Buster Keaton’s film Sherlock Jr. is considered one of his masterpieces and is set to be re-released in February 2025, featuring music from R.E.M.‘s Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi albums.
The world premiere of the pairing will premiere in R.E.M.’s hometown of Athens, Georgia at the Morton Theatre on Feb. 1. A national release will follow on Feb. 7.
“Buster Keaton is one of my favorite actor/director/writers in movie history,” former R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck, said in a statement. “I’m honored that in some small way, R.E.M. is collaborating with him from beyond the grave!”
A trailer for the release begins with old-timey music before kicking into R.E.M.’s “Star 69” as Keaton’s character, an aspiring detective, trails a suspect. As the trailer notes, the re-release celebrates the film’s 101st anniversary next year.
The release is the latest in the Silents Synced series, which recently combined F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu with Radiohead’s music.
Sherlock Jr. is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring and directed by Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez, and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, and Ward Crane.
In 1991, Sherlock Jr. was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
