The Comedies
I was challenged recently by a Facebook friend to list “10 Movies that Impacted Me” (I won’t mention her name, but it starts with the letters “Marla”). The catch? I was only allowed to post an image, no explanation. No explanation? “While you’re at it, why don’t you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?”! (The Princess Bride). I complied, but realized I had—had—to say something about the movies that have influenced my filmmaking, my writing, and even my worldview.
So I agreed to the inscrutable FB posts, but decided to do a series of blogs, as well, in which I would explain why and how certain films have changed me. (Hah! I win, Marla! Or, um, you know, whatever her name is.) I decided to separate the blogs by genre. I’ll start with comedy.
Why comedy? I don’t know. Maybe because it has much more impact on people than they realize—it disarms them, causing them to view life differently than before the lights went down. Or maybe simply because I’ve always had an incurable comic bent. Even my dramatic work is marred (by which I mean “blessed”) by it.
As a kid, I loved the Three Stooges, and then, as I acquired a smidge of subtlety, Laurel & Hardy and the great Chaplin (I still love good physical comedy). Mark Twain mentored me as an aspiring writer (my earliest pieces were blatant imitations of him). But Twainian irony scooted over to make room for absurdism when I discovered Alice in Wonderland. The Disney movie was mild, but it introduced me to the rapturously ridiculous word play of Lewis Carroll, and I soon realized nonsense was my native tongue. A cherished farce (and still one of my favorite films) was Billy Wilder’s manically brilliant Some Like it Hot (Wilder remains one of my top filmmaking heroes).
My love of the absurd took a giant leap forward when, as a teenager, I discovered the Marx Brothers (Margaret Dumont: “Hold me closer!” Groucho: “If I hold you any closer I’ll be in back of you”). Duck Soup still runs through my veins. Then, beginning with Blazing Saddles, I developed a love for parodies (a.k.a. spoofs). Airplane, Young Frankenstein, and This is Spinal Tap each had a role in shaping my comedic sensibilities.
But the film that connected all the unconnectable dots (because that’s what great comedy does) was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I returned to the theatre again and again, deciphering its nonsensical sense: The Black Knight pointed out the absurdity of superfluous “manliness;” the witch trial illustrated the incoherent cruelty of unsupported accusations (“She turned me into a newt!” Pause. “Well, I got better”). The underlying truth of absurd humor, I realized, was the fact that humans are absurd. Yes, they can sometimes be noble, and yet–
Blog post ends suddenly and unexpectedly (even, one might say, rudely).
“Now, go away or I will taunt you a second time.”
I grew up with those movies! My Dad used to do Three Stooges impersonations. Hilarious!
Awesome! Thank you for this. Your disarming sense of humor helps to ground a person when too focused on “the important things” of life, and brings us back to remembering to enjoy the moments of the day. Continue taunting!
“It’s no good-a for you, it’s no good-a for me.!” Besides “Tis a flesh wound…”
;>)
I’ve never understood those FB posts that demand no explanation. I actually want to know WHY you’ve picked that movie, book, or whatever.
BTW, Monty Python is brilliant. I always loved how they got away from the monster because the animator had a fatal heart attack!
;>)
Hah! Ha! Not my rules!! But Mitch you made it a Win/Win for all of us!!
From someone who may/or not be named “Marla”
;>)
What an awesome choice. My son and daughter-in-law recite lines from this post, we watched it so often. Humour that just made you laugh, it didn’t have to make sense, it was just funny.
MP Holy Grail is a family favorite here ! I love the silliness. We used to love that show and also the Young Ones and Benny Hill. 😀
My favorite scene is the Holy Hand Granade Of Antioch. (Crusaders actually used grenades as it turns out) I’m reminded of the book of munitions “3 shall be thy count” every time I’m given instructions that seem..” over elegant” 😅
Yep. That and the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog.
Excellent post Mitch. Several of these were among my favorites growing up also. I found Gene Wilder movies hilarious in general. He always seemed to be funny. I loved watching Monty Python’s Flying Circus on our local PBS channel. Laurel and Hardy and Abbot and Costello were favorites of mine too. “The underlying truth of absurd humor, I realized, was the fact that humans are absurd.”—too true my friend. Blessings.
You too, my friend.
“You can’t wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you…”
“Help, help, I’m being repressed!”
Lol! Still funny after all these years…
You’re a looney!
And proud of it!
Blazing Saddles is a favorite and just the mention of it made me think of History of the World part 1.
My fav line was when Mel Brooks said,”it will take a miracle to save us now.” and Miracle came trotting up. I’ll never forget that whinny!
Do I smell elderberries? Hehe
As in “your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of…”? ;>)
Pingback: Movies that Have Changed Me | Mitch Teemley
Pingback: “Movie That Change My Life Celebrity Scream” – Musicspartablog | Nigeria' Most Visited Music & Entertainment Website
I love *Duck Soup*. “I suggest that we give him ten years in Leavenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth.”
;>) Me too.
I’ve never seen ‘Monty Python’. Do you hate me? However, I’ve watched Princess Bride many times – so my conclusion is it’s better than ‘Python’. That, and I just heard someone who was coerced to watch ‘Python’ say they didn’t like ‘Python’. !!! Anyways. . .
I’ll forgive you, but only because you’re a teacher. I’m not sure you can objectively judge a movie you’ve never seen. MP & the Holy Grail and Princess Bride are completely different in style, but they’re both classics.
No, you of course cannot judge a movie you’ve never seen. 😉 I’ve heard so many, many people sing its praises.
Monty Python’s absurdist style is a direct bullseye for me, but there are indeed those (e.g. my wife) for whom it’s hit-and-miss at best.