Archive for March 31st, 2008
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Mar31
I think as long as there are movies – any form of media, really – the parody genre will always be a vital form of keeping industry arrogance in check. It’s almost like the judicial arm of the entertainment checks and balances system. If the studios (the executive arm) overstep their bounds by utilizing the same formulas again and again and again, parody films are well within their right to single this out and make fun of it for profit.
Incidentally, some of my favorite comedies are parodies. Blazing Saddles, Airplane!, Young Frankenstien, The Naked Gun, Spaceballs. Mel Brooks and David Zucker are masters in that regard.
However, the thing that Brooks and Zucker did that the writers and producers of the “Movie” movies don’t do, was create something original to critique the genres themselves and not individual scenes within specific movies of the genre. It’s not a wasteland of references to popular films with interchangeable jokes. Watching one of the”Movie” movies is like watch Dennis Miller stumble through a routine without a thesaurus. Basically what they say to the audience is, “Hey! Remember that famous scene from the movie you liked? Well, here’s that *same* scene with someone farting! Woo hoo!”
Watching a “Movie” movie is like watching a pardoy sketch I would have written and video taped with my friend’s family’s video camera when I was 12 – and I would have thought it was HILARIOUS! (Believe me – I’ve done this.) But the fact that the producers of these films not only continue to churn out product year after year but somehow continue to attract comedic actors that I like really disheartens me.
Superhero Movie should have been right up my alley. Making fun of comic book movies? Sign me up. There’s enough cringe-inducing moments in Spider-Man 3 to make fun of to at least last 40 minutes. I may be a big comic book nerd, but I can laugh at myself.
Of course, the operative word being “laugh.” The trailers for this thing look so insipid, so uninspiringly unfunny, I couldn’t bring myself to endure it. Especially when you consider the “pedigree” of the past “Movie” movies – including Date Movie, which has to be one of the ugliest, most hateful films I’ve ever seen.
Did any of you guys see Superhero Movie this weekend? E-mail me and let me know what you think. It’s third place showing at the box office tells me I didn’t miss much, but I could be wrong!
That about does it for me this morning. Don’t forget to tune in to The Triple Feature tonight at 9:00 PM CST over at TalkShoe.com. I’m sure we’ll be talking about Superhero Movie, 21, Run Fatboy Run and more!
See you there!
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Turns out we’re going to be one man down fo The Triple Feature this evening. Gordon has to bow out for tonight. So, since I wasn’t able to get out of the house this weekend to see Run Fatboy Run like I had hoped (I blame a mutant head cold), I think we’re going to steer the topic of conversation down a different path than usual with this week’s show.
Joe and I would like to take this opportunity to field your personal questions. So if you have any, please e-mail them to me at theaterhopper@hotmail.com. They can be about movies, our web comics or what the weather is like in Des Moines versus New York. We don’t care what you ask, we just want to get you involved!
Of course, it would be more of a thrill if you could join us LIVE during the broadcast at 9:00 PM CST over at TalkShoe.com tonight. I mean, how awesome would that be? You could log on to the chat field and leave your question where we can make fun of your spelling or you could call in and talk to us in person where we can make fun of your accent!
That’s not very enticing, is it? Okay, I promise we won’t make fun. But call in all the same! It’ll be a blast!
See you there!
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