Criterion Close-Up – Episode 42 – Silent Film Music with Ben Model

Mark and Aaron welcome Ben Model, silent film historian, accompanist, distributor, and enthusiast. He gave a presentation about “undercranking” on Criterion’s release of Chaplin’s The Kid. We discuss the idea of undercranking, scoring silent music, and the state of silent media today theatrically and in the home video market.

Episode Links & Notes

Special Guest: Ben Model from Silent Film Music and Undercrank Productions. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

0:00 – Intro and Welcome Ben

1:15 – Ben’s Criterion Connection

4:00 – Discussion and explanation of undercranking

18:20 – Ben’s background

24:00 –Silent films on Criterion and other labels

27:20 – Silent Film Kickstarters

38:00 – Silent Film discussion

• Silent Film Music – YouTube


• Silent Film Music podcast


• Kickstarter – Accidentally Preserved Rare and Lost Silent Films


• Kickstarter – When Knighthood Was in Flower


• Kickstarter – The Bridge’s Play


• Kickstarter – Pioneers of African-American Cinema


• Movies Silently – Top Five Silent Film Directors


• Seriously Funny – The Films of Leo McCarey

Episode Credits

• Mark Hurne: Twitter | Letterboxd


• Aaron West: Twitter | Blog | Letterboxd


• Criterion Close-Up: Facebook | Twitter | Email

Next time on the podcast: The Player