Looking for Laughs in All the Right Places

[midwestyankee]

They say that laughter is the best medicine. I'm pretty sure they're right, so for the last few weeks I've been dedicating some time every day to watching funny movies or tv shows, mostly from the past. Through the magic of Netflix, this is much easier to do than it used to be.

However, I'm finding that I don't have much interest in re-watching comedies that I've seen before. And, as I've watched all but 1 or 2 of the American Film Institute's list of Top 100 Comedies, that means that I am on the prowl for unheralded gems of the comedic arts.

Which brings me to my point: what are your favorite comedies from off the beaten path? Please share them here so we can all have an extra laugh.

My first contribution: Iron Sky. Picture Nazis on the Moon, a President Sarah Palin, and a plot to take over the world.

 

[IrisAlthea]

I liked Iron Sky a lot.
In the loop and Topkapi were the first that came to mind. Strange combination, I know.
Another thing that came to mind was this old thread:
http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=750428&highlight=Movie

Perhaps there's some inspiration in there.

 

[midwestyankee]

I'd completely forgotten about that thread. Some very good ideas there, for sure.

At the moment I'm watching Bad Girls from Mars, which falls under the rubric of "so bad it's funny."

 

[seela]

My first contribution: Iron Sky. Picture Nazis on the Moon, a President Sarah Palin, and a plot to take over the world.

From the same makers: Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning

I haven't seen either of the movies, but a lot of people have said that In the Pirkinning is the better of those two, even though it's made on an even smaller budget.

In the Loop that Iris suggested is seriously great, indeed.

Everything Is Illuminated was great. It's a drama comedy though, it's not ha-ha-funny. It's about an American guy who goes to Ukraine in search of his roots.

And to continue on the Finnish sector The Punk Syndrome. It's a documentary, actually, about a punk band formed by four mentally disabled guys. It's funny, thoughtful, good stuff.

And another documentary, that's probably also easily available. Exit Through the Gift Shop. I don't want to give away too much, but it starts off with a guy starting to make a "documentary" about street artists and evolves into something else.

I know the documentaries don't necessarily make you laugh out loud all the time, but you'll definitely get a good chuckle or three, and they'll leave you feeling happy (and/or wtf just happened, but in a good way).

Then there's Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness, both are dark comedies by Todd Solondz, and not enough people have seen them. Election was quite entertaining, despite being set in high school, which is a theme I don't usually care for.

 

[IrisAlthea]

Feast of love, if you haven't seen it already.

 

[midwestyankee]

Iris and Seela, these are all good suggestions, thanks. I've added every one to my Netflix queue, though only one is actually available by streaming (In the Loop). As it looks like I'll be searching for laughs for at least the next six months, I'm going to get to all of them on disk eventually.

Last night I was home by myself so I indulged in three bad-but-naughty films. Bad Girls from Mars was, as I said above, laughably bad. The Life:What's Your Pleasure?, with Denise Richards and Darryl Hannah was awful and I quit after 30 minutes. Dagmar's Hot Pants was mostly an excuse (it was made in the '70s) to show lots of topless young women but it did have a simple charm.

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

I have to preface this with warning I love a movie that is so bad it is good...

Have you seen Bubba Ho-Tep?

Or 3 Geezers?

 

[seela]

I browsed through a couple of pages of my IMDB ratings and found this little gem I had forgotten.

The Boss of It All. I wrote about it in the Movies thread when I first saw it. In short: an IT company is about to be sold and an actor is hired to make the deal go smoothly.

 

[IrisAlthea]

And Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Tie me up! Tie me down! and other Almodovar titles.

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

For your amusement.

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

Mordant Black Comedy

I have a rather twisted sense of humor.
I like most of Parker Posey's films; especially The House of Yes.

I also enjoy the dark humor of Hal Hartley. Most of his films are being re-issued on DVD and BD. A company in Chicago just released the entire catalogue. I don't recall their name.They should be available to rent on Netflix.

If you are unfamiliar with him, try Amateur--for --Accountancy, Murder, Amnesia, Torture, Ecstacy, Understanding, Redemption. The great Isabelle Huppert traveled from France at her own expense to star in this one. It had a lunch money budget.

In January I bought the Artificial Eye [UK] BD of The Unbelievable Truth, his first movie. Amazon UK is very cheap source [even with the dollar in the sewer]-- if you can handle B/2 PAL discs.

 

[midwestyankee]

I have to preface this with warning I love a movie that is so bad it is good...

Have you seen Bubba Ho-Tep?

Or 3 Geezers?

They're both on my list now.

 

[midwestyankee]

I browsed through a couple of pages of my IMDB ratings and found this little gem I had forgotten.

The Boss of It All. I wrote about it in the Movies thread when I first saw it. In short: an IT company is about to be sold and an actor is hired to make the deal go smoothly.

This sounds like it has a lot of promise.

 

[midwestyankee]

I have a rather twisted sense of humor.
I like most of Parker Posey's films; especially The House of Yes.

I also enjoy the dark humor of Hal Hartley. Most of his films are being re-issued on DVD and BD. A company in Chicago just released the entire catalogue. I don't recall their name.They should be available to rent on Netflix.

If you are unfamiliar with him, try Amateur--for --Accountancy, Murder, Amnesia, Torture, Ecstacy, Understanding, Redemption. The great Isabelle Huppert traveled from France at her own expense to star in this one. It had a lunch money budget.

In January I bought the Artificial Eye [UK] BD of The Unbelievable Truth, his first movie. Amazon UK is very cheap source [even with the dollar in the sewer]-- if you can handle B/2 PAL discs.

Added The House of Yes but the Hal Hartley films aren't on Netflix yet. I'll have to keep looking for them.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Like Curious_in_Cali, I love them when they are so bad they are laughable...
If you can find it and haven't seen it, the 1978 classic The Norsemen falls squarely in this category. The slow-mo scene near the end of the movie almost took me out... And the goofs - a Viking wearing a wristwatch, an oil tanker in the background... Oh man. Am going to have to dig this one out again myself Perfect when you are in the mood for this type of movie.
C/C

 

[midwestyankee]

Like Curious_in_Cali, I love them when they are so bad they are laughable...
If you can find it and haven't seen it, the 1978 classic The Norsemen falls squarely in this category. The slow-mo scene near the end of the movie almost took me out... And the goofs - a Viking wearing a wristwatch, an oil tanker in the background... Oh man. Am going to have to dig this one out again myself Perfect when you are in the mood for this type of movie.
C/C

Haven't seen it and Netflix hasn't heard of it so it may be a while before I can track it down for viewing.

 

[Ahlam]

Klown

I recommend the Danish comedy series "Klown." It is hilarious and unusual. You can watch it on Hulu for free.

http://www.hulu.com/search?q=klown

It made me uncomfortable sometimes, but I was always entertained. It appealed to my overgrown schadenfreude.

 

[midwestyankee]

I watched Bubba Ho-Tep earlier this afternoon. What a deliciously bad movie!

 

[graceanne]

Most movies and shows that I like that make me laugh aren't comedies. Rarely do I find comedies humorous, but I loathe what America considers funny. However, sit-com wise I really loved Dharma and Greg. TV-show wise, some of the hardest I've ever laughed is in movies like Steel Magnolias (I know, not off the beaten path). I don't know if anyone's ever seen Something to Talk About, but it was HILARIOUS (even though it's not a comedy). Also not off the beaten path, I really like The Big Bang Theory - but that's largely because Sheldon reminds me SO MUCH of my brother.

 

[midwestyankee]

Most movies and shows that I like that make me laugh aren't comedies. Rarely do I find comedies humorous, but I loathe what America considers funny. However, sit-com wise I really loved Dharma and Greg. TV-show wise, some of the hardest I've ever laughed is in movies like Steel Magnolias (I know, not off the beaten path). I don't know if anyone's ever seen Something to Talk About, but it was HILARIOUS (even though it's not a comedy). Also not off the beaten path, I really like The Big Bang Theory - but that's largely because Sheldon reminds me SO MUCH of my brother.

I think I get this. One of the reasons why I'm looking for little-known gems is that so much of the humor in the most popular movies is once-and-done. Once you've seen the gag, it's rarely funny a second time. Great writing, though, usually manages to bear multiple viewings. I'm also a fan of Big Bang - and it's largely because the writing is so multi-layered and the acting so good that I still discover little moments of pure joy even after seeing every episode multiple times.

 

[graceanne]

I think I get this. One of the reasons why I'm looking for little-known gems is that so much of the humor in the most popular movies is once-and-done. Once you've seen the gag, it's rarely funny a second time. Great writing, though, usually manages to bear multiple viewings. I'm also a fan of Big Bang - and it's largely because the writing is so multi-layered and the acting so good that I still discover little moments of pure joy even after seeing every episode multiple times.

Yes, that too. I can watch the episodes a couple of times and still get a chuckle. The other reason I like BBT is because the characters grow. Often sit-com's die because the characters never grow or change and after a year or so that's boring.

Plus, the acting is awesome. I don't know if the guy who plays Sheldon (drawing a blank on his name right now) was type casted or he's just an excellent actor, but he does an excellent job.

As a side note - you all realize that Sheldon is highly functioning autistic, right?

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

I watched Bubba Ho-Tep earlier this afternoon. What a deliciously bad movie!

Win!

 

[midwestyankee]

Yes, that too. I can watch the episodes a couple of times and still get a chuckle. The other reason I like BBT is because the characters grow. Often sit-com's die because the characters never grow or change and after a year or so that's boring.

Plus, the acting is awesome. I don't know if the guy who plays Sheldon (drawing a blank on his name right now) was type casted or he's just an excellent actor, but he does an excellent job.

As a side note - you all realize that Sheldon is highly functioning autistic, right?

I've seen Jim Parsons (Dr. Sheldon Cooper) interviewed a few times and he's a very gentle and thoughtful guy. In other interviews, the series creators and writers have said that it was not their intent that Sheldon be autistic.

 

[midwestyankee]

I just finished The World's End made by Simon Pegg and the rest of the Hot Fuzz crowd. It was hilarious!

 

[graceanne]

I've seen Jim Parsons (Dr. Sheldon Cooper) interviewed a few times and he's a very gentle and thoughtful guy. In other interviews, the series creators and writers have said that it was not their intent that Sheldon be autistic.

Everytime I try to watch an interview with him my internet goes on the fritz or a kid throws a fit, or someone needs my attention. I try to watch interviews with all of the actors - it never works.

And if they say that, then they need to try harder. He's got obvious sensory issues (doesn't like to be touched or touch, very picky about the cloth his clothing is made of, etc.), he's very reliant on his routine, he got some sort of communication disorder (he doesn't understand sarcasm, for instance), he's emotionally very immature, and he tends to hyperfocus on things to the point of annoying everyone around him (like trains). Not to mention his social issues.

Not that I object to him being autistic - some people probably would if they chose to label him as autistic, saying that they're making fun of people with disabilities. I think they're making people like Sheldon more relatable.