Silent comedian returns to film fest

A silent comedian of the 1920s is making his 21st-century comeback in this year's NZ International Film Festival, writes Barney McDonald.

In the 1970s, Sunday television ruled the roost. From Brian Moore's The Big Match football show in the morning, to the midday western or war movie, On the Mat wrestling and Pot Black snooker, there were plenty of compelling reasons to stay inside with eyes glued to the box.

However, the best excuse to stay indoors was the wonderful sight of an odd fellow with round spectacles and tidy suit getting himself into all manner of hilarious scrapes.

Although Harold Lloyd died in 1972, the legacy of the silent movies' most charismatic comedian lives on in the hearts of everyone beguiled by the lovable loser's antics.

Across numerous features and dozens of shorts of the 1910s and 20s, Lloyd went from one remarkable stunt to another, including the immortal scene of his character in Safety Last, hanging high above Manhattan from the arm of a clock.

The annual International Film Festival, yet another great reason to stay out of daylight's reach, is showing, in its full 35mm glory, one of Lloyd's most enduring features, The Kid Brother.

Accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at its only Auckland session on July 20, the screening provides a rare chance to witness the antics of a comic genius just before the advent of the talkies.

With the festival characteristically oriented toward adult interests, The Kid Brother is wonderful entertainment for children young and old. It's also thrilling enough to hold even the most CGI-saturated audience's attention.

After a year's sabbatical, long-serving festival director Bill Gosden returns with a batch of unconventional pictures spanning the globe, the history of cinema and virtually any genre you care to name.

With the programme divided into handy categories, the standout appears to be Portrait of the Artist, with several Kiwi offerings.

These include Florian Habicht's take on flamboyant performer Warwick Broadhead, Rubbings From A Live Man; Pietra Brettkelly's documentary on egomaniacal artist Vanessa Beecroft, The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins; and Barefoot Cinema's film in which the camera gets turned on veteran Kiwi cinematographer Alun Bollinger.

Also in this section, films about the late Hunter S Thompson, New York artist Keith Haring, and Klaus Kinski's infamous 1971 one- man stage show, Jesus Christ Saviour, are destined to have festival fanatics frothing deliriously.

Ant Timpson, an irreverent festival director in his own right, reclaims the name Incredibly Strange Film Festival for his 15-film exploration into the darker nether regions of filmmaking and human psychology.

Despite the lack of a principal sponsor this year, Gosden and his loyal crew haven't lost any of their passion for the art and craft of filmmaking. Just see for yourself.

*The 40th Auckland International Film Festival runs from July 10-27, before heading to other centres around New Zealand. See www.nzff.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News