120 posts tagged with Comedy and film.
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Jim Abrahams 1944-2024
Shirley, you can't be serious. Abrahams, a film director and writer behind hit slapstick comedies like “Airplane!,” “Hot Shots!,” the “Naked Gun” series and more, died Tuesday, his son Joseph confirmed to Variety. He was 80. [more inside]
"The metamorphosis from man into beast is not an easy one"
Special effects legend Rick Baker has had a storied career in cinema, dating all the way back to his first (and the first) Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work in the 1981 John Landis-directed cult horror-comedy classic An American Werewolf in London. And though the film had plenty of clever effects work, no scene was a better showcase of his talents than the brilliant, brutal, and bizarrely hilarious transformation sequence. Unlike the simple dissolves of earlier creature features (or the unconvincing CGI of later fare), Baker augmented subtle makeup with an inventive series of practical effects, from reversible hair to a false body-puppet to a collection of ingenious mechanical "change-o" parts layered in lifelike urethane elastomer. And though Baker has since retired from the biz, his work on the film inspired generations of homages and tributes built on old-school practical effects, including BBC TV shows, haunted houses, custom animations, LEGO recreations, and an absurd "demake" parody (starring none other than Landis's son, Max!).
"Kaye"
'Vessel with a Pestle, Chalace from the Palace.'
From The Court Jester, 1955. Danny Kaye, Mildred Natwick, Robert Middleton, Glynis Johns. (slyt. 3:39)
Reconsidering Elaine May (and Ishtar)
Could Elaine May Finally Be Getting Her Due? [ungated] - "A new biography gives a compelling sense of a comic and cinematic genius, and also of the forces that derailed her Hollywood career." [more inside]
Not an accurate depiction of the fur trade
Hundreds of Beavers is an indie film made in six weeks for $150,000. It's like a modern combination of 20s and 30s slapstick films and live-action Looney Tunes. It's currently available on Apple and Amazon streaming platforms. A 19th century trapper battles nature and wildlife (depicted by people wearing mascot costumes) to win the hand of a furrier's daughter. It's filled with hundreds of gags. Here's the trailer, the opening, and a clip showing the costumes.
Mise-en-scène
'Kid Auto Races at Venice' is a 1914 silent film with Charlie Chaplin appearing for the first time as 'The Little Tramp.' Here is a colorized version. (slyt. 6:51) Previous megathread
"Why watch hundreds of rom-coms together? What keeps us coming back?"
"An Oral History of Socially Distant Movie Night: 3 Years, Nine Months, and 182 Movies (mostly rom-coms)" appears in Avidly's RomCom Superlatives! series: "Destination Wedding has a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics revile its 'utterly repugnant characters' and 'sewer-bile dialogue.' Turns out it hit the spot. Keanu and Winona hooked up in the desert under the watchful eye of a mountain lion, we all kept up a steady stream of snark and emojis, and for 87 minutes all was well with the world ... What follows is an oral history of our movie night in the shape of a romcom, spliced together from our memories." [more inside]
Big Trouble. Little Sister.
Writer/director Nida Manzoor (creator of We Are Lady Parts) makes her feature film debut this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival with the action-comedy Polite Society (official trailer). [more inside]
let's never go back to dinosaur island
Tom Cardy: Jurassic Park 12: It's Dino time! slightly NSFW for some lyrics + closed captions, tom cardy [previously]
Shrek and the ‘Digital Postracial"
Jamie Loftus, known among other things for detailed scholarly discussions of popular media, offers a review of a recent academic conference about the films Shrek. (previous stuff by loftus)
Edgar Wright’s 100 Favorite Comedies
Note from Edgar, March 2020:
“To get you through these tough times, please enjoy a generous helping of SOME of my favourite screen comedies that I’ve enjoyed over the years. I could easily do another 100 so don’t say ‘Where’s so and so?’. Just sit back and enjoy the movies. Let us know below, which ones you raise a smile. (NB: No, I'm not so immodest to put my own on here. x)”
Ladies and gentleman, I've suffered for my music, now it's your turn.
Musician and actor Neil Innes, who joined the boys of Monty Python for their films (singing "Brave Sir Robin"), their stage shows (From the Hollywood Bowl: "I'm the Urban Spaceman", "How Sweet to be an Idiot", "Protest Song") and their side projects ("The Rutles"), passed away yesterday at the age of 75.
How'd you like to be the iceman? It was a good gig before refrigeration.
Before the pool boy, mailman or milkman was the working class Lothario, in the time before refrigeration, New York’s ice-delivery men inspired raunchy jokes, songs, and movies (Gastro Obscura). The first song was "How'd You Like To Be The Iceman?" (circa 1899; sheet music from LOC), which lead to a few response records, including "All She Gets From The Iceman Is Ice" (sheet music from UMaine). There were also a few short silent films, released in 1899 and 1900 (IMDb x2), though neither of those appear to be online.
Buster Keaton, Anarchitect
Keaton’s comedy derives largely from the positioning — and constant, unexpected repositioning — of his body in space, and in architectural space particularly. An exploration of how Buster Keaton used and created physical environments to maximum comic effect .
“Ghouls!”
The first trailer has dropped for “The Dead Don't Die”, an upcoming American zombie horror comedy film, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, Iggy Pop, Chloë Sevigny, Carol Kane, Rosie Perez, Steve Buscemi, Austin Butler, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, RZA and Caleb Landry Jones. It is scheduled to be released on June 14, 2019. [IMDB]
Most excellent
“He is the patron saint of annoyance.”
Actually, Adam Sandler Is a Genius [Vice] “A low-brow comedy ingénue who skyrocketed to blockbuster success with a string of formulaic family comedies, Sandler’s brand eventually turned self-cannibalistic, tedious, and infuriating—yet, remained profitable. In the shadow of the Happy Madison factory, however, is a Wonka-like figure whose abilities are misunderstood. To me, Sandler remains one of the most enigmatic performers of his generation: a man that can star in Punch Drunk Love and Mr. Deeds in the same year. It’s easy to hate the cynical dreck he’s put out, and his hacky performances therein.” [more inside]
I want a cabbage
Brian & Charles During the bleak winter of 2012, Brian Gittins was marooned in his remote cottage. Instead of wallowing in misery, he decided to build a robot. (slyt)
Bill and Ted's Excellent Online Adventure, circa 2002 into the future
You might think it's most heinous that we have yet again failed to celebrate Bill and Ted day on June 9th (6/9), but there's always the excellent Bill and Ted (dot org) to help you celebrate those two excellent dudes year 'round. Beyond the two movies, the well-documented Excellent Adventure (1989, sci-fi buddy comedy) and lesser detailed Bogus Journey (1991, another cult hit), as well as the two seasons of the cartoon series (1990-1991, with and without Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, and Bernie Casey reprising their film roles), the live-action series (1992, with 7 episodes aired), various comics, a musical theater adaptation of Excellent Adventure, a fan art gallery, a fan fiction library, and more. Whoa! [more inside]
The Taika Waititi Fan Post
Taika Waititi is a New Zealand film director, writer, actor, painter, and comedian. While you may soon be watching Waititi's latest film - Thor: Ragnarok - it's worth checking out what convinced Hollywood to bank on him. [more inside]
Mr. Vampire (and kin) - experience the adventure! Embrace the darkness!
Clear some time for kung fu comedy with spooks and spirits, because here comes Mr. Vampire (YT, trailer)! While the Sammo Hung production isn't the first Hong Kong comedy horror fighting film to feature a jiangshi, or hopping corpses or vampires of Chinese folklore, it's the one that created a franchise and inspired numerous sequels and tributes. As a successful special effects driven 80’s comedy, it is often compared to Ghostbusters, but, you know, with martial arts. Let's dive into the world of Chinese folklore in HK comedy horror! [more inside]
But what do we need to know for the exam?
At Literary Hub, Emily Temple has gathered up "10 College Classes to Read Along with This Semester" and "The Classes 25 Famous Writers Teach." Syllabuses on other media suggest how Richard Lemarchand (designer on Uncharted) teaches video game design [PDF], how David Isaacs (consultant on M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, etc.) teaches comedy, or how video/performance artist Patty Chang teaches video/time-based art [PDF]. Syllabuses related to current events suggest how Noam Chomsky (who has joined the U. of Arizona) co-teaches politics [PDF], how Chris Holmes teaches about gun violence, or how Jacob Remes (interviewed this week about Puerto Rico) teaches critical disaster studies [PDF]. [Previously: 1M+ syllabuses / autodidact course catalog.]
The stars turn, and the time presents itself
Lynch, Time, and Comedy by Elise Moore (Bright Wall/Dark Woom).
"Why so serious?"
"... The Joker’s catchphrase was the most common response to BBC Culture’s poll of 177 critics last year to determine the 100 greatest films of the 21st Century. Very few comedies made that list, apart from Wes Anderson’s confections and a few Pixar romps. That canon of modern classics showed how very often ‘what makes us laugh’ is neglected when assessing cinematic greatness. [...] So this year BBC Culture decided to get serious about comedy. We asked 253 film critics – 118 women and 135 men – from 52 countries and six continents a simple: “What do you think are the 10 best comedies of all time?”" The result: The 100 greatest comedies of all time. [more inside]
Content Warning: Kuso
"My intention was not to make the grossest film of all time, but to show ugly in a time where everyone is trying to be beautiful," says Steven Ellison aka Flying Lotus, the director of Kuso (imdb, wikipedia, trailer) in an interview to Film School Rejects. Talking to The Fader, Ellison describes the movie: "One day I watch it and it’s a slapstick comedy, one day it’s a musical, and others it’s a bizarro horror. It’s kind of all over the place in that sense. I think, if anything, the music fans will be happy. They can always close their eyes and listen to the music." [more inside]
Party on Wayne, party on Garth
Let's bust up some of this election malaise with Kate McKinnon!
"Mascots don't die, they just hang in a closet."
First there was regional theatre, dog shows, and folk music. Now, filmmaker Christopher Guest tackles sports mascots in his latest film, Mascots. The first trailer has been released and the film, which stars the full stable of regulars chasing a Golden Fluffy Award, will premiere on Netflix on October 13th.
Is it Ghostbusters Trailer 2?
A Study of Perceptions
The Lunch Date is a ten-minute short film directed by Adam Davidson. It won the 1990 Short Film Palm d'Or at Cannes, the 1991 Academy Award for Best Short Subject, and in 2013 was placed in the Library of Congress. h/t Open Culture’s list of free movies
This is going to be he YOOOOOGEST FPP that this country has ever seen.
Funny or Die Made a Trump Biopic, Starring Johnny Depp [NYT]. The 50-minute comedy is streaming now at Funny or Die. (Head's up: NYT link has spoilers!)
"You sound like John Ritter. ALL THE TIME."
Key and Peele may have said their goodbyes to television, but they will soon return to the big screen in their first feature film "Keanu", whose red band NSFW trailer dropped today.
Buster Keaton - The Art of the Gag
Metafilter favorite Tony Zhou is back with a video about everybody's favorite visual comedian, Buster Keaton. [more inside]
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DON'T EAT NO MEAT?"
You know, a little known fact about the Greeks is that they invented The Sequel. So, in the finest tradition of their ancestors, the Portokalos family will be returning to the big screen in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, this coming March. [more inside]
Jan Hooks in the Wilderness
One year ago, the Saturday Night Live family lost one of its greatest talents when Jan Hooks passed away at the age of 57. Though there are many SNL players that fade into obscurity once their term at Rockefeller Center is up, most people are surprised that, aside from a recurring role on 30 Rock, Jan Hooks had pretty much disappeared since the turn of the 21st century. Grantland provides a bittersweet look back into her history and into what happened during those years.
"Don't threaten me with a dead fish"
"Hollywood brings glitz, glamour and big budgets to movie-making; France has avant-garde artistry. But what about Britain?
Looking at our selection of the 75 greatest British movies of the past century, you'll find that Britain excels at genres you'd expect (kitchen sink and period drama, class-obsessed satire) and plenty you wouldn't (strange sci-fi, blood-freezing contemporary horror). Here are the essential home-grown films to watch, listed in the order they were made..." [SLTelegraph]
One Billion Dates
Alec Robbins is a person of many talents, most of which can be summed up in his look at his unfinished work, that spans comics, poetry, and film. Most recently he spent 1,600 of his own money to shoot, direct, and edit his latest short film in which he also acted the main character, One Billion Dates
"You've never seen any of them. At least, let's hope you haven't."
The recent reboot "Vacation" is packed with call backs to the original 1983 film, but one thing that is conspicuously missing is the name "National Lampoon" preceding the title. Vulture recently published a short history of the National Lampoon and how it has gone from it's peak in the 70's and 80's way down to the unfortunate straight-to-DVD output of the last fifteen years. Bonus: The trailer for the upcoming documentary: "Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of National Lampoon".
younger, hotter, wetter
First Day of Camp: the full trailer for Netflix's 8-episode prequel to the 2001 cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. Here's the promo released last week. Happy summer! [more inside]
Right On That, Rose!
Initially panned by critics and a failure at the box office, Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead has found a second life as a cult favorite.
Kung Fury
If you love kung fu and hate Nazis, then today is your lucky day. Kung Fury has been released on Youtube. (Previously, Previously)
12 angry men discuss whether Amy is hot enough for TV
12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer Pitch-perfect reenactment of the Sidney Lumet classic. (SLYT - 21 minutes, and worth every one) [more inside]
R.I.P Sam Simon
Sam Simon, writer, producer, philanthropist and co-creator of The Simpsons has passed away of colorectal cancer at the age of 59. Previously.
“That must have been rough.”
Comedians Tig Notaro and Sarah Silverman sit down with the NYT at Sundance for a long conversation about their upcoming films (Tig and I Smile Back, respectively) and end up giving us a peek into their wonderful friendship. [SLYT]
It's a White Industry
It's a white industry, writes Chris Rock on show biz, from the lowliest focus-group testing gig to being a film executive. [more inside]
Hallelujah, Holy Shit! Where's the Tylenol?
Xmas or Bust: The Untold Story of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The modern holiday classic and third installment in National Lampoon's Vacation series turns 25 this year! Join hapless patriarch Clark Griswold as he struggles to maintain his sanity in a Christmas season full of eccentric relatives, mounting workplace stress, and increasingly outlandish domestic disasters. Full video - Scenes: Eat My Rubber - The Griswold Family Christmas Tree - Bend Over and I'll Show You - Gift-shopping - Decorating - Christmas Lights - Cousin Eddie - Let 'Er Rip, Hang Ten! - MERRY CHRISTMAS, SHITTER WAS FULL - Home Movies - Aunt Bethany - Turkey Dinner - The Cat - Clark Breaks Down - SQUIRREL - Hostages - The National Anthem - More: Quotes from IMDb - PDF Transcript -
What's the Damage?
Dust. Wind. Dude.
"Dave Beeth-Oven. Maxine of Arc. Herman the Kid. Bob Genghis Khan. So-Crates Johnson. Dennis Frood. And, uh... Abraham Lincoln." Hadley Freeman revisits Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure with Alex Winter, and Ben Child reports on the long-awaited follow-up to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.
Cinderhella Lives!
In 2004 Joseph Kahn directed the hyper-kinetic, poorly reviewed motorcycle action movie Torque. It was Kahn's directorial debut, and though he was tapped for (one of many) failed Neuromancer adaptations, he devoted the next six years to a largely self financed project: the horror-comedy farce Detention. Noted cultural critic Steven Shaviro discusses in this essay why Detention, despite also being reviewed negatively, is one of his favorite movies of the decade. Shaviro's review contains major spoilers for the plot, and it's probably best to go into the movie blind. A brief non-spoiler synopsis is available below the jump. [more inside]
RIP Robin Williams
Robin Wiliams famous for his impressions, role as Genie in Aladdin, standup comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire and many other comedy roles has died at the age of 63.
"We're both so happy! Say that we're happy."
"One of the most exhilarating cinematic works of the Czechoslovak New
Wave is Vera Chytilová's 1966 film, Daisies, the story of two young women
who declare the world is spoiled and rotten, and so make a pact that they
will be too." -- Katarina Soukup, "Banquet of Profanities." "In a 1966 interview, Chytilová described Daisies as a 'philosophical documentary in the form of a farce,' a 'bizarre comedy with strands of satire and sarcasm.'" -- Bliss Cua Lim, "Dolls in Fragments." [more inside]