Everything has gotten so serious, it's crazy. The world has gone and lost the plot. Like a crap movie on the "Movies for men" channel. Thankfully there's comedy films that can take away the rubbish for a few hours. The good thing about comedies they aren't to long that you get bored. Well here's a few comedy films you need to see before you move to the country and buy a goat.
First on the list is "Step Brothers". Staring Will Ferrell and John C. Reily. The story is set around two middle-aged men living with their parents at the ripe old age of 39-and 40. The two characters are very much alike by both having the mental age of about 14/15. It's like they never grew up for whatever reason, bad parents maybe?
This is a film you need to see if you just want to escape and watch two idiots. It has so memorable moments, I would go into each one but that would take far too long. The boats and hoe's scene is hilarious.
Next up "Superbad" the story of three friends trying to make it to a party with booze. Written by Seth Rogen and Even Goldberg who actually wrote the first script when they were 13 years old. The main characters are named Seth and Even after the writers them selves. The dialogue is extremely rude and with some great casting of double oscar nominee Jonah Hill and odd bod Michael Cera, who act it in such away you believe they are teenagers looking to get the booze and the girls. the sub plot of Fogell fake ID with the one name of McLovin really steals the movie. Seth Rogen and Bill Hader play the two police officers sent to investigate an incident in a Liquor store where Fogell has used his fake ID and from there it just gets better and better. A laugh a minute.
When a TV show makes it to the big screen it's normally just a money making scheme. Maybe Trey Parker was just making "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" to make more money, maybe he wanted that Jet Ski I'll never know. Though this film is definitely an upgrade. The swear words aren't bleeped out for TV and in what world can you have Saddam Hussein being the devils lover? Only in South Park. When I saw this in the cinema I laughed so much it hurt. I'm not a fan of musicals and didn't know this was one. The songs are well placed and have a lot to do with the plot and they will stick with you for years. I was surprised when I found out it had an oscar nomination for best original song "Blame Canada", an 15 rated animated film about 4 friends seeing a movie that makes them swear in front of their parents resulting in a crazy over protective mother blaming the country that the film comes from and then talking the government into going to war with them. It's also a Guinness world record holder, as the most swear words in an animated film. 399 swear words, now thats a lot.
The Farrelly brothers have brought you some classic comedies in the past and probably will do again. Though it is their first movie directing and writing together that still holds up as one of the funniest films. "Dumb and Dumber" Staring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, as the two friends that go on a road trip to Aspen, Colorado to return a briefcase. The little bits in the film add up to it being one of the films you can watch over and over. With the dead parrot being a slight play on Monty Pythons sketch you can't not laugh. The doggy stomach and broken toilet scene, brings more of the childish comedy into play and the way the little things, how Jim Carrey character can't read simple words and Jeff Daniels helping him, Yet Jeff Daniels character reading a map is quiet something, "According to the map, we've only gone 4 inches." A film that is on any comedy loving fans list.
Borat Sagdiyev, what a guy. A news reporter by day and ladies toilet photographer by night. Sacha Baron Cohen has created a character that offended a nation. He did it so well too, In "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" Borat travels to America to learn about and interview important American people for his job, but after seeing Pamela Anderson in "Baywatch" he sets out on a mission to travel across America to find her in California. Having the general public involved and not know they are being filmed is definitely why Borat is such a loved creation by Sacha Baron Cohen. The shock factor, of the stuff he does. Trying to buy a women on the street of New York, "very nice, how much?" This is not for everyone, I've tried to tell people to watch it but they hate Ali G and well its 2016 theres no talking to anyone, even if it is a completely different character.
A good comeback story, or underdog story, can really make a film. Look at Wales or Iceland in the football this summer, underdogs doing something people didn't expect, Ok neither team won but they did very well. In movies it's differnent the loser has to get the girl, score the goal, beat the bully. You don't want a sad ending, actually I don't think many films have sad ending. Well apart from "The Decent" that was a total holy crap ending, if you see it in America it's different. Happy, happy joy, joy ending. Anyhow "Dodgeball: A true underdog story" The story of a really nice guy, that owes loads of money to the banks. With the group of "losers" that use his gym they need to make $50,000 in a so many days or Ben Stiller the mean owner of the gym next door buys it and turns it into a parking lot. Ben Stiller plays a brilliant bad guy in this, normally he's the nice guy in films. It was good to see him going overboard as "White Goodman". His real life wife Christine Taylor is playing the love interest of Vince Vaughn's character "Peter La Fleur". When the three of them are together there are some memorable scenes. "Nobody makes me bleed my own blood - nobody!"
The supporting cast are great with some stupid one liners and some scene stealing parts. Patches O'Houlihan played by Rip Torn (cool name) will make you crack up, "Holy hell, son, you're about as useful as a cock-flavored lollipop" It's nice feel good movie where you know what's going to happen but you still need to watch it. With each viewing little bits will pop out that you missed. The DVD commentary is just an add to the comedy genius of this film. The two main actors do nothing but fight and storm off about 40 minuets into it and is replaced by the commentary for "There's something about Mary" the actual comedy is hidden in the extras but I never found it. Also whats a DVD?
Will Ferrell again with director Adam Mckay this time Will Ferrell plays the instant legend Ron Burgundy in"Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" catchy title. This film is a laugh riot, from the first time you see Ron Burgundy till the end. The film is based around a man at the top of his game trying to and failing hard to deal with the loss of his job and to a women. That sort of stuff doesn't matter now days, but in the 70's it could really break a man. The add lib lines are what stand out the most when Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate are trying to say nasty things about each other at the end of the news report. Steve Carell plays the extremely dumb weather man Brick Tamland and pretty much steals every scene he's in.
"I'm Brick Tamland. People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks. Years later, a doctor will tell me that I have an I.Q of 48 and what some people call mentally retarded." all this is being said as he puts mayonnaise into a toaster and turns it on. Brilliant. Paul Rudd or Phoebe from "Friends" husband or as some have come to know him now as, "Ant-man" does a really good job at playing the layed back cool one, well, he thinks he's cool. The sex panther part is again a great bit of writing from Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay. The lines the background actors say about the smell are on point. Another hit. shame the sequel was rubbish and so long. Ah well.
Coming from a Saturday night live sketch Mike Myers and Dana Carvey made the jump to big screen in "Wayne's World" the story of Wayne Campbell and his friend Garth Algar as they sell there public access TV show to a local station. The producer of the show wants to change thing and steal Waynes girlfriend Cassandra. It's a classic with amazing moments. The Bohemian Rhapsody bit is pure brilliance and I believe because of this scene the song entered the American Billboard charts again 16 years after it's release reaching number 2. Not bad for a comedy film to get a band in the charts again. Ok it is up there with the greatest song of all time but the film made people remember and go out and buy it. Anyhow Mike Myers has a lot of characters under his belt from Austin Powers to Shrek I still think Wayne is his best, I'd love to see a third film, though not sure it would work they being older and that. The sequel is actually not that bad either.
It's that time again, the Eddie Murphy time. So last time I spoke about him in John Landis's classic Christmas movie "Trading Places" well the two are together again this time in " Coming to America" abouta Prince that travels to Queens, New York to find a wife. Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall both play multiple characters and with the amazing make up by Rick Baker (who had just recently won the first oscar for makeup on another John Landis film "American Werewolf in London") you can't tell its them. The barber shop scenes are the best laugh out loud bits in the film but the story as a whole is one you can watch over and over and still not be happy he gets the girls in the end. It's an American film you think they won't let him get the girl? Look out for some cameos too, you have young Cuba Gooding jr in there and Samuel L Jackson. Not to mention Darth Vader as the king. James Earl Jones likes to play a King doesn't he? Classic 80's, they really don't make films like this anymore, just rubbish remakes.
Last is Ghostbusters, you've seen it. You know what happens, you know it all, I have 3 copies of it on Blu-Ray, One copy is due to the brilliant art work done by Dan Mumford and the others I dunno, special edition steel books maybe. Anyhow brilliant film written by Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis. A lot of the lines and scenes are improvised, when you have Bill Murray as the main actor you know it's going to be funny. It's was a smash hit at the time and I'm lucky enough to have seen it on the big screen, no not when it first came out, I'm old, but not that old. Even with the remake/reboot this year it makes you see why this is such a great movie and how sad it is that we don't get films like this anymore. All films start with a story and this is simple yet works so well. Ghosts, lets catch them, stop the world from ending and then kiss the girl. It's a story told oh so many times, "Ghosts are real" ok that line is taken from the reboot as a joke at how bad the writing is. If you've not seen it, watch this one then the remake and ask yourself why did they do this? The answer is, money.
So thats my list, it's long I know, but actually only ten.
This is my opinion, I can not be wrong as it's only an opinion before you start saying I missed this and that out.
Here's the order I'd have them
- Ghostbusters
- Superbad
- Coming to America
- Dumb and Dumber
- South Park
- Anchorman
- Step Brothers
- Wayne's World
- Dodgeball
- Borat