FESTIVAL APRIL 11-13, 2025
REVUE CINEMA
UPCOMING SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Paradise Theatre special screenings
THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL:
The exotic, erotic, banned, controversial and scandalous films of the 1920s
Where we put the "sin" back in silent cinema
May 24th 2pm
CASANOVA
Past shows
November 16th HAXAN: WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES
January 18th SALOME
February 22nd Flesh and the Devil
Past Co-presentations
November 20th
Ambient Film Nights Silent Comedy Shorts
September 29th
EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN: FILM PIONEER
BE NATURAL-Alice Guy Blache
October 1st
KAFKA GOES TO THE MOVIES
presented by the Goethe Institut-Toronto & Czech
Friends of the Festival
We're proud to support our friends at the Vintage Film Festival in Port Hope, Ontario
Their next festival will be OCTOBER 17/18/19, 2025 at the beautiful atmospheric Capitol Theatre
Two silent films are included in their lineup-Our Hospitality & I was Born, But... will be accompanied by Jordan Klapman
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
CATHOLIC GIRL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MABEL NORMAND by Sean Crose
There was no one like her. A self-taught performer who redefined screen comedy, Mabel Normand rose from a humble background to become one of the most popular and wealthy entertainers on earth. Here was a woman who did her own stunts, directed, and mentored Charlie Chaplin (who was older than she), associated with royalty, and who ran her own studio before the age of 30. And all at a time when women weren’t allowed to vote. Unfortunately, Normand’s enormously influential life has at times been overshadowed by scandals and unfair accusations. Her legacy deserves better. Here’s the incredible story of a true Hollywood pioneer.
Sean Crose is part of the English Department at Post University and is a senior writer for Boxing Insider. Throughout the course of his career, he’s interviewed more people than he cares to remember, from famous boxers, to film directors, to medical professionals, to individuals at the forefront of the business world. Crose has also penned historical pieces for various publications. His writing has received attention from such outlets as the BBC and The Nonprofit Quarterly. He lives in Connecticut with his wife Jen, and Charlie the Cat.
BUSTER-A LIFE IN PICTURES by Ryan Barnett and Matthew Tavares
Ryan recently launched his beautiful new book at our GO WEST screening at the Fox. Now, in 2024, he'll be back at the festival for Sherlock Jr. on April 14.
"In this exciting new graphic novel biography, Ryan Barnett and Matthew Tavares weave together all of the triumphs, close calls, near misses, bumps, bruises and broken bones that defined Buster Keaton’s life and career. Barnett/Tavares present an entertaining portrait of a singular artist who influenced everyone from Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney to Wes Anderson and Jackie Chan." https://knockaboutmedia.com/books/
AL CHRISTIE: HOLLYWOOD'S FORGOTTEN FILM PIONEER by Mark Kearney with a foreward by Steve Massa
Al Christie made more than a 1,000 short comedy films and features in a 30-year directing/producing career in Hollywood. In his heyday, his work was considered on par with such comedy giants as Mack Sennett and Hal Roach, but until now he’s been mostly a footnote in Hollywood history. Christie made the first silent comedy films in 1911 in the then-little known town of Hollywood and continued his movie making well into the 1930s as talking films took over.
Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer draws from interviews with silent film experts and family members, major archives in the U.S. and Canada, and dozens of newspaper and magazine articles to illustrate how he and his films were acclaimed in their time and his important role in the development of motion pictures. This biography celebrates Christie's life and work from his early days growing up in London, Ontario, Canada where he helped touring Vaudevillians hone their comic skills to his years in Hollywood behind the camera. With more than 60 photographs and a detailed filmography, this book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in cinema history. Available on amazon.ca & amazon.com NEW! Nominated for the Theatre Library Assoc. of New York for the Richard Wall Memorial Award
CAPTAIN OF HER SOUL-THE LIFE OF MARION DAVIES by Lara Gabrielle
From Marion Davies's humble days in Brooklyn to her rise to fame alongside press baron William Randolph Hearst, the public life story of the film star plays like a modern fairy tale shaped by gossip columnists, fan magazines, biopics, and documentaries. Yet the real Marion Davies remained largely hidden from view, as she was wary of interviews and trusted few with her true life story. In Captain of Her Soul, Lara Gabrielle pulls back layers of myth to show a complex and fiercely independent woman, ahead of her time, who carved her own path. Book available from local booksellers and from Amazon.ca
OTHER BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
CAMERA MAN -Buster Keaton, The Dawn of Cinema and the Invention of the Twentieth Century by Dana Stevens
DVD RECOMMENDATIONS
CINEMA'S FIRST NASTY WOMEN- 4 DISC BOX SET from Kino Lorber
VITAGRAPH COMEDIES-3 DISC BOX SET from Kino LorberLAUREL AND HARDY VOL 2 from Flicker Alley
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