The injury humor of Johnny Knoxville, the Farrelly Brothers, and thousands of anonymous klutzes is nothing new — French and Italian comedians were doing it during movies’ first decade. Last September, a lot of people sent me a link to… Read More »The Humor of “Jackass” and AFV In the Early 1900s, as Performed by Marcel Perez and Others
As each year winds down, I’ve found myself squinting into a magic eight-ball of media and distribution, wondering, “Will next year be the end of DVDs?”. The response has been either “Don’t count on it” or “Reply hazy try again”.… Read More »Are DVD Players the Next Turntables?
As you know, using recognizable music is a big no-no for me (unless it’s specified onscreen). And so, I was puzzled by hearing a certain song from a 1950s MGM musical in my head while playing for Keaton’s The Cameraman the… Read More »Buster Keaton inspires Don Lockwood
THE ITALIAN (1915) was just posted to YouTube the Library of Congress in a new 2K scan of the Library’s best 35mm preservation material and with a brand new (I recorded it last month) piano score by yours truly. The film stars George Beban, and was directed by Reginald Barker and produced by Thomas Ince.
I found myself playing piano for films and I’d hear other instruments in my head during the show. This was the very late 1990s. Had to be, because I started learning the organ a year or so before Lee Erwin… Read More »Conducting the Klopstokian Philharmonic
“Have you ever scored any new films, like regular movies, not silent ones?” It’s a question I get asked by reporters and people I meet socially. The answer usually surprises people. It’s “Nope.” I do get asked from time to… Read More »Working with People Who Haven’t Been Dead for 60 Years
Recording scores for DVD releases is hard work…harder than scoring films live at a show is. It is, for me, anyway. There are a few factors that are obvious. Because the score is being recorded the stakes feel higher for… Read More »(Screen) Size Matters
There’s nothing you can do about the laughs that the film Nosferatu (1922) gets with an audience. Or is there? Regardless of the translation from German, the intertitles like “Your wife has a lovely throat” get a laugh from an… Read More »Moving Day for Count Orlok
Welcome and intro – reports on recent shows and recordings, and October DVD releases – starting a score at a performance: playing the audience into the film – performance clip: “The Temptress” with Garbo & Moreno, on organ at the… Read More »ep. 26: reinterpreting 1929 Buster Keaton, playing into a film, anticipating mood transitions
Welcome and intro – “Silent Film Days” in Tromsø, Norway – demonstrating musical moods for 5th graders – the universality of silent comedy – recording of score for One Week for students – making underscoring fit physical actions in an… Read More »ep. 25: performances in Tromsø, mood demos, universality of laughs, fitting hits to music (or not), “Diane” in reel 5