Convict 13

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Nick M Fairly weak Keaton short. Some funny moments, but overall it left much to be desired. The swiss cheese plot was entirely overshadowed by the gags--very Keystone--and it ended with the overdone cop out of "it was all a dream". Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/26/24 Full Review Christopher B Buster Keaton delivers another two-reel masterpiece that is inventive, hilarious, and features insane and dangerous gags that all add up to 19 minutes of Keaton bliss. After Buster gets himself into the jailhouse the film goes completely insane and Joe Roberts gives an equally terrifying and hilarious performance as a huge convict bent on escape. This is darker humor than most of Keaton's other films as prisoners and guards are killed and it isn't until the end that we see it was all just a dream from when Buster is originally knocked out by the golf ball. "Convict 13" is a fast paced and nonstop comedic masterpiece and utilizes every single minute to add layer after layer to a hilarious setup. I don't think there is much better use of your time than to pop in the disk (I'll let anyone borrow Buster Keaton because everybody should see and enjoy him.) and spend 19 minutes in comedic paradise. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/20/22 Full Review sean l Buster Keaton walks straight into trouble, numerous times, as a wayward golfer who's mistaken for an escaped convict and summarily shuffled back to prison for an afternoon date with the gallows. There, another happenstance wardrobe change sees him dressed as a guard, just in time for a well-organized (and violent) breakout attempt. As usual, Keaton will often stumble into a tough situation and then stumble right back out again, usually left blissfully unaware of both the predicament and its solution, which makes for great, cartoony visual comedy. He's come prepared with a bushel of fresh ideas this time, largely playing on the unique scenery of a prison yard, but he also works in a series of callbacks which tie the whole fable together. That's a new thing for Buster, who'd been content to breathlessly sprint through one-off gags up to this point, and a sign of maturing talent. We don't scoff at the repetition when that elastic noose finds its way back into the scene; we remember the original goof, appreciate the inventive new application and laugh twice as hard. Its beginning and ending might be re-heated leftovers from earlier films, but Convict 13 is a bonafide side-splitter while it's behind bars. Simple fun, clever and unpredictable, with another delightfully over-the-top (yet oddly subdued) feature performance from the burgeoning silent movie star. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Nothing exceptional as a story, but some good gags. Keaton in his usual self. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Buster Keaton in an Hitchcock plot "the wrong man" :D Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Breaking in for a promotion. Mistaken for an escaped prisoner, a golfer (Buster Keaton) finds himself in prison where he may be the only person able to prevent a mass break out. This is the first Keaton short where I did have a couple of issues, although none of that has to do with the quality of the short itself. I wasn't watching a terribly high resolution print of this, but that's what you get when you're searching for things to watch on Youtube. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of the score itself, but again, that might just be an issue with the print I was watching, as I know plenty of these silent movies feature alternate piano scores. That said, there are a number of clever ideas featured here, and this is in every way a precursor to Keaton's later works; you can totally see elements of Cops and Seven Chances featured prominently here. It really picks up when they stop playing golf and get to the prison, and it has a very striking visual finale. All in all, this is another solid entry in my Keaton education. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Convict 13

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