Search - Biography: Buster Keaton on DVD

Silent genius

Brad Baker | Atherton, Ca United States | 01/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AMC's biography of silent film icon Buster Keaton is excellent. Keaton started as the youngest member of a family act where he was allowed to fall-down-the-stairs and get hit with the broom. He took the knocks, and was nick-named "Buster". The documentary capably reviews his incredible success, with generous clips from "The General", "The Navigator", and mnay more. Keaton's expensive self-produced productions eventually led to a career slow-down, and he was forced to join MGM. His loss of creative control led to mediocre results, an expensive divorce, and alcoholism. The documentary honestly and clearly reviews these steps in his life, with,as I said, many actual scenes from his many film appearances. Keaton hits bottom, quits drinking, and re-directs his career, returning to film and television in the 1950's and 1960's. You can see the master in small parts in "Sunset Boulevard(1950)" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World(1962)". His few scenes in "Mad" are the work of genius. This is a professional inspection of a legendary artist."

A very good teaser bio DVD.....but there IS much better!

Richardson | Sunny California USA | 02/07/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Okay...
I know I should focus on what we have not what we don't have...
well this is a nice 50 minute A&E bio...better than many they put out and We do get many clips and that is fine...as it goes.

Buster Keaton gets 50 minutes and Pam Anderson gets 100 minutes on her A&E bio? Buster is a true genius of cinema and one of the pillars that the whole business was built on...50 minutes? and thank goodness for appearances by Dick Van Dyke and James Karen which overshadow the odd Richard Lewis comments.

The English company Thames produced an award winning 3 hour program on Buster many years back "Buster Keaton a Hard Act To Follow" which is in a word "definitive". It was available in the US on laserdisc and 3 VHS. It is available for around $15 in the UK on Amazon.co.uk..and if you , like I do, have a multi region player it puts this A&E bio to shame for less money!!!

For the casual fan this BIO will work, for a serious student of film and or comedy or Buseter Keaton....you now know where to look!


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