Expanding Upon TCM’s List: Ten More Influential Silent Films

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has provided a wealth of classic movies for cinephiles to watch, commercial-free, since April 1994. They’re a tremendous resource, offering films 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Part of what makes them so lovable is their dedication to silent cinema. They have a weekly feature called “Silent Sundays” during which they air several hours of silent films beginning at midnight. It’s no surprise that the recent success of The Artist, a modern-day silent film, would grab TCM’s eye. To celebrate the film a few weeks ago, they released their own list of the 10 Most Influential Silent Films. It was an impressive list, and can be found here. I think it’s a tremendous starting place for movie-watchers interested in silent cinema. Having said that, I think it could easily be expanded to include ten more films. Here are ten that I think could be added:

Buster Keaton: A Retrospective in Film Stills

October 4th marks the birthday of a cinematic icon- Buster Keaton, the Great Stone Face. To honor the man, I’ve put together a series of photos that represent a tremendous career in cinema. These film stills all say so much about several aspects of his career. The expression is that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s the case, then this collection of stills says nearly as much about Keaton as Keaton himself ever uttered on film.

Ten Killer Bits from The Great Stoneface, Buster Keaton

I won't pull any punches here. Buster's comedy is timeless.

More Fake Criterion Covers

Here are some more “What if Criterion released…” fake covers that I’ve created.

Bride of Frankenstein is probably my favorite. Three of the  four Keaton films were intended as part of a fictional Keaton Box Set. Sleepaway Camp is obviously a lark (and I hope that someone, anyone gets it). The intention on the two Night of the Iguana versions would be to have the pink printed as a metallic pink with a spot gloss on the  iguana. The Spirit of the Beehive is already a Criterion release (with great artwork, I might add). Enjoy! 

Why is Buster the best? Damfino.

Keaton posing for "The Cameraman"

The last year has been a major revelation for me with regards to the work of Buster Keaton. A good friend of mine encouraged me to watch Keaton’s The General about a year ago.