Oh, and I like Fletch enough (I've developed a soft spot for '80s comedies that coast on their stars' charisma), but as far as movies with early SNL stars go, Trading Places has to be my favourite.

The last time I watched it, I also got Tim Matheson showing up as a Facebook friend recommendation (I'm Facebook friends with MassiveMiniature, who goes to a lot of conventions). Needless to say I did not send him a request.

Last edited by Rock (6/21/2022 8:34 pm)

crumbsroom wrote:

Jinnistan wrote:

Well, I disagree pretty strongly.  I find it funny front to end.  One of my favorite threads on RT that I started was that one Halloween when I did a quote thread for the film.  "Give him an extra dollar".  "Taffeta darling".  "There wolf".  "Destiny!".  "Sedagive?!?"  "Blucha!"  "Seven or eight quick ones and you're off to the boys to boast and brag".  I eat it all up every time.  "Now listen to me very carefully, do not put the candle back."  "At least it's not raining."  I'm giggling just thinking about it.

There is something that is just too deliberate and too mugging-for-the-camera that undoes the humor for me in it. I feel similarly towards The Producers. I think zany rarely does it for me. Airplane succeeds through the sheer will power of its dead pan. By reflecting back the idiotic seriousness of its source material. Young Frankenstein though, is playing with things that are already cartoony by nature. And then amping that up even further. And so while I adore its homage, and its probably the greatest looking comedy ever made...not many laughs for me. Although I certainly don't begrudge anyone from getting that out of it. Brooks is obviously one of the best.

I just found Pauline Kael's review on it, and she kind of gets at my feelings. She clearly finds it funnier than I do, but she makes note of her issues with (for example) Feldman. And while it should be noted that I love Feldman in this film, as well as just generally, his constant winking at the camera doesn't quite do the film any favors when it comes to what I'm looking for in a comedy.

I think I'm with you with finding Young Frankenstein a great movie but not necessarily the funniest. It is perhaps a little too graceful, which makes it a delightful homage, but I'm smiling more than I'm laughing. I think The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Silent Movie in contrast have a certain abject, go-for-broke quality that hits my funnybone more directly.

Also, I feel a bit bad that I forgot to vote for Supermarket Woman. Delightful movie, the most alchemically perfect example of Juzo Itami's style that I've seen (I've got a few more to go). I feel confident declaring Nobuko Miyamoto one of the GOATs, and she's at her most charming here. Itami's work has been a great discovery this year, and this is my favourite.

Last edited by Rock (6/21/2022 9:11 pm)

Rock wrote:

I've developed a soft spot for '80s comedies that coast on their stars' charisma

Have you seen Ruthless People? 

 

Rampop II wrote:

Rock wrote:

I've developed a soft spot for '80s comedies that coast on their stars' charisma

Have you seen Ruthless People? 

 

Yup. Watched it a few months ago. I have rule that I only vote for one film per director (except in the case of two-parters) and Airplane! got my ZAZ vote, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. You can't argue with that cast.

Also, I probably should have voted for After Hours, but it had been too long since I'd seen it and couldn't remember how funny I'd actually found it.

Rampop II wrote:

Rock wrote:

I've developed a soft spot for '80s comedies that coast on their stars' charisma

Have you seen Ruthless People?

Rampop II wrote:

Also I am curious to know if anyone nominated Pink Flamingos. 

So you know, both of these were "one-pointers", meaning only one person voted for them, and that vote was at the bottom of their respective 25 list.  Freaked also appeared as a one-pointer.

I'm getting the sense that there will likely not be a lot of John Waters there.

I maybe should have considered Pink Flamingos. But I also don't really view it as a comedy. Like, it kind of clearly is. But I prefer to see it as pure drama. A warped and hysterical period piece. A character study. A delicious trailer park nightmare. Which of course makes it a very funny movie. But not in a way that I ever laugh.