June Jokefest Day 11: Young Frankenstein (1974)

Okay guys, this is it. June Jokefest is finally over. It was a lot of fun talking about comedies for the month of June, and you might have noticed that I've been "subtly hinting" at the fact that I'd end it by talking about my favourite film in my favourite genre. And, my favourite comedy is, without a doubt, Young Frankenstein. For me, there's no movie that makes me laugh as hard or as much as Mel Brooks' 1974 classic spoof of classic monster films. So, let's end June Jokefest in style, with my all time favourite comedy movie, Young Frankenstein!

As we've established, Mel Brooks is kind of awesome. When his films are good, they're pitch perfect parodies that perfectly lampoon any genre, ideology, or hell even medium. He's the king of satire, and Young Frankenstein is probably his strongest spoof of them all. The idea behind this one is that Frederick Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's grandson, is a legitimate scientist who wishes to distance himself from the Frankenstein family name. Which becomes difficult when he inherits his family's estate, where the original experiments took place. From here, hilarity ensues. What I love about this film is how much it nails the feel of the Universal Monster films. That's an aspect they play completely straight here, the atmosphere, the set design, the music, everything was made to feel like a serious classic monster film, so when everything goes wrong and the jokes come in, it hits that much harder. It's made like an entry in the genre it's parodying, which adds to the parody. In fact, actual sets from the original Frankenstein were used in this film. The movie captures this authenticity, which makes it that much funnier.  Because it has the feel of the Universal Monster movies, the effect of the jokes is multiplied.

And the jokes themselves. They range from ridiculous, to nonsensical, and just keep getting better and better. Like most Mel Brooks' films, the jokes keep on coming. And coming. And they never stop. And it's awesome. Okay, so it's not Blazing Saddles levels of crazy (what is?) but, that works in it's favour. I feel like they have all these funny jokes, and they keep them coming, but because of the authentic feeling of the film, they can keep that anarchy contained, allowing them to have more focus with both the jokes and making it feel as real as possible. That doesn't mean it isn't silly though, because it is. The dialogue, the physical comedy, the wordplay, acting, direction, atmosphere, everything is not just ridiculous, but full of jokes. There are jokes everywhere in this film. And there are so many little, subtle jokes too, like how Igor's hump keep's changing shoulders every time he's onscreen. Every time I watch this movie, I find something new to laugh at, and new reasons to laugh at the other jokes.

The humour is intelligent stupid. And what I mean by that, is that it's absurd and ridiculous, but it's done in this beautifully clever way. Everything is wonderfully done here, and it hits home. I've complimented Gene Wilder for Blazing Saddles, but as Frederick Frankenstein ("It's Fronkensteen")
he goes above and beyond. I'm tempted to say that this is my favourite Gene Wilder performance, because so much of what makes this film great comes from him. He's charismatic, likable, and above all, absolutely hilarious. From the moment he turns around at the blackboard to the ending with the Monster's schwanzstucker, he's incredible. He puts so much energy into his performance, and he's just great. From his comedic reluctance to his decreasing sanity, everything about this performance is phenomenal. 

It's not just Gene Wilder though. Everyone in this film is hilarious. Marty Feldman ("What hump"?), Madeline Kahn ("It's taffeta, darling"), Peter Boyle ("Puttin' on the riiiitttzzzz!"), Cloris Leachman ("Vhat about varm milk?"), Terri Garr ("Roll, roll, roll in the hay!"), and even Gene freakin' Hackman. Yeah, Popeye Doyle is in this film. And he's hilarious as the blind man who just can't get it right. Ever. He's only in one scene sure, but damn if he doesn't leave an impression. 

Actually, just talking about Marty Feldamn real quick. He's perfect in this film. I touched upon how great he was in Silent Movie, but here everything he does or says cracks me up big time. That first meeting at the train station kills me. He knocks it out of the park as Igor, and he's got this very strong comedic presence on screen.

Now, you might have noticed that I've been calling this a Mel Brooks film, but he actually didn't write this one. Well, mostly. See, this film is Gene Wilder's brainchild, with Wilder doing most of the script here. Hell  he even asked that Mel Brooks not appear in the film, because he didn't want him to break the fourth wall. So yeah, while it is technically a Mel Brooks' film, don't forget that a lot of it was Wilder too. Like the excellent tap dancing scene, one of the all time funniest movie moments, was actually going to be left out. Mel Brooks though it was too far fetched, but Wilder argued that it should stay, and it did, resulting in the funniest moment in a sea of hilarious moments. Mel Brooks still co-wrote it though, and you can certainly tell in places. Some jokes are classic Mel Brooks, which isn't a bad thing at all.

But damn, Young Frankenstein is my favourite comedy. The jokes are near perfect, the writing is superb, the atmosphere adds to the parody, the parody itself is spot on, the performances are incredible, everything here is very nearly perfect, and it all adds up to create the ultimate comedy for me. Almost every joke hits bullseye in this film, and even after so many viewings, I still find myself in hysterics watching it. And every viewing makes me love it more. Okay, so maybe there are more intellectual comedies out there, but Young Frankenstein just makes me laugh the most. The comedy is stupid, but the writing is incredibly intelligent. And I think that intelligent writing creates the best stupid comedy, because of the effort that goes into defying all expectations and being that ridiculous. Throughout the month I've put an emphasis on stupid humour, because that's what I find funniest, and I definitely think that there's an art to it. There is a right way, and when it is done right, there's nothing funnier. And you see it time and again with the Marx Brothers and Monty Python and Laurel and Hardy and ZAZ and especially with Mel Brooks. And nowhere is that better than in Young Frankenstein. The Producers might have sharper satire, but for me, Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks at his very best. It's my favourite of his movies without a doubt. It's my favourite comedy film of all time. And you know what? It's one of my all time favourite movies. I'm dead serious. It's a pitch perfect comedy film, one that never fails to have me in stitches, and just an incredible watch. Humour may be a very subjective thing, but go watch this movie. It's seriously worth the time.

June Jokefest Day 10: There's Something About Mary (1998)

Let's talk shock humour. It's damn hard to get right. I mean seriously, if done wrong, it can verge on offputting. Done right though, it can lead to some serious laughs. And in There's Something About Mary, it's actually not bad... for the most part, but trust me, I'll touch more on that later. There's Something About Mary is a movie that I really enjoy. It's honestly a very funny film, with a great script, and some really good comedic situations. It's not the most balanced of films, but again, I'll talk about that later. So for now, let's talk about There's Something About Mary!

The film centres around Ted, played by Ben Stiller, a man who wants to get back in touch with Mary, the love of his life. He hires a private detective, who ends up falling for Mary himself. Oh, and also there's an Englishman who's chasing Mary too. Actually, it'd be quicker to list who isn't in love with Mary in this film. The plot is actually okay. It opens itself up to all sorts of comedic situations, and it's actually quite engaging. I love how progressively complex the plot gets, starting as a simple romantic comedy about a man chasing a woman, and finishing as a massively tangled and absolutely mental plot that goes in a completely different direction than you maybe expected it to. It's a fun story, with a good few twists and turns along the way that crank up the madness. And yes, this film is crazy. Unlike Raising Arizona or Blazing Saddles though, There's Something About Mary is able to keep focused on whats going on, and rarely gets carried away with it's madness. That's pretty admirable actually. It has it's own flaws, but for the most part, it keeps on track of it's madness.

 One thing I'm not mad about in the film though is Ben Stiller's character Ted. He's your typical nice guy, and quite frankly he's a little boring. Nothing against Ben Stiller, but he's just kind of dull in this film. He doesn't have any massive defining traits apart from the fact that he loves Mary. That's kind of it. Yeah, his personality is... protagonist. It's even worse when you place him next to some of the more colurful and fun characters in the movie. My favourite is Matt Dillon's character, Healy. This guy is an asshole, plain and simple. I love how depraved this guy is, and how he gradually stoops lower and lower as the film progresses. He's a lovable asshole, one who gets worse and worse as the film progresses. And it's awesome. This guy is hilarious with how much of an absolute prat he is, and I love every second of it. I also love Lee Evans (one of my favourite stand ups) as Tucker, a Englishman who walks with crutches. Without giving too much away about his character, he also turns out to be an absolute scumbag. And I love it. He's the highlight in this film for me for sure. The scene when he tries to pick up his keys always gets me.

It's scenes like that that make me love this movie, and I think it's mostly hilarious. Mostly. Yeah, while this movie is great, funny and charming for the most part, it falls flat in other areas. For one, it often feels like they're trying way too hard with some of the jokes. Sometimes the comedy even feels a little forced in places. It's not a big thing in the film, but some jokes don't really hit as well as the writers probably wanted them to. Another problem, and this is the big one, is that sometimes the writers go to out of their way to shock the audience. Hey, the first sentence just became relevant! But yeah, one or two scenes (and you know which ones I'm talking about) really weren't needed at all, and only exist to shock. Which is when the shock and gross-out humour fails. It actually does work here for the most part, especially, when highlighting how depraved some of Mary's suitors are. In those cases, the shock humour works because these are shallow, petty people prepared to do these awful things to achieve their goals. When the writers focus on that, it's often hilarious. But it's when these kind of jokes just appear for no other reason but to shock that the movie feels puerile and stupid. For the most part they handle it well though, and use the shock humour in a way that not only feels needed, but gets laughs too.

And that's why it feels unbalanced. See, There's Something About Mary really suffers from the flaws I mentioned earlier. Some jokes feel forced, the main protagonist is boring as all hell, and the shock humour sometimes feels unnecessary, but despite these issues, I really enjoy this film. All my problems aside, it's hilarious when the jokes hit, the other characters are wonderful, the set-pieces are really creative, and the film also has this really bizarre, messed up heart to it. It's a romantic comedy for people who don't like romantic comedies. And even those who do might be surprised with how much it sticks to the genre despite being so low brow and stupid (in a good way).  It's a breath of fresh air for the genre, one that's refreshingly stupid and immature, but never loses it's charm. When it misses, good God does it miss, but when it hits, you're in for a offbeat, feelgood and honestly very funny watch, one that's far form art, but it never pretends to be. It's a lot of fun, and I definitely recommend it, if you can look past it's flaws.

June Jokefest Day 9: Blazing Saddles (1974)

HE RODE A BLAZING SAAADDLLLLEEE. This movie is awesome. Definitely one of Mel Brooks best, and absolutely one of his funniest. The satire is top notch, the writing is great and the jokes never stop coming. Ever. The plot here... really doesn't matter. I mean, there's a plot to run a small western town into the ground by appointing a black sheriff, but that seriously doesn't matter. It's a movie about how many jokes Mel Brooks can cram into 92 minutes. Spoiler: it's a lot. And he never stops once. And it's great. This movie is pure comedic anarchy. It never slows down once. Which really works. Most of the time anyway, but we'll get into that later on. For now, let's talk about Blazing Saddles!

I mean, you've got to give credit to the delivery of the jokes in this movie. They never stop. The jokes just keep coming at a dizzying speed, and when one fails, there's like three more that come directly after it that hit bullseye. It leads to the odd problem here and there, but for the most part, it's pure Mel Brooks. And that's a very good thing. The film is jam packed with his particular style of humour, and it's hilarious. Undoubtedly one of his more crass works (along with History of the World Part I, which is saying something), but it's also easily one of his funniest, and a lot of that is down to the cast. Cleavon Little, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, and the man himself: Gene Wilder. The cast are consistently hilarious, especially Wilder ("My name is Jim... but people call me... Jim"). The guy really can never give a bad performance. He's charming, likable, and downright hilarious.

 Another thing I love about this aspect is that everytime I watch the film, I always notice like ten jokes I missed first time around, so it's incredibly re-watchable in that regard. It never slows down, and it's a lot of fun. Unfortunately though, this has it's drawbacks.

Ignoring how well some of the jokes have aged (I mean, the movie just oozes political incorrectness as it is), my main problem with this movie is how messy it is. The movie is always throwing more jokes at you, which is often hilarious, but the chaos can just as easily become noisy and a little distracting. It works 90% of the time, but damn this movie can easily become messy with how fast the jokes are delivered. It's hilarious, but all over the place, and even quite in-your-face sometimes too. Like there is no subtlety. At all. There never is with Brooks anyway, but Blazing Saddles is a very loud film. The chaos is a double edged sword. It's hilarious, but can often descend into unfocused anarchy. Which is sometimes awesome, sometimes not so awesome. It doesn't ruin the movie, in fact it makes it even funnier, but I can see it getting annoying quick for some people.

But speaking of chaos: THIS MOVIE HAS THE BEST ENDING.  Like... wow. The ending to Blazing Saddles drives a train straight  through the fourth wall, if there even was a fourth wall to begin with. The ending is just insane. It's absolute madness, but the way it's done is just phenomenal. It escalates and escalates, and it just keeps getting more and more ridiculous. I love escalating craziness when it's done right, and it's hard to top Blazing Saddles' crazy ending. It's one of my all time favourite movie endings, which is definitely a topic for another day.

So yeah, Blazing Saddles can get messy at times, it can trip over itself, and I guess some dialogue hasn't aged too well, but as it stands, this movie's freaking awesome. Yes, it's got problems, but damned if it isn't one of the funniest movies I've seen. It's the sheer variety of jokes in this film, combined with the razor sharp satire (which I might have to talk about another day), that make it a classic. It's got Gene Wilder at his very near best, it's got amazing comedy, it's got social commentary, it's got the French Mistake, it's got it all. Forgive it's occasional slip ups, because this one deserves it's reputation. It earns a title as one of the funniest movies ever, and is a definite landmark for Brook's career. If you haven't seen it, definitely do so ASAP. It's worth it, and it should definitely be handed out to the boys in lieu of pay.

June Jokefest Day 8: My Top 5 Favourite Monty Python's Flying Circus Sketches

My God, Monty Python man. Monty freakin' Python. Where the hell do I even start with these guys? Top notch movies aside, Flying Circus is a goldmine of laughs, with 10% of memes being traceable back to these guys. It's near impossible to do this series justice with a list like this. I do have my favourites, but honestly, you could call any skit your personal favourite and I'd completely get it. Honestly, with this show, any skit could make the list because they're all almost equally awesome. Regardless, as I said, I have my personal favourites. But hey, if I need to, I'd happily make another list of Flying Circus skits, there's certainly enough of them! But for know, let's leave logic and common sense behind, and delve into some Flying Circus!

5. The Lumberjack Song

I'll be brief on this one. For two reasons. First off, the way the joke is told. If I told you the premise it would take some of the comedy out of this one. It's absolutely hilarious though, but I think the surprise first time around really cements this sketch as one of the funniest. Second reason? It's so simple. Yeah, there isn't an awful lot to this joke, but the execution really makes up for that, resulting in some serious laughs

4. Ministry of Silly Walks

From one simple joke to another. The premise here? Well, it's called "Ministry of Silly Walks", I'm sure you can figure out what it's about. But damn if the physical comedy here isn't top notch. The silly walks themselves are absolutely ridiculous, and John Cleese's delivery of them is spot on. John Cleese is my favourite of the Pythons, by the way, so expect to see quite a bit more of his stuff on this list. Also the dialogue here, particularly the stuff delivered by Michael Palin is genius

3. Bavarian Restaurant

This skit is ridiculous. Basically, an American couple order a meal at a traditional Bavarian restaurant. In Bavaria, where, well, I'm sure you get the gist. Anyway, the actual meal is served in an... interesting way. From prawns down the shirt, to being beaten with a chicken to literally BEING THROWN OUT OF A WINDOW (with sautéed potatoes, of course), this sketch is crazy. And it's also hilarious. John Cleese is great, something about the character he plays just makes me laugh every time. Especially when he calls the customer "Daddy-o". He's just so odd, that you have to laugh at his antics. It's Python at their silliest, but you have to love it.

2. Self Defense Against Fresh Fruit

Well, maybe Python weren't at their silliest in Bavarian Restaurant. But wow. This short is hilarious, from the memorable quotes ("AND THEN, YOU EAT THE BANANA! THEREFORE DISARMING YOUR ASSAILANT!"), to the crazy physical stuff (the tiger kills me everytime), this one soars. John Cleese is at his best here Python-wise (to see him at his best, you'll have to book a stay at Fawlty Towers, I'm afraid), delivering some incredible lines and an outrageously funny performance. When he frantically looks around for the pineapple, I lose my shit everytime. This ones a winner right here.

1. The Spanish Inquisition

What were you expecting? Not the Spanish Inquisition surely, because, well, who am I kidding? You've all seen it, you all know it and you all love it! For the what, three?, people out there who don't know, a man and a woman are having a conversation, when the man says: "Well, I wasn't expecting a sort of Spanish Inquisition." Cue the Spanish Inquisition. Michael Palin knocks this one out of the goddamn park. His initial shout as they enter the room never fails to make me grin. And as he fails to list the Inquisitions weapons, as well as just kind of fails in general ("get the rack!"), the skit gets funnier and funnier. It's a classic.

Look, I'm sorry if your favourite sketch didn't get on this list, but as I said, Flying Circus is jam packed with incredible skits, bu again, I'd be happy to follow this list up with another top five!

June Jokefest Day 7: Silent Movie (1976)

Finally. At last I get to talk about my favourite comedic filmaker. This is it guys, now I get to talk about Mel Brooks during June Jokefest. For the first time at least because, trust me, we'll be seeing quite a bit more of Mr. Brooks before June Jokefest is through. I mean, he's made so many of my favourite comedies, including my all time favourite, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So to celebrate the maser of parody, let's talk about one of his lesser known films, Silent Movie. I find it weird how much this film seems to slide under people's radar. Why? I'm not sure actually. Maybe because it's tonally different to most of his other films? Maybe because it's silent? Oh yeah, this is a silent film. Well, the only word spoken in the film is said by a mime. The plot here is that Mel Funn is a fantastic director, but is recovering from a drinking problem and he plans to save the studio by making a silent movie. He's aided by Dom Bell and Marty Eggs in his epic quest to get this film made.

The fact that Mel Brooks actually stars in this film means more than you might think. See before this film, Brooks mainly just had cameo roles, like in The Twelve Chairs and Blazing Saddles. But here, he plays the main character, Mel Funn. I mean, I'll put it like this. Brooks, who had only cameo-ed in his own films up to now, was making a silent comedy film in the 1970s. The fact that this DIDN'T go wrong is outstanding. The fact that it's as good as it is, well that's almost unbelievable. But hey, no time like the present to look at this film and all the risks it took, so let's talk about Silent Movie!

The comedy here is almost purely visual, so it helps that Brooks has a natural penchant for visual comedy. He works spectacularly off of Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman (and Marty Feldman's eyes). The setups are always incredibly silly, and the punchlines even more so, but that gives the film this distinct charm. It's always outdoing itself with absurd visual gags, from slapstick, to surreal imagery, to playing with the medium (like adding deliberately unfitting sound effects, or that joke with the mime I was talking about earlier.), it's all here and Brooks throws everything at you to make you laugh, and he makes it work, like he usually does. It's perhaps the silliest film I've talked about during June Jokefest so far, because of the sheer lack of sense in this movie. Everything works off of Mel Brooks logic. Not subtle, not cerebral, but it doesn't need to be. It's stupid, joyful fun. And emphasis on that joyful part, by the way.

I love the way the movie portrays the film industry. Unlike say, The Producers, which portrays people in the entertainment industry as greedy, moneygrubbing hacks, Silent Movie takes a different approach. Okay, yeah, the film does admittedly highlight a lot of the more superficial aspects of the filmmkaing industry, especially when Gulf + Wester- I mean Engulf & Devour try to take over the studio, but for me the film always had this good natured charm about it too. I think the film mainly portrays studios in an unflattering manner, but it's impossible to ignore the sheer glee of Silent Movie as Funn comes closer to making his film. The scenes at the end especially when Funn and co. are in the theater are just so joyful. It's one of those movies that reminds me what movies are, and what they can do. It's got this incredible feelgood effect, one where, when Funn succeeds, you kind of feel like you've accomplished something too. It never fails to put a massive grin on my face whenever I watch it.

And here's something else. THE CAST. Holy shit, the cast. Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minelli, Anne Bancroft and Paul Newman. Yes, Butch Cassidy himself is in this film. The cameoes here are endless, and result in some top notch gags. The shower scene with Burt Reynolds never fails to get a laugh out of me. I refuse to spoil it, just watch it for yourself. I will admit to never being too big a fan of Liza Minelli's cameo though. The joke just goes on for WAY too long for my liking. There's only so much mileage you can get out of "Funn, Bell and Eggs keep falling over each other over and over." I'm sorry, but it gets old quick.

That aside, this movie is awesome. It's funny, it's charming, and I'd honestly call it underrated. And I'm using that word correctly, before anyone says anything. It's Brooks not at his best (there's no Nazi satire to be seen here.), but it's still a film that I wholeheartedly recommend you track down. It's a movie about movies, which isn't exactly rare, but I don't think many other films have illustrated the pure power of cinema in-universe like this one. It's a lot of fun, it's absolutely hilarious, and it's just such a happy film. Go watch it if you haven't. It definitely deserves more love than it gets.

And now for a small break from June Jokefest. I will be back though, with my Top Five Favourite Monty Python's Flying Circus Sketches though, so look forward to that, and I'll see you in a bit!

June Jokefest Day 6: My Top 5 Favourite Bottom Episodes

Okay, here's one thing you should know about me: I love Britcoms. Fawlty Towers, The IT Crowd, Mr Bean,Mrs Brown's Boys, Open All Hours, Blackadder , The Young Ones, I love them. So many of them are funny, smart, and in my opinion, offer so much more than American sitcoms. And for me, no one did it better than Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson. And it's their 1991 series Bottom that happens to be my favourite sitcom. Where the hell do I begin? Dark, weird, funny, bizarre, spontaneous and borderline offensive, Bottom never fails to get a laugh out of me. It's an acquired taste admittedly, but in terms of comedy television, they don't get much funnier for me. For those who don't know, Bottom revolves around two men living in a rundown flat. That's kind of it. These two though, are ridiculously over the top comic characters. There's Richie, an arrogant, perverted madman who constantly attempts to act cultured and refined, but always fails. And then there's Eddie, a crazed, violent drunk always trying to make some money. As you can imagine, this premise leads to some outrageously over the top situations. Even if it only got eighteen episodes, this show is full to the brim with so many funny moments. Hell, every episode could be called the best one. But, if you're looking to start, try these five. They're what I'd consider to be the funniest, most creative, and best written episodes of this hilarious show. So, let's get going!

5. Digger (Season 2, Episode 1)

This episode revolves around Richie being matched up with a viscountess via a matchmaking service, leading to a perfect portrayal of his depraved, inept and perverted nature. Rik Mayall runs wild with his portrayal of Richie here, leading to so many memorable gags and lines stemming from his desperate attempts to have any sort of class. I especially like the running gag where every single one of Richie's pick up lines always come back to only complimenting the woman's blouse. Eddie as the butler is great as well, with his hilariously double entendre laden dialogue. And the ending is absolutely hysterical too. If there was an episode to showcase how disgusting these two are, it's probably this one. Probably.

4. Parade (Season 2, Episode 4)

If you ever want to see why Rik Mayall is regarded as a fantastic comic, watch this episode. In Parade, Eddie and Richie try to make money off of betting on Sad Ken, a horse that, despite having 100/1 odds, is certain to win. For me, Rik Mayall makes this episode. From his insane (and fake) stories of his time in the Falklands, to his ridiculous attempts at flirting with a barmaid, his outrageous plan to steal a man's wooden leg, it's all here, and it's hilarious. He's at his comedic best here, with this perfect balance of hilarious dialogue and fantastic physical comedy. The ending is wonderfully absurd too, but I won't spoil it here. It's an episode that perfectly demonstrates why Rik Mayall was such a legend.

3. Hole (Season 3, Episode 1)

I think you can get a lot of comedy out of a group of characters trapped in a small environment, and Hole is the perfect example of that. Eddie and Richie get trapped on the tallest ferris wheel in Western Europe, the day before it's going to be demolished. This episode works because of Mayall and Edmonson's incredible comedic chemistry. The two bounce of each other perfectly here, with some of the funniest dialogue on television. It's also just one scene, by the way. And it makes that format work, setting the episode in real time,a further testament to the fantastic writing.The episode is light on slapstick sure, but it doesn't need it. The writing here is more than enough, offering some of the biggest laughs of the whole series. The ending is hilarious too. It's so clever, so wonderfully dark, and ends the episode on a comedic high.

2. 's Out (Season 2, Episode 6)

Most quotable episode ever. I could just list all the best lines here, but I can't give them away. This was the first episode of Bottom I watched, and in it Eddie and Richie goes camping. It's absolutely mental. This episode is possibly the most comically violent episode of the show, with poles in eyes, heads getting torched, and darts in various places galore. It's madness, but it's glorious madness. This is the episode I recommend starting with, because it gives you the perfect idea of what this show is. Once you understand that there's nothing TO understand, you'll most likely enjoy it. This episode is just fun. Mental, surreal, violent fun that never fails to make me smile.

1. Gas (Season 1, Episode 2)

Wow. Just... wow. This is it for me, the funniest episode of TV. Ever. The plot here is that Richie and Eddie have rigged their gas pipe up to their neighbour's meter. The gas man comes around to check it out, and worried that they'll be found out, Richie and Eddie... actually, you know what? I'm not going to say what happens next. It's so absurdly funny that you have to watch this episode to find it out for yourself. It's just Bottom at it's best. So funny, so memorable, so fantastically written. Every joke here hits the mark, spoken or physical. It's a wonderful episode that encapsulates everything good about Bottom. Just go watch it. It's so worth it.

June Jokefest Day 5: Raising Arizona (1987)

I'm a huge Coen Brothers fan, and this may not be my favourite film of theirs, but damn if it isn't the funniest. I think that Nicolas Cage gets a reputation that I honestly feel is slightly unfair. Okay, yeah, I'm not his biggest fan or anything, and yeah some of his performance are absolutely batshit crazy, but I honestly think that he's done some great stuff, with my favourite of his films definitely being Raising Arizona. It's a movie so crazy, so weird and so utterly ridiculous, that I can't help but find it so incredibly funny. The premise alone is absolutely mental. Basically, Hi a thief and Ed, a policewoman get married, and move into a caravan in the desert. They want to have kids, but she's infertile, and they can't adopt because he's a got a criminal record. So they steal a kid. They. Steal. A. Kid. The catch? The baby they steal is one of the area's prized Arizona Quintuplets. Things get more complicated when two of Hi's prison buddies break out and move in with the couple, Hi begins to go back to his old way, his job becomes threatened, and a bounty hunter comes after the two. Yeah, this movie is absolute chaos, but it's hard not to love.

It's this energy that the film has that makes me love it. It's always on the move, constantly escalating, changeng, getting crazier and crazier, until the madcap climax. It's so much fun to watch, and that's where the laughs come in. With a setup like that, you end up with some fantastically odd scenes, or scenes that start normal, and escalate into sheer madness. The best word to describe it is wild, because that's what it is, it's wild, it's unpredictable, and it's so fun. It's like going on a crazy journey, one so unlike anything else you've ever seen, one that you'll probably never get anywhere else. The Coen brothers have this knack for making all of their films completely different in style, tone and plot, and this is undoubtedly there most off the wall film (though it has competition there, trust me.)

This however, is a double edged sword. As fun as the insanity of the plot is, it can make the film somewhat messy. It tends to get carried away in it's own madness, which, yeah, can often be a problem. I don't know, this film can often lose focus because of how crazy it gets, which, yeah, can be so much fun, but also takes away from the plot. And I know, it's a comedy, but this one puts emphasis on the story and characters, and the situations they find themselves in, and some setpieces escalate a little too much. It gets distracting, and takes takes away from the film sometimes for me, which yeah, is definitely my main problem here.

However, the film makes up for it with how much heart it has. Everything in this film always comes back to how much Hi and Ed love each other. Even when they doubt each other throughout the film (which is spectacularly handled by the way), the film remains positive. The ending actually slows down, doesn't deliver any jokes, just wraps up the film in a very sweet, very fitting way. The charm of this film plays into the comedy too. Because of of much focus the film puts on the relationship between each of the characters, it can combine this with it's madcap humour, exaggerating it beyond all belief, which leads to so many fun situations. And equally, the comedy can lend to the more heartwarming moments too particularly when (SPOILER ALERT!) Hi and Ed give the kid back. The oddness and absurdity is pointed out, but it remains a strong story moment. It's little touches like these that cement the Coen Brothers as great filmmakers.

And, Nicolas Cage. Oh boy. Right, well, one thing I can say is that it's one of the few films where he actually plays a character, not himself, and he's good. I'm not a big fan of his trademark style, as fun and over the top as it can be. He proves here that he definitely can be a talented (intentional) comic, delivering some pretty great lines, and some superb physical comedy. So, you know what, forget all the memes, all the weird moments, all the bees, this is a good Nicolas Cage performance. Not a bizarrely exaggerated one, or an unintentionally funny one, a legitimately solid performance. Who knew?

Look, Raising Arizona is a wild ride. One that's fun, crazy and absolutely hilarious. IT gets madder and madder, but always stays fun. Yeah, it loses focus, or gets too wrapped up in it's own antics, but it's anchored down by it's massive heart, good script, and, surprisingly, Nicolas Cage. Give it a watch. Soundtrack's not bad either.

 

June Jokefest Day 4: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

Here's a movie that I feel isn't really talked about maybe as much as it should be. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a film that sees Michael Caine and Steve Martin of all people on screen together. Michael Caine plays Lawrence Jamieson, a suave, sophisticated conman who cheats rich, corrupt women out of their money. He runs into Freddie Benson, played by Steve Martin, and arrogant and foolish crook who swindles pretty much everyone he meets just to get by. Jamieson takes Benson under his wing (with ulterior motives, naturally) and mentors him in the art of the swindle. The two however, decide that there aren't enough targets in Beaumont-sur-Mer for the two of them, and compete against each other by seeing who can con an American heiress out of her money first. At the same time, Jamieson worries about an enigmatic con artist known only as The Jackal, who is pulling similar schemes to Jamieson.

The jokes here largely come from the fierce rivalry between Jamieson and Benson, and the different methods they use to try to cheat this woman out of her fortune. Throughout the film, we see the two become increasingly more unscrupulous means, and some of the lows these two stoop to makes for some fantastic comedy, especially when they screw each other over, which is constantly. The chemistry between the two, combined with Glenne Headly's charming performance as Janet Colgate, makes for some spectacular laughs. All three of them have this great presence on screen, and they play off each other incredibly well. They all have strong personality, which of course makes for some of the best laughs of the film.

Michael Caine in particular is superb. He's got this charming demeanor about him, despite playing an absolute scumbag. The film never portrays him as any different to Steve Martin by the way, even if he thinks he is. And that's another thing I love about his character. He sees himself as this noble thief, stealing from the wealthy and corrupt. This is a double edged sword, because on one hand, he does seem to have some kind of a conscience, but on the other, he might just be as corrupt as some of the people he swindles. He goes about his business in this elegant and charismatic manner, which I just find impossible to hate.

Steve Martin on the other hand, is, well, I'm not a fan of his anyway. Don't get me wrong, I respect him as a comic, I see why he's popular, and I understand why he was as successful as he was, but I am not a fan of his work. Not even here. I'm sorry, but this guy drags the film down for me. I just don't find him funny, and I'm not too sure why. Just something about his style doesn't work for me. I get the character that he's playing is a jackass, but even then, I don't think he makes it work here. And not only can it be done, it can be done well. Incredibly well. And for me Steve Martin just doesn't do it. He gets a laugh every once and a while (especially when he's posing as Jamieson's mentally challenged younger brother), but generally he just kind of annoys me. And yeah I praised him earlier, but that's only when he's playing off of Caine and Headly, which he does well. On his own though, I can't stand him. I know that maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but it's what stops me from calling this movie the funniest I've seen (foreshadowing).

Regardless, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has a wonderful comedic script, tight direction, wonderful comic chemistry and is just a very funny film. Yes, it's brought down by Steve Martin, but it's saved by two things: Michael Caine and his wonderful comic timing, and the intelligent script, especially with it's twist ending (which I refuse to spoil here). Both work so well together that they make the movie irresistibly funny. I'd honestly say go see it, it's very funny. If you like Steve Martin, you'll probably get more out of it than I did, but if you're like me and you don't like Steve Martin, watch it anyway. There's enough in this movie for me to keep it fun, enjoyable, and most importantly, funny. So yeah, go and give it a watch. 

June Jokefest Day 3: My Top 5 Favourite Looney Tunes Shorts

I love Looney Tunes, so picking my 5 favourite shorts proved difficult, but not impossible, so let's get going!

5. What's Opera, Doc?

Of all the Elmer Fudd shorts, this one would probably be my favourite. It's a spoof of operas, with many jokes poking fun at all the tropes and clichés commonly seen in them. It's also pretty much the funniest Elmer vs. Bugs short, with strong wordplay, clever physical gags and some pretty fluid animation. I'd say that this is the best looking of the Looney Tunes shorts, with mind blowingly beautiful backrounds. Not to mention the surprisingly depressing ending, which I won't dare spoil. It's a classic, and with good reason.

4. Duck Amuck

The idea here is genius. Daffy Duck (my personal favourite character in Looney Tunes) gets into a fight with an animator. It's hard to describe all the crazy shit that happens next, but it's some of the best physical comedy I've ever seen. The escalating craziness combined with the creative visuals make this short absolutely unforgettable. It's crazy, it's fun, and it's hilarious. And the reveal at the end? Genius.

3. One Froggy Evening

Talk about a classic. A man finds a singing frog. Every time he tries to profit off the frog's talent, the frog stops singing. I love how the man is instantly punished every time his greed gets the better of him. It doesn't actually feature any trademark characters, but this was the first appearance of Michigan J. Frog, who was in assorted Looney Tunes media afterwards. I do find it odd that they never did an awful lot with this character after this short. Maybe they couldn't think of too many funny situations to put him in, I don't know. What I do know is that One Froggy Evening is a superb piece of comedy.

2. The Great Piggy Bank Robbery

That. Animation. This short has some of the funniest facial expressions of any animation I've seen. The plot here is that Daffy, after reading a Dick Tracy comic, imagines that he has to foil a dastardly plot to rob a load of piggy banks. Everything here, from the exaggerated facial expressions to the ridiculous villain names (I'm a Neon Noodle fan myself) is fantastic, and absolutely hilarious. The writing here is spot on, making for some of the funniest gags in Looney Tunes. It's also a great parody of crime stories like Dick Tracy, affectionately spoofing a whole load of different aspects of them. This one's a must see.

1. Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century

As I said, I'm a huge Daffy Duck fan. And this short is awesome. So awesome that it got its own series. The jokes here all hit bullseyes, like the disintegrating pistol that lives up to its name a little too well. This short is great, almost too funny for words, and features Daffy at his absolute best. It wasn't an easy decision, but Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century is my favourite Looney Tunes short.

June Jokefest Day 2: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

It's honestly hard to know what I can really even say about this film that hasn't already been said. I know that I'm supposed to give my thoughts on this film, but what can you even say about Monty Python and the Holy Grail? It's hilarious. Go watch it.

fin.








Okay, no, I'm kidding. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, one of the silliest movies ever, but also probably one of the funniest. I'm a huge Python fan, and the three movies (not counting And Now For Something Completely Different or Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl) are some of my favourite comedies ever. None of them are my favourite comedy (foreshadowing), but all of them come damn close. Holy Grail is often considered the best of the bunch, and I can see why. It's low budget, and absolutely ridiculous, but it's a near perfect comedy film, one that undoubtedly deserves the acclaim it gets. So, for those who don't know, what is Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Well, King Arthur is on a quest to find Knights of the Round Table (who dance when they are able). That is, until God tells them to find the Holy Grail, and then the search is on. I'll admit, the first time I saw this movie, I wasn't actually a huge fan of it. I mean, the opening and ending scenes felt like they dragged on quite a bit. But it was only on rewatch, when I knew about both of those jokes, that I really appreciated them, and now I think they're absolutely hilarious. They're two great cases of fourth wall breaking in film, though I think that they can both be a little jarring the first time around.

From there, the film tells joke after joke and it's absolutely hilarious. I could talk about each scene, but chances are, you already know them all. The Black Knight, the witch trial, the wedding, Castle Anthrax, the French Taunters, the Trojan Rabbit, Scene 24, the Rabbit of Caerbannog, the Bridge of Death, the Knights Who Say Ni, the list goes on. These are gags that have gone down in history as some of the funniest scenes in the history of cinema, and I can see why. The idea behind them are so simple, but so silly, and the film just embraces that silliness and it's hilarious because of that. I love ridiculous humour (as you'll see later), and this film just nails that so well. It's simple sure, but you've got to love how much they can do with these ideas, how funny they can make them.

So why was I a little disappointed the first time I watched this movie? Well, honestly, maybe it's because, if you're not in on some of the jokes, watching it for the first time can be a little strange. Love it or hate it, you have to admit that there are few movies like it, and watching something like that without prior knowledge can honestly take you by surprise. Don't get me wrong, I've seen it many times since and I love it every time, but it's just this movie is so surreal the first time you see it. Like I remember seeing the ending, and being like "That's it? That's how it ends?". Now though, I get it, and I think that the ending is hilarious. So is most of the film actually. It's definitely one of the funniest films of it's time, albeit one that you probably need to see more than once to really get it.

So, in conclusion, what do I think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail? I love it. Absolutely. Maybe I didn't fall in love with it first time around, but since then? I'd call it one of the funniest films I've seen. It only gets even funnier, sillier and more charming with every rewatch. Almost every joke hits bullseye, and the writing is just so fantastically funny, as is the acting. Everything works here, and it's not hard to see why so many people love this movie, why so many call it one of the funniest films ever made. I'd say go see it, but who am I kidding, you probably already have.

June Jokefest Day 1: Airplane! (1980)

So, as I've said time and time again, I love comedy, in all forms, especially movies and TV. So, why not dedicate a whole month to the art of making people laugh? I know I've talked a lot about some very funny films (and Rat Race), but now I'm taking the whole month of June to talk entirely about comedy. It's a real passion of mine, so I'm going to do it justice as best I can. So enough with the introductions, let's get this show on the road.

And what better way to start June Jokefest than with a film often considered one of the funniest ever, Airplane! I'll admit, I was actually skeptical about this film before I saw it. It had this huge reputation, and I honestly doubted it could live up to my expectations. I mean, everyone calls it one of the funniest movies ever, so it was hard not to feel this way before I watched it. And then I actually sat down to watch Airplane!, and I have to admit, it didn't just live up to my expectations, it surpassed them.

It's hard to actually know what to say about this movie, not just because of it's fame, but because of how much focus is put on the insane amount of jokes it throws at you. I mean I could explain the plot, in which a war veteran has to fly a plane when most of the people aboard fall ill, but it's not a plot driven film, instead focusing on doing everything it can to get a laugh out of the audience. As I said, it's actually kind of difficult to talk about Airplane! in too much detail, because it's full of so many gags, and it's hard to discuss without spoiling the jokes, but I will say that the sheer variety of jokes in this movie is insane. Visual gags, puns, innuendo, wordplay, slapstick and all of the parody. All of it. The movie parodies... kind of everything, but it's mainly a spoof of films like Airport, and especially Zero Hour.

 I think that Airplane! works so well as a parody because of it handles it's tone. The acting in this films is completely 100% serious, which works so well with how batshit crazy and stupid the script is. It's this combination of stern faced delivery which wouldn't be out of place in the films that Airplane! parodies, and the escalating absurdity of the jokes that just makes it work so well. Nothing is out of bounds here: the movie is ridiculous enough to do pretty much anything, and it works. The movie's utter stupidity becomes this unique style that rarely fails to get a laugh. Almost every joke hits the mark and very rarely do they fall flat. This film also nails it's running gags. Every time one is used, it never feels repetitive, and the writers always find a way to make it work. 

It's not perfect though. Ignoring the simplicity (which I'm fine with, after all, it's not a plot driven film), there are aspects of Airplane! which don't really work for me. For instance, the two leads are so bland. Look, I know it's not the point of the film, but I don't remember anything about these two outside of their names. It's not like the other characters were exactly forgettable or anything either, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves are all great in their roles and really stand out to me, but I find it hard to get invested in the characters of Ted and Elaine. Don't get me wrong, they're well acted (by Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty) I guess, but the characters themselves are one dimensional and actually pretty boring. Again, it's not the point and it's all about the jokes, but still, I'd at least like to see them fleshed out a little more. Also, not every joke has aged too well. They're great for the most part, but some gags do show their age.

As it stands, Airplane! has earned it's legacy. Any problem I could find with the film doesn't change the fact that it's an outstanding piece of comedy, one that's endlessly creative in the sheer amount of gags it throws at you. I mean, it deserves it's reputation as one of the funniest movies, and while I wouldn't call it my favourite comedy (foreshadowing), it's still one I have a huge amount of respect for, one which I feel has made an indelible impact on comedic filmmaking as we know it, and one that everyone should see at some point in their lives. Look, it's not perfect, and I stand by my complaints, but the fact is, this film is hilarious, and that overshadows any flaws it has. If you haven't seen Airplane!, drop everything and do so now. There's a reason why it's as acclaimed as it is, and surely you'll enjoy it.