Death is funny, if you have a chisel

Is this thing for you?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't watch this unless you have a strange fondness for early cinema ephemera or you’re currently planning your own funeral and need some inspiration. If you enjoy the pacing of a dusty museum exhibit, you’ll dig it. If you need explosions or a plot, run away fast.

It’s barely a movie, really. It’s more of a slideshow with a pulse. But there’s something undeniably odd and magnetic about staring at these old, weathered gravestones. The film moves at a glacial pace, letting you actually read the text, which is a mercy.

The afterlife of humor

I found myself wondering if these people knew they’d be the stars of a short film decades later. Some of these epitaphs are genuinely sharp. Others are just sad attempts at wit that feel even sadder because they’re etched in granite forever. That’s the risk of a pun, I suppose.

The film doesn't try to be profound. It just presents these things and lets you sit with them. It feels a lot less like a traditional production and more like something Carl Stearns Clancy just decided needed to exist one afternoon. It’s got that specific, scratchy energy you find in films like Buster's Girl Friend where the charm is entirely in how handmade it feels.

• The camera work is basic at best.
• The lighting makes some of these headstones look like they’re floating in a void.
• I actually had to pause to catch a few of the more obscure jokes.

It’s not trying to compete with anything else. It's not a narrative beast like He Who Gets Slapped. It’s just a weird footnote. Sometimes, that’s enough. 🪦

Is it a classic? Absolutely not. Would I watch it again? Probably not. But I’m glad I saw it. It’s a reminder that people have always been trying to be funny, even when they’re literally six feet under. Also, some of these fonts are just fantastic. Look at those serifs.

It’s a strange, quiet little trip. Much more pleasant than watching something like The Deceiver if you’re in a mood for something that won't make your pulse race. Just don't go in expecting a grand statement on life.