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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
 Posted - 07/13/2009 : 12:48:52 PM
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I've often heard it said that American comedies don't do as well overseas because what American audiences find funny isn't necessarily what British or German or Korean theatergoers might consider humorous.
But sometimes there are American comedies that I don't get either, and I'm an American. Take, for example, the critically praised Royal Tannenbaums back a few years ago. As humor goes, there's dry, and then there's the Sahara desert, and then there's The Royal Tannebaums. I didn't get it then, and I still don't. I've seen funnier mannequins at Sears.
Then there are box office hits that left me cold. School of Rock immediately comes to mind. Maybe one scene... okay, one joke in the entire movie made me laugh. As for the rest of the film... well, it wasn't as desolate as Tannebaums but most of the humor was so dumb and obvious that I couldn't understand why this movie caught fire at the box office. (Or have I stumbled onto something with my "dumb and obvious" description?)
Are there any comedies that you never got? Something that went boffo at the box office or won a slew of awards or found a place on AFI's Top One Hundred List (or whatever) yet somehow when you watched it all you could do was shrug your shoulders and exclaim, "Huh?" |
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Bobby-G
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
904 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2009 : 12:54:47 PM
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I get looks of jaw-dropping shock when I mention this one:
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
I admire the craftsmanship of the film, but funny?? I think the only thing I laughed at was a gag that was old when vaudeville was young!
Also "Must See" comedies that leave me cold:
CADDYSHACK
ANIMAL HOUSE
I'm sure there are more, but these come to mind
Rob |
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AnnGora
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
252 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2009 : 3:33:13 PM
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Any movie that stars the following will never cause a laugh to issue forth from my firmly set, but full pouty lips:
1. Adam Sandler
2. Jack Black
3. Hugh Grant
4. Anyone who was on "Friends."
5. Or any film trailer that shouts "THE LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOVIE OF THE YEAR!"
She was bred in old Kentucky, but she's just a crumb up here. |
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nshumate
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
464 Posts |
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hk6909
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
651 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2009 : 06:41:23 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by nshumate
6. Will Farrell. Why do people keep paying him to be funny?
Nathan Shumate
http://www.coldfusionvideo.com
They don't. 'Cuz he's not.
Seriously, I was moonlighting at a Blockbuster for a while. Twenty a times a day at least people would come up to me and ask "Do you have <X brand new movie>? It's supposed to be really good." The only semi-high profile I don't think anyone ever said that about was Talladega Nights.
Now we know what the south's gonna do again, get eaten by a huge fish. |
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BT
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2009 : 10:39:57 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by AnnGora
Any movie that stars the following will never cause a laugh to issue forth from my firmly set, but full pouty lips:
1. Adam Sandler
2. Jack Black
3. Hugh Grant
4. Anyone who was on "Friends."
5. Or any film trailer that shouts "THE LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOVIE OF THE YEAR!"
She was bred in old Kentucky, but she's just a crumb up here.
I know comedy is subjective, but have you ever seen "High Fidelity"? Jack Black was rather good in that. And funny. |
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Food
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2009 : 6:45:28 PM
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I rather liked Jack Black in School of Stone. I found the movie to be....not laugh-out-loud funny, but a charming and fun romp.
Sandler was good in 50 First Prunes. That movie had a goofy plot that I could groove on.
I don't think I've ever laughed at anything Will Farrell has done, though. |
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AnnGora
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
252 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2009 : 12:39:23 PM
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I have to say I have never laughed at or enjoyed and certainly, never gotten the "hilarity" of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. IMO, it is nothing more than a bunch of snot nosed whiney rich kids who...WOW! come up with the novel idea of skipping school to do all kinds of fun things in the big city like going to ball games and eating at fancy restaurants. What a concept! Meanwhile, the buffoonish adults in this film are so moronic a first grader would have no trouble deceiving them.
Also, this movie contains easily the most annoying character in movie history: Cameron. Cameron has issues, see, with his Dad and ends up unburdening himself to his other self-absorbed companions while destroying Pop's car to make himself feel avenged of all the slights with which his parents have tortured his fragile self. What a whimpering bellyacher. I don't give a rat's patoot about anyone in this movie.
Come to think of it, it is typical John Hughes fodder. None of his movies ever struck me as funny, except Uncle Buck.
She was bred in old Kentucky, but she's just a crumb up here. |
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Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2009 : 4:58:47 PM
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I'm with you on Tannenbaums, Zombiewhacker. And I like Wes Anderson! Now Bottle Rocket, that was funny. I also though School of Rock was meh. A chuckle here and there at best. I like the Coen Bros; I think most of their movies range from great to genius (apart from that dry stretch that included the remake of Ladykillers) but I do not get people that think Big Lebowski is the utter zenith of their careers. And may God preserve me from the celluloid drivel that is UHF.
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I sleep now!! |
Edited by - Sardu on 07/15/2009 4:59:46 PM |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 11:35:04 PM
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I had a chance to catch The Proposal and while Sandra Bullock always does it for me, I cant believe such a cliche-ridden movie could make it's way to the theater these days.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Gristle McThornbody
Preeminent Apostolic Prelate of the Discipleship of Jabootu
Germany
186 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:47:07 AM
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Old School. Coworkers kept saying I had to watch it, it's hilarious. Finally watched it. I think that at one point of the movie one corner of my mouth lifted up slightly in what could possibly be called a half-smile, but that was about it.
Another coworker (damn them) who heard me mention that I enjoyed Mr. Bean said "If you liked Mr. Bean you'll love Johnny English." He couldn't have been more wrong. I did not so much as make a noise that could possibly be mistaken for a slight chuckle. It was one of the rare comedies that I stopped watching mid-way through...and I sat through all of Date Movie!
"Hi, I'm Bob Evil!" |
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hbrennan
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Philippines
1455 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 11:08:10 PM
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That's interesting. I actually liked Johnny English. The part where the villain got away because English's magazine just fell out of his pistol (and they just looked at each other for a moment) made me laugh out loud. A true Get Smart (Don Adams/Mel Brooks era) moment.
"...yet it hadn't destroyed his brain."
re: Charles "The Butcher" Benton (1956)
http://www.henrybrennan.com/
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Edited by - hbrennan on 08/03/2009 11:11:14 PM |
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