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We are David and Valerie, friends, former colleagues, film devotees. Welcome to our discussion room on films off all kinds. From blockbusters to bombs, indies to guilty pleasures, even HBO and AMC. Love it? Leave it? Skim, study, or skip, but bring your celluloid or digitally-enlightened intelligence and let's talk! We suggest you start first by weighing in on our post: What's Your Favorite Movie.
Valerie
about mz. v.
As a recovering high school English teacher, and currently doing a stint as education adjunct at CGCC, she is mad for travel, tai chi, chai tea, writing, mosaic tiling, current events, visiting kiddies in Austin and Manhattan, sipping Americanos with her beloved. She seeks continual enlightenment, and movies are one path to that.
David
About Dr. D.
David has enjoyed a number of careers: university professor, high school teacher, businessman...and currently bluegrass banjo player, jam leader, wood artist, glass artist, and would-be novelist. He proudly watches hours of TV and film. He considers film one of mankind's greatest achievements. He enjoys all genres, and appreciates both great and not-so-great films.
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What would YOU like us to see?
Well, Valerie, I hate to admit it, but the movie that keeps me laughing over and over again is Peter Seller's Pink Panther. Yes, it's terribly dated. Yes, the anti-Asian slurs are totally inappropriate. Yes, there's so much wrong with the Seller's classic. But no movie makes me break out laughing like this one. I also enjoy his Pink Panther followups, including Shot in the Dark. The essence of the comedy is not only slapstick...we laugh at the inspector's stupidity. Yet he is well-meaning in bunging, and you end up liking the guy. Back to you.
ReplyDeleteThen there's Chevy Chase's European Vacation. What a hoot! (your words regarding my novel). Who can forget some of the hilarious scenes, such as the roundabout in Paris or the beer-hall gathering in Germany? No matter how many times I see Stonehenge, I think of Chevy backing into the pillars and knocking them down domino-style. Yes, another example of physical, slapstick comedy, yet very funny to me.
ReplyDeleteI suppose comedy is the category for "guilty pleasures." We do often seem apologetic for what makes us laugh, especially in these increasingly politically-correct times!
ReplyDeleteMy criteria for "best comedy" is that I laugh out loud EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT. That's all.
I predict I will return to this post time and time again as I think of other contenders, but I shall start with these:
1. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World - jam-packed with just about every brilliant comic of the '50's-'60s, PLUS Spencer Tracey. I was a young kid when my folks took me to see it at the Cine Capri in Scottsdale (the original one). From the lowest form of comedy (slapstick) to the highest (satire) this has it all.
Favorite scene: Milton Berle and Terry Thomas turning Ethel Merman upside down in the desert to get a key to drop out of her bra - cut to her son, Dick Shawn, back in L.A., doing the twist in his groovy, beatnik, surfer pad. Belly laughs.
2. Best in Show - most brilliant of Chris Guest movies (well, along with Spinal Tap). Favorite scene: His own character reciting every kind of nut he can think of.
3. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. Favorite scene: When they are first just trying to get out of Venice Beach struggling with stick shift and trying to sing along with "Foot Loose." Ya have to be there to get it. Lisa Kudrown and Miro Sorvino break my heart and crack me up in their dance number with Alan Cummins.
I could use a good comedy these days (hence the blog call-out). I'll have to watch one of these this weekend, probably R & M, since I am going to my 40th (!!!) h.s. reunion next weekend. Gawd.
Right on, Valerie, re It's a Mad Mad World... I too enjoyed the comedy. The most cynical moment: Spencer Tracy dies and literally kicks the bucket, remember? Star-studded, slapstick fare. Nice stuff. Romy and Michele touched me in a different way. The two naive, well-meaning misfits bungle along nicely...until they hit the reunion. At that point, comedy turns nearly tragic as the girls are taunted, rejected, and teased. Too close to bullying-reality for me.... My heart goes out to the two dummies...but I don't really laugh much. Sorry. Now, if you could use a good comedy to brighten your day, consider Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. Not belly laughs, but lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteI have seen Miss Congeniality (I think more than once). Thoroughly enjoyed it. As comedies go, it's all Sandra, however, whereas the comedies that stick with me are usually ensemble-based. But she is a comedic natural, largely because she doesn't take herself too seriously in real life.
ReplyDeleteYes, R & M's thematic value is part of what endears it to me. I adore those girls. They evoke such affection from viewer, I think.
Good points, Valerie. Just saw a wannabe comedy, Did You Hear About the Morgans? The essence of the comedy is supposed to be Hugh Grant apologizing ad nauseum about being unfaithful to his wife. This is supposed to be funny? Why does Hollywood think that philanders are the stuff of laughter? Strange. But then, one person's laugh is another's frown. Comedy is such a delicate art form.
ReplyDeleteJust reflecting again on Sandra Bullock. She did it all in Miss Congeniality. The comic substance for me came from the tough detective playing bimbo with the beauty queens. When done properly, even feminism can be turned to laughter.
ReplyDelete"Raising Arizona" is one comedy that has always produced a laugh from me. On top of being a well-produced Cohen Bros. classic, the funniest moments consist of the most familiar aspects of being an Arizonan. more specifically, the po-dunk Apache Junction backdrop as a comedic element by itself is enough to satisfy. Some of Nic Cage's best work.
ReplyDeleteI've recently spread the good word of a little-known movie released in 2008 called "Black Dynamite." Blaxploitation satire. As if blaxploitation in the 1970's wasn't funny enough, producers of BD collected and accurately organized and presented the best elements of the genre from terrible cuts and production quality, to convoluted story lines and re-killed actors, to cheesy kung-fu, original music, and inane car chases. It hits every point not so much as a spoof, but as an affectionate tribute to the genre.
And "Dumb and Dumber" because it's one of the best works of Jim Carrey. "The Mask" was released the same year (1994) and has a lot of overlooked, little chuckles to be found within the movie.
Thanks, Greg! You write so well. And thanks for the Raising Arizona; one I laugh at every time.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Cage, do you think he should have stayed more in comedy? Seems his role choices the last few years have left him looking pretty lame.
I agree with Valerie that you're a heck of a writer, Greg. Thanks for reminding us of the beauty of Raising Arizona. And....thanks most of all for bringing us back to the very wonderfu, very basic, wonderfully comedic Dumb and Dumber. I loved Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels playing the idiots, and their well-meaning trip to Aspen is one of the best themes in comedy. How about when they popped the champagne cork and Killed the rare owl? Valerie, good point on Cabe. I've been disappointed with most of his work, except his brilliant portrayal of the suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. He and Elizabeth Shue knocked my socks off.
ReplyDeleteNic Cage has lately been type-casted into these "Hokey, B-rated Adventure" films that can be hit-or-miss. I think the lighter side of his acting fits him better, but with such a variety of films he's done over 30 years, it's tough to note where he fits sometimes. But if an actor does enough movies, good or bad, there's bound to be types of roles that fit them more than others.
ReplyDeleteY'know, you two should just do a blog specifically about actors.
Hey, good idea about blogging about actors...we sort of do that "en passant" as we discuss films. Nicolas Cage was actually quite good in Con Air. In spite of his felon status, he got us to root for him as he stood between the real baddies and the law. Then there was Captain Corelli's Mandalin. Good WWII drama, and he played the lead well. Still, he was at his very best in Leaving Las Vegas. Amazing how creatively he and Elizabeth Shue played off each other. That was a powerhouse of a film...which I recall whenever I'm in Vegas, walking through smoky lobbies and seeing the down and out bet dollars they can't afford.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Greg on the often-overlooked comic genius of Nicolas Cage. "Raising Arizona" was fantastic and when his name unexpectedly popped up in the opening credits for the new film "Kick-Ass" I thought, "Oh yay! Nicolas Cage is going to be great for the next two hours!" and he was. He's crazy in real life, but put him with the right director and he's fantastic.
ReplyDeleteOh AND: I recently saw "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," a film I used to be obsessed with, and thought it would be awful to view as an adult, but I still think it's hilarious.
I kind of believe Greg is the next Roger Ebert, only better looking.
My favorite comedies are only ones that keep me laughing with each viewing, keep giving me new details to laugh at: "Rushmore," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Super Troopers" and "Anchorman" come immediately to mind. Even if you think the movie will be silly and overrated when it comes out, repeated viewings bear the stamp of comic genius.
Thank you, Jenna, for your wise comments. As I keep saying about you and Greg, the apple does not fall far from the tree...smart mom, smart kids! OK, down to business. Yes, Nicolas Cage might just be best at comedy. But he will always stand out in my mind as the suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. Now that you've seen Kick Ass, guess we better get out and see it too. You mentioned Ace Ventura...yes, a riot. Starting with the crazy hair, Jim Carrey plays a fantastic wacky pet hunter. Still, my favorite comic scene with him is when he kicks the package down the street in the opening of Dumb and Dumber....and when he and Jeff Daniels act stupid together. Great laughs. Ferris Bueller: Yes, I agree again. The 80's teen humor is sassy and rebellious, greatly appreciated by us teachers who know there's a lot of cynicism and anti-establishment feeling behind the adolescent smiles. Finally, it is true that one good definition of a fine comedy is one you laugh at over and over. Even when I know Peter Sellers will bungle into success, I laugh hysterically. There's a good one none of us has mentioned: Meet the Fokkers. Also the first Father of the Bride. Back to you, Jenna or Valerie or Greg, for more wisdom.
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