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Buster Keaton Collection Streaming.
Movie Title: Buster Keaton Collection Buster Keaton Collection is available for streaming or downloading. |
Boy, how I feeble to dislike Ted Turner. Yes, disapprove. It wasn’t too strong of a word. When Turner Classic Movies first began broadcasting, they were intent on colorizing everything. Don’t remember colorization? Friendly! A handful of executives felt that for a classic murky and white film to earn an audience in the MTV age everything had to be colored in with day glow artificial colors, giving a number of films the behold of a abominable water color, everyone had the same skin color, making them unwatchable. At one point, Turner even wanted to colorize the early shadowy and white episodes of “Gilligan’s Island”. I’m not distinct (nor do I care) if that ever happened.
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Now, Turner Classic Movies is an invaluable resource for anyone who loves or studies films. Using the MGM vault as their toy chest, and later adding libraries of other studios, they exhibit a distinguished number of hard to win films that are not available on DVD or even video. In the last few years, MGM and Warner Bros. have begun releasing a mammoth number of these films on DVD, using pristine prints, restoring films and creating a host of blooming extras. What a inequity a decade makes.
Turner Classic Movies has released “The Buster Keaton Collection”, a two disc residence including “The Cameraman” (1928), “Spite Marriage” (1929) and “Free and Easy” (1930), Buster’s first talkie. There is also a short documentary called “Buster Keaton: So Comic It Distress” about his brief tenure at MGM. The documentary premiered on Turner Classic Movies.
Buy,Download, Or Stream Buster Keaton Collection! Click Here
Buster Keaton is one of my approved film comedians, creating some of the funniest films I have ever seen. During powerful of his career, Keaton was his occupy boss. He produced the films he wanted to design and worked on them until he was overjoyed with their exclaim and then released them through distribution deals his partner, Joe Schenck, build together. Sound familiar? This is essentially what Chaplin and Harold Lloyd did as well. But Chaplin was savvier when it came to business. He extracted larger contracts, made more money and retained ownership of all of his films.
Because he was his beget boss, Keaton had free reign while he worked helping him acquire such classics as “The General”. Widely acknowledged as Keaton’s masterpiece, the film follows the exploits of a lone Southern engineer as he tries to thwart the plans of the Northern soldiers he comes across. If you have never seen “The General”, you should. It is a grand film and contains many classic comedy moments including an astonishing sequence region on two trains speeding down the tracks.
“The General” is not my popular Keaton film. That would have to be “Sherlock Jr.” Keaton plays a young man who imagines he is in a film. Amazingly, all of the special effects were created in the camera. When you examine, you will understand what I mean and why it is so unbelievable.
In “Seven Chances”, Keaton’s character has unbiased one day to fetch a bride and regain married to inherit a fortune. Botching the proposal to his girlfriend, his best buddy helps him regain a mate and they ask several women, all of whom refuse. Rejected by everyone, Buster goes to the church and falls asleep, waiting for his buddy and lawyer to bring someone to the church. While he is asleep, a newspaper narrative reveals Keaton is looking for a bride and will inherit a astronomical sum of money upon marriage. When he wakes up, the church is filled with women of all sizes, ages, races and appearances. When they realize Buster is sitting in front of them, they stampede, leading to one of the funniest sequences ever filmed. This films was, unfortunately, remade a few years ago starring Chris O’Donnell and Renee Zellweger.
Or “The Navigator”, or “Steamboat Bill, Jr”, or “Go West”. There are many more classics, too many to list and discuss.
What does any of this have to do with “The Buster Keaton Collection”? It is significant to have a brief history to understand why this original DVD residence is so well-known.
Even though “The General” is acknowledged as Keaton’s classic film, this is a development that happened many, many years after the film’s release. The film was a major financial disappointment for Keaton. His next film “College” earned more money, but the financial pressures experienced after “The General” led Schenck to discover for a more worthy partner to earn and distribute Keaton’s films.
Watching “The Buster Keaton Collection” is a notable disagreeable for anyone who is keen in film or calm film history. Containing three films, it represents a reliable, a awful and one of the lowest points in Keaton’s career.
Keaton signed with MGM in 1928. As I watched “The Cameraman”, the first film produced at MGM, I listened to the commentary provided by Glenn Mitchell, author of “A – Z of Restful Film Comedy” and I learned a very telling fact. Both Chaplin and Lloyd advised Keaton against signing with MGM. As mentioned, Keaton had a astronomical amount of creative freedom when he worked for himself. At MGM, he became section of a factory and the fit wasn’t a profitable one and would ultimately lead to the raze of his career as a filmmaker. MGM insisted that he work from tightly plotted screenplays and he was no longer allowed to work out gags on the spot, with the camera rolling. Despite all of these problems, “The Cameraman” is quite fine. It was also very successful and, according to Mitchell, ragged as a template for all of the studio’s future comedies, including many of the Marx Brothers films.
Keaton plays Luke, a tintype operator in Current York City. During a stout parade, he bumps into Sally (Marceline Day), the receptionist at MGM Newsreels. Pitying him, she agrees to let him hold her record. At the time, tintypes were already archaic. He follows her to the office to return the represent. In an attempt to imprint her, he buys an ancient camera and waits for an assignment. In an worry to relieve him, and thwart the pushy office bully, she sends him on an assignment, which he botches. Later, he goes to veil a parade in Chinatown. At the parade, rival Tong gangs settle to inaugurate a war, and Keaton finds he is in the middle of the action.
“The Cameraman” is recognized as Keaton’s last immense film and it is very good; there is a lot of “laughable business”. Keaton’s efforts to photograph the Tong War are especially comic and inventive. Constantly racing around, he has to fend of the warring gang members as he tries to derive as terminate to the action as possible. At one point, a gun shot hits one of the legs of his tripod making it useless. He then decides to build the other two legs in harms blueprint and certain enough, they are soon the same size. Standing on a platform, with a mountainous thought of the action, he doesn’t realize that the scaffolding is about to give design and the platform swings gracefully to the ground, giving him a ample shot.
The record is a minute awkward and the third act seems sloppy. It was essential to reestablish Sally’s feelings for Keaton and remove the bully out of the narrate. To do this, an account for status portion was created. But if you ogle at the yarn, the connection between the main region and this bit was tenuous at best and detracts from the film.
“The Cameraman” was very successful and only served to re-affirm MGM’s idea that Keaton’s films should be more tightly scripted. Because the film made money, they felt they were suitable and Keaton was nefarious. 1929’s “Spite Marriage” is one of those `hybrid’ films from the tedious twenties. Created after the invention of sound, it isn’t a `talkie’. MGM wasn’t ready to save Keaton in a talkie. Instead, the film contains synced sound effects and music. Grand like a laugh track on a television comedy, these sound effects were intended to cue the viewers’ feelings and emotions. Watching a quiet film with synced sound effects is like watching a foreign film with dubbed voices. It detracts from the film, taking you out of the account.
Keaton plays Elmer, a dry cleaner, infatuated with stage actress Trilby Drew (Dorothy Sebastian) . He attends every performance of her play wearing a different suit borrowed from his customers. He also waits outside the stage door every night, for some indication that she is aware of his existence. One night, after fighting with her leading man, Trilby talks to Elmer, trying to fabricate the leading man jealous. Elmer knows nothing of this spat and soon agrees to marry her. As the sham marriage progresses, he realizes that she doesn’t savor him, but will always continue to treasure her.
“Spite Marriage” contains three memorable sequences. Early in the film, Elmer winds up backstage playing an extra in Trilby’s play. The extra has a essential scene in which he holds Trilby after her character has fainted. Naturally, he is so nervous the play becomes a concern. After they are married, Trilby insists that they go to the same nightclub frequented by her leading man and his unusual girlfriend. Trilby proceeds to bag stinking drunk. Returning to their hotel room, she passes out. Elmer attempts to fade her unwieldy body and set aside her to bed, but she doesn’t cooperate and he struggles, in truly comedic fashion, to derive her into the bed. The finale, site aboard a steamship involves a band of rumrunners who try to retract over the nearly deserted ship. Elmer saves the day. My dilemma with this sequence is that it seems a retread of a beneficial sequence in “The Navigator”, one of Keaton’s earlier films. It is different, but doesn’t seem to stretch the envelope enough.
The less said about “Free and Easy” the better. Keaton’s first talkie, he essentially becomes a supporting character to Elvira (Anita Page) and Larry (Robert Montgomery), two budding lovers. Elvira wins a dinky town beauty contest and earns a roam to Hollywood, her mother and Elmer (Keaton) in tow. On the assert, they meet Larry, a renowned actor. The mother is overbearing. The jokes are completely cross for Keaton. It is a mess.
MGM proceeded to cast Keaton in a series of talkies reliant on jokes and verbal puns, not physical humor, Keaton’s trademark. Unable to employ his creative skills, Keaton’s personal life soon deteriorated and his drinking became excessive. MGM soon paired Keaton with an up and coming comedian, Jimmy Durante. Durante quick became the headliner and Keaton’s contract was not renewed. He managed to eke out a living writing gags for people like the Marx Brothers, acting in two-reelers and industrial training films and appearing on television. A few years later, he began appearing in films like “In the Top-notch Old-fashioned Summertime”, “Sunset Boulevard”, “Limelight” and “A Silly Thing Happened on the Diagram to the Forum”.
“Buster Keaton: So Amusing It Injure” is a short documentary, produced by Kevin Brownlow for Turner Classic Movies. Hosted by actor James Karen, the film follows Keaton’s short-lived career at MGM and, essentially, the ruin of his career. Why Karen? He met Keaton at MGM and they became friends. The documentary is inviting, but far too short to go into any spicy depth. Karen does discuss how Keaton met Eleanor, a young showgirl at MGM. They fell in like and married, the longest of Keaton’s marriages, lasting until he died. Eleanor was instrumental in reestablishing interest in her husband’s work, getting it shown at museums and repertory houses, leading to people writing about it, which lead to more people watching the films for the first time, which would ultimately lead to people remembering Keaton’s site in film history. If you contemplate how many still film actors have been virtually wiped off the face of the Earth because their films have all but disappeared, we should all be grateful that Keaton’s memory and films live on.
Far more though-provoking is “Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow”, also produced by Kevin Brownlow and his then partner David Gill. A multi-part documentary produced in the 80s for PBS, it follows Keaton throughout his life. His loves, life and work are all discussed in ample detail. Try to obtain this on VHS or TV, because it is not yet available on DVD.
“The Buster Keaton Collection” is an notable addition to the library of any film scholar and any fan of the gargantuan comedians.
This is one status as a Keaton fan that you should add to your collection.
The rating however should really be three and a half stars.
This place comes in a dazzling pull apart case housing the two DVDs but I was disappointed to come by no booklet/liner notes with details about these unique releases,i.e.sources for the prints,restoration work,etc.
The Cameraman is the BEST thing about this region.The 90s release of it on VHS came in around 70 minutes and was a terrible transfer.By comparison this unusual version comes in at about 75 minutes and is the most complete commercially released print so far.It has been re-released with a Recent find and not the modern featured on the VHS version.I personally would have preferred the unique bag but the unique one does have a obvious charm and in the kill does justice to the film.With the additional footage/title cards,its’ improved and adjusted disagreement and overall characterize quality, it has heightened,at least to this reviewer,its’ reputation and enjoyment as one of Keatons’ best films.
The next film is Spite Marriage.Two versions were released originally of this film,one a quiet and THIS one with sound effects and a musical salvage.It would have been very nice to have had BOTH in this dwelling for comparison/historical purposes but such was not the case.This print shows absolutely no improvement over the previously released VHS version also released in the 90s.It shows very few signs of being “cleaned up” at all.They have again adjusted the difference but other than that and the sound being improved through digital means,the film as a re-release (technically) overall is a disappointment.
And the final film in this state “Free and Easy” is again, and even MORE so, a technical disappointment.This re-release print is even worse than Spite Marriage,quite “rough” throughout with some footage even out of focus.Seems they objective took it out of the vault and with minimal work did a transfer onto DVD and it shows.Certainly unworthy in a release such as this.
Rating of these works based on their artistic merits also parallels their techinical merits.
The Cameraman is by far the best in site structure and truest to the Keaton style.It was a astounding launch to his MGM phase but how unhappy that the lions’ vision was so myopic.
Spite Marriage lags a ways tedious the Cameraman because of the now more noticable studio interference.There are many correct Keaton touches throughout but the cumbersome station and breeze often net in the plan of enjoying this film more.
Free and Easy lags even farther tranquil gradual Spite Marriage.The iron fist of the studio is evident throughout this film and the Keaton we knew is now honest a player with slight room to maneuver.His character has now been “warped” and the “comical” business he speaks and performs fed to him by the script writers falls totally flat.Keaton was a consummate pro and even under these conditions his brilliance quiet managed to rise to the surface occasionally.His singing and dancing is one highlight out of very few.
To add to the enjoyment of this location are commentaries offered for both the Cameraman and Spite Marriage by familiar film historians.
Also,and a mammoth delight to this reviewer,is the additonal inclusion of a 38 miniature special produced by film historian Kevin Brownlow and narrated/hosted by Keatons’ friend and actor James Karen.Two special highlights included in this documentary of Keatons’ MGM years are further sound/video clips from his CBC interview of 1964 not included in A Hard Act To Follow and some appealing amateur footage of Keaton in Modern York City during the filming of The Cameraman.A unbelievable complimentary part to this site.
In conclusion although this site is technically disappointing in so far as Spite Marriage and Free and Easy are concerned(thus the 3 1/2 star rating),The Cameraman outshines them both.Historically and artistically, especially in so far as Keatons’ career goes,these films are quite well-known.And with the addition of the added Brownlow documentary this is one place no proper Keaton fan should be without.
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