comedy – Page 30 – Yesterday's Movies

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

July 12, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

This film’s use of archive footage within the narrative reminds me of What’s Up, Tiger Lilly?, but when I try to draw a tighter comparison, they aren’t really all that alike. The Woody Allen film takes a few foreign films and uses the audio to dub a new story onto it. I can’t quite tell if this is new material supported by old films or new material stringing old film clips together, but there’s much more new content on the screen than in “Tiger Lilly”. I get the idea it has more in common with Forrest Gump than the other. I’m sure there’s a better example of new material interacting with old material to tell a new story, but I can’t bring it to mind.

Otherwise, this looks like a standard noir detective spoof rested on Steve Martin’s capable back. It’s hard to say much past that, since everything I can find about it focuses on the classic clips.

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MASH

July 4, 2013July 4, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

I’ve seen a handful of episodes of the series, but I couldn’t say I know it very well. As I understand it, the book this is based on is intensely serious, the movie is a dark comedy, and the series started out almost at Hogan’s Heroes-level hilarity before getting even more morose than the movie (perhaps because the series lasted so long the war was longer for them than in reality).

So I guess what I’m expecting here is a cynical but amusing picture of the Korean War. I don’t know what characters from the series are there, and which are played by different actors, but I don’t know half of them anyway. There’s probably going to be a lot more money on the screen than a television sitcom can afford.

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1776

June 27, 2013June 28, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

Grill some hamburgers, butter some corn, …load some muskets? warm up your singing voice? A brief look and page turn at your calendar will point out that next week is Independence Day. And what better movie to mark the event with than 1776? Okay, there are better choices, but I’d seen most of the ones that came to mind and/or couldn’t get them on short notice.

I can see the potential for the War for Independence to be a musical epic, but no individual major events really suggest songs to me. The writing and signing of the Declaration will probably have centerpiece song(s), but beyond that, I have no idea.

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The Wedding Singer

June 20, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

So, romantic comedy? Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore? Doesn’t sound like anything special. On the surface, I don’t understand why this is something of a cult favorite. I find the tagline (various turns on “he’ll party like it’s 1985”) more annoying than anything. I’m not clear on if the story is actually set in the 80s or if it’s just the aesthetic Sandler’s character and band go for. It doesn’t seem to have any reason to be set in the 80s (again, from the outside looking in).

This has the potential to be a less annoying Adam Sandler character than I usually think of. A romantic lead who performs at weddings doesn’t sound like a character that would lend himself to being particularly weird or manchildish. Drew Barrymore is always welcome on my screen.

I think I won this in a random draw at work on a big retail day last year. I considered reselling it since I wasn’t very interested in it, but then I realized I could blog about it, and here we are.

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What about Bob?

June 13, 2013June 13, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

Neurotic characters are a staple of comedy. So is the Double Act. Offhand, I’m not sure how a neurotic man butting in on his therapist’s vacation could go far wrong. It occurs to me though that while I’ve seen Bill Murray play several odd characters, I’m not sure I’ve seen him do neurotic and dependent.

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Road to Bali

June 7, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

I feel I know so much and yet so little. I know that the “Road to” movies staring Crosby and Hope were a staple, and I’ve seen a few of the Family Guy “Road to” episodes starring Brian and Stewie, which are supposed to be homages. I wouldn’t be surprised if this series was the genesis of the “road movie” genre. It’s easy to guess that the plot will be light and servicing some fun antics, exotic scenery, and more singing than I’d necessarily want in a movie.

But beyond that, I’m not sure. I worry that the exotic locale might be treated in a way modern audiences might find embarrassing. I probably should have chosen the first movie in the series instead of the sixth out of seven, but this was what was available (and thanks to my grandparents for the loan of the set I found this in).

It’s June, summer is here, and it’s a time when it’s a bit more okay to have more fun than originality. I don’t think this movie could go too far wrong.

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Escanaba in da Moonlight

May 30, 2013May 31, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

Jeff Daniels plays a hunter who has to end his dry spell soon, prompting a change of habits or superstitions or something. Weird things happen. I really don’t know what to expect.

I think this started as a play, since I recall first hearing of it as a community theater production.

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The Shakiest Gun in the West

May 9, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

Don Knotts, as ~~Don Knotts~~ a cowardly dentist moved to the Old West. Hilarity ensues. There’s a woman involved. Is more description necessary?

Oddly, I originally learned of the existence of this movie because it was paired with another I’d had recommended to me in a set that the library had no copies of. Years later, I haven’t seen either movie. Until now, and it’s still not the one I was originally looking for. Someday…

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Tommy Boy

May 2, 2013May 3, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

I know this is a big cult favorite, but I was never very into Chris Farley. Maybe if he’d lived longer, he’d have done something that specifically interested me, but the main thing I think of for him is the “I live in a van down by the river” guy, which is not a character I find funny.

On the other hand, his costar is David Spade, whom I do like, and don’t see enough of. While I think I had my fill of Just Shoot Me, some slightly less abrasive Spade is a lot of fun. I’m not really sure that gets the idea a cross, since “abrasive” is what he does, but he was just too much there.

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Going Berserk

April 18, 2013temporalparadoxLeave a comment

Before watching the movie:

This movie’s plot looks completely insane, which I suppose fits the title. John Candy acquires a congressman’s enemies by getting engaged to his daughter, so religious aerobic instructors come after him, and then somehow the poster is involved at some point. I have no idea what to expect.

I’d never heard of this movie before. I don’t remember what specifically got it recommended to me, but it’s in my list with a handful of other John Candy movies. The timing might put it in line with when I looked up Top Secret!, but this one may not have been the one specifically like it.

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