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The Great Buster: A Celebration

Play trailer 1:48 Poster for The Great Buster: A Celebration Released Oct 5, 2018 1h 42m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Peter Bogdanovich examines the legendary life and career of actor, filmmaker and comic genius Buster Keaton.
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The Great Buster: A Celebration

The Great Buster: A Celebration

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Critics Consensus

The Great Buster: A Celebration isn't as breathlessly entertaining as the filmography that inspired it, but as a long-overdue primer, it's close to essential.

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Critics Reviews

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Moira MacDonald Seattle Times This movie lives in its black-and-white clips, which provide both a fine introduction to those new to Keaton's work, and plenty to dig into for hard-core fans. Rated: 3/4 Nov 29, 2018 Full Review Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle Any doubters are advised to see this movie, then treat themselves to a viewing of "The General." Case closed. Rated: 3/4 Nov 6, 2018 Full Review Scott Marks San Diego Reader When it comes to pure visual comedy, there is no greater director than Buster Keaton. Rated: 4/5 Nov 2, 2018 Full Review Nicolás Quinteros EscribiendoCine As the very title suggests, we are beholding a celebration of Keaton's work. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 9/10 Jul 14, 2023 Full Review Andrew Gaudion VultureHound This is simply a delight, and also a perfect introduction to the man himself for anyone looking to learn more about one of cinema's most enduring icons, making you fall in love with ol' stone face all over again. Rated: 4/5 Aug 28, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Would make a welcome addition to any film library on the Old Stone Face for both newcomers and those already familiar with him. Rated: A- May 29, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eye C A little redundant, interesting. But putting Tarantino in big bold letters and just speaking about 3 minutes it's misleading. Any how, the documentary it's a good entrance to the cinema of The Great Buster. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Dużo fragmentów filmów, garść słów i za mała ilość historii. Początek spoko, ale ostatecznie to niezbyt ciekawa biografia ciekawej postaci Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review william d I'm a huge Buster Keaton fan. I'm bound to like any documentary that features clips from his movies. However, I think even those unfamiliar with Keaton's work would like this film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review s r It does well to show the legacy and genius of Buster Keaton. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Buster's career should always be celebrated as a master actor. He was a physical comedy magician, as well as a comedic storyteller. There's no one who comes close to the talent Buster had with physical comedic timing. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION-2018(NOT RATED)-Nov. 17. By:Clem The Movie Guy. I got a chance to attend a special screening of the new documentary film, The Great Buster: A Celebration. The Great Buster is written & directed by Peter Bogdanovich who narrates the life & career of Buster Keaton, one of Hollywood’s greatest performers & a pioneer during the silent film era. Born to make people laugh from his childhood beginning as a performer with his parents on the vaudeville circuit to his earning the trademark name “The Great Stone Face” for his physical comedy & the deadpan expression. The documentary shows highlights of some of Buster’s famous films which he wrote, directed, starred in, & produced. With each film clip that is shown, you can see how much of a technical genius he was, from setting up the gags to camera placement. His techniques went on to influence today’s films & TV shows. During the 1920s, Buster was able to make the movies he wanted without anyone telling him what to do or how to do it but all that changed when Buster was tricked into signing with the studio company MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). By signing with them, Buster’s freedom to be able to make movies his way, doing his own stunts & improvising without a script was restricted & his career went into decline. The Great Buster is a remarkable & compelling look at this pioneer in the comedy world who had a huge influence on today’s filmmakers & actors. After seeing this documentary, I’m intrigued to watch some of Buster’s films, both the shorts & features that he made. The Great Buster: A Celebration is a MUST-SEE FILM for all film lovers. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/18 Full Review Read all reviews
The Great Buster: A Celebration

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Peter Bogdanovich examines the legendary life and career of actor, filmmaker and comic genius Buster Keaton.
Director
Peter Bogdanovich
Producer
Charles S. Cohen, Roee Sharon, Louise Stratten
Screenwriter
Peter Bogdanovich
Distributor
Cohen Media Group
Production Co
Cohen Media Group
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 5, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 2, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$118.3K
Runtime
1h 42m
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