Cineastes, take note. Buster Keaton’s "The
General" (pictured) screens at the Prospect Park Bandshell
as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn festival on July 15 at 7:30
pm. One of the last major films of the silent era, Keaton’s 1927
farcical adventure-romance concerns a Civil War-era train conductor
who first pursues, then flees, enemy troops via locomotive.
While the hero’s allegiance to the Confederacy strikes a disquietingly
anachronistic chord today, the stone-faced engineer’s trademark
deadpan, stunt-level slapstick and well-timed double takes continually
sidetrack viewers from political concerns.
Giving this particular revival added steam will be a live original
soundtrack created and performed by the celebrated Alloy Orchestra.
Comprised of Roger Miller (synthesizer), Ken Winokur (clarinet)
and Terry Donahue (accordion, banjo and saw), this offbeat trio
has built its reputation on inventive new scores for classic
movies.
Unique instrumentation – which can include Winokur and Donahue
using hubcaps, truck springs and other pieces of junk metal for
percussive purposes – has informed the ensemble’s previous, astute
musical accompaniments for Fritz Lang’s "Metropolis,"
Eisenstein’s "Strike" and, most relevantly, nearly
a dozen film shorts in which Keaton co-starred with Fatty Arbuckle.
Preceding the film will be a concert by Invert, a string quartet
that features two cellists – instead of two violinists – thereby
attaining a sometimes brooding sound. Fittingly for this program,
Invert credits movie composers Fred Katz ("Little Shop of
Horrors") and Bernard Herrmann ("Psycho") among
its myriad influences.
The bandshell is located in Prospect Park. Enter at Prospect
Park West and Ninth Street. Admission is free, but a $3 donation
is requested. For more information call (718) 855-7882 ext. 45
or visit www.celebratebrooklyn.org.
