That was the question once asked by writer Ted Elrick, his answer coming in the form the essay Classic is in the Eye—and Mind—of the Beholder (as published in DGA News Magazine, Feb. 1992). Elrick gave the daunting task of defining that elusive quality which differentiates a good movie from a classic film to over 100 … Continue reading What Makes A Classic Film Classic…?
For the month of October, the Pictorial will be heavily focusing on the life, work and art of the legendary Buster Keaton. It felt right we should do so, given Buster’s 116th birthday on October 4th, the month-long salute to Keaton’s films on Turner Classic Movies, and some exciting new releases from Kino video. Project … Continue reading Project Keaton
Every morning I pass Charlie Chaplin’s studio. And I hate myself for letting it have become routine. When I first moved to Hollywood five years ago, it was reverent Holy Ground. And, oh, it still is! When I remember it’s there, that is. Rushing to work with a head full of figures and deadlines succeeded … Continue reading Charlie Chaplin's Studio: Then And Now
Every morning I pass Charlie Chaplin’s studio. And I hate myself for letting it have become routine. When I first moved to Hollywood five years ago, it was reverent Holy Ground. And, oh, it still is! When I remember it’s there, that is. Rushing to work with a head full of figures and deadlines succeeded … Continue reading Charlie Chaplin’s Studio: Then And Now
So I’ve decided to do what I’ve wanted to do for years: document the stories my granddad and grandma raised me on. The stories that were, and still are, pivotal to the person I am. (For better or worse.) At the moment there isn’t structure to this– it is simply a late Sunday evening whim … Continue reading Getting Sentimental: Things My Granddad Told Me
Wow. So the best cinematic experiences I’ve had in recent memory tend to have the same thing in common: silence. First with the TCM Festival’s triumphant screening of Buster Keaton‘s The Cameraman in April. And now two months later, with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s closing night film of their 25th Annual “Last Remaining Seats” series, … Continue reading Harold Lloyd's Safety Last and the Triumph of Silent Film
Wow. So the best cinematic experiences I’ve had in recent memory tend to have the same thing in common: silence. First with the TCM Festival’s triumphant screening of Buster Keaton‘s The Cameraman in April. And now two months later, with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s closing night film of their 25th Annual “Last Remaining Seats” series, … Continue reading Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last and the Triumph of Silent Film
The art of cartography is about as extinct as the art of the written letter. What need is there for a hand-drawn community renderings in the age of instant information, when most people have GPS maps on their cellphones? No need at all. But Los Angeles based writer Eric Brightwell doesn’t care. Hence this blog … Continue reading Pendersleigh and Sons… and the Lost Art of Cartography
Attention Los Angeles-based Pictorial readers: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a summer long celebration of silent film with their new screening series Summer of Silents.The focus here is quite intriguing: Photoplay magazine, once the undisputed king of movie fan rags, bestowed upon America’s most popular films an award called the … Continue reading Summer of Silents at The Academy
Those countless hours spent mining through antique shops are well worth the effort, even when you leave empty handed. And since I do normally leave empty handed, this morning I was rapturous to have discovered an antique slim volume from 1925. The salesman let me have it for a fiver. I would have paid ten … Continue reading Mirrors of Silent Hollywood
The Kitty Packard Pictorial 