Mise en Scene and Not Heard

At the theater, you can see plenty of talking pictures, but most of them don't have much to say. The Love Guru featured tons of words, but none of them were arranged in a way that proved particularly funny. WALL-E, on the other hand, didn't have dialogue for the first 40 minutes yet is still much funnier than Justin Timberlake in a Speedo. As innovative as Pixar is, doing away with talking is the oldest trick in the book. In fact, many films from the silent era still hold their own. They could totally mess with the Zohan.

The Miami Beach Cinematheque kicks off a new series of silent movie classics at 8 p.m. called Silents Please! with a screening of Buster Keaton's classic Steamboat Bill, Jr. Keaton was a fearless physical comedian; Steamboat features the well-known (and oft-imitated) scene where a wall falls directly around him, but he remains unscathed, saved by an open window. The screening will also boast a live oboist accompanying the original score. Tickets cost $12 for nonmembers and are available at www.mbcinema.com.
Sun., July 20, 8 p.m., 2008