The Great Buster: A Celebration

Showings

Rafael 3 Sat, Oct 6, 2018 2:30 PM
Film Info
Section:Valley of the Docs
Country:US
Year:2018
Running Time:102 min.
Director:Peter Bogdanovich
Screenwriter:Charles S. Cohen
Peter Bogdanovich
Louise Stratton
Editor:Bill Berg-Hillinger
Cast:Mel Brooks
Quentin Tarantino
Johnny Knoxville
Carl Reiner
Cybill Shepherd
Bill Hader
Print Source:Cohen Media Group
Note Writer:Elliott Breeden

Description

At the age of four, Buster Keaton became a vaudeville star working as a human projectile in his parents' act. Over the course of his career, he directed 39 films and starred in over 100, becoming an innovator and visionary not just in comedy, but in the cinematic arts as well. In The Great Buster, acclaimed director Peter Bogdanovich (Paper Moon, The Last Picture Show) explores Keaton's legacy, from his prodigious early silent work (Sherlock Jr., The General), his transition to talkies, his disastrous signing to MGM, to his eventual descent into alcoholism. Bogdanovich puts his extensive knowledge of film to use here, utilizing tons of archival footage and conducting a wide-ranging collection of interviews with family, friends, and artists who have been deeply influenced by Keaton. Cybill Shepherd, Richard Lewis, Quentin Tarantino, Mel Brooks, and Johnny Knoxville are among those who offer personal reflections on the cinema legend that is “The Great Stone Face.”

Additional Information



Prior to embarking on his filmmaking career, Kingston, New York-born Peter Bogdanovich spent his teens studying acting with the legendary Stella Adler and working as an actor in live TV and various theaters around the country. He soon began directing plays Off-Broadway and in New York summer theater, and began writing for film. In 1966, Bogdanovich began working in movies as Roger Corman’s assistant on The Wild Angels. Bogdanovich’s cinematic contributions include The Last Picture Show, What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, They All Laughed, Mask, Texasville, and, most recently, the restoration of Orson Welles’ unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind.