Sick Product of a Sick System

Memorable, crazy movie

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch. To be honest i've never really found Buster Keaton remotely funny cause he always looked like a poor man's Charlie Chaplin and just goofy like falling down some stairs and think he is funny or something. The film is just very silly and over the top and not like in a good way, sure some people will enjoy it alot but don't expect it to hold as it might have cause it's really just an awful movie. (0/10)

With a film like this made in 1924, you have to wonder why some of the creative effects Buster Keaton developed for this story have never been seen since. They may be out there, but I've never seen anything before like his stroll right into a movie screen to take part in the story that he's projecting for an audience in a theater. He then pratfalls his way through a number of scene changes, remaining in one spot while the action around him hurriedly continues apace. One of the best bits had him nosedive through an open window and into a woman's dress for a stunning visual effect. The question on the tip of your tongue will be 'How did he do that?', or alternatively, 'How can anyone do something like that'?' Another thing I found interesting as a cinema fan was the choice of movie posters one can see as advertising material in the lobby of the theater where Keaton's character is working. One of them was a very early Stan Laurel silent film, "Mud and Sand", which demonstrated that Keaton wasn't averse to showing another performer's name in print, even if he might have been a competitor, so to speak. There was another one for a 1923 short titled "The Fog", but it appears the movie the projectionist was showing wasn't real. It was called "Hearts and Pearls or The Lounge Lizard's Lost Love in Five-Parts". My search on IMDb didn't come up with anything on that one. I know a lot of folks shun silent films because they don't consider them very interesting, but you can do yourself a favor by checking out "Sherlock Jr." Yes, it's black and white, and it's silent, but director and star Buster Keaton is so inventive that you'll come away amazed at the effects he creates. One could almost call them special effects, but of course, in 1924 they were all real, just camera tricks and techniques to come up with a stunning visual. This is just that kind of a fun flick.

This film, as has been said in the other reviewer comments, is very well done and clearly ahead of its time. The comedic aspects of the movie were effective and contributed to an overall humorous tone; for example, even simple props used, such as the pool table, has the audience laughing, in this case, at the irony of the situation. The struggle that Keaton's main character (played by himself) faces when attempting to be both a projectionist and a detective adds a storyline that, although exaggerated for a humorous effect, is relatable in many ways for those of us today who attempt to juggle multiple jobs or activities at once. Keaton's genius is not only present in the storyline, but also in the production of this film, especially in the beginning of the dream scene. What seems like a difficult succession of settings is pulled off flawlessly by Keaton, and we are transported with the main character to everywhere from a house to a tall cliff. It is evident that Keaton's comedy and production in this film were revolutionary for his time and had a significant effect on future films. Overall, this film is both something we can relate to (in a way) and also a comedy well ahead of its time. For someone who is movie novice, especially with regard to old movies, I really enjoyed this film.

This silent film is really amazing. It's funny , romantic and revengeful all at the same time and at the end his still managed to get the girl of his dreams. He played his detective role like a pro when he was dreaming about being in the movie and they found out who the real person was in his reality as well. Everything worked out great for him !