Austin Movie Reviews

June Moon (1974) is a lesser-known entry in the Broadway Theater Archive series of televised performances, but there's plenty of reason to celebrate its inclusion. A hit when first staged in 1929, this comedy revels in the Jazz Age notion that New York City was the capital of nightlife sophistication. It balances George S. Kaufman's embrace of beautiful dreamers with Ring Lardner's darker angle on Tin Pan Alley and the occupational hazards of a boyishly naive songwriter (Tom Fitzsimmons) on a fast track to success. Susan Sarandon, appearing here shortly before she costarred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, plays the jaded vixen who lures the rookie tunesmith under false pretenses, and TV great Jack Cassidy (who died in a house fire two years later) is terrific as the veteran composer who helps the kid while his own career is slumping. Playing another struggling songwriter is none other than Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (!), paying scruffy homage to the composers who inspired him. --Jeff Shannon

Of all the silent-comedy compilations released by Image Entertainment and Kino Video, Slapstick Masters is a perfect primer for new students of the genre. It's timelessly accessible, serving up three classic "two-reelers" from acknowledged comedy greats (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy) while shining a deserved spotlight on the lesser-known Monty Banks in "Chasing Choo-Choos," excerpted from the 1927 slapstick feature Play Safe, and featuring one of the zaniest, most incredibly dangerous chase scenes of the silent era. And while each of these films has been improved from previous DVD releases (with corrected intertitles, better source materials, and digital mastering), the selling point is the accompanying music by the Alloy Orchestra, a Boston-based trio specializing in new, jauntily percussive scores for vintage films. Alloy's playful work here is absolutely marvelous, honoring the traditions of silent-movie music while vastly improving its musical parameters. The films are great by themselves, but with music by the Alloy Orchestra, they're masterpieces to be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, any time. --Jeff Shannon