VHS comedy era comedy Hall of fame III (1977-1989)

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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

I first saw this movie way back when in was in the theaters, and I've seen it many, many times since then. I've always thought it was one of the funniest movies, and that hasn't changed.

I love that this movie is not only funny, but it's also very clever. Part of the fun of the movie is keeping track of who's lying, cheating, hiding information, and more. Nobody can be trusted.

This is probably my second favorite Kevin Kline performance. (My favorite Kevin Kline performance is as The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (1983)). Otto is easily the funniest character in the movie, and Kline's Oscar win for this movie was well-deserved.

John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis have nice chemistry together. It's fun watching the ups and downs of their relationship, and trying to figure out if it's real or just an act by Curtis to get info about the diamonds.

I haven't seen Michael Palin in much, but he does a great job here as Ken. His stutter was so good that it felt like it was real. I didn't think the part with the dogs was very funny, but fortunately the dogs didn't look real at times, so it was easy to overlook what happened and accept the humor of the situation.

And Maria Aitken deserves a mention for her role as Wendy. She doesn't have a big part in the movie, but she can hold her own in every scene she's in, and even almost overshadows Kevin Kline at one point.

The four main stars of this movie tried to repeat the magic of Wanda with the movie Fierce Creatures in 1997, but it's nowhere near as funny as A Fish Called Wanda. I guess it was too much to ask to catch lightning in a bottle twice with the same cast.
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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Back to the Future (1985)

This is another movie that I first saw in the theater years ago, and I've seen it many, many times since then. It's not just a great comedy, but it's a great movie. It's fun, it's exciting, and it's very entertaining. When Marty first drives the Delorean, and he says "Let's see if you bastards can do 90.", we all know what's going to happen, but it's still awesome when we see it happen.

One of the things that I love about this movie is the attention to the little details between the present day (1985) scenes, and the past (1955) scenes. For example, in 1985, Doc Brown talks about how Old Man Peabody was doing experiments with trees. Then in 1955, when Marty hits a tree, Old Man Peabody yells "You space bastard, you killed a pine.", and sure enough, when Marty gets back, the Twin Pines Mall becomes the Lone Pine Mall. Another example is the 1985 campaign saying, "Re-elect Mayor Goldy Wilson", and of course while Marty's in 1955, and he meets Goldy Wilson who says he's going to make something of himself, Marty replies, "That's right, he's gonna be mayor.". And the most important one is probably the chip in the clock tower that Doc Brown made in 1955. It is clearly shown in 1985 when Marty returns. These are just some of the little things that show how this movie is brilliant.

But as good as this movie is, (and it's one of my favorite movies), there are a few minor issues that kind of bothered me a little bit.

WARNING: "SPOILERS about the ENDING of "Back to the Future"!!!" spoilers below
Why did it take George 30 years to write his first novel? If Marty's parents liked the name "Marty" so much, why didn't they name their first son "Marty"? And apparently, Chuck Berry stole his most famous song.


These are just little things that don't really take anything away from the movie, but they just kind of make you think about how things changed when Marty returned.



The trick is not minding
Real Genius


I first saw this film back in 1995, I think? My brother had been dating a girl who everyone told looked like Jordan from Real Genius, and even had her supposed mannerisms.
Curious, we rented and watched it. It was funny then.

It isn’t now. Highly implausible movie, that had a few “haha” moments, mostly because of Val Kilmer, who at some points was too obnoxious for his own good. But he’s not bad. The film itself is heavy handed with its depiction of the Military as taking advantage of young bright minds to create more impressive ways to kill.


There really isn’t much to say except Jordan was a blur of cuteness that was a welcome distraction from the usual teen angst.
Oh, and she did look a little bit like my brothers ex, only shorter hair. Not quite the same mannerisms tho.
*sigh*



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Real Genius


I first saw this film back in 1995, I think? My brother had been dating a girl who everyone told looked like Jordan from Real Genius, and even had her supposed mannerisms.
Curious, we rented and watched it. It was funny then.

It isn’t now. Highly implausible movie, that had a few “haha” moments, mostly because of Val Kilmer, who at some points was too obnoxious for his own good. But he’s not bad. The film itself is heavy handed with its depiction of the Military as taking advantage of young bright minds to create more impressive ways to kill.


There really isn’t much to say except Jordan was a blur of cuteness that was a welcome distraction from the usual teen angst.
Oh, and she did look a little bit like my brothers ex, only shorter hair. Not quite the same mannerisms tho.
*sigh*

I loved Val Kilmer in Real Genius. I thought some of his one-liner comments were the funniest lines in the movie.

But I wasn't a fan of Jordan. I thought her "speed-speaking" was very annoying, and I thought the whole romance storyline with her and Mitch was unnecessary.

.



The trick is not minding
Real Genius


I first saw this film back in 1995, I think? My brother had been dating a girl who everyone told looked like Jordan from Real Genius, and even had her supposed mannerisms.
Curious, we rented and watched it. It was funny then.

It isn’t now. Highly implausible movie, that had a few “haha” moments, mostly because of Val Kilmer, who at some points was too obnoxious for his own good. But he’s not bad. The film itself is heavy handed with its depiction of the Military as taking advantage of young bright minds to create more impressive ways to kill.


There really isn’t much to say except Jordan was a blur of cuteness that was a welcome distraction from the usual teen angst.
Oh, and she did look a little bit like my brothers ex, only shorter hair. Not quite the same mannerisms tho.
*sigh*

I loved Val Kilmer in Real Genius. I thought some of his one-liner comments were the funniest lines in the movie.

But I wasn't a fan of Jordan. I thought her "speed-speaking" was very annoying, and I thought the whole romance storyline with her and Mitch was unnecessary.

.
Yeah, the best lines came from him. But he was too...smarmy? Altogether he made the movie somewhat enjoyable, I will admit.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Yeah, the best lines came from him. But he was too...smarmy? Altogether he made the movie somewhat enjoyable, I will admit.

I liked the "smarminess" of his character. It made him more fun than just a brainy nerd like the way many "genius" characters are portrayed in movies and tv shows.



The trick is not minding
Yeah, the best lines came from him. But he was too...smarmy? Altogether he made the movie somewhat enjoyable, I will admit.

I liked the "smarminess" of his character. It made him more fun than just a brainy nerd like the way many "genius" characters are portrayed in movies and tv shows.
Hmmm. This is true. It definitely made him more unique.



It'll likely be January 15th-January 31st, we finished a month early the last time.
So the deadline is between Jan 15th-31st...I guess I'll find out soon how my noms did?

I doubt either of movies will do great. Actually I keep forgetting what one of my noms were




Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I liked the "smarminess" of his character. It made him more fun than just a brainy nerd like the way many "genius" characters are portrayed in movies and tv shows.
as the character quoted: "All brain, no penis."
lol
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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
So the deadline is between Jan 15th-31st...I guess I'll find out soon how my noms did?

I doubt either of movies will do great. Actually I keep forgetting what one of my noms were

I've done that




Annie Hall

There are two very successful, popular, classic movies that I find completely unwatchable and Annie Hall is one of them (the other movie just won a MoFo countdown). I watched this for the first time in the 90's, right after AFI released their first list then tried it again a few years later thinking maybe I was wrong about it, but only made it about 15 minutes into the second watch when I decided that, yeah, this isn't gonna work.

And it still doesn't work for me. At the 52 minute mark I got up to grab something to snack on (honestly, to take a break) and ended up rearranging the the frozen food and ice cube trays in the freezer hoping the movie would be over when I got back, knowing it wouldn't be because I had paused it. I don't get Woody Allen (I've seen three of his movies) and I don't think he's funny. I didn't like any of the characters, except maybe the girlfriend at the end who gives him some flak for not picking up the lobster and basically asking "is that a joke?" when Alvy gives her his I quit smoking line. The closest I came to smiling was when young Alvy called Nickles an A-hole as he's walking away. I expect Annie Hall to win this Hof but the above picture is how I felt while watching it for the second and hopefully final time.





Some comedies just become dated...they have a good idea but times change and those ideas don't necessarily work out years later. Blues Brothers is sort of a road movie about a pair of Blues singers getting the band back together and touring to make money for an orphanage. But what's it's really about is Dan Aykroyd and his particular love of music and style of humor. Everything is just a little bit off, the film is littered with cameos and I suppose fake cameos which we as the audience are supposed to get. I don't know how many people could pick out a fake Sinatra, Patsy Cline, and Slim Pickens.


The film is basically a mix tape of Aykroyd's music, and the music is great I just found the humor missed the mark. I didn't laugh once then again I didn't laugh at it's a MAD MAD MAD MAD World and I felt like the film lifted a bit from that one as well.





Eddie Murphy recently said he regretted passing on one film that film is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Murphy's loss is our gain because Bob Hoskins is so good in this as an Edward G Robinson type private eye caught in this tale of sex murder and toon town. Watching the film 30 years later you forget some of the great humor in the film, from the opening cartoon (which is perfect) to Roger's strange personality. Normally films in these Hall of Fames seem long but this one seems short like they could have done much more with it. This is one of the better nominees.



The trick is not minding
The Princess Bride


“Inconceivable!”

That’s the first word that I say when anyone tells me they haven’t seen this film. To me, it’s a classic of the 1980’s. It doesn’t have to be serious like Platoon, or Amadeus, or other films, but it doesn’t need to be. Plenty of comedies are classics.
But this is more then a comedy! You have adventure! Fantasy! Romance! All told by the grandfather of a sick boy who thinks he’s too old for such nonsense.
And the characters you meet along the way, Inigo Montoya, Vizzini, Fezzik. All well played by their actors. (Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Andre the Giant respectively)
Even the villains are entertaining, to a degree. Endlessly quotable, This is a film that doesn’t age in my opinion, as the story is timeless. To think otherwise is, well....inconceivable. 😏



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.


Eddie Murphy recently said he regretted passing on one film that film is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Murphy's loss is our gain because Bob Hoskins is so good in this as an Edward G Robinson type private eye caught in this tale of sex murder and toon town. Watching the film 30 years later you forget some of the great humor in the film, from the opening cartoon (which is perfect) to Roger's strange personality. Normally films in these Hall of Fames seem long but this one seems short like they could have done much more with it. This is one of the better nominees.

I didn't know that Eddie Murphy was ever considered for this movie. I've never been a fan of his, so I'm glad that he wasn't in it. I think he might have ruined the movie for me.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Real Genius

Mitch: You know, um, something strange happened to me this morning...
Chris Knight: Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?
Mitch: No...
Chris Knight: Why am I the only one who has that dream?

From the first time I had seen this, when it came out to this most recent rewatch, the ultimate question continues to taunt and tease me:

WHERE THE F@CK CAN I GET A PAIR OF THOSE SLIPPERS!! lol

When this came out, we as movie goers and Hollywood as a business first, had embraced slackers pulling pranks and refusing to kowtow to whatever Ruling, Upper-Crust class deems them beneath them.
Using all the outlandish behavior, trouble-making and sarcasm whether it is feasible or not, Real Genius still makes me laugh as well as enjoy the "villain" played with such snobbish aplomb by William Atherton.
While I have always been so-so when it came to Mitch, the remaining ensemble keeps me rather entertained.