London Bridge is not down now

[TAC]

Guys, it is Airplane!

[King Postwhore]

PG, your take on Airplane is mind blowing. Dude, it's a no nonsense, not taking yourself seriously,  top 10 comedy of all time.

You have to have an unfunny stick shoved way up your ass not to like it.

[jammindude]

PG, your take on Airplane is mind blowing. Dude, it's a no nonsense, not taking yourself seriously,  top 10 comedy of all time.

You have to have an unfunny stick shoved way up your ass not to like it.

That was its generation's "Dumb and Dumber".   (Or maybe that was The Jerk?)   

But I remember even my father (who was in his 40s when Airplane first came out) would cry with laughter every time it came on.   Even when he was in his 70s and dying of Parkinson's, we could have that movie on.   He had lost the strength to actually laugh normally, but when something was deeply funny, his face would break out into a full smile and his whole body would shake in a sortof "internal laughter" fit.   

THERE IS ONLY ONE RIVEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

[TAC]

I cannot get behind Dumb and Dumber.

[jammindude]

My wife cannot stand “dumb humor” either. All those movies that tend to make comedy out of ludicrous stupidity is something she cannot understand why anyone finds humor in it at all.

And yet…oddly enough…Beavis and Butthead is her one exception to that rule. I’m not quite sure what makes them different, but her only explanation is that she actually knew kids like that in school and I guess that makes it more relatable. Who knows.

She likes Monty Python as well, but they are a bit different than most of the “dumb humor” comedy of some of the others we’ve brought up.

[King Postwhore]

It was smarter than Dumb and Dumber.

[Cool Chris]

I generally hate "dumb" humor as well. There are enough dumb people I encounter throughout the course of my life, I don't need to expend time and money to see them on the screen. The difference with a movie like Airplane! is that they aren't trying to be dumb. They are playing it straight. That's what made it so hilarious, to me anyway.

I never got Monty Python, and never liked Beavis and Butthead much, despite what I said earlier about Mike Judge.

Also just realized I started this whole derailment, so... you're welcome for saving Chad's bogus thread. 

[jammindude]

Is it dimpled Chad? Or a pregnant Chad?

[KevShmev]

Airplane is good, but The Naked Gun is, by and large, the same kind of humor and about 100 times funnier.  Airplane is largely a move that makes me chuckle, while The Naked Gun is LOL (for real) funny from start to finish. 

[El Barto]

Guys, it is Airplane! I love this movie. Desert Island for the rest of my life, with one comedy to take with me, it might be this one.

It's the one movie you can be certain you'll never get bored of, that's for sure. Even when you know every line it's still funny. There are better comedies for my money, but probably none that are as watchable. Joey, have you ever been a Turkish prison?

[El Barto]

Airplane is good, but The Naked Gun is, by and large, the same kind of humor and about 100 times funnier.  Airplane is largely a move that makes me chuckle, while The Naked Gun is LOL (for real) funny from start to finish.

The problem with Naked Gun is that it tries too much to be a proper movie. Airplane!'s story was so generic you kind of stopped seeing it as a cogent movie, and rather a bunch of funny shit happening to these people. Naked Gun is trying to combine that style of comedy with a proper story, so it always seemed like it was trying too hard for the jokes, many of which ran on too long. Kind of reminded me of the latter Pink Panther movies in that regard. Honestly, I preferred Top Secret over Naked Gun, easily. Your hog balls, sir.

[T-ski]

I’m sure true Airplane! aficionados know this, but the movie was based on another movie, Zero Hour.

https://youtu.be/8-v2BHNBVCs

And The Naked Gun was reprised from the tv show Police Squad! (In Color).

https://youtu.be/dYdUZfHGP04

[Cool Chris]

The problem with Naked Gun is that it tries too much to be a proper movie. Airplane!'s story was so generic you kind of stopped seeing it as a cogent movie, and rather a bunch of funny shit happening to these people. Naked Gun is trying to combine that style of comedy with a proper story, so it always seemed like it was trying too hard for the jokes, many of which ran on too long.

As someone who ranks Airplane! among my favorite comedies, and having seen Naked Gun a few times, that never occurred to me. Honestly, I saw Airplane! the first time as a kid, and probably missed a lot of the humor. At the same time, I completely bought in to that flight being in danger and was on the edge of my seat till it came to a complete stop.

Regarding Top Secret! (again, the !) I didn't care much for the musical scenes, but thought the rest was gold.

[El Barto]

I’m sure true Airplane! aficionados know this, but the movie was based on another movie, Zero Hour.

https://youtu.be/8-v2BHNBVCs

Certainly familiar with it. ZAZ were so new to directing that they just recreated every camera shot. Every scene is framed the same way. What I didn't know was how much better acted Airplane! was, but I guess it shouldn't be surprising. The big joke in Airplane is that they used dramatic actors. I'm not sure what jr. college those Zero Hour people came from, but man, they were awful. 

And The Naked Gun was reprised from the tv show Police Squad! (In Color).
https://youtu.be/dYdUZfHGP04

I remember being really excited when Police Squad first aired, and really disappointed when I actually saw it. That kind of comedy just didn't work well in a TV series. I loved how they did the freeze frame endings where the cast just stood still as the credits rolled, though. Great idea.

[jammindude]

Huh. Dad and I watched the TV series when it aired and we both couldn’t stop laughing. Couldn’t figure out why it was canceled after six episodes. But I own it on DVD now anyway so I can watch it anytime I want. I still love that show.

“Sergeant, take her away and book her!”

Leslie greets the two police officers: “Sgt. Takeraway [shakes hand] Sgt. Booker [shakes hand]”

 

[XJDenton]

The problem with Naked Gun is that it tries too much to be a proper movie. Airplane!'s story was so generic you kind of stopped seeing it as a cogent movie, and rather a bunch of funny shit happening to these people.

Interestingly enough, around 50% of the script for Airplane was lifted from an existing movie:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Hour!

[jingle.boy]

Airplane is good, but The Naked Gun is, by and large, the same kind of humor and about 100 times funnier.  Airplane is largely a move that makes me chuckle, while The Naked Gun is LOL (for real) funny from start to finish.

Honestly, I preferred Top Secret over Naked Gun, easily. Your hog balls, sir.

Moi aussi.


I nearly died when the calf started feeding.

[Stadler]

My older brother is definitely in the "Bill Murray is not funny in Caddyshack" group, but he still loves the film, largely because of Ted Knight and Rodney Dangerfield.  I have seen that flick so many times that I can almost recite it line for line in my head every time I still watch it.

I know a guy (in fact, I've written about him before; old roommate, he has ties to Sandy Hook) who CAN recite the entire movie line for line and I've heard him do it. 

I'm in that school, too, where I don't find ANY of Bill Murray's scenes in that movie to be funny.   

[Stadler]

I generally hate "dumb" humor as well. There are enough dumb people I encounter throughout the course of my life, I don't need to expend time and money to see them on the screen. The difference with a movie like Airplane! is that they aren't trying to be dumb. They are playing it straight. That's what made it so hilarious, to me anyway.

Chad blew the call, let's not forget that.  HAHAHAHA.

Anyway, Chris, you nailed it.  Airplane, and to a lesser extent, Naked Gun, played it straight and that's the magic.  When Leslie Neilson is searching the desk, opens the drawer, and goes "BINGO!" then pulls out the bingo card, I laugh every time.  Jim Carrey, rarely makes me laugh.  I just don't go for that goofy, silly, "I'm CRAZEEE!" type of humor.

That's why, to me, Beavis and Butthead are funny. I KNOW people like that.  They're dead serious, in their own way.

[chknptpie]

I feel the mention of Mel Brooks in this thread is warranted. Give me some Men in Tights or Spaceballs and I'm a happy camper. Honorable mention thats not Mel Brooks is Hot Shots. 

[Dr. DTVT]

If we’re talking Mel Brooks, as great as those and History of the World Part 1 are, the answer is
*excuse me while I whip this out*

Blazing Saddles.

[King Postwhore]

History of the World: Part1 always kills me.

Hey Josephus, hey mother fucker!

[Stadler]

"They said you was hung!"
"And they was right!"

[Adami]

"They said you was hung!"
"And they was right!"

You for got the first word of that first sentence. What was it again?

[El Barto]

I feel the mention of Mel Brooks in this thread is warranted. Give me some Men in Tights or Spaceballs and I'm a happy camper. Honorable mention thats not Mel Brooks is Hot Shots.

As a rule I've never cared for most of Mel's movies. They all have their moments, but I find them few or far between. Spaceballs did nothing for me at all. At the same time, when I said Airplane isn't one of my favorite comedies, Young Frankenstein easily is. Blazing Saddles is the funnier movie, but YF is an exceptional film. Everything about it is done perfectly.

[Cool Chris]

I loved how they did the freeze frame endings where the cast just stood still as the credits rolled, though. Great idea.

If I had ever seen this series, which I would have sworn I had, I totally forgot about this till I looked it up. Brilliant.

I hate to admit this... I do not think I've ever seen Young Frankenstein. It's been ages since I've seen Blazing Saddles, I cannot remember anything from it. And Spaceballs had a few chuckles, but not much beyond that.

[El Barto]

I hate to admit this... I do not think I've ever seen Young Frankenstein. It's been ages since I've seen Blazing Saddles, I cannot remember anything from it. And Spaceballs had a few chuckles, but not much beyond that.

It's a weird one. If you go into it looking for a great comedy you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a great movie that's also pretty funny it's wonderful. As a comedy it's pretty good, but not great. As a recreation of the 1931 Frankenstein it's superb, and it makes the comedy that much better. In a way it's actually the same reason Airplane! worked. Taking the piss out of something really only works if you get that something right, and Mel and his crew nailed it.

And having such a great cast certainly didn't hurt matters. Wilder turned in an Oscar worthy performance, and he was backed by Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, Madeleine Kahn, and a young and adorable Terri Garr. This is part of the reason why Terri is one of my very favorite actresses. She made her living playing the put upon housewife, but she was actually a fantastic comedy actor. Put, ze candle, beck! 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I hate to admit this... I do not think I've ever seen Young Frankenstein. It's been ages since I've seen Blazing Saddles, I cannot remember anything from it. And Spaceballs had a few chuckles, but not much beyond that.

It's a weird one. If you go into it looking for a great comedy you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a great movie that's also pretty funny it's wonderful. As a comedy it's pretty good, but not great. As a recreation of the 1931 Frankenstein it's superb, and it makes the comedy that much better. In a way it's actually the same reason Airplane! worked. Taking the piss out of something really only works if you get that something right, and Mel and his crew nailed it.

And having such a great cast certainly didn't hurt matters. Wilder turned in an Oscar worthy performance, and he was backed by Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, Madeleine Kahn, and a young and adorable Terri Garr. This is part of the reason why Terri is one of my very favorite actresses. She made her living playing the put upon housewife, but she was actually a fantastic comedy actor. Put, ze candle, beck! 

Gene Wilder and the way he interacts with the rest of the cast makes that movie for me. His brand of "overacting" just works for me. Super talented actor in my opinion.

[hefdaddy42]

The word "genius" gets thrown around way too much these days, but that isn't going to stop me from throwing it Gene Wilder's way.  That man was a genius.

Most of Mel Brooks's catalogue is gold, topped out by, IMO, Blazing Saddles.

Also in the genre, Airplane! is gold, as is Office Space.

[XJDenton]

Blazing Saddles holds the distinction of killing the subgenre it was parodying.

[jammindude]

Blazing Saddles holds the distinction of killing the subgenre it was parodying.

Actually, I think you could make an argument that airplane killed the disaster film genre that had become so prevalent in the late 70s.

EDIT - Airplane may have been based on Zero Hour, but it came into theaters right on the heels of the four film Airport series… which was itself responsible for kicking off the disaster genre.

[XJDenton]

Actually, I think you could make an argument that airplane killed the disaster film genre that had become so prevalent in the late 70s.

Maybe, though I think films like Independence Day, Twister, Armageddon, and the like are their spiritual successors and very much "disaster films". The "Wholesome Western" conversely never came back from the dead.

[Stadler]

Blazing Saddles holds the distinction of killing the subgenre it was parodying.

Actually, I think you could make an argument that airplane killed the disaster film genre that had become so prevalent in the late 70s.

EDIT - Airplane may have been based on Zero Hour, but it came into theaters right on the heels of the four film Airport series… which was itself responsible for kicking off the disaster genre.

I used to love those movies; The Towering Inferno.   The Poseidon Adventure.   I mean, they don't really hold up, but still.  I remember reading the MAD Magazine parody of TTI when I was a kid; I went back a couple years ago to watch the real film, and it's funny how the parody was sort of closer to reality than the film itself.  Steve McQueen was basically telling the camera to "Fuck Off" with his eyes the entire film.  I was actually impressed with how brazen it was that he was making it clear he was there for the paycheck and the paycheck only.

[El Barto]

Actually, I think you could make an argument that airplane killed the disaster film genre that had become so prevalent in the late 70s.

Maybe, though I think films like Independence Day, Twister, Armageddon, and the like are their spiritual successors and very much "disaster films". The "Wholesome Western" conversely never came back from the dead.

The "wholesome  Western" was dead long before Blazing Saddles, though, and was never coming back. Revisionist and spaghetti Westerns had been the norm for quite a while, and to the extent that people are still making Westerns they're still what you'll see today. Honorable cowboys in white defending hapless townsfolk from bandits in black was a consequence of the Hayes code, and we kind of saw that people really weren't interested in that anymore.

[XJDenton]

Actually, I think you could make an argument that airplane killed the disaster film genre that had become so prevalent in the late 70s.

Maybe, though I think films like Independence Day, Twister, Armageddon, and the like are their spiritual successors and very much "disaster films". The "Wholesome Western" conversely never came back from the dead.

The "wholesome  Western" was dead long before Blazing Saddles, though, and was never coming back. Revisionist and spaghetti Westerns had been the norm for quite a while, and to the extent that people are still making Westerns they're still what you'll see today. Honorable cowboys in white defending hapless townsfolk from bandits in black was a consequence of the Hayes code, and we kind of saw that people really weren't interested in that anymore.

Fair.