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2 articles from 2008

18 July 2008 2:25 PM, PDT | From TwitchFilm.net | See recent Twitch news

In an assured and brilliant stroke of timely programming, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival ("Sfsff") included Paul Leni‘s 1928 “silent” classic The Man Who Laughs as their Centerpiece presentation, acknowledging the direct influence the film’s protagonist Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt) had upon the creation and development of Bob Kane‘s Batman archnemesis The Joker (masterfully appropriated by Heath Ledger in a consummate swan song performance for Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight).

Television producer and director Frank Buxton, a member of the Sfsff Board of Directors for the last 12-13 years, emceed The Man Who Laughs. He recalled back to the festival’s first year when “about four people” were in the audience, whereas now he enthused proudly that the festival was “packed to the rafters.” He introduced Mike Mashon from the Library of Congress who detailed the preservation of the print of The Man Who Laughs provided the festival.

Michael Guillen

16 July 2008 3:07 PM, PDT | From TwitchFilm.net | See recent Twitch news

He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity. (Isaiah 53:2-3).

“Now I was assigned to The Unknown, to a star known as the horror man of films, a man who literally made the lights tremble on the marquee—Mr. Lon Chaney.  Here was the most tense, exciting individual I’d ever met, a man mesmerized into this part.  Between pictures when you met him on the lot you saw a grave, mild-mannered man with laughing black eyes who seldom laughed, but when he did, his laughter was irresistible.  When he worked, it was as if God were working, he had such profound concentration.  It was then I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera,

Michael Guillen

2 articles from 2008