modfather

I'm a big fan of Buster Keaton, but have only seen about four or five of his available DVDs (from Netflix).

I've seen:

Convict 13
Daydreams
Go West
One Week
Our Hospitality
Paleface
Scarecrow
Sherlock Jr.
Steamboat Bill, Jr.

I love them all (and need to get the box set of BK), but I'm just curious - what would you all recommend for the best of his work? I know The General is pretty heavily favored by most fans, so it's next on my list - but can anyone recommend his best from a STUNT point of view? I think he's absolutely amazing and as much as I enjoy the stunts of Jackie Chan, BK's make me laugh and "Ooh" and "Aah" out loud.

Anyways, suggestions for his films with most incredible stunts?

Thanks!

dick_grayson

The General
Cops

marty888

This recently-announced set might be of interest .... Keaton, Lloyd, and more:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=366577

fumanstan

I don't know if its his best as far as stunts go, but The General is a classic and a must see.

Chew

Another vote for The General. Pretty much sums up the brilliance that is Keaton.

Sammy Jo

I liked The General, too, but not as much as Cops.

Damfino

IIRC: In The Three Ages, Keaton tries to jump from the roof of one building to the next. He loses his grip and falls thru a canopy and then grabs a drain pipe which breaks away and throws Keaton into an open window of a firehouse where he subsequently slides down the pole.

RE: Our Hospitality. If you replay the sequence with Buster being swept down the river, you'll notice a sudden change of expression on Buster's face. The safety wire suddenly broke during the take but Buster was able to finish the scene and fortunately he was able to swim ashore.

BTW: Jackie Chan readily admits that Buster Keaton is one of his major influences.

Jazzbutcher

another big to The General

Nick Danger

My favorite features are The General and Seven Chances. My favorite shorts are Sherlock Jr., Cops, and The Boat.

For stunts, I seem to remember that The Electric House was particularly athletic.

modfather

Saw The General last night. It's fantastic, as everyone says. Not too heavy with the stunts, but it's an amazing picture and runs non-stop fun/action. I also watched Cops which is on that dvd. It's as funny as I remembered it. Hilarious!

One quick question: Can someone help me remember what BK movie this was:

All I remember is that he was walking around in a very shallow stream and sees a fish somewhat out of water, flopping around. He picks the fish up and sticks it in his pocket, but there's a large hole in his pocket so it slips down and lands in the water again. BK doesn't notice but sees the same fish (thinking it's a different one) and picks it up and sticks IT in his pocket. Repeat several times...

I haven't seen that one since probably 1980, so I have no idea...

Thanks!

Njål

I think there's a scene like that in Balloonatics.

Boot

I love The General as well, but Our Hospitality is one of my favorites for the pure glee of it all. It's amazing how involved you can become in a Buster Keaton film and how well these films hold up today despite the lack of a voice track.

digidoh

Since you mentioned Jackie Chan, you probably knew this, but in case you didn't...

In Project A, Part 2 (1987, which has several alternate titles), Chan recreated the stunt from Steamboat Bill, Jr. where the side of a building comes down on Keaton, only to be saved because he's standing where the open window falls.