'Gold Rush' (1925) on New Year's Eve

I think Chaplin's 'The Gold Rush' is one of the best ways to mark New Year's Eve. Yes, it has a built-in New Year's Eve theme, so that's good. Gives me a chance to work in the tune of 'Auld Lang Syne,' which carries a lot of emotion just by itself.

But it's also because it's a film that, at this distance (85 years now) is a concrete demonstration of time passing. Like all silent films, 'The Gold Rush' today is imbued with a concrete sense of time passing, of years gone by—not quite nostalgia, but more of a sense of the inexorable march of years, one after another, that is carrying us all along.

And then there's the snow-choked atmosphere. In this part of the country (New England), a wintry landscape is all part of celebrating New Year's Eve, I think. So 'The Gold Rush,' with its blizzards and snowbanks, seems to be a nice fit for that reason, too.

And guess what? We're screening 'The Gold Rush' at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. on Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. thanks to the wonderful folks at the theater and also to Janus Films, which is currently handling the U.S. rights to the Chaplin films. Should be a great show, plus you can enjoy dinner at the nearby Barley House restaurant (132 North Main St. in Concord) after 6 p.m. that night and get 15 percent off your dinner check if you show your 'Gold Rush' ticket. AND we'll conclude the screening with champagne supplied by Korbel. So sounds like a party to me! Hope to see you there: Admission $11 per person.

Here's the press release with all the details...

For more info, contact:
Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

Dec. 20, 2010 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Celebrate New Year's Eve with Chaplin's 'The Gold Rush'

Comedy classic at Red River Theatres in Concord, N.H. to feature live music

CONCORD, N.H.—Celebrate New Year's Eve with 'The Gold Rush' (1925), Charlie Chaplin's timeless silent comedy of prospecting in the frozen north. The film will be shown with live music on Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. in the screening room of Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St. in Concord, N.H.

Admission to the event, which includes several silent short comedies and a champagne toast for all guests, is $11 per person. The films will be accompanied live by silent film musician Jeff Rapsis, who improvises scores as the movie unfolds on the screen. The complimentary champagne toast is courtesy Korbel Champagne Cellars.

'The Gold Rush,' a landmark comedy and one of the top-grossing films of the silent era, finds Chaplin's iconic 'Little Tramp' character in the frozen wastelands of the Yukon, where his search for gold turns into the pursuit of something even more valuable—the love of a woman. The film contains several famous scenes, both comic and dramatic, including Chaplin eating his shoe and a heart-breaking New Year's Eve celebration.

'The Gold Rush,' regarded as one of Chaplin's best films overall, is also noted as a prime example of his unique combination of slapstick comedy and intense dramatic emotion.

"Eighty-five years young, 'The Gold Rush' is still an effective tear-jerker," wrote critic Eric Kohn of indieWIRE in October, 2010. "In the YouTube era, audiences—myself included—often anoint the latest sneezing panda phenomenon as comedic gold. Unless I’m missing something, however, nothing online has come close to matching the mixture of affectionate fragility and seamless comedic inspiration perfected by the Tramp."

The screening has been organized in partnership with The Barley House, 132 North Main St., Concord, N.H. To help celebrate New Year's Eve, ticket holders for 'The Gold Rush' can dine at the Barley House that night from 6 p.m. until showtime and receive 15 percent off the food portion of their dinner. For more information about The Barley House, call (603) 228-6363 or visit www.thebarleyhouse.com.

'The Gold Rush' will be shown with live music on Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. at Red River Theatres, 11 South Main St., Concord, N.H. Admission is $11 per person. Tickets available at the door or in advance from the Red River box office online at www.redrivertheatres.org or by calling (603) 224-4600.

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For more info, contact:
Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com
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