Day One
So Funny It Hurt
with Peter Lord
* SOLD OUT *
Date: Thursday 13th January
Time: 8pm
Venue: Watershed, Waterside 3
£5.00/£3.50 cons and Bristol Silents members
Slapstick’s opening event celebrates the life and work of Buster Keaton with
three short films introduced by long time Keaton admirer Aardman Animation’s Director/Animator Peter Lord.
The programme includes Kevin Brownlow’s new documentary So Funny It Hurt (2004)featuring Buster’s days at MGM studios from his late classics - Spite Marriage and The Cameraman and onto the talkies. Gerald Potterton’s Rail Rodder (1965) was Buster’s last comedy short, shot just one year before he died, despite essentially being an advert for the Canadian Tourist board it shows glimpses of his comic genius even in his seventies. Buster Keaton Di Corsa (Buster Racing) 2003 is a homage to Keaton by Italian film maker Francesco Ballo who has passionately edited together Keaton’s own running sequences from his films in a celebration of Keaton’s athleticism and raw talent. With live acapella vocal from Matinee Idles Featuring Paul McGann and ex-members of doo-wop group Darts. A poignant tribute to to the great stone-faced clown of the silent era.
• So Funny it Hurt (Dir: Kevin Brownlow 2004) 50mins U
• The Rail Rodder (Dir: Gerald Potterton1965) 24mins U
• Buster Keaton Di Corsa (Edited: Francesco Ballo 2003) 18mins – un classified;