April 30, 2009

Sherlock Jr.

Title: Sherlock Jr.
Year: 1924
Director: Buster Keaton
Writers: Clyde Bruckman, Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell
Starring: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Erwin Connelly, Ward Crane
Music: Club Foot Orchestra (for video release)
Distinctions: currently #148 on IMDb's Top 250
Synopsis: a theater projectionist dreams (literally) of being a detective
Length: 45 minutes
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), yesterday
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great)
Objective Rating: 9/10 (1 point off for characters) c. 3.5/4 (Very good)

Brilliant. There's nonstop silliness, impressive magic tricks, and most of all a bizarre, clever story. The post-modern score played by a jazz ensemble is delightful. It's also over-the-top and inappropriate, but I don't care; it adds a lot to the movie.

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