My Favorite Comedies From Each of The Last Ten Decades

1910’s- The Champion: In a decade dominated by Charlie Chaplin, I had to pick one of his movies. The Champion may not be one of his more well known films, but it’s a classic none the less. Chaplin, with the help of a lucky horseshoe, becomes a successful boxer, and while dealing with gamblers who want him to throw his fights, he falls in love. It is typical Chaplin, fun and imaginative.

1920’s- Sherlock Jr.: Some of the greatest comedies in film history were made during the 20’s; it’s when Chaplin started to hit his stride with The Kid and Buster Keaton emerged as a comedy genius. My favorite film of his is Sherlock Jr. There are a lot of people who don’t enjoy silent movies (especially kids from my generation), but there is something about Keaton and Chaplin films that just seem to last. The fun that they have in their movies and their understanding of plot, drama, romance, and comedy make their films extremely enjoyable. In Sherlock Jr., Keaton plays a film projectionist with aspirations to be a detective like Sherlock Holmes. He is in love with a girl who has another suitor, and when he is falsely accused of a crime by her family, his detective side comes out. An endearing film with a lot of heart and a lot of laughs.

1930’s- Duck Soup : Tough, tough, tough, but to me this is the best of the Marx Brothers, and that’s saying something. With Groucho at the helm, the Marx Bros. pumped out hit after hit for more then a decade. With their mixture of slapstick comedy, romance, and music, they were a constant in an era when the film industry when transitioning into “talkies.”

1940’s- The Philadelphia Story: Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant, I almost feel like I don’t need to say anything else. However, if there is one movie on this list that you have to see, I’m going to have to say it’s this one. A wonderful film centering around the love triangle of the three stars. It’s quirky and very smart, with amazing performance from all three stars.

1950’s- Harvey: James Stewart once again. Now I know that Some Like It Hot came out in this decade and it may be the greatest comedy of all-time, but to me the movie Harvey is just as brilliant. Stewart plays a drunk, not a mean drunk, but a friendly drunk, or at least the people in his town put up with his antics. But when he claims that he can see a “pooka” in the form of a bunny rabbit, people begin to second guess Stewart. It is an odd film, with some sad moments, but the comedy is very strong and heartwarming.

1960’s- The Producers: I am not sure how I came to this decision, but being one of the biggest Mel Brooks fans, I had to put his comedy classic on my list. The 60’s however, may be the greatest comedic decade of all time. From Dr. Strangelove, to The Graduate, to The Apartment, to My Fair Lady, the 60’s were a joyous time. For me though, The Producers is a film that I can watch at anytime and laugh from beginning to end. With Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder playing two producers trying to scam their way into a boat load of money, The Producers has some of the greatest moments in comedy history.

1970’s- Manhattan: I really wanted to pick Blazing Saddles, but I went with my heart and chose a film that may not be the funniest movie, but boy if it isn’t one of the best movies ever made. Woody Allen is a huge influence on me and his dialogue and humor are so unique. I remember the first time I saw this movie, I had recently just watched Annie Hall, and I didn’t think it could get much better then that, but I was wrong. Manhattan to me, is Allen’s masterpiece. The use of black and white in the film works perfectly and even enhances the beauty. The shots of New York are outstanding and show Allen’s true love for the city. It is one of my all-time favorites, without a doubt.

1980’s- Trading Places: Eddie Murphy dominated the 80’s and although there may be better movies, Trading Places so fuckin funny. A twist on the Prince and the Pauper scenario, done with a funny twist. Murphy is excellent and Dan Aykroyd does a good job as well. Let me say also that Jaime Lee Curtis is smokin in this film, she gives two reasons to see the movie, that’s for sure.

1990’s- Dazed and Confused: Once again, this was nearly impossible, but I had to go with Dazed and Confused. Maybe the best movie about life in high school ever made and definitely one of the best movies made bout the 70’s. Drugs, sex, alcohol, fast, cars, and beautiful girls, Dazed and Confused has it all. Like American Graffiti, just the drugged out version. I watched the movie every last day of high school, the soundtrack is ridiculous, there are spot on performances, notably Matthew McConaughey’s Wooderson, it’s like being transported back in time.

2000’s- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: I think this may be one of the most underrated movies of the past decade. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is one of those movies where you just can’t stop smiling while you’re watching it. An ingenious storyline, that follows a crappy bank robber (played by Robert Downey Jr.) who in the midst of a robbery gone wrong gets cast for a movie. We follow him to California where he gets caught up in a murder mystery, while studying his role. It’s amazing. Val Kilmer in maybe his best role ever, plays a detective named Gay Perry, genius. There are no bad parts, it’s the kind of story that I hope to one day write. Something new, fresh, and entertaining.

FALL PREVIEW

J. Edgar

I have to say that I am very excited and hopeful about the movies coming out this fall and winter. The movie at the top of my list has got to be J. Edgar.

Clint Eastwood is one of the most influential people the film industry has ever seen. From his acting to his directing to his music, he has given the film community some classic performances and classic films. His newest project is J. Edgar a bio-pic covering the life of J. Edgar Hoover; the face of American Law Enforcement for almost 50 years. The film stars Leonardo Dicaprio as Hoover, as well as Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, and Naomi Watts.

So why do I have high hopes for this movie? I’d say that’s pretty easy. Clint Eastwood is a master of bio-pics and character studies. From Million Dollar Baby, to Letters From Iwo Jima, to Gran Torino, the man knows how to get the best out of his actors and because of that it makes telling the story that much easier. I think it will have that classic 1940’s and 50’s type feel, which will only add to the realism.

In my eyes Eastwood is a god damn National treasure and I expect plenty of Oscar buzz for this film, and let’s be honest, it’s about time Dicaprio won Best Actor. J. Edgar comes out November 9th.

Movie Spotlight

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Now I know HP7pt2 came out this summer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but barring some miracle Crazy, Stupid, Love has been my favorite movie of the summer. It isn’t a classic and I’ll probably forget about it in a couple of months, but for a summer filled with ho-hum movies, Crazy, Stupid, Love, entertained me from beginning to end.

There have been a lack of good romantic comedies in the last few years, I could probably name the ones I’ve liked on one hand, but Crazy, Stupid, Love is definitely up there. It isn’t your typical rom-com either. It does it sort of sneakily. The movie centers around Cal, played by Steve Carrell. Cal has just been told by his wife Emily, played by the lovely Julianne Moore, that she wants a divorce. Cal, a loving father and family man, is shocked and can barley move, but not wanting to hear the reason for the divorce (she cheated on him), he agrees to sign the papers. So he moves out, still at a loss. He wanders around, spending a lot of time at a bar where he gets drunk and rambles to himself about all of his problems. His thirteen year old son Robbie, a self-proclaimed romantic, tries to guide his father through it, but the change comes from a stranger, a man in the bar, but not just any man, the man.

Jacob, played by Ryan Gosling, is, well…a player. One look at a girl and game over. He is the epitome of a GQ Magazine cover, but he has a heart. When he sees Cal rambling at the bar, he takes pity on him and decides to turn him into a project. He gives him fashion advice and takes him under his wing as he talks to the beautiful women in the bar. Cal sits and studies, and learns quickly. Soon he unconventionally bags a fox of his own, played by Marisa Tomei. This goes on for a while as Cal slowly turns into Jacob and Jacob, a man who has never settled down, turns into Cal as he falls for a Hannah, played by Emma Stone. She is an up and coming lawyer who at first turns Jacob down, but when things don’t go according to plan, she finds herself in his arms.

But it can’t last, Cal still misses his wife and his wife…still misses him. He decides, with some advice from Robbie, that he can’t give up, so he goes after her. The last 20 minutes of the film are gold, and although there are some cliche moments it wraps up in a very refreshing way. I adored Crazy, Stupid, Love, the actors are wonderful, the comedy is just right and the romance is heartwarming, it is the perfect summer movie.

The Beginning

Yes, the beginning, of what... I'm not sure. I am back blogging after almost two years off and I regret not keeping up with it. Writing has become everything in my life. It is my craft and hopefully my future career. My last blog was all about movies. I gave recommendations, reviews, I wrote about things I'd hear that were happening in the industry, and I still plan on doing some of that. However, I'll also be talking about my life. Now I'm no expert, or star, but I feel at the ripe age of 20, that I have a lot of good views on life, and have had a lot of experiences that I think people my age can really relate to.

Since dropping out of the University of Illinois almost a year ago, I have been on a roller-coaster ride. I left at probably the lowest point in my life, depressed, lost , and very cynical. Luckily, I found something to get me out of that rut. A gap year program that would take me to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. On February 10th of this year, me and 12 others left on a journey that has changes my life forever. For three months we traveled, in Fiji we lived with the natives: helping them build a sidewalk, riding horseback through the unspeakably beautiful scenery, and even dancing into the night, drinking Kava and relaxing below the quiet night sky. In New Zealand we went North to South hitting all of the major spots, but most notably climbing the famous Mt. Doom from the Lord of the Rings. A treacherous mountain, with a heavenly view at the top. And then Australia, a globalized country, that is almost all desert. The Outback is exactly how you imagine it, vast, dry, and hot. It took nearly a week to get through half of it, on a small bus full of people. It was a trip that I'll never forget, it was three months of my life where I was overwhelmed almost everyday. It changed me for the better, I matured and I found a new motivation for my life.

When I returned home, almost immediately I was back on the road, this time to the University of Southern California to take film classes. California for the last few years has been the goal destination. Like all people trying to make it in the film industry it is where I want to go to school, where I want to work, and where I want to live. At USC I learned more about the screenwriting craft then ever before. I wrote freely and and enjoyably and my end products thrived because of that. I left with new ideas and a new understanding that I hope to carry with me for a long time.

So that's me. A beginning screenwriter currently living in his parent's house, applying to film schools, and just waiting for that break, or that spark that will propel me forward. I know how difficult it's gonna be, but what's life without a few challenges. But maybe more importantly, if you're not enjoying life then what's the point. I am going about it a little differently, but at least I'm enjoying it and having fun with it.