Archive for the 'Comedy' Category

07
Apr
08

My Movies: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Borat Sagdiyev is a journalist with Kasachstan Television, who has travelled to the United States to make a movie film.

There really are no sacred cows left untouched in this. Whether it be racism, sexism, homophobia, incest, or whatever, you name it, and it has been “dealt with” here. It shows up many in the American nation to be pretty thick.

While parts of it are funny, some it it is quite crass. It was funny-ish the first time I watched it, having watched it a second time I failed to laugh once.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan on IMDB

30
Mar
08

My Movies: Beverly Hills Cop

Detroit detective Axel Foley travels to Beverly Hills in pursuit of the man who killed his best friend, but receives less than a warm welcome from the local police.

There was a time in the 1980s when Eddie Murphy starred in some very funny films, and theBeverly Hills Cop series were no exception. The first of three films

Great for a laugh.

Beverly Hills Cop on IMDB

Beverly Hills Cop II

Since events of the first film, Axel Foley and Sargent Bogomil have become friends. When a group of international criminls try to kill Bogomil, Foley travels to Beverly Hills to find out their identity.

More of the same, still the high quality humour and action as in the first movie.

Beverly Hills Cop II on IMDB

Beverly Hills Cop III

Foley’s superior officer is shot dead when a raid on a warehouse goes wrong. An investigation into the crimina mastermind responsible leads Foley back to Beverly Hills to a childerens theme park.

The jokes were getting a little old by the time the third film was made. While laughs were a little thinner on the ground, it has it’s fair share of action to make up for it, with a big car chase in the opening minutes.

Beverly Hills Cop III on IMDB

23
Mar
08

My Movies: Bad Boys

Miami detectives Lowry and Burnet are investigating a $100 million heroin heist from their police station, but the only way they can get a witness to identify those involved, they must switch identities.

Your average everyday narcotics cop story with loads of shooting, and the odd car chase thrown in for good measure.

Plenty of comic relief in between all the action as Murnel must convince his witness that he is Lowry, and convince his wife he is not having an affair.

Part of a duology, it is not one I would watch that often.

Bad Boys at IMDB

Bad Boys II

Loury and Burnel are on the trail of a massive ecstasy dealer.  Their “investigation” however sees them travel to Cuba where their man has his hide-out.

With faster car chases, more shootouts, and a slightly unrealistic police operation in Cuba, this continues the action/comedy mix of the first film.

Definitely one for suspending your disbelief, particularly when our two black heroes manage to infiltrate a white supremacist gathering at the start.

Bad Boys II on IMDB

16
Mar
08

My Movies: American Pie

Four teenage boys make a pact, to lose their virginity in time for their “prom”

It stopped being funny after the Universal logo faded from the screen at the start. I can’t even remember how I ended up with this film. I think I bought it from someone on boards.ie thinking that the film was any ways half decent. I was wrong.

The film gets it’s name from a scene where one of the characters humps an apple pie after said confection is used as a metaphor to describe “third base.”

American Pie on IMDB

American Pie 2

Set a year after American Pie, the same group of teenagers set about organising the biggest pary of the Summer

Same crap as the first film,

American Pie 2 on IMDB

12
Mar
08

My Movies: Airplane!

After a glut of airliner disaster movies back in the 70’s there came this to take the piss out of them. Airport, Saturday Night Fever,all came in for parodying.

The first of what would become two Airplane! movies, and the original spoof movie. It is still funny long after your Scary Movies, Epic Movies, Meet the Spartans et al have become boring.

When ever a visitor sees it on the shelf they usually say to me “God, I haven’t seen that in years.”

This one and the second movie come in a box set and come highly recommended.

Some of the films which come in for spoofing

Airplane on IMDB

Airplane II: The Sequel

It is the close of the 20th century and the dawn of commercial space travel has begun.  The first ever passenger flight to the moon is no doubt will end in near disaster.

I will say from the start, this was not as funny as the first one, simply because most of the jokes in the second were also in the first.  The first film was an original idea, this was just an attempt to increase profits on an idea which no one thought would be successful, but was.

The folks behind the first film were not involved in the second film.  Some of the main characters were, but not the directorial team.

 Airplane II:The Sequel on IMDB