After viewing the enjoyable comedy "Mean Girls" I went to my local library and picked up a copy of "The Blues Brothers". I had never seen it before and considering how people raved about it, I was expecting quite a treat.

And, what a treat it was! "The Blues Brothers" is now one of my all-time favorite movies and all other recent comedies seem tepid in comparison.


So, where has comedy gone? Has it died?!?

Only two recent films have made me genuinely laugh-out-loud (Mean Girls and Shrek 2). Besides the few tarts, what is there? You have basically two options: bad, overly-long, Lorne Micheals-produced SNL comedies (Superstar, It's Pat...) or an urbanized version of a familiar classic (Johnson Family Vacation, My Baby's Daddy...). Sure there is an abudance of decent black (i.e. "Pulp Fiction" not "Friday") comedy and other sub-genres, but where are the plain comedies like Vacation, Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers?

What ever happened to the directors of these classics? Theyre still making movies. But back when "Coming to America" was released who would've thought that John Landis would go on to direct a sequel to
"The Blues Brothers" with John Belushi replaced with John Goodman. Or who wouldve thought that he would later direct a TOM ARNOLD VEHICLE!!??

I dont think anyone did. I certainly didnt it when I watched the brilliance that is "The Blues Brothers".

So, what happened? Has popular culture dumbed down great comedic directors? Or, have these people ran out of things to make light of? Or, did John Landis actually think "The Stupids" was funny?

I dont know and I honestly dont think Mr. Landis does either.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: EccentricSam,

You ask an excellent question, the more that I think about it. Sometimes I wonder if movies are less funny now because comedies simply aren't as good as they used to be, or because I have "grown up" and don't appreciate comedies in the same way that I used to. But it certainly seems that there hasn't been anything that I would consider a "classic" comedy in a long time. I like the Christopher Guest comedies quite a bit (Guffman, Best In Show, etc.), but other than that, I can't seem to think about anything that's really really funny in the last [insert large number here] years. Office Space, maybe? But even that's 5 years ago.

Actually, now that I think about it more, the problem is that Bill Murray got old and stopped making a lot of movies. When I think of all the great 80s and 90s comedies, most of them star him. Even three of the best movies of recent years (Rushmore, Lost In Translation, Royal Tenenbaums) all have him.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KT,

quote:

---

Originally posted by Metacritic Music Editor:
You ask an excellent question, the more that I think about it. Sometimes I wonder if movies are less funny now because comedies simply aren't as good as they used to be, or because I have "grown up" and don't appreciate comedies in the same way that I used to. But it certainly seems that there hasn't been anything that I would consider a "classic" comedy in a long time. I like the Christopher Guest comedies quite a bit (Guffman, Best In Show, etc.), but other than that, I can't seem to think about anything that's really really funny in the last [insert large number here] years. Office Space, maybe? But even that's 5 years ago.

Actually, now that I think about it more, the problem is that Bill Murray got old and stopped making a lot of movies. When I think of all the great 80s and 90s comedies, most of them star him. Even three of the best movies of recent years (Rushmore, Lost In Translation, Royal Tenenbaums) all have him.

---

I agree with the comment about Bill Murray. Yet, I am still left with several questions.

Eddie Murphy.

We know the man has a sense of humor (see Raw, Delirious, Trading Places--I think thats what its called). He's also, by no means, old. So, why is he no longer funny? I just dont get it. After he was on SNL and made all the great concert films and classic comedies he just stopped being funny. His career came to a dead halt somewhere during his short-lived singer days and picking up the transvestite prostitute. Was he just making bad choices? No, because he went on to do family fare and starring in movies based on pathetic rides at Disney World.

I know Im just ranting, but there must be some kind of reason.

One more thing.

Though Mr. Murray has been a number of terrific films recently, who can explain his roles in Charlies Angels, Osmosis Jones (I liked the movie i hated his role), and based on advanced reviews the Garfield movie. I know Murray has amde mediocre films in the past but they have always been over shadowed by the great ones.

How about Eddie Murphy's Bowfinger co-star Steve Martin? Now there's another guy who is probably one of the funniest people of all time, and how many good movies has he made in the last decade?

There don't seem to be a whole lot of people writing good comedies--or good roles for comedic actors--anymore, so these guys just have to take what's out there if they want to work (although Eddie certainly does seem willing to take absolutely anything that's offered). At least Bill Murray is lucky in that people like Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola are such big fans of his that they are creating roles just for him.

I don't know, maybe September 11th killed comedy. There hasn't been anything aiming at "uproarious," has there? The best comedies have all been much subtler.

I think all of those horrible Saturday Night live movies killed comedy. For a while you could give someone from SNL a movie and it would be guaranteed a certain amount of success. But it is difficult to take a skit and turn it into a decent 90 minute movie. The movies all started to be so bad, and bombs that I think now studios are reluctant to throw money to comedy writers. And an indie screwball comedy would be hard to market. The only one I can think of is "Wet Hot American Summer" with Janeane Garafolo, and I don't think that did so well.

Right now, I think most of the good comedians are working in television. Right now there's probably much more of a chance of getting a sitcom or comedy tv show picked up, even if it never makes it to the schedule, than there is of getting someone to finance your screenplay.

I can think of one really good comedy that is recent, besides the ones MME named: School of Rock. Not only a box office, but a critical success. That's good because if someone can get one or two more films like that made maybe it will open up the way again.

There's currently an absence of comedy, but there's also an absence of drama, adventure, romance and vision. Comedy shouldn't necessarily be singled out as the Big Empty. The great thing about movies is that there are tons of old ones, and as long as they're available, filmwatchers and filmmakers will be exposed, and maybe once we all get past this corporate vision of film and get back to wit and creativity, we can all rejoice that the good old days have returned.

For someone who's starving for comedy, I highly recommend every Chaplin, Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, and Billy Wilder film ever made. That should keep you busy for a good six-12 months, and maybe by then, someone will make a good comedy and you or I will be able to stretch the list another year. There's no point in naming film titles; part of the fun about discovering old movies is doing it on your own. I really mean this, but OK, Eccentro, just in case you missed it buried in my edited "Exorcist" horror thread, rent "An American Werewolf in London" if you haven't before. I give it the vote for best horror since 1980, best Landis("Blues Brothers" a close second), and one of the best comedies in the last 25 years.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark f:
There's currently an absence of comedy, but there's also an absence of drama, adventure, romance and vision. Comedy shouldn't necessarily be singled out as the Big Empty. The great thing about movies is that there are tons of old ones, and as long as they're available, filmwatchers and filmmakers will be exposed, and maybe once we all get past this corporate vision of film and get back to wit and creativity, we can all rejoice that the good old days have returned.

For someone who's starving for comedy, I highly recommend every Chaplin, Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, and Billy Wilder film ever made. That should keep you busy for a good six-12 months, and maybe by then, someone will make a good comedy and you or I will be able to stretch the list another year. There's no point in naming film titles; part of the fun about discovering old movies is doing it on your own. I really mean this, but OK, Eccentro, just in case you missed it buried in my edited "Exorcist" horror thread, rent "An American Werewolf in London" if you haven't before. I give it the vote for best horror since 1980, best Landis("Blues Brothers" a close second), and one of the best comedies in the last 25 years.

---

Ive heard about that werewolf movie only in conversations about the remake. Which Ive heard is one of the worst films ever. Can you tell me more abou it. Is it a comedy or horror. Or like a comedy-horror hybrid a la "Scream" Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eccentro:

Ive heard about that werewolf movie only in conversations about the remake. Which Ive heard is one of the worst films ever. Can you tell me more abou it. Is it a comedy or horror. Or like a comedy-horror hybrid a la "Scream" Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

---

"An American Werewolf in London", its title notwithstanding, is not a spoof. It's main intention is to scare the hell out of you, and it does a very good job of that. The thing that makes it extra entertaining is that it has an extremely high level of wit, both of a light and very-dark kind. The humor arises from the situations and characters and not some wink-wink, we're just in a movie kind of way. It's also a very romantic movie, but it's pretty difficult to keep a romance burning when one of the participants is a werewolf. The "sequel" ("Paris") has nothing to do at all with this film, but it's not nearly as lousy as its reputation. Then again it should never have been compared to this much, much-better film.

Somebody may have already mentioned it, but if you are looking for a great comedy and have not seen Cadyshack you do not know what you are missing. I would say it is Bill Murray best role, followed closely by Bob in What About Bob? These two movies will knock your socks off.

This thread got me thinking, and it seems that comedy hasn't so much left the neighborhood as moved. That is, there is still a lot of funniness in movies; it's just not found in "funny" movies. When I look back at recent films, I find that scenes in "American Beauty," "Royal Tenenbaums," "Y Tu Mama Tambien," and "Lost in Translation" to be much more humorous then "Old School" and "How High" combined. Maybe it's just that my tastes have changed, but it seems like lately, I'm usually laughing the hardest right as that smile is about to be
taken off my face.

Generally, American comedy is made to be inoffensive and to appeal to the lowest common denominator of intelligence. Go British comedy all the way. Funniest British comedy Ive seen in a while has been "Roger Dodger".

I am sad to see this genre in such a sad state. What has happened to the Eddie Murphys, Steve Martins, Chevy Chases, Mike Myers and Dan Akroyds? Are they dead? No, well to most of us they're dead inside, but physically, no. Why has Steve gone from The Jerk to Cheaper By the Dozen? Why has Eddie Murphy gone from Coming To America to The Haunted Mansion? And why the HELL has Chevy Chase gone from Vacation to absolutely nothing in the past decade? The best thing we have to look forward to now are the mediocre comedies from Ben Stiller. Does anyone have any theories as to why these comedic giants have fallen? I don't have any theories right now, so please, tell me what you think.

I know that Mike Myers only has about three different voices that he can do (over and over) but he is still better than any of the newbies.

Good point Jakal. My theory is that todays studios don't think the current generation knows very much about those comic greats you mention. They think todays young viewers want more "screwball" comedy like along came polly and other similar poo. So they bank on the younger stars that "we" would know. Screw 'em. We'll boycot.