I love a good comedy, but I'm not sure there are many which are entertaining from beginning to end. I'm trying to brainstorm a top 5 list. Ones which come to mind in no particular order - Airplane, Monty Python: Holy Grail, Blazing Saddles, The Hangover, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The most recent decent comedy I've seen is "We're the Millers," but it's not in the realm of as funny as the one's mentioned. To me, modern comedies are unnecessarily vulgar; The Hangover was brilliant and made less funny by the elevator pictures as the end. What's did I miss? What should I see?
Semi-funny story. I went to the Emergency Room a couple years ago and Blazing Saddles was playing in the lobby. I told Chel they should just play Blazing Saddles in every waiting room. I wish they had just left me there to laugh away the issues.
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ReplyDeleteOn the sustainability of a good comedy, you're definitely right about that. Wedding Crashers is the worst offender, a movie that runs out of jokes long before its over.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say vulgar, what exactly do you mean? They say fuck too much, or there's too many dick jokes? Two of my favorite comedies from the last decade, Team America and Step Brothers, both lean hard on both of those, to their benefit in my opinion. However, there's nothing more subjective than comedy.
I'm pretty inexperienced with Monty Python and Mel Brooks. I don't have a good memory of Holy Grail, and I think the only two Mel Brooks movies I've seen are Spaceballs (fine) and The Producers (terrible).
Holy Grail is a classic. Love that one. Blazing Saddles as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm all over the place with comedies. I don't tend to rewatch many of them. That said, Team America is just fantastic. There is nothing about Team America that I don't like.
Step Brothers really surprised me. Super Troopers and Anchor Man will always hold a spot in my heart. (Though the plot to Super Troopers had some holes in it.) Dumb and Dumber is brilliant because it's not just gags, but rather the characters are the funny parts. They've dropped two different guys with different personalities (Jim Carey is way more narcissistic) into somewhat regular situations.
Another that has held up well is Zoolander. Satire and consistency in characters. Love it.
I haven't seen Ace Ventura lately, but I'm certain that the first one holds up. The character is brilliant and consistent. He doesn't find "religion" at the end like so many comedies (like Wedding Crashers) have their characters do.
I also loved Borat. That's a hard movie to pull off and I think he did it in that one. His later work, including The Dictator, leaves much to be desired.
Billy Madison is objectively average and juvenile, but I was at the right age to love that one forever. Happy Gilmore and the Waterboy are along those lines as well.
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie is fantastic satire, but I know no one else but Jon will watch it. You're probably OK missing out on it. The Comedy is not a comedy, but it's a good movie. I think my bias shows that I like The Comedy but I hate Girls because the characters are incredibly similar. But instead of Leena Dunham annoying the shit out of me, I'm amused by Tim Heidecker.
Both of what you mentioned are tallies in the vulgar comedy - usually completely unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteTeam America - haven't seen it.
Step Brothers - Terrible in my opinion. Too vulgar and lost its luster after 15 minutes.
Super Troopers - Funny, but not a chart topper for me.
Dumb and Dumber - Top 10, but not Top 5? I still ask waitresses what is the Soup D' Jour? Hoping they'll reply "The soup of the day."
Zoolander - Ben Stiller is the worst.
Borat was pretty good.
Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore - Both great calls. I didn't think Waterboy measured up.
I really don't think any of the Adam Sandler movies hold up now. Happy Gilmore is probably the best of the group, but I wouldn't go any higher than a B- on it, personally. I'm also skeptical about the early Jim Carrey movies holding up. I loved Ace Ventura 2 when I was a kid, but come on, the character talks out of his butt. Dumb and Dumber is probably still good, though it's been awhile since I've seen it.
ReplyDeleteTeam America is flawless satire of big budget action movies, and has a spectacular soundtrack. It gets the strongest of recommendations. I wouldn't recommend anything from Tim and Eric to anyone, because I can barely explain why I love it. I just know it makes me laugh.
Monty Python and Mel Brooks are great at slapstick. I'm usually in tears from laughing so hard.
ReplyDeleteAce Ventura: Pet Detective put Jim Carey on the map. His impressions, satire, and intelligence is shown throughout the film. So he had a moment when he talked through his ass - it was funny. I'm going to pull this card - as I'm sure I will a thousand more times - Jon your main defense of Magic Mike was that it was "fun." Well, that scene was "fun." Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is not as good as the first but had some funny moments.
Dumb and Dumber was hilarious.
Zoolander was flat out silly. Will Ferrell's character calling out the "Blue Steel" look was spot on. Dodgeball is on the same level as this.
Team America was pretty funny.
Anchorman was pretty good.
The Hangover was good.
The Princess Bride is a classic.