Dark comedies revisited: “Election”
“The thing writers are scared about is that Hollywood is going to defang their story and put a happy ending on something that wasn’t happy. In fact, what happened with Election was that a darker ending got put on my material.” – Tom Perrotta, novelist of Election, the book on which the film is based […]
Dark Comedies revisited: The Producers
“Don’t just tap the bell; Ring the bell.” Thus is the motto of Mel Brooks. This is something he has talked about many times in interviews. There is no sense in going all the way up to that bell if you’re not going to make the most of it. You’re already up there, you might […]
Dark comedies revisited: “Funny People”
There is an assumption that comes along with being a comedian. If you were to be walking down the street and see, for example, Louis C.K., you’d want to have your moment with him. You want a picture or an autograph or a quick conversation – but that moment isn’t going to be enough. You’re […]
Dark comedies revisited: “Chuck and Buck”
“I really didn’t know what I was doing when I made it. I just jumped off a cliff and hoped somebody would catch me.” – (Director Miguel Arteta, c. 2000) The people we grow up with hold a pretty special place in our hearts. It doesn’t matter whether or not there is a constant flow of […]
Dark Comedies Revisited: “Ruthless People”
When the movie Airplane was released (directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker), it brought on a sea of hopeless imitations that completely missed the core of the initial film. It was as if all wannabe parodists only saw a one-dimensional side of the film, completely missing that it was the serious conviction […]
Dark Comedies Revisited: “Death at a Funeral”
Funerals are a rather strange thing. Here we are, having to grieve openly out in public, surrounded by people we either haven’t seen in a while or have never met at all. There’s a rush of emotions one starts to feel, having to remember somebody’s life, and all the memories come right back as if […]
Dark comedies revisited: “World’s Greatest Dad”
World’s Greatest Dad. In August of 2014, just after the death of Robin Williams, we all mourned his passing by revisiting the many films and characters he had given us over his lengthy career. Whether it was Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, or Good Will Hunting, there seemed to be a go-to film of his for every […]