Rating: 
Summary: Movie fandom at the level of artistry
Review: A piece of passionate, meticulous detective work, where the author has peered at the rooftops and groups of trees visible in the backgrounds of Keaton's classic films with the attention usually shown by CIA analysts pouring over satellite photos of Russian nuclear facilities. For all its straight forward earnestness, the book is really an act of poetic archeology, finding the shadows of a long lost magic Hollywood under the present day blandness. John Bengtson is like a benevolent stalker of Buster Keaton, 75 years after the fact. Beautiful, indespensible.
Rating: 
Summary: A Masterful Blend of Urban Archeology and Film Scholarship
Review: About 25 years ago, the now-demolished Playboy Theater in Chicago ran a landmark Buster Keaton revival featuring newly struck prints, correct projection speed, and musical accompaniment to Buster Keaton's features and shorts. It was a revelation and the first time that I truly understood what was lost when silent comedy faded into, as Norma Desmond might say, Talk! Talk! and More Talk! Moreover, it was the first time it became clear to me the degree of modernity and surrealism in Keaton's work--particularly in contrast to Chaplin's Victorian emotionalism. In short, I fell in love with Buster and his work. Now, "Silent Echoes" comes along to lovingly excavate the faded world of Buster Keaton's Los Angeles. The book is infused with John Bengston's love of Keaton, encyclopedic knowledge of his work and relentless ingenuity as a urban archeologist. Even better, it inspired me to rent the Keaton ouvre on laserdisc and video in order to revisit the locations of his shots and the depth of his humor and humanity. "Silent Echoes" is a labor of love that's a treat for film lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Buster would have been proud!
Review: Buster Keaton was a notorious stickler for detail in all of his film work. Buster's ghost was probably nodding his approval over the shoulder of John Bengtson as he painstakingly researched SILENT ECHOES, a tribute to the Keaton ouevre and a forever-lost Los Angeles. Bengtson juxtaposes stills from Keaton films with photos from modern-day L.A., showing in detail where Keaton filmed, virtually following his trail, from the shorts to the features. This book is a must for both film fans and historians.
Rating:
Summary: Buster would have been proud!
Review: Buster Keaton was a notorious stickler for detail in all of his film work. Buster's ghost was probably nodding his approval over the shoulder of John Bengtson as he painstakingly researched SILENT ECHOES, a tribute to the Keaton ouevre and a forever-lost Los Angeles. Bengtson juxtaposes stills from Keaton films with photos from modern-day L.A., showing in detail where Keaton filmed, virtually following his trail, from the shorts to the features. This book is a must for both film fans and historians.
Rating:
Summary: Some Sort of Masterpiece
Review: Depending on your point of view, you might see this as a pointless exercise, or as an astounding accomplishment. I incline toward the latter view. This is a magnificent documentary on Keaton's work as well as a meditation on lovely, fantastic old Los Angeles as it fades into the past. Necessary reading!
Rating:
Summary: Some Sort of Masterpiece
Review: Depending on your point of view, you might see this as a pointless exercise, or as an astounding accomplishment. I incline toward the latter view. This is a magnificent documentary on Keaton's work as well as a meditation on lovely, fantastic old Los Angeles as it fades into the past. Necessary reading!
Rating:
Summary: Silent Echoes
Review: Holy Mackeral, what a treat! Silent Echoes author John Bengtson has not only tapped into the passions of Buster Keaton fans but the myriad of film studio/location history buffs as well! His research and sleuthing of this subject, with exacting detail, is so unprecedented that even a non-fan would find his efforts interesting. Throughout its 130-plus pages Bengtson's book meticulously compares past Keaton filming sites through their modern-day existence by way of extensive use of period maps, location stills, current photos and written text. With photogrammetrist skill he shows us snippets of what had been and what is now. Because of his efforts I've been able to get a better glance of the way Keaton and the industry worked as well as a treasured peek into Hollywood's own photographic past (many of which I've never seen published until now). As one of the ilk that relishes being in the same spot where famous scenes were shot, this book hits the mark in spades for me. I can't wait to get back to LA, book in hand, and run around town looking at each site listed!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Buster Keaton books I have read!!!
Review: I have had this book for over a year and I still look at it every once and a while. I love "then and now" books and this is really a great one. I was in LA this spring and I passed the statue that Buster was on to hide from the police. It brought the movie more into real life for me. Now when I watch Buster's movies I look for the scenes from the book. I would definitely get this book if you love Buster.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Buster Keaton books I have read!!!
Review: I have had this book for over a year and I still look at it every once and a while. I love "then and now" books and this is really a great one. I was in LA this spring and I passed the statue that Buster was on to hide from the police. It brought the movie more into real life for me. Now when I watch Buster's movies I look for the scenes from the book. I would definitely get this book if you love Buster.
Rating:
Summary: In A Class By Its Own
Review: John Bengston analyzes the Keaton studio and points out in minute detail the locations that show up in his films (1920-28), with the help of fire insurance maps, aerial photos, archived photos from public institutions, old postcards, itinerant things he's dug up, etc. Judging by the contents of "Silent Echoes", Keaton preferred to film in the real world, as opposed to the inside of a soundstage, and because of this, Bengston has provided us some great then-and-now photos that illustrate just how much L.A. (and other locations) have changed in the last 75+/- years (which turns out to be pretty depressing). One of the things I found fun about "Silent Echoes" was making my own discoveries of things that would not have been pointed out by the author. I got kind of a kick out of seeing a rock formation from the film "Three Ages" that looked exactly like Wallace Beery's face, Keaton's co-star in the film. Another thing is, Bengston makes it easy for the reader to analyze the comparisons he's trying to get across. I never had a problem understanding the content, which made it more enjoyable to read. I enjoyed "Silent Echoes" so thoroughly that I found myself occasionally spending as much as a half hour studying a single page! This amazing, sometimes eerie, book is a must for all Keaton fans (especially those in the L.A. area, who can run around town and stand in the actual filmed spots), but you don't have to be one to enjoy it. However, it will help if you've seen the films showcased in this book.
|
