Where's that Baby!

Before I kick it and head off to the great screening room in the sky, I have to figure out how a movie like Raising Arizona is made. There are comedy films that induce laughter, and there are fine movies; well acted, well written, good structure... so on and so forth. Raising Arizona is the complete package. To take such a strange story line, so many zany characters and to bottle them within rich dialogue and beautiful imagery... how is it done? 

Film comedies are by and large fairly awful. There are bad dramas and bad romance, but we let those slide by and the majority of these films have some redeeming qualities. But, for whatever reason, many comedic films are not simply bad within there genre, they are poorly made movies (I direct you to the makers of Epic Movie, or say the John Leguizamo vehicle The Pest.) The Coen brothers are not simply great directors of comedy. They are wonderful filmmakers.  

So many little things I love about this film. Here are just a few: 1) Leonard S

malls (the bounty hunter to end all bounty hunters) has the same tattoo as H.I. implying that the two are some how related, perhaps H.I. was Smalls' long lost son! 2) Gale and Evelle are literally born in the film as they appear from the earth when they break out of prison. 3) After H.I. awakens from his dream of the biker of the apocalypse he looks out the window and says, "It's a hard world for little things." a reference to the Robert Mitchum movie "Night of the Hunter." Too much symbolism and weird stuff going on to account for it all.

This film is so much richer and stranger and more inventive than 95% of the standard hollywood fare. It's a wonderful comedy that can be watched over and over. So many interesting things going on. And of course the yodeling.

F*#k Soup

The movie we viewed in this class that I disliked the most would have to be Duck Soup. I had never really seen a Marx Brothers film before this class. Although, I feel I was well aware of the persona of Groucho Marx because of his influence on Woody Allen and his role as a pop culture icon. I expected to like Duck Soup because it is so respected in the lexicon of American Film comedy and influenced so many comedic artists upon its release.

Surprisingly, I found the film to be one of the most annoying things I had ever seen. Not only did it bore me more than any other film we watched this semester, but it seemed endlessly tedious and irritating. Some of the mayhem made me chuckle, but generally I just thought it was one of the stupidest things I have ever seen.

I enjoy comedians that deliver one liners, but I suppose I am more of a fan of the Rodney Dangerfield's self deprecating style as opposed to the obnoxious behavior of Groucho.

Why in the hell was the movie called Duck Soup in the first place, I guess that is the whole point. The movie makes little to no sense so why would the title be of any importance. I am glad that Woody Allen and others influenced by the Marx Brothers have improved upon the slapstick comedy they displayed in Duck Soup.

3rd Blog Post- Rodney Dangerfield

The 1970's are often considered the birth of the new age of stand up comedians. A time where young edgy comics were more abundant than ever experimenting with new and unorthodox styles of stand up. But, in 1970...Rodney Dangerfield was already 49 and had made a significant impact on the world of comedy. So why mention him as an influential figure of 1970's comedy? 

In 1969 Rodney bought a Manhattan nightclub which would become Dangerfields, a landmark of standup comedy. HBO would go on to make a series of stand up specials at the venue. As seen to the left it was the spotlight that exposed some of comedies most legendary figures like Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Leno, Robert Townsend, and the list goes on... some really interesting stuff can be found on Dangerfields official site (by the way it also claims to be the longest running comedy club in the world!)... they've got some great clips of Rodney. Also watch Bill Murray and other famous comics talk about Rodney's eye for talent here

It's difficult to understand Rodney's impact throughout the 70's when Dangerfields was new and fresh... but I found a great video in the comedy central archives about the opening night!! Check it out! 

Rodney wouldn't get involved in American Film comedy until the 1980's where he landed several breakout roles in films such as Back to School and CaddyShack... He was recognized by the Smithsonian and won the American Comedy Award for lifetime acheivement. He was unquestionably a large role in the development of American comedy. And for my final website I think it's best to leave you with the first page of the Google Images search of 'Rodney Dangerfield'... His classic face...almost never out of character

Thumbs Down on 'Ridgemont'....

At the risk of alienating the masses of people that absolutely adore this movie, I have chosen to embrace my initial instinct and pick Fast Times at Ridgemont High as one of my least favorite films. Before I start listing the numerous reasons why I've never liked this movie, I'd like to first begin by saying that I appreciate it. I have seen the film many times. I think it is the ultimate teensploitation/ sexploitation comedy. If I recall correctly, 'Fast Times' audiences are previewed to 90 minutes of teenagers engaging in some of the most crude, nasty and unattractive behaviors known to mankind. The movie features two relatively explicit sex scenes, an abortion, a male masturbation scene, high school girls practicing fellatio on innocent carrots, drug use and an infamous slow motion sequence in which a young woman removes her bathing suit top. All of these aspects help define 'Fast Times' as a teensploitation/ sexploitation. The movie is all about showing teenagers having sex and doing drugs (cornerstones of both genres).

I appreciated this film for having helped define the "teen comedy" "teenspoitation" archetype. I also think that, nowadays, the film works as a celluloid time capsule. The movie features countless images, sounds and memories from the 1980's. Folks that actually lived through those years probably find 'Fast Times' to be pleasantly nostalgic.

However, I have always found the heart of this movie to be extremely cynical, pandering and fake. I have always thought the characters were extremely one dimensional and stereotypical. We had Spicoli the stoner, Stacy the virgin, Rat the likable nice guy, Demone the jerk, Brad the disgruntled older brother etc. All of the characters seemed like they were coming straight out of a cheesy sitcom. The content of the film isn't very uplifting either. None of the characters go through a significant change. Stacy's ultimate revelation, after having affairs, becoming pregnant and then having an abortion, is that she wants a "relationship" instead of sex. To me, this acknowledgement from her always seemed a little over simplified and borderline insipid. Furthermore, in the context of the rest of the film, Stacy's abortion subplot seems oddly out of place for a comedy. The whole movie, in my opinion, felt like it was made by adults trying to guess what it would be like to be in high school. And considering 'Fast Times' was based on a book written about the experiences of a grown man posing as a high school student, my assessment doesn't appear to be excessively outrageous. The whole film lacks a lot of innocence and exuberance. When you strip away the cool outfits, music, stars and laughs, you're ultimately left with a really cynical, depressing interpretation of youth.

I understand that "exploitation" films are supposed to be "cheesy" and campy. However, I think it's also possible to make an exploitation film that features original characters who have genuinely inspired experiences and authentic, meaningful revelations. I appreciate the iconography of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but not the characters, the story or the writing.

I like funny movies! I mean who doesn’t. Out of all the films we have view in class I have to say that Some Like it Hot was my favorite. Now this might be based on some prejudice because I believe I have seen most off the films we screened prior to taking the class. Even with the added value of enjoying the film for the first time there are a lot of key elements imbedded in the film that make it a worthy candidate for the best film of American Film Comedy Class.

This film is one of the raciest pieces viewed in class (short of the John Waters screenings). Its sexually open in a way that other films of the time were afraid to be. The primary conflict of this film is the seduction of Marylin Manroe. Although I do not openly condone the concept of the picture I revere its direct and sincere approach to sex. It was even marketed under the statement that “you’ve never laughed more about sex” 1:02 in this trailer.



This film also enraptures a social mentality. These two struggling musicians work hard to survive and throw caution to the wind. For there efforts they are rewarded in many different ways. It’s a zany lifestyle but it’s filled with none stop excitement that kept me on the edge of my seat. It is defiantly a false reality as the hard ships these two endure are looked on with playful innocence. However, it is also a trademark of media from that time period. I find the film most successful because of its creation of an environment. I accept that the 1950’s were a time filled with big band jazz music and constant playful conflict. Although this is far from truthful I find myself lost in the beauty of scenes such as this.



Whether it is the sex, the social environment, or sear magnificence of Jack Lemons work Some Like it Hot is the best film viewed in class.

Fourth and final blog post assignment

Okay we're coming down to the wire.

Here is the assignment: Choose your favorite OR least favorite film we have viewed (in whole or in part) in class this semester and discuss why you like or dislike it.

Extra points for addressing some of the definitions and issues that have been raised in lectures or presentations.

This is due on Tuesday July 1st.

I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it.

“I don’t get no respect…” A single catch phrase that sums up the career and self deprecating humor of a man from Long Island named Jack Roy, better known to us as the fat funny man Rodney Dangerfield. Rodney began his career in comedy at the age of 19 by writing jokes for other stand up comics. This gig did not provide enough scratch for the future comedian and he turned to the lucrative business of vinyl siding; where he stayed for nine years. (It should be noted that in the interim he was a singing waiter, certainly he “got no respect” in that job).
Dangerfield got his first big break on the Ed Sullivan show when they needed a last minute replacement for their stand up act that went MIA. Rodney was a hit and that performance on the Ed Sullivan show marked one of many including countless other late night T.V. appearances and 70 appearances on The Tonight Show.
Rodney’s biggest influence may have come not from his act but from a night club that he bought in Manhattan in 1970 that he dubbed “Dangerfield’s.” Dangerfield’s became the site of an HBO show that kick started the careers of Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Tim Allen, Roseanne Brarr, Jeff Foxworthy, Sam Kinison, Rita Rudner, Andrew “Dice” Clay, and Bob Saget. His career peaked during the early 1980s, when he became a movie star. His appearance in Caddyshack led to starring roles in Easy Money and Back To School. Later his stand up album “No Respect” won a grammy award.
Rodney’s autobiography was supposed to be titled “My Love Affair With Marijuana” but unfortunately the publishers saw fit to give it another title, eventually agreeing on It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. The reasoning behind the original title was that Rodney had habitually smoked cannabis for about 60 years while raising a family, running a night club and doing his own comedy.
His headstone reads; Rodney Dangerfield- There goes the neighborhood. And on a less pessimistic note Joan Child held an event in which the word "Respect" had been emblazoned in the sky, while each guest was given a live Monarch butterfly for a Native American butterfly-release ceremony led by Farrah Fawcett.


http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rodney_dangerfield.html
http://www.rodney.com/rodney/home/home.asp
http://www.joecasaletto.com/jokes/rodney.htm