These comedy classics that have stood the test time provide a useful reminder on the perils of building or owning a home. Ultimate feng shui goes wrong.
One Week (1920) staring Buster Keaton and his new bride trying to build their marital home from flat-pack form (IKEA-like precursor) with predictably hilarious results and timely feng shui warnings. The key lesson is about placement non-attachment.
One AM (1916) Charlie Chaplin after a night out, finds his home transformed into an obstacle course, with stuffed animals becoming alive, an animated table having a mind of its own, an unmountable staircase and a foldaway bed providing the biggest challenge. Feng shui nightmare.
Big Business (1929) with Laurel and Hardy starts with them trying to sell a Christmas tree which evolves into a row with a suburban homeowner, leading to the gleeful trashing of valuable furniture, priceless objects, even the fabric of the house itself. The home theme as a site of destruction to warn us about holding a grudge, not letting go and ultimately not sweating the small stuff. Lesson: small things can lead to big things – the yin and yang of things.
One Week (1920) staring Buster Keaton