"It's Complicated."

This past weekend, while my mom visited, we went and saw the latest Meryl Streep movie, "It's Complicated." (Though it's hard to say what is the 'latest' since she does so many films). My mom is a big Meryl fan, so I knew taking her to see this while she visited was the thing to do. She was not too thrilled with the thought of seeing "Avatar."

The film is a romantic comedy larded with predictable formula, but it was entertaining for a one time shot. If it weren't for the actors in the film--notably Meryl, this would have sucked, since the writing was not good enough to sustain itself on its own. Steve Martin takes on a new type of character, in that, he is shy and reserved and not the usual Steve Martin. So in other words, he has to act. Also, Roger Ebert noted the ridiculous size of her fancy house--even when we left the theatre I asked my mom, "How does a baker afford such a large house in California?" I mean, the property taxes have to be through the roof. 

There is a funny scene where Alec Baldwin (Meryl's ex that she is having the affair with) and she are fooling around in a hotel room. He, in turn, passes out, and has to call a doctor. When the doctor arrives, he informs him that he is on Flomax, a drug that is known for a "decrease in semen." Then Alec adds, "This isn't good for my wife," (referring to his young wife who wants to get pregnant)--but the doc thinks that the 60ish Meryl is his wife. Meryl, in turn, responds with: "I prefer lots of semen."

It is nice that some movies are being geared for an older audience (in terms of casting) but this is one of those popcorn movies you watch once and never bother having to watch again. This isn't "Another Woman," after all.

Fatty Arbuckle

Before the Great Trinity, there was Fatty Arbuckle. His comedies helped introduce Keaton and others. Then came the false rape allegations that ended his career.



A shame, because while not in a league with the Big Three, he was nonetheless funny.

Harold Lloyd

Completing the Trinity of Silent Comedians is the All-American Boy, Harold Lloyd.

This clip (poor quality and all)-



-is from a typical Lloyd short. Note his zealous character. Before striking upon this prototype, Lloyd went through at least a half dozen other 'characters,' including a Chaplin Tramp ripoff.

The Charlie Chaplin Festival

My mom died yesterday, on Memorial Day, and she was born in 1922. I don't think she was a big moviegoer, but she did mention seeing some Chaplin as a girl.

While not the best quality, these 4 shorts are vintage Tramp.

In recent decades, it has become chic to put Buster Keaton and even Harold Lloyd ahead of Chaplin in the Silent Comedy Trinity of greats. And, I love all three, having seen them all on the old Joe Franklin tv show in NYC, in the 1970s- along with the Keystone Kops, Fatty Arbuckle, Laurel and Hardy, etc. But, in truth, most of this is a backlash against Chaplin's supposed sentimentalism. Yes, The Great Dictator ends in a sappy fashion (however well wrought the final speech is).

The shorts show an almost vicious Tramp, and, while Lloyd was the more thrill seeking of the trio, and Keaton the more cerebral, they all played off of Chaplin's virtuoso schticks and balletic moves.

Chaplin was king, for a reason- he was simply better at more comedic things than anyone. As proof, of the Holy Trinity, only his career did not tank in the sound era. He was versatile, as well as funny.



Note the great gaslight scene in, I believe, Easy Street! Sentiment my ass.

Long live King Charlie!

At The Circus

It's a 70 year old flick and not their best- but still, Groucho is da man!

American Pie: Yawn.

Last night I flipped on the TV and saw that the 1999 movie American Pie was on. I saw it only once in the theater, when it came out, but after rewatching some of it, I can definitely see it's not a film that holds up over time. Granted, when I first saw it, I knew it was just a "teen comedy" but there are some who think this is somehow transcendent of the genre, which it is not. (Though Eugene Levy is good).

During the movie, there were clips with the directors and some of the actors, and the directors mentioned that Diner was an influence. Well, Diner isn't a great movie either, but it is loads better than the silly, dated frat boyish humor that incorporates this film. There is also an homage to The Graduate where one of the characters screws his friend's mom. But the point is that American Pie is not in a league artistically with either of those two films.

I also get annoyed by this movie because it's one of those films that young guys feel the need to quote from in everyday life. (It's like what Ace Ventura was in the early-mid '90s). I remember back in '01-'03 my male coworkers would just mutter lines from this shit, and it's always a bad sign when you can't come up with your own jokes, but need to repeat the stale lines from mediocre films. Granted, another film they quoted from constantly was Office Space, but Office Space, while it can still appeal to the high school/frat boy mentality, has far better acting, writing and comic realism in that film.

Basically, if you're into toilet humor and want a film that does it well, I recommend the 40 Year Old Virgin, where the writing is much better. Here is the American Pie trailer:

Manhattan Murder Mystery.

I watched another lite Woody film the other day, this one Manhattan Murder Mystery. This film was released right after the Woody-Mia scandal and originally the part was going to go to Mia, rather than Diane, but I think Diane is much better suited for this comic role. She and Woody also have a great screen chemistry.

I enjoy all aspects of Woody, from his deeper, more resonant films like Another Woman and Stardust Memories, to that of Sleeper and Manhattan Murder Mystery. After have just endured a fluffy interview with the BBC about chick lit, it's amazing how people are so willing to settle for fluff and mediocrity. They always defend it, thinking that "people need an escape" as though quality art isn't an escape as well. I am disappointed in the interview because I only got to say like 5 % of what I wanted, but what can you do?

This is one of the many reasons for why quality suffers, it's all about what people "like" and "escape" is their primary concern, over say, quality, which can also offer an escape, but something more as well. Woody is someone who values comedy and the occasional lite flick, but even his lite flicks offer some wit and entertainment. He's allowed to have some lite entertainment here and there, because he's earned it, with having put out so many great films throughout his career.

Though if I am forced to pick my fave lite Woody film, it would probably be Love & Death.

Sleeper.

I watched the 1973 Woody Allen film Sleeper last night. It's been kind of a hectic and emotionally tiring week, so I just wanted something lite to kick back and enjoy. I remember this movie from when I was a kid and saw it on TV. It's silly-funny. Basically Woody Allen wakes up and the year is 2173, and it's always funny to see what the past anticipated the future would be like. The computers are still large and film projectors are still being used, yet the hair and styles are still from the 1970s.

Even though the movie is silly, there are still some witty lines. A list can be found here, but here are some of them:

Luna Schlosser: It's hard to believe that you haven't had sex for 200 years.
Miles Monroe: 204, if you count my marriage.

Miles Monroe: I'm not really the heroic type. I was beat up by Quakers.

Miles Monroe: When I asked my mother where babies came from, she thought I said "rabies." She said you get them from being bitten by a dog. The next week, a woman on my block gave birth to triplets... I thought she'd been bitten by a great dane.

Miles Monroe: I'm what you would call a teleological, existential atheist. I believe that there's an intelligence to the universe, with the exception of certain parts of New Jersey.

---

Luna Schlosser: I think we should have had sex, but there weren't enough people.

The trailer is really funny and worth the watch. Woody appears in it as himself:

Office Space

This weekend I watched the movie Office Space, after encountering references to it a couple of times of the past couple of weeks. This is a film that is listed as a ‘great genre’ film on Cinemension’s Great Film List, though I must say that I don’t think it is a great movie, genre or otherwise. I think it is just ok. It had some funny moments, particularly at the beginning of the film, and did capture many of the inanities of office life. But it kind of petered out at the end, and overall I don’t find it to be an especially memorable film. On Dan’s list, he’s featured Annie Hall as an example of a ‘great genre’ film in the Comedy category, and I’d say that is a better example of such. It is better written, and I’d say funnier and more memorable. Yet Allen has films that went beyond it, like Stardust Memories, so you can understand the argument for it as a ‘genre great'.

Here’s a scene with Jennifer Aniston. My friend remarked that Aniston always seems to play the same character in her work, and I kind of agree that she doesn’t really make much of an impression as an actress. I find the ‘flair’ thing to be funny though, as someone who did have to wear those fucking lame buttons at this one job I had.

Laurel and Hardy

I've written of some comedy teams before, but Laurel and Hardy are amongst the biggest names. Fact is, they were never as good as Abbott and Costello, and were not equal to the great silent trio of comedians- Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. Their bridge between silent and early talkie comedy is an important one, but much of their comedy was predictable- more so than Abbott and Costello, and far less zany than The Marx Brothers or The Three Stooges.

One of my post popular pieces on Cosmoetica is a review of probably Laurel and Hardy's best film, Babes In Toyland. Read it here.



And, thanks to the Internet, you can also watch it above. Enjoy!

Groundhog Day.

Well today is Groundhog Day. This is one of my favorite funny movies--just something fun when you want something light and entertaining.

If you've not seen this film, Bill Murray is a weatherman who is stuck in time, where he wakes up and it's always February 2nd--Groundhog Day. Eventually he starts to go crazy and this is a hilarious scene where he kidnaps the groundhog, attempting to "put a stop" to all this.



Meanwhile, he's trying to win the affection of Rita, played by Andie MacDowell, so he tries to memorize the things she likes and plan all his lines accordingly, which ultimately does not work. In the end, he's only able to break out of his curse when he's learned to change his attitude and chooses to become a better person.

It has some deeper messages regarding change and how it's something you must create for yourself, you can't just expect things to happen on their own. For it's only when Bill Murray settles on his fate and changes himself that his curse breaks.

It has all that stuff, AND it also happens to be very funny. I never stop laughing. I also think it's aged very well. There is a timelessness (no pun) to it, even though the clothes are outdated (early 90s), the fact that it is set in a small town makes the lack of updated wardrobe believable.

So here is the trailer...