Original movie versus a parody

[RobertBoberts 62]

I brought this up in another thread and perhaps there are a few pairings that may result in a good matchup. The movie parody often gets no respect but there are some that might be considered as good as, if not better than the movie it is parodying. No Epic Movie crap though. And it should be an original movie that was successful on its own, so no Airplane! versus Zero Hour! because the latter wouldn't stand a chance. But perhaps:

 

Top Gun vs. Hot Shots!

Walk the Line vs Walk Hard

Frankenstein (or Bride of...) vs Young Frankenstein

Return of the Jedi vs Spaceballs

 

Would have loved Boyz n the Hood vs Don't be a Menace...

 

Any others?

[Ryan L 57]

I think the Frankenstein one would work best. The others, the parody doesn't stand up as much to the competition (although Ewoks vs Spaceballs would be interesting to listen to...).

[RobertBoberts 62]

I think the Frankenstein one would work best. The others, the parody doesn't stand up as much to the competition (although Ewoks vs Spaceballs would be interesting to listen to...).

 

Fair enough. Personally, I think the parody in those examples is quite close for me, and I think Hot Shots! is better than Top Gun. But that's just me. A Frankenstein versus might be toughest for me though. As for Spaceballs, it's kind of by default to be against Return of the Jedi because the others have been discussed already. And the first two of the trilogy would never lose. But the parody versus the worst of the trilogy (and the ewoks seem like what would have been a parody of wookies) could be interesting to say the least.

[RobertBoberts 62]

This also brings up a question of what holds up better. Parodies often expose the faults of the original but the jokes within those might be too of their time to still be relevant.

[SiSquires-Kasten 37]

Superfly v. Black Dynamite

Walk the Line v. Walk Hard

Dawn of the Dead v. Shaun of the Dead

Meatballs v. Wet Hot American Summer

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

Other than Walk Hard -- a straight parody of Johnny Cash / Walk the Line -- pretty much every parody here covers an amalgam of movies, musicals, and other pop-culture references. I like the Frankenstein idea, though.

[Muthsarah 124]

My first suggested film on this forum (meaning the other one) was for Walk Hard to be put up alone. I think it's the best parody film since Airplane! (or maybe Spaceballs), if only because of the crazy amount of work they put into it, and the ensuing scope, sending up three solid decades of popular music and its place in pop culture, as well as just brutalizing the musical biopic genre to the point that it would need to seriously re-invent itself to remain relevant (much as Austin Powers destroyed the over-the-top Bond movie tropes). If we're also judging the worth of a film by its soundtrack - which I feel is perfectly fair for original musicals - Walk Hard is one of the most brilliant comedies of this century. Like most parodies and farces, it's plenty lowbrow, but it knows what it's sending up, and it loves it. The movie is as much a celebration of music and music-based movies as it is a mockery.

 

So I'd be 100% cool with a Walk the Line vs Walk Hard episode. Though...I don't know on what grounds a decision could be made, other than which one you enjoy more. My choice is obvious.