The Silent Film Universe

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Watching silent films is an immersive, dreamlike experience. The storytelling and characters of these movies can only exist in the Silent Film Universe, where a purely visual cinematic language commingles with the viewer’s imagination. How this works – for both yesterday’s and today’s filmgoers – is explored and explained in this groundbreaking, insightful, and entertaining book that will leave you with a new appreciation of silent film.

PRAISE:

“I adore this book.  Not only does Ben Model articulate why we love silent movies, but he educates us for the first time about the brilliance of silent film artistry in its techniques of cranking and projecting.  Fascinating, essential reading for both lifelong silent film enthusiasts like me and newcomers to the medium.” – Alexander Payne, film director and screenwriter

“Because he accompanies showings of silent films for modern audiences, Ben Model knows what people understand and relate to right away—and what requires some explanation and historical context. That, paired with his encyclopedic knowledge, makes him a perfect guide to these intoxicating movies and the era that produced them.” – Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian

“In The Silent Film Universe, Ben Model has written a unique book, and only he could do it. This is the end product of Ben’s experience: A hands-on, imaginative, thought-provoking, and illuminating presentation on silent film.” – Jeanine Basinger, Corwin-Fuller Professor Emerita of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and founder of the Wesleyan Cinema Archive

ABOUT BEN MODEL:

Ben Model is a silent film accompanist, presenter, historian, and educator. He is a resident film accompanist for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Library of Congress and the Cinema Arts Centre. He is a Visiting Professor of Film at Wesleyan University and is the archivist-historian for the Ernie Kovacs Television Collection.

Model is the founder and producer of Undercrank Productions – a boutique Blu-ray/DVD label specializing in the revival and restoration of notable and obscure films of the silent era – and is the co-founder and producer of The Silent Clowns Film Series, a popular and long-running silent comedy film showcase in NYC. He lives in New York, NY. More about his various creative endeavors can be found at silentfilmmusic.com; For press/media inquiries click here.