Review of Silent Movie (1976) by Jamie F — 30 Nov 2008

Despite being largely reliant on physical comedy (which I only like in small doses), I actually found this really funny. Unlike today's standard blockbuster parodies "from 2 of the 6 writers of Scary Movie 4", its gags mostly pertain to the genre in general, not specific films that quickly outdate the humour.

Some of the silent movie staples are there, like cheesy, exaggerated overacting and fast-motion chase scenes, but I would've liked to see the technical aspects used as well, like wipes and iris shots.

Maybe they thought it would alienate the modern audience too much. Although I did appreciate the irony in the only spoken word in the film being said by a mime.