Sherlock Jr. (1924) Directed By: Buster Keaton – To me, Buster Keaton is an undisputed great with a visionary eye for directing with sequences that hold up today, and more guts than any other actor around. He’s also sadly a cautionary tale of what happens when off-beat directors with particular visions sign up with big studio names (see Edgar Wright for another example). Sherlock Jr. is my favorite film of his that I’ve seen. For people who love silent films it’s great because of how much energy he sparks and how well he frames shots, tricking the eye despite the minimal tools at his disposal in comparison to what he’d have now. For those who tire easily of older films, especially silent films, it’s great because of it’s abundance of humor including some fantastic physical comedy for which he was well known for, matched with his noted stone face, and also the brief running time. It’s a great introduction to a legend.
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