stars also as an inventor, and one with a unique automobile. His is collapsible. Lot's of crazy antics, a climactic (and not at all realistic) airplane chase. Funny, although some of the racist elements are pretty uncomfortable to modern audiences.

Then a brief intermission, and our feature presentation.

HUMAN HEARTS (1922): An epic melodrama starring ruggedly handsome House Peters. He plays Tom Logan, son of "Paw" Logan, founder of Loganville. He's the strongest, handsomest, most eligible bachelor, and when Paw dies and Tom gets his inheritance, he'll be the richest. So a scheming con-woman plots to seduce him (best line, from Paw who sees right through her from the start: "Nothing good comes from a woman who flirts.") However, she never counted on actually falling for him. So much so that she marries him even when Paw cuts him out of the will (he really, really doesn't approve, and is unrealistically stubborn). Things get worse when her partner-in-crime shows up, leading to Paw's murder, Tom getting framed, and things generally turning very, very bad.

I thought the story had promise, and despite a few glaring errors (one young man is diagnosed with a "he'll be okay" with a minor scalp wound before the same doctor reveals he's brain-damaged and will have the mind of a child for life) it was a pretty good story. It was just really long. Actually, it was 70 minutes, but it felt like a lot more.

Running Time: 110 minutes (estimated)

My Total Minutes: 217,330

Jason watches THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC with the Voices of Light

I can't believe I've lived here in the Bay Area for over 10 years and I've never before been to the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Well, that's been rectified, and that place is freakin' beautiful! 'Nuf said.

As for the movie, of course THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC is a classic. I can't say much that hasn't been said much more intelligently before. I hadn't known before that it was based on actual court records of Joan's trial that were discovered only a few years before Dreyer made the movie. Of course the extensive use of closeups, the stark sets and the contrasts with the dynamic camera movement and editing are remarkable cinematic achievements. I had forgotten the wild riot scene at the end, which was nearly as impressive as the rest of the film.

But what made the performance was the live score--a 22 piece orchestra and 180 voice choir. It was powerful, soulful score, and the perfect balance of voices and orchestra. The voices were primary (the notes said that the idea was since Joan heard voices the score would be based on voices. Sometimes just a few female voices for Joan, and sometimes all voices filling the theatre. The instrumentals complemented the voices perfectly, never overpowering. Just beautiful.

I should note that I am by no means religious (in fact, I identify as atheist), but I can appreciate the power of this film and this score, and I understand and sympathize with those who say this is a powerfully religious experience.

Total Running Time: 110 minutes

My Total Minutes: 217,220

Jason goes to Bad Movie Night and watched THE RUNNING MAN

So named because it's like a constant dribble of diarrhea. Get it, "running" as in "the runs?" It's a poop joke! And that's all this movie deserves.

But at least with Jesse Ventura we get a little Governor-on-Governor action.

Running Time: 101 minutes

My Total Minutes: 216,908

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum--Nov 27

A quick rundown of Thanksgiving weekend at the Edison Theatre.

KOKO'S THANKSGIVING (1925): A Fleischer "Out of the Inkwell" production, where Koko runs the projector and shows clips of his previous adventures to Fleischer's Thanksgiving guests.

NEVER TOUCHED ME (1919): Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard fight over the attention of the lovely Bebe Daniels. Basic slapstick, not one of Lloyd's more inventive films.

ONLY ME (1929): Lupino Lane in a tour de force of multiple roles. I think he plays upwards of 20 roles here, as a patron of the Palace Theatre, all of the performers, an annoying prank-pulling kid, and others. Hilarious.

Then a brief intermission, and the feature:

FEEL MY PULSE (1928): The lovely Bebe Daniels is back, as an heiress who has been raised to be a hypochondriac. Several medicines daily and avoid all excitement that might agitate her heart--that's the regimen. Her uncle has other plans, he thinks she needs excitement and so he'll take her to his ranch. Well that won't do, but she remembers she inherited a sanitarium on a secluded island. That's the perfect place to escape to and live a life of relaxation. Or so she thought. Turns out in the absence of any oversight it's become a front for bootleggers, and seems nearly nightly is raided by hijackers. Adventure, action, comedy, and even some romance ensue. All things that agitate the heart. Of course, it turns out that's good for her.

Total Running Time (estimated, since I couldn't find running times for the first two): 121 minutes

My Total Minutes: 216,807

Jason watches JOHANNA

Once again, I've fallen over a week behind in my reviews. In any case, thanks to my fellow blogger and twitter follower Brian Darr (of Hell on Frisco Bay) for giving me a head's up about this amazing film. It was the second half of a Orsi Toth double feature at the Roxie (the first was DELTA, but I didn't get up there in time to see it).

In a way, it's appropriate I didn't write this up until seeing THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC at the Paramount (more on that later), since it's sort of an operatic re-invention of the Joan of Arc story. At least in as much as the titular Johanna is passionate, possibly crazy, but helps a lot of people and is beloved for it by the people and hated by the authorities. Big difference, she's not leading the French Army, she's a drug addict rescued from a near death experience who then cures all the patients in the hospital--by sleeping with them. The head doctor becomes infatuated with her, but since he's not ill she won't sleep with him--her body is only for comforting and healing the sick. And so a final showdown of the hospital staff vs. the patients is imminent.

I really don't have much more to say, other than it was pretty amazing. Oh, and to admit I got the Joan of Arc connection from IMDb, but once it's pointed out I can't see it any other way.

Running Time: 86 minutes

My Total Minutes: 216,686

Jason goes to bad movie night and watches FIRESTARTER

And I admit I needed a little firewater to get me through it.

This is a story about how anyone who messes around with Drew Barrymore (I'm looking at you, super-creepy George C. Scott) gets punished with an intense burning sensation.

Yeah, I know Drew was only 9 years old at the time, and that's creepy, but you know she was already a coked-up whore back then. I applaud how well she's turned herself around.

Running Time: 114 minutes (but it felt a lot longer)

My Total Minutes: 216,418

Jason goes to the Niles Film Museum for comedy shorts night--Nov 20, 2010

Man, that place was packed! I thought the rain storm would keep a few people away, but I'm lucky I got there early. And, of course, the movies delivered (as did Greg Pane on the piano)

THE VAGABOND (1916): Charlie Chaplin in his Tramp character helps a poor, friendless girl (Niles favorite Edna Purviance) who has been stolen by gypsies. He fights off her captors, washes her face (in the most hilarious scene), and is ready to settle down with her. But a rival enters the picture, a painter who makes her famous.

NEVER WEAKEN (1921): Harold Lloyd does his best to help his girlfriend and her boss's struggling osteopathy business. And he succeeds, but he also overhears her talking with a man about marrying her. Distraught, he decides to end it all, but doesn't have the guts. And then dizzying high-rise girder acrobatic hijinx ensue. And those scenes always get to me. Hilarious, and truly tense and exciting.

Then a brief intermission

HIGH RISE (1921): Buster Keaton didn't actually like this film, but his friend and mentor Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle loved it. Faking his way through a sharpshooting job in an amusement park, he gets inducted into the Blinking Buzzards, and is given the job of assassinating a businessman who's late on a payment. He's also hired by the very same businessman as a bodyguard. And with the house tricked out with all sorts of secret passages and trapdoors (for his safety), you know Keaton's trademark acrobatic wackiness will ensue.

SUGAR DADDIES (1927): And finally, The Boys, Laurel and Hardy. This was just before they were really a comedy team, they just happened to be appearing in a lot of the same Hal Roach movies, but Roach hadn't figured out to team them up yet. Their longtime foil/co-star Jim Finlayson gets equal billing, and stars as a rich tycoon who wakes up after a bender and is informed by his butler (Hardy) that he was married last night. Not only does he not want that, but it's really all a scam by his "wife" and her cohorts to steal his money. So he calls his lawyer (Laurel) to fix it. But nothing will be fixed before Finlayson ends up running through an amusement park with Laurel on his back, dressed up as a very tall woman. You know, to be inconspicuous. Hilarious. I think Mr. Roach should team these guys up more often!

Total Running Time: 94 minutes

My Total Minutes: 216,304