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By: Martyn Pedler
Date: 6th Dec 07
Ambience: Indoor
Difficulty: Start training like, last month
What:
Westgarth Film Festival 2007
When:
December 6 - 9
Where:
Palace Westgarth Cinema, 89 High St, Northcote
Check out the full program:
Here
Buy tickets:
Here
Watch ten seconds of one of Buster's most famous stunts, recreated by both The Goodies and Jackie Chan:
Here
Win:
We have three doubles to Sherlock Jr to give away. Lucky we were able to wrestle them off Martyn. It's screening Sat Dec 8, at 1pm. To be in the running email win@threethousand.com.au with the subject line ‘hope he doesn't buster something'
A short film contest in which nothing runs over ten minutes. Opportunity to pitch your ideas to industry professionals. Rare, newly-scored footage of the 1926 Miss Northcote Beauty Contest. (Ooh, baby.) And Melbourne comedians mining the 1983 breakdance classic Breakin' for cheap laughs and new moves.
All of the above and more are featured at the upcoming 2nd Westgarth Film Festival. Forgive us if we get a little evangelistic here, but it's all just preamble to their screening of the 1926 Buster Keaton classic, Sherlock Jr.
Why? It's accompanied by the live score created by Melbourne's five piece gypsy-bluegrass troupe, Blue Grassy Knoll, who have been playing alongside Keaton's films for over a decade now to spectacular reviews, all around the globe.
It's fitting for a silent film that words can't begin to do it justice. It's funny, sure; but you'll be staring in mouth-opened shock more often than slapping your thighs. The playful cinematic innovation and ludicrously dangerous slapstick - Buster actually broke his neck during the filming - are enough to make you embarrassed that, nearly a century later, we mightn't have managed to make anything better.