What If A Classic Silent Film Was Re-Scored By A Master DJ? (Video)

Before technology brought sound to film, Hollywood still made blockbusters. The “Silent Film” era produced stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. While Chaplin’s facial expressions made him a sympathetic “tramp,” Keaton maintained a trademark deadpan in action sequences. Lloyd was something of a Jackie Chan of the 1920s, big on stunts that captivated theatergoers, with humor splashed in. These films were met with pianists and bands, in each theater, that played along with the projectors.

DJ Z-Trip (LL Cool J, Murs, Scratch) recently made history with one of Lloyd’s silent films, 1928’s Speedy. For this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Z-Trip live-mixed against Speedy, in what is known as Z-Trip Meets ‘Speedy.’ The TFF’s website explains, “World-renown DJ Z-Trip was invited to the festival to do something that had never been done before: spin a live set along with Harold Lloyd’s classic silent movie Speedy, in which his title character has a wild New York City misadventure while trying to preserve the city’s last horse-drawn streetcars.” Oh, and all-time baseball great Babe Ruth even makes a cameo in this film.

Z-Trip’s mix includes Pete Rock & CL Smooth, elements from The Warriors, dead prez, and Beastie Boys, among drops from Pharrell, Busta Rhymes, and Boogie Down Productions. Many of these same records are popular staples to the Phoenix, Arizona native’s mixes and live shows. The mix alone, as live, is a feat in itself. However, what a cool, mixed-media way to celebrate film and Hip-Hop at once.

Lovers of film, DJ’ing, and art will all love this six-minute film.

Spotted at Grandgood.

Related: Talib Kweli & Z-Trip – Attack the Block (Mixtape)