With cinemas closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, people are looking more and more to other options for entertainment. Here's one suggestion that harkens back to a cinema tradition more than a century old.
This week's Cinema Junkie Podcast (coming out May 9) features classic film lover Will McKinley who suggests that we all become digital explorers during this pandemic as we seek out entertainment. One of the options we discuss is something called The Silent Comedy Watch Party. So I just want to make sure that credit goes to McKinley for finding this wonderful resource.
The sound of a solo piano used to be a common addition to film screenings back in the silent days of motion pictures. Since this pandemic has hit, silent film accompanist Ben Model and film historian Steve Massa have been teaming up for a weekly live-streamed show featuring comedy shorts and live piano accompaniment.
The show is charmingly low-tech as Model streams it from his living room but live music played to silent images is magical and delightful in any form. Plus, we can all use a bit of comic relief right now. The shows streams live on Sundays at noon on the Silent Film Music YouTube Channel.
This Sunday's line up includes: "Post No Bills" (1923) starring Paul Parrott; "A Busy Night" (1916) starring Marcel Perez; and "The Adventurer" (1917) – directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin.
All shows are also archived on Model’s Silent Film Music YouTube channel.
Here is Episode 7:
And check out the Cinema Junkie Podcast on Saturday for more digital and streaming options to expand your horizons.
