One of the main problems with the modern comedy

[Ghost of 3:16 7]

The first time I noticed that was in lethal weapon 3. Or 4? The one with Chris rock. He went on a rant about using an old phone and you could tell it was part of a stand up routine.


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[texashorne 1180]

Just now, hayden_horn said:

there is a lot of truth in derka's OP, but this is such a valid point i feel that it needs to be underlined a bit. 

can't hardly wait is a perfect movie that defines a generation perfectly. 

american pie is a funny movie but it relies on a raunchier side of things, almost to the point where it borders on not funny. 

here's a great article about can't hardly wait, and it's place in history:

https://www.theringer.com/movies/2018/6/11/17442324/cant-hardly-wait-20th-anniversary

 

You said it.. American Pie wasn't the first raunchy movie ever (Porky's come to mind) but it speaks to the OP's post. It also doesn't stand up to the test of time like Can't Hardy Wait.  American Pie is difficult to watch now.. The acting isn't that great and there isn't much casual humor aside from Stifler. CHW stands the test of time. Its still funny and the acting is good enough..Much more watchable film IMO. They only made 1, yet American Pie had several sequels, each one better than the next.  

[Richard Kimball 1505]

5 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Were good comedies really all that common back in the day? Were there really more than one or two a year? Looking back it seems like there were a lot, but that's only because we have something like 75 years worth of stuff to look at to compare to today. There are still funny movies being made, and there are still movies being made that try to be funny and fail. I would venture to guess that has always been the case. History has just forgotten about the bad ones.

Yeah. For every great comedy there were several "How to Commit Marriage" movies. Anyone remember that? Horrible comedy from the sixties with Jackie Gleason and Bob Hope. Only reason I remember it is because I was an usher in a theater where it was showing and had to see it 21 times. Especially before vhs, dvds and streaming, bad movies just disappeared after their theater run. 

[Buzzrock 15029]

My only old-guy (46) complaint is when comedians and writers rely too much on cynicism and snark as humor. It’s cheap and easy and often not funny.

There’s still great stuff being made. See The Nice Guys if you haven’t. Great story, great actors, really funny.

[C-Man 27387]

11 hours ago, 52-80 said:

I found Deadpool series wayyyyy too contrived, but can see how to teenagers it just hits the spot.

OTOH, This is the End is just an all-star cast standing around riffing and clowning eachother, and it's hilarious

That movie is fucking hysterical.

[atomheartbevo 90112]

If you’re just gonna string jokes/sketches along, and skip an overall plot, at least don’t pretend like there’s a story.  Just make a Kentucky Fried Movie or Amazon Women on the Moon.  

[atomheartbevo 90112]

And to add to the controversial list, Monty Python and the Life of Brian, and the Quest for the Holy Grail were very controversial.  And funny as hell.

[DDD Dad 14376]

On 1/2/2019 at 9:46 AM, Goo Punch said:

...has to with the writing, specifically the fact that every character in every movie nowadays is apparently a comedian. When i think back on my favorite comedies of all time, the characters weren't trying to be funny, they weren't trying to get laughs, they were in and of themselves funny. And that's just it- all they did was be themselves, and it was funny. Now every single character is a comedian.

Im channel surfing yesterday in the 1600's (HBO's and whatnot on ATT), and I landed on the very beginning of a movie where John Cena plays the dad to a high school daughter. I had the channel on for less than 30 seconds and John Cena made five jokes. He's in his bedroom with his wife and he goes on some monologue about eating pussy and was just firing off similes and metaphors and euphemismsms left and right like a goddamn standup routine, a staple of the modern comedy. Every character in every movie gets at least five of the old, "you look like such and such and such", and "that smells worse than whatever the fuck". It's lazy writing, it's not in John Cena's wheelhouse, and unless the idea behind this movie is, "hey let's get John Cena to tell jokes and be funny for two hours", then they're completely fucking it up.

Which reminds me, today's writers think that raunchy automatically equals funny, and that women being raunchy equals HILARIOUS. Well, it doesn't. Stop writing 120 minutes worth of jokes all to be delivered by every fucking character in the movie and start writing funny, original scripts and casting good comedic actors. Start from there and maybe we can have our first great, original comedy of the last couple decades or so.

You should pm Derka.

[DDD Dad 14376]

dp

Edited January 3, 2019 by DDD Dad

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

And to add to the controversial list, Monty Python and the Life of Brian, and the Quest for the Holy Grail were very controversial.  And funny as hell.

Life Of Brian was huuuuuugely controversial, and both of those are still at the top of my lists of comedies.  Life of Brian may be better (to me) just because of the John Cleese Latin lesson in the town square.

[Sweetnsourpoke 171]

Great topic.  As an official old fart (47), I tend to agree with the OP. But I have also said for years that the true golden age in film was the late 70's/early 80's, not only for comedic releases. 

My favorite comedy of all-time is 'Slapshot'. Have seen it a hundred times. The NHL Network on Sirius Radio did a special on it recently and interviewed some of the actors and players from that movie. One thing to think about with that film was that there weren't really any comedians cast in that movie. The funniest characters in that film were real hockey players brought in to provide realism. Director George Roy Hill noticed the amazing chemistry that existed with the Hanson Brothers and decided to make them the comedic subplot. 

What makes Slapshot such a successful film is that is captures the authentic nature of the game. Those stories actually happened (aside from the strip scene) and hockey players in the locker room are that funny. The jokes write themselves. It's not forced. If the idea for Slapshot were thought up today, this same film would not have been made. This is one thing I hate about remakes. Let the classics remain. 

As for the modern era, one sports comedy that I do think worked was 'Semi-Pro'. Not a big Farrell fan but I do know a few old farts that quote lines from that one on occasion. 

 

Edited January 3, 2019 by Sweetnsourpoke

[Gil Bang 26101]

Slapshot is greatness.

 

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is the funniest movie ever made/ 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Just now, Gil Bang said:

Slapshot is greatness.

 

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is the funniest movie ever made/ 

Lets not go getting crazy, its damned funny, but funniest ever ?  That's a bold strategy Cotton.

[Bama Llama 1476]

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming was I believe a Mirisch Production, same as Mad, Mad etc World.  The Russians one of my all time favorites with a nice supple plot and excellent cast.  Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters, and speaking of supple, the lovely Andrea Dromm as Reiner's babysitter.  I relish that species of comedy, a la Sid Caesar and Ernie Kovacs.  Peter Sellers, Python, SCTV (never gets the credit it deserves).  

Kentucky Fried Movie or maybe The Groove Tube opened with a newscaster saying, in his best Ted Knight voice, "This just in - Your popcorn's been pissed in! Film at eleven."  Everyone in the thester eating popcorn immediately looked straight down.  Good comedy is still good.  It just seems harder to find as one gets older, but it's still there.  Ya dang mo-rons.

[Michael Knight 13051]

17 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

does this make it more clear? i'm talking about this judd apatow style, six people sitting in a room just firing off one liners and stand up comedy style jokes for two hours type movies that are so prevalent today. instead of the story/plot/scene/actors/film being funny, every single character has to be just super witty and ready to spout off clever one liners at a moment's notice, scene after scene after scene. 

lloyd christmas wasn't clever and witty; tommy callahan wasn't sharp and savvy with a bunch of one liners; billy madison, happy gilmore, bluto blutarsky, ace ventura, phil connors, clark griswold, and so on and so forth- they weren't sitting around the entire movie engaging in witty banter with every single other character like it's one of those comedy central round table shows; they played funny characters involved in funny, original stories. if your response to this is still, "nah you're just old and you hate everything that's new" then i don't know what to tell you. 

You're old and you hate everything that's new

[mulletpelini 5216]

Can't hardly wait was always going to be popular because

[hayden_horn 11373]

Aman-DUH

[atomheartbevo 90112]

Holy shit, didn’t realize that Airplane was not a parody of disaster movies, but rather a near shot-for-shot remake of Zero Hour.  

 

[Buzzrock 15029]

That’s amazing 

[hayden_horn 11373]

On 1/6/2019 at 10:52 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Holy shit, didn’t realize that Airplane was not a parody of disaster movies, but rather a near shot-for-shot remake of Zero Hour.  

 

posrep.

i have no idea how i did not know that before today.

[Butch Had Not 3020]

I don't care for comedians trying to be funny in movies.  It's too obvious. Give me good actors that pull off the funny like de niro in meet the parents or everyone in bull durham.

I can't stand will Ferrell comedy. Just feels forced, though I did like the other guys. 

[Nivek 17055]

I don't care for comedians trying to be funny in movies.  It's too obvious. Give me good actors that pull off the funny like de niro in meet the parents or everyone in bull durham.
I can't stand will Ferrell comedy. Just feels forced, though I did like the other guys. 

He was good in everything must go. His over the top stuff burns me out, but in cameos it works.

[ztejas 43752]

On 1/3/2019 at 5:53 PM, Sweetnsourpoke said:

Great topic.  As an official old fart (47), I tend to agree with the OP. But I have also said for years that the true golden age in film was the late 70's/early 80's, not only for comedic releases. 

My favorite comedy of all-time is 'Slapshot'. Have seen it a hundred times. The NHL Network on Sirius Radio did a special on it recently and interviewed some of the actors and players from that movie. One thing to think about with that film was that there weren't really any comedians cast in that movie. The funniest characters in that film were real hockey players brought in to provide realism. Director George Roy Hill noticed the amazing chemistry that existed with the Hanson Brothers and decided to make them the comedic subplot. 

What makes Slapshot such a successful film is that is captures the authentic nature of the game. Those stories actually happened (aside from the strip scene) and hockey players in the locker room are that funny. The jokes write themselves. It's not forced. If the idea for Slapshot were thought up today, this same film would not have been made. This is one thing I hate about remakes. Let the classics remain. 

As for the modern era, one sports comedy that I do think worked was 'Semi-Pro'. Not a big Farrell fan but I do know a few old farts that quote lines from that one on occasion. 

 

I just want to love you sexaaaaaaaaayyy.

And on the Ferrell hate, if you don't like Anchorman you're a miserable son of a bitch. 

[Mileslong 4750]

I somewhat agree with OP. If you want to see a comedic masterpiece that is timeless go watch the original Odd Couple with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

I don’t even remember a curse word in that movie, I know there weren’t any f bombs etc. when you can be hilarious without cussing every other word, that takes talent.

You don’t have to resort to bathroom humor and f bombs to get laughs, that appeals to the lower common denominator.

I just don’t see any smart comedies anymore like Millers Crossing. I also love silly comedies like Python and Raising Arizona. Those are smart and silly.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, Mileslong said:

I somewhat agree with OP. If you want to see a comedic masterpiece that is timeless go watch the original Odd Couple with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

I don’t even remember a curse word in that movie, I know there weren’t any f bombs etc. when you can be hilarious without cussing every other word, that takes talent.

You don’t have to resort to bathroom humor and f bombs to get laughs, that appeals to the lower common denominator.

I just don’t see any smart comedies anymore like Millers Crossing. I also love silly comedies like Python and Raising Arizona. Those are smart and silly.

My Favorite Year......

[dimyh 1874]

On 1/6/2019 at 10:52 PM, atomheartbevo said:

Holy shit, didn’t realize that Airplane was not a parody of disaster movies, but rather a near shot-for-shot remake of Zero Hour.  

 

 

[Dutchrudder 11160]

On 1/3/2019 at 2:19 AM, Goo Punch said:

holy irony batman. my gripe is with one (well two) very specific trope(s) of modern comedy that did not feature in the popular/iconic comedies from decades past, yet seventeen of you geniuses run in here with the super original, "no you're just older and think that everything that's new sucks" line. nope. that's not it. but hey, you see what you want to see. 

That's really all you're doing here. Just because a style of comedy is prevalent today, doesn't make it bad. I can agree that some movies suck due to a lack of plot or relying too much on a single type of comedy (raunchiness), but that doesn't mean no one can do it well. I don't think you're doing anything more than romanticizing movies you grew up with, and either forgetting or ignoring recent good movies. (You're also forgetting all the terrible comedies of decades past. Nobody's perfect) There have been a dozen recent comedies mentioned in this thread I would say are great, and many more I can think of. Do you even have a time frame for how long it has been since there was a "great" comedy?  In the last 12 years, I would submit:

• Superbad
• Horrible Bosses
• Lego Movie / Lego Batman
• Deadpool 1/2
• 21/22 Jump Street
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ted
• Wolf of Wall Street
• This is the End
• The Hangover
• The Other Guys
• Zombieland
• Hot Fuzz
• Juno
• Knocked Up
• I Love you, man

(and yes, I chose 12 years so I could include Superbad)

I don't think any of these fall into the issues you mentioned, and I think they vary greatly in comedic style, target audience, and script. Yeah some are raunchy, but they do it well (Superbad!), while plenty of other forgotten comedies do it poorly (Amy Schumer!).  

[Underdog 28880]

Anchorman is ass. 

[Eskimohorn 5657]

I somewhat agree with OP. If you want to see a comedic masterpiece that is timeless go watch the original Odd Couple with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.

 

I don’t even remember a curse word in that movie, I know there weren’t any f bombs etc. when you can be hilarious without cussing every other word, that takes talent.

 

You don’t have to resort to bathroom humor and f bombs to get laughs, that appeals to the lower common denominator.

 

I just don’t see any smart comedies anymore like Millers Crossing. I also love silly comedies like Python and Raising Arizona. Those are smart and silly.

 

While Coen films are not conventional comedies, they are hardly wholesome and routinely resort to slapstick and surprise goofs and profanity. Some family reviews below;

 

Per Movie Guide

 

Millers Crossing: Approximately 35 profanities and 15 obscenities; graphic violence, murder and attempted strangulation; excessive drinking and smoking; fornication, implied incest and homosexuality; police and city authority portrayed as corrupt; and, bribery and bookmaking.

 

Per Common Sense Media

 

Raising Arizona: While the violence is often exaggerated for comedic or dramatic effect, there is an extended chase sequence in which gun and rifle fire is nonstop. Characters are shown bloodied and bruised in these fights. There is some profanity in nearly every scene -- including one use of "f--k" and variations on "s--t." A teen convenience store clerk looks at a pornographic magazine. There is some sex talk, often in the context of conceiving a baby.

[Eskimohorn 5657]

Anchorman is ass. 

The fight sequence between the 5 different broadcast news teams is comedic genius. 5 factions vying for local supremacy, riffing West Side Story gang wars. Tim Robbins portrayal of a PBS fake hippy doing a subtle John Wayne impression, “looks like we’re havin’ a bilingual bloodfest” when Ben Stiller’s obviously stereotypical Chicano newsman enters the fight.

Got about 5 things going in each frame. If Anchorman is ass, it’s an exquisite one.

[Mileslong 4750]

 

While Coen films are not conventional comedies, they are hardly wholesome and routinely resort to slapstick and surprise goofs and profanity. Some family reviews below;

 

Per Movie Guide

 

Millers Crossing: Approximately 35 profanities and 15 obscenities; graphic violence, murder and attempted strangulation; excessive drinking and smoking; fornication, implied incest and homosexuality; police and city authority portrayed as corrupt; and, bribery and bookmaking.

 

Per Common Sense Media

 

Raising Arizona: While the violence is often exaggerated for comedic or dramatic effect, there is an extended chase sequence in which gun and rifle fire is nonstop. Characters are shown bloodied and bruised in these fights. There is some profanity in nearly every scene -- including one use of "f--k" and variations on "s--t." A teen convenience store clerk looks at a pornographic magazine. There is some sex talk, often in the context of conceiving a baby.

Neither focus on bathroom humor or are obscene which is my point obviously. They are smartly written and cussing is used as part of their character not as their attempt at humor. As Larry David said, every stand up guys he sees now ends every sentence with “what the fuck?”

 

I don’t find vulgar humor funny, I don’t think Melissa McCarthy shitting in a sink in Bridesmaids funny although their were some funny scenes in that movie. I laughed at a lot of Dumb and Dumber but I don’t think Jeff Daniels shitting in a toilet is funny. That’s just me I guess.

[XYZ 2154]

6 hours ago, Underdog said:

Anchorman is ass. 

Take it back.