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tomspanks

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Posts posted by tomspanks

  2. Posted

    3 hours ago, ol' eddy wrecks said:

    I am curious then, since I do have a couple of long distance friends, is the group watching experience kind of dependent upon being on something like a laptop, more-so than say an htpc, for actually interacting?

    Back catalog HDTGM movies seems like the typing/commentary wouldn't be a big deal like, but having group chat off to the side for watching something more serious would be distracting, I'd imagine, right? Or, even a comedy where you do want to be engaging with the movie itself to a reasonable degree. 

    Or do people leverage a voice chat while watching?

    Well, do you and your long distance friends usually chat while watching movies?  Before rabbit came along, my friends and I often used gchat to watch movies together, so the commentary feature of rabbit worked well for us.  I actually think voice chat is more distracting.

    • Like 1

  11. Posted

    Omission (oops, wrong show): was anyone else scratching their head at Firefly's line "My father was a little headstrong, my mother was a little armstrong. The Headstrongs married the Armstrongs, and that's why darkies were born"?  It felt like a vaguely racist joke, but I had no reference so I did some Googling.  The internet says it's a reference to a 1931 song, "That's Why Darkies Were Born," and Wikipedia says it presents a satirical view of racism.  But I looked at the lyrics to the song and there was no mention of Headstrongs or Armstrongs, so I'm puzzled again.  Were Headstrong and Armstrong common surnames at the time?  

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    5 minutes ago, bleary said:

    Fantastic call on Top Secret!, I haven't seen that in way too long, I need to queue it up again.

    Also, There's Something About Mary was actually on the AFI ballot!  And the AFI's list of comedies has it at #27, so it's lauded beyond just a guilty-pleasure: https://www.afi.com/100Years/laughs.aspx

    Wow, Fargo is on this list! When it’s updated, will they add The Martian? 

  13. Posted

    18 minutes ago, bleary said:

    So I've enjoyed seeing people post both (a) the comedies that they think should have made the list (or in some cases, should have at least made the ballot), and (b) quasi-guilty pleasure comedies that make us laugh like crazy while still probably being undeserving of AFI laud.

    In the first category, I've already mentioned What's Up, Doc?, and I think it's absurd that it wasn't even on the ballot.  Ditto for The Jerk, Trading Places, and Coming to America.  (Seriously, how did Austin Powers make the ballot and not a single live-action Eddie Murphy film did?)  People have mentioned Airplane! and the Mel Brooks comedies as a few top notch comedies that made the ballot but not the list.  Spinal Tap hasn't been mentioned here, but it's another one that made the ballot and not the list.

    In the second category, I laugh a lot at second-wave Shane Black, particularly Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys.  And I'll tune in to a good chunk of Major League 2 whenever I see it on cable.  Who has some more like this?

    I pretty much agree with all the movies people have mentioned in the A category. Maybe I would replace Airplane! with Top Secret! and This is Spinal Tap with Best in Show. I would add Clueless and Ghostbusters to this category and if we could add non-American movies, I would add Hot Fuzz and MP & the Holy Grail.

    In category b, I would add There’s Something About Mary, Wayne’s World, Major League, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Mean Girls. 

    • Like 3

  14. Posted

    Just now, grudlian. said:

    The first time I saw a movie with Peter Lorre, I suddenly understood about one million Looney Tunes jokes.

    Lol I was gonna mention him or Edward G. Robinson. 

    • Like 4

  15. Posted

    31 minutes ago, Cic said:

    Conan’s comment about references in the simpsons reminds me of watching looney tunes and later in life understanding all the references they were making to old movies 

    In fact I would say Looney Tunes was my first exposure to classic movie stars. 

    I thought it was interesting when Paul said 3 Stooges vs Marx Bros was like Bugs Bunny vs Tom & Jerry. I like both cartoons, during the Chuck Jones-era. 

    • Like 3

  17. Posted

    52 minutes ago, WatchOutForSnakes said:

    Oh my goodness, ditto!! That and Green Bay Packer games. I don't remember my parents really introducing me to any specific movies. My dad isn't a big movie fan (I don't ever remember him going to a movie). My mom didn't so much introduce us to movies except for maybe Wizard of Oz, and I know she looooooved The Jazz Singer and Grease. 

    How does your mom feel about Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)?

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

  18. Posted

    2 hours ago, AlmostAGhost said:

    What I keep coming back to as I think about Duck Soup is something Conan said about it being "comedy just for comedy's sake." This was always why I liked Conan's show so much (I grew up on his show, it was huge for me). And it's what I like most about Duck Soup. But Duck Soup is jokes. Funny jokes. Slapstick jokes. Wordplay jokes. Visual film jokes.  Mean finger-pointing jokes. Self-deprecatory jokes.  Vaudeville, stand-up, situational, improv, musical.  You name the type of comedy, they did it and did it better than nearly everyone.  It's unbound to logic or story, which sure, is weird and takes getting used to, but pulling that off is WHY this should be on the list, imo. 

    But Conan’s show has a set format each night: monologue, banter, interview, skit, musical guest (not necessarily in that order every night). Each self contained segment works by itself.  I don’t think Duck Soup worked for me because the interesting bits were sort of sprinkled throughout the movie like separate skits.  Taken alone, the mirror gag is amazing. But did it move the story along? I don’t know. And I don’t even know if story telling is important in a Marx Bros movie.  The song and dance numbers didn’t help either. 

    I hear you though about Conan’s show.  I grew up watching it too. I still remember staying up late to watch his debut episode and I remember thinking, this is the most nervous person I’ve ever seen on tv. But you’re right, there was a definite Marx Bros-quality about his schtick that drew me in. So if Conan’s show exists because of Duck Soup, then thank goodness for Duck Soup!

    • Like 2

  19. Posted

    16 minutes ago, bleary said:

     

    I think this just gets to the heart of why it's tough to judge comedies.  Airplane! is an all-time classic, as are the top 3 or 4 Mel Brooks movies.  But just speaking personally, none of them makes me laugh as much as Duck Soup and Horse Feathers.  

    (If you're interested, Airplane! was on the AFI ballot, as well as Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and Blazing Saddles, the last of which I can't believe didn't make the list.)

    Exactly, comedy is so subjective. Duck Soup didn’t make me laugh even once 🙊

    • Like 2

  20. Posted

    I don’t think Duck Soup will be a frequent rewatch for me, but I’m glad it exists and influenced other great comedies. One of my favorite comedy lines ever is from Wayne’s World 2. Kim Basinger’s character, Honey Hornee, and Garth are about to get down. She says “take me, Garth!” and he says with a deadpan “where? I’m low on gas and you need a jacket.”  I don’t think I’m stretching it to say this could have been part of a Marx Bros bit.

    So I recognize Duck Soup for being a huge influence on comedies, and there were important bits sprinkled throughout, but as a whole, it just didn’t work for me. Yes, I love puns, but there’s so much rapid fire string of dadjokes I can take in one sitting. And sure, it might have been “the first” since the sound era, but I honestly don’t know if we would’ve had Duck Soup without The General preceding it. 

    • Like 3

  21. Posted

    8 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

    Quick aside, what comedies did our fathers show us when we were kids?

    I know my father made me watch Monty Python and their movies and George Carlin when I was far too young to fully get them.

    Absolutely none. Instead of comedies, he introduced me to the exciting world of televised golf.  

    • Like 4

  22. Posted

    1 hour ago, twinpines said:

    Hey if you’re like Paul and you miss Filmstruck go check if your local library card gives you access to Kanopy.com, lots of colleges and libraries are members and it also carries the Criterion collection as well as a well curated list of more popular films. Hope this helps some of you!!

    Amazing, thank you!

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