Why isn't everybody else's taste in movies like mine?
For example, Rat Race. One of my all-time favorite movies. The perfect comedy. The comic moment at which the bus of "I Love Lucy" impersonators which has been hijacked by the disgraced football referee Cuba Gooding, Jr., is suddenly knocked off the road by the impact on its front windshield of the mooing cow dangling from the hot air balloon... Priceless, absolutely priceless. A moment that is unexcelled anywhere in world comedy.
But how did the movie do? U.S. gross of $56.7 million. Ran for seven weeks before weekly receipts dropped below $1 million. It did OK, but only OK. Many people said that they didn't like it that much because it was really stupid--but that's the point: really stupid and really funny.
Or take Galaxy Quest. Without a doubt the best Star Trek movie ever made. And also funny as hell. How did it do? It grossed $71.4 million in the U.S., and made more than $1 million for nine weeks. It did better than OK. But it wasn't the hit I think it deserved to be. Is it that not enough people have watched too much Star Trek than is healthy for them?
I could go on. Young Frankenstein ("That's 'Fronkonshteen'"). A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ("You'll be a eunuch all your life"). A Fish Called Wanda ("Revenge! Hahahahaha It's K-K-Ken c-c-coming to k-k-kill me. How ya c-c-catch me, K-K-Ken?"). Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("You're using coconuts!"). Rhinoceros ("*Snort*").
A Fish Called Wanda and Young Frankenstein do make it onto the AFIs Top 100 Comedies list. But that's only two out of seven--seven that all should, I think, be at least in the top 50.
Posted by DeLong at November 7, 2003 01:35 PM | TrackBack
"Waltz of the Toreadors" and a magical Peter Sellers....
"Morgan" ah "Morgan" and Venessa Redgrave....
Posted by: anne on November 7, 2003 02:09 PMI would put "Mystery Men" in any funny movie list, but it made a fraction of what any given Rob Schneider movie made.
Look at the cast: Hank Azaria. Janeane Garafalo. Ben Stiller. William H. Macy (who really can do comedy.) Greg Kinnear. The Goodie Mob, playing the "Not-So-Goodie Mob." It's brilliant, I tell you!
Ach.
Posted by: Ted Barlow on November 7, 2003 02:18 PMBy the by, lists are fun.
We recently watched "Children of Paradise" and "Ikiru".... There was magic.
Posted by: anne on November 7, 2003 02:18 PMI think I've found out why I read your blog. Similar "bad taste" in movies.
Posted by: Stan on November 7, 2003 02:29 PMI don't mean to imply that I don't learn stuff :).
Really I don't. The crack seemed to good to pass up.
Posted by: Stan on November 7, 2003 02:32 PM`Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!'
`Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the Unicorn, `if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?'
`Yes, if you like,' said Alice.
Posted by: anne on November 7, 2003 02:35 PMI would argue that it takes a certain level of intelligence to appreciate a certain level of absurdist stupidity.
The best example of them all is that great box office bomb: Duck Soup.
I would argue that, really I would, but it is Friday afternoon, almost 5 o clock, and I'm going on vacation this weekend. So I won't.
Posted by: rvman on November 7, 2003 02:39 PM"Fargo" is the greatest movie of all time, with the possible exception of Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood." "Shakes the Clown" is great, but its appeal is probably limited outside the alcoholic-clown niche.
Posted by: Zizka on November 7, 2003 03:50 PMI concur with all your choices, except the first, which I haven't seen (and will now seek out). But have you seen "Bank Shot"? Hysterical caper movie based on a Donald Westlake Dortmunder story, with George C. Scott as the lead. They don't rob a bank, they steal a bank.
Posted by: cafl on November 7, 2003 04:19 PMI was going to get all huffy about Holy Grail and Life of Brian not appearing on the list and then I saw this ...
American Film: The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States;
It's a fair cop and society is to blame ...
Posted by: Patrick Taylor on November 7, 2003 05:13 PMDr. Strangelove:
Too many to recount in their entirety, these spring to mind
". . . Major Batguano, if that is your name . . ."
"not now baby, I'm in the war room"
"one english to rooosian phrase book, $100 in gold coins, chocolate, nylons . . . shoot, a feller could have a good time in Vegas with all that"
"now Dimitri I am just as sorry as you are . . ."
"he is a man of the people, but he is a man, if you know what I mean . . ."
"the men will have to be chosen for their leadership and the woman for their prodigious sexual characteristics . . ."
"this would require suspension of the traditional monogamous relationship"
"we cannot suffer a mine shaft gap"
I wholeheartedly agree with that list, but would add "Quick Change" with Bill Murray and Geena Davis -- completely underrated. Tony Shaloub's (sp?) performance towards the end is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a movie.
Posted by: Angelike on November 7, 2003 06:12 PMWhat about the Princess Bride?
land wars in Asia? oh, that key? you didn't tell me we had a wheelbarrow?
God, that movie makes me laugh.
If you want an old movie, Nothing Sacred with Carole Lombard hasn't gotten a day older, and (ahem) Julia and God, also with Fredric Marsh and a razor-sharp Joan Crawford, is amazingly good.
Posted by: julia on November 7, 2003 07:12 PMDude, stick to the econ schtick. It's why we love you.
You're movie batting average is almost as good as throwing darts at the stock market tables. Random taste is not where you want to be.
Americans frequently screw up in politics, but their box office behavior is almost never, ever wrong.
No question "Young Frankenstein" is terrific ("Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania Station?" , "Call it a hunch."), but it's not Brooks' best.
Posted by: Bernard Yomtov on November 7, 2003 07:52 PM"Dark Star"
After that John Carpenter had no way to go but down.
Modern comedy: "Raising Arizona"
Classic comedy: "Arsenic and Old Lace"
Contra Zizka, I prefer "Seven Samurai" to "Throne of Blood"
Lock, stock and two smoking barrels?
Posted by: Pondblogger on November 8, 2003 05:11 AMRaising Arizona is #1
Lock, Stock, etc is excellent
Mystery Men, Love it.
Two more that fit well in this category of funny, but overlooked;
1) One Night at McCools
b) Best in Show
3) Dogma
Can't count.
Posted by: dennisS on November 8, 2003 05:37 AMAh, I had almost completely forgotten Morgan (telephoto shot of a smouldering gorilla on a moped driving through London traffic and into the Thames). Would also add The Loved One (Mister Joyboy!) and The Producers (Springtime for Hitler, winter for Belgium and France!)...
Posted by: jim in austin on November 8, 2003 06:36 AMAmericans frequently screw up in politics, but their box office behavior is almost never, ever wrong.
Oh, stop it! You're killing me!
(Wrong according to which standard? Determining what will appeal to common denominators as massaged by multi-million dollar marketing campaigns? Be able to tack against those marketing campaigns when it comes to truly crapulent work that even a six-year-old would reject out of hand as crude and manipulative, thanks to internet buzz and word of mouth? Or as an arbiter of cinematic excellence?)
PS: Galaxy Quest was, indeed, the best Star Trek movie ever. Hunt for Red October is the second best. Wrath of Khan is the only other one worth watching. --But neither of those were comedies, per se. So.
Posted by: --kip on November 8, 2003 08:29 AMAmericans frequently screw up in politics, but their box office behavior is almost never, ever wrong.
Oh, stop it! You're killing me!
(Wrong according to which standard? Determining what will appeal to common denominators as massaged by multi-million dollar marketing campaigns? Be able to tack against those marketing campaigns when it comes to truly crapulent work that even a six-year-old would reject out of hand as crude and manipulative, thanks to internet buzz and word of mouth? Or as an arbiter of cinematic excellence?)
PS: Galaxy Quest was, indeed, the best Star Trek movie ever. Hunt for Red October is the second best. Wrath of Khan is the only other one worth watching. --But neither of those were comedies, per se. So.
Posted by: --kip on November 8, 2003 08:34 AMAmericans frequently screw up in politics, but their box office behavior is almost never, ever wrong.
Oh, stop it! You're killing me!
(Wrong according to which standard? Determining what will appeal to common denominators as massaged by multi-million dollar marketing campaigns? Be able to tack against those marketing campaigns when it comes to truly crapulent work that even a six-year-old would reject out of hand as crude and manipulative, thanks to internet buzz and word of mouth? Or as an arbiter of cinematic excellence?)
PS: Galaxy Quest was, indeed, the best Star Trek movie ever. Hunt for Red October is the second best. Wrath of Khan is the only other one worth watching. --But neither of those were comedies, per se. So.
Posted by: --kip on November 8, 2003 08:39 AMAnything by W. C. Fields.
Posted by: Zizka on November 8, 2003 08:39 AM"Wind in the Willows" c. 1950. Ah, Toad. "Rashomon" "Dreams" "Ran" ...
Thought "MASH" was terrific, wonder how it holds up now. There is always Ingmar Bergman.
Posted by: anne on November 8, 2003 09:48 AMWhat Cal said, except that he left out what I think is the best one of all:
"Gentlemen, gentlemen! You can't fight here. This is the WAR ROOM!"
What Cal said, except that he left out what I think is the best one of all:
"Gentlemen, gentlemen! You can't fight here. This is the WAR ROOM!"
Sorry to be an old fuddy-duddy, but the most laugh-out-loud movie I ever saw: "Modern Times".
Posted by: john c. halasz on November 9, 2003 04:06 AM