Duck Soup

[ol' eddy wrecks 212]

3 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

Regarding pathos, I’m not saying it there’s anything wrong with Comedy for Comedy’s sake. But when we’re talking about the *best* movies, I think a broader pallet enriches the product. I’m not saying Hitchcock should be romantic, but his best movies do tend to include romance, and humor, and action, and so forth.

Looking over the list of comedies on the AFI, I think trying to strip out the movies that have something else, namely strong dramatic elements (or in the case of Singin' in the Rain or Toy Story, obviously on there for reasons besides the comedy (musical & dancing, technical advancement) would be interesting.

I think it's...

18. THE GENERAL (1927) $
22. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) 

35. ANNIE HALL (1977) ? (it's been long enough, I don't feel comfortable classifying this one)
39. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964) +@

60. DUCK SOUP (1933) 
64. NETWORK (1976) +@

85. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935)
88. BRINGING UP BABY (1938) *
 

I'm not sure what to think of The General (I liked Buster Keaton shorts more), but could also fall under the "well, hey, it's comedy that aged well."

I'm not sure what to make of Some Like it Hot, since of the Billy Wilder movies on the entire list, it's the one that didn't really click with me.

We've got 2 Marx Brothers movies (25% of these movies), 2 satires (Network & Dr. Strangelove; another 25%), and then Bringing up Baby, a screwball comedy.

I was thinking looking at the list would indicate that straight comedies work best when they're some type of cerebral satire, but that's not really enough to say that either. If we scratched "must have aged well," we could probably scratch The General, the Marx brothers, and Bringing up Baby.  So we're at 2 out of 4 comedies that satires, but that's such a small sample now, that's not really trust worthy.

I guess that wasn't a very productive exercise.  I thought I was going to get more out of that.

[bleary 333]

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?

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

[tomspanks 9039]

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. 

[ol' eddy wrecks 212]

16 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?

Oh, I'm a dark comedy person.  So give me Dr. Strangelove (already on there), Brazil (is this one eligible?), various Coen Brothers movies (I'll take Fargo, Barton Fink, whatever you'll give me.  Wait, maybe not so much O' Brother, The Lady Killers, or Intolerable Cruelty).  The Apartment is already on there.

I guess satire-wise, if we could argue Monty Python's Life of Brian is American (the argument, Terry Gilliam, being the director and is an American, probably wouldn't fly), I'd like that on there (though I did just list Brazil up above).

I'd... have to rewatch Heathers before I could argue for it in good faith.

Spinal Tap is a good call.  I laugh hard at that one.

I totally haven't been rewatching Duck Soup...

ETA: If we want horror-dramedy, An American Werewolf in London.

That came to mind seeing the Stooges vs Marx Brother line, because I wanted to say I never really got the Stooges growing up, but I did enjoy the hell out of Army of Darkness as a teenager, which is often channeling (or re-enacting) the Stooges.  Or maybe I'm just making too much of one scene there.

My favorite horror-comedy these days is Hausu (which is not eligible for this list), though it is on filmstruck/criterion for those who have it.

[grudlian. 4725]

4 minutes ago, tomspanks said:

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. 

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

[tomspanks 9039]

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. 

[ol' eddy wrecks 212]

34 minutes ago, bleary said:

This is a good point.  The longer that a piece of comedy remains fresh, the more it's seen as something singular, or elemental.

I also think there's probably a bit of bias against parodies and spoofs for this reason.  Someone might justifiably ask whether a film that derives humor from defying the expectations formed from previous work will hold up as well over time.  Of course, I think it's safe to say that the best parody films, like Airplane! or Blazing Saddles absolutely transcend any reliance on audience knowledge of the previous work.  Whereas something like Austin Powers (also on the AFI ballot!) probably does not.

This is a good point.  It is worth pointing out, it doesn't look like there are any parodies currently on the list.

[Cameron H. 23786]

58 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 

I actually had one of these during Duck Soup! I’m a huge fan of MST3K and Rifftrax and one of their running gags is if a couple characters (usually one is a monster) suddenly and awkwardly start wrestling, one of them (Usually Mike Nelson) will say, “Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you? I love you.”

For some reason, I always thought it was a Cary Grant line. 

[tomspanks 9039]

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. 

[bleary 333]

3 minutes ago, tomspanks said:

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. 

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

[tomspanks 9039]

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? 

[grudlian. 4725]

27 minutes ago, tomspanks said:

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

Definitely Edward G Robinson or WC Fields.

[grudlian. 4725]

1 minute ago, tomspanks said:

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

Or Golden Globe nominated comedy The Tourist!

[Cam Bert 8145]

2 hours ago, ol' eddy wrecks said:

With a medusa cocktail as a chaser?  Or would you be afraid it'd just give you kidney stones?

I don't know what that is but curious to find out.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

Top Secret! all day.  Val Kilmer's best role ever.  

[Cameron H. 23786]

3 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Top Secret! all day.  Val Kilmer's best role ever.  

[Cameron H. 23786]

I just wanted to say I'm enjoying the conversation. Whether we agree or not, I love the passion.

[Cam Bert 8145]

6 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Top Secret! all day.  Val Kilmer's best role ever.  

Val Kilmer is one of the best comedic actors ever

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

6 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

I know what I said

[Cameron H. 23786]

Just now, Cam Bert said:

Val Kilmer is one of the best comedic actors ever

He's a god, not *The* God (I don't think...)

[RufusTFirefly 0]

My father also introduced me to this movie. It was a movie that he and his best friend loved when they were young  (the other was Stalag 17 which should be on the list by the way). And we would watch this movie together every time it was on tv. The mirror gag as well as the lemonade vendor bit are comedy classics and I don't think that can be disputed. And the verbal gymnastics of some of the scenes always blow me away. "How am I gonna find out what I wanna find out if he no find out what I wanna find out". 

[DanEngler 5249]

Just added the weekly poll. Sorry for the delay!

[SideofMcG 225]

22 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.

Raising Arizona was on TV - fuzzy reception, not great sound. My Dad recommended I watch it. And that's what kicked off my love of the Coen Brothers and good ol' Nic Cage!

[EvRobert 1684]

On 11/1/2018 at 9:18 AM, 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.

Not a movie, but Hogan's Heroes and Get Smart, every Saturday morning before cartoons