Still preferable to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.We’re well into week 146 of the Melbourne Comedy Festival* – I’m sorry, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – and I just wish everybody would sod off and die.
It’s not just the fact that cunts I manage to avoid successful throughout the year, like Wil Anderson or Helen Razer, are suddenly front and centre in what passes for culture in this neck of the woods, it’s the sheer relentless, industrial, grinding nature of it all.
It’s like being stuck in a lift for three hours with somebody who “does jokes” or recycles entire sketches from memory.
And those cutsie poo posters by Michael “Cunting” Leunig.
There’s nothing more depressing than “festivals” in any case and “Comedy Festivals” make me long for armageddon or Perth.
*Well, it seems like it.
It’s not just the fact that cunts I manage to avoid successful throughout the year, like Wil Anderson or Helen Razer, are suddenly front and centre in what passes for culture in this neck of the woods, it’s the sheer relentless, industrial, grinding nature of it all.
It’s like being stuck in a lift for three hours with somebody who “does jokes” or recycles entire sketches from memory.
And those cutsie poo posters by Michael “Cunting” Leunig.
There’s nothing more depressing than “festivals” in any case and “Comedy Festivals” make me long for armageddon or Perth.
*Well, it seems like it.
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33 comments:
Wanna hug?
I appreciate that, Pepsi, I really do.
Don't speak about Leunig that way!
What do you find funny, Ramon? I know you've said that you like Fry and Laurie and Blackadder. Anything else?
Personally, I'm not very much into comedy. I have several hundred movies in my collection that I think are hilarious, but almost none of them were made with that intention.
I also have to disagree with Squib on this. I think you should speak more about Leunig in that way.
Blackbooks,
Father Ted,
Early Simpsons,
Conversely, I have never found The Office even faintly amusing.
Father Ted
I don't know how I managed to miss that one. It's a complete mystery to me why so many people like Black Books though. What's the appeal? I also think that Little Britain is possibly the least funny thing I have ever endured, and that includes disembowelling sheep.
I'll give you a big sloppy kiss too but I dont think this red lippy would last all the way down the Hume.
The people from the 'burbs are the life blood of the melbs comedy festival, and their measure of success for buying tix is if the comedian is on free to air tellie or not. You cant help the festival dudes for wanting to sell tix.
I got dragged to see the guy without a foot from the abc a few years back when he was downstairs @ the Townhall. After about 10 minutes I got so bored I spent the rest of the time texting - and I was in the front row (by the look on his face, I'd say he got the message).
The "look its a duck with a hat, isnt that funny" school of comedy doesnt really work for me, I expect comedians to work a little harder to earn my laughter, bless em.
It helps too if they are easy on the eye, and have a scottish accent and bloody not here this year.
Or called Bernard.
Sounds like we have very similar tastes, Ramon.
I love Blackbooks, Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster (Fry and Laurie) and Father Ted, and hate The Office and Little Britain.
Alex, what don't you like about Black Books? And what non-comedy movies do you think are hilarious?
I have never found The Office even faintly amusing
and hate The Office
Well I never.
I have the boxed set of Jeeves and Wooster, Puss.
Come to think of it, Puss sounds like a character from Jeeves and Wooster.
We need more Bill Hicks torch carriers and less 'socially safe' pranksters, or larrikins as the knuckle draggers call them.
My wish is to have a butler like Jeeves one day.
Do butlers even exist anymore? Besides the ones who work for the Queen of England, I mean.
Jeeves is a valet not a butler, Puss.
Alex, what don't you like about Black Books?
I guess it's the writing, Puss. Shows like Blackadder and such can keep my attention and give me the odd chuckle, but for some reason, I find Black Books both unfunny and uninteresting. I don't hate it in the same way as Little Britain, I just find it sort of sleep inducing.
As for movies I find funny: They're mostly pre-1990s sci-fi/fantasy/action/horror fare. Most people would have seen "Clash Of The Titans" (1981), "Commando" (1985), "Death Race 2000" (1975) and "Faster Pussycat Kill Kill" (1965), but better examples would be "Leprechaun 4" (1997), "Space Mutiny" (1988), "Night Of The Blood Beast" (1958), "Circle Of Iron" (1978), Jipangu (1990) and various "Hercules/Colossus/El Santo Vs" movies, among others. I've also got a soft spot for old Cantonese action flicks, but most of them could probably be classified as proper comedies now that I think about it.
You may be pleased then that the latest Clash of the Titans is appropriately hammy. My movie going partner shushed me a couple of times when I started cackling at inappropriate moments. Raplh Fiennes as Hades - looks like he is doing Richard III (it was richard III who was protrayed hunchbacked and club footed wasn't it? - I should google, but I am too lazy). Liam Neilson as an irish accented glowing silver armour wearing zeus - ahahaha
Ramon - meh. Same thing.
Alex - fair enough. I guess it's not for everyone. I laugh heartily at many instances throughout.
I don't believe I've seen any of those movies. If they are largely from the 80s, that would explain why I haven't. I haven't seen much from that decade. I only just watched Ferris Bueller on the weekend. It was meh. And I watched Flying High the weekend before. Now that was a complete waste of my life. I don't think I even smiled once, it was so awful.
MCL, a projectionist mate(=free tickets) was talking about taking me to see 'Clash Of The Titans' in 3D, but we've been stung quite a bit in the last few years with bad movies that turned out to be insanely tedious marathons rather than good hammy fun (the last Terminator springs to mind). But if you'll vouch for it, that's good enough for me.
Puss, the numbers that I have included in parenthesis represent the year in which the preceding movie was released. And your reaction to Ferris Beuler and Flying High pretty much sums up my reaction to most of the comedy that I have ever seen, regardless of decade.
now I am worried - have I lead you astray? - I thought flying high was very funny when I saw it, but I was only nine or so at the time.
I still do that "i have a drinking problem" line if I accidentally miss my mouth when drinking and I live in hope that someday somebody will say 'surely you can't be serious' so that I can say, I am and don't call me shirley.
I still do that "i have a drinking problem" line if I accidentally miss my mouth when drinking
That happen very often, MCL?
And I didn't expect that "Clash Of The Titans" would be in any way similar to "Flying High". Was it the kind of movie that you could have cackled at the whole way through if you weren't being shushed, or was it just a once or twice thing?
Also, does anyone remember when Perseus was worried that the new "Clash Of The Titans" movie was going to make his internet name cheap and cartoony? Seems a little redundant now, doesn't it?
Over the top performances and Sam Worthington looks very nice in his little leather skirt.
I think it good.
Drinking problem: oh god - you mean it's just me? I feel so alone now.
does anyone remember when Perseus was worried that the new "Clash Of The Titans" movie was going to make his internet name cheap and cartoony?
I think that The Totally Mental Misadventures of a Luckless Love-Gumby achieved that long ago.
Alex - smarty pants. I realised that after I posted the comment and re-read yours. 33% is not really "largely", but if we throw in the '78 and '90, then I'll take 56% for $200, Alex. Hey, that works on both levels!
This has been very revealing.
I too hate the comedy festival time of year. Hate it. Hate seeing all those unfunny faces around.
HOWEVER
for me, I have found the following funny:
Life of Brian (but not the other Python movies); The Office (English, not American); Little Britain (parts of); Flying High (when I was 9 as well); Cannonball Run/Smokey and the Bandit, also when 9ish; alot of Will Ferrell; Blues Brothers; Arrested Development; Sacha Baron Cohen, inc Borat but not Bruno; Flight of the Conchords; Curb Your Enthusiasm. And so on.
I tend towards American humour rather than English, but loved Benny Hill as a kid.
This is just a melange of quick thinks. I'm sure there are others.
Okay, judge me.
I tend towards American humour rather than English, but loved Benny Hill as a kid.
It's funny Melba, but most of the Yanks that I know well enough to discuss this sort of thing with, love Benny Hill, and most of the Poms I know reckon he was a cunt (expressed in those exact terms). I have no idea if that's representative of a wider trend or not.
Puss, if you're interested in expanding your horizons, you can watch/download Death Race 2000 (sci-fi - 1975), Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (thriller (sort of) - 1965) and Leprechaun 4 (horror - 1997) over at Google Videos.
You can also see the Mystery Science Theater versions of Night Of The Blood Beast and Space Mutiny. It's not the same as watching the original movies, but I think they're reasonably amusing in their own right.
Of course, humour is a pretty personal thing. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get a laugh out of any of it.
You ever watch that US sitcom called Rules of Engagement? I know its crap, but I find that show hilarious. Also Modern Family is pretty good.
Nighty Night and Alan Partridge are the best British comedies Ive seen.
Modern Family is good, but I wish horrible things upon the father.
I can't stand Will Ferrell, Sascha Baron Cohen, Steve Carrel, etc. I think Will Ferrell is the unfunniest man in the universe. I just don't see the appeal. Borat et al are the just the same joke over and over. [Insert name of persona] says/does inappropriate thing at inappropriate time. There are only so many times you can watch that before it's not funny any more. Which was once, for me.
I do, however, love Flight of the Conchords. I remember seeing them on a late night show on Comedy Channel about 5 years ago, and I was so excited when I saw they had a TV show. It did not disappoint.
I think Will Ferrell is the unfunniest man in the universe.
If not the unfunniest, then something very close to it.
I liked the idea of Borat, in that he seemed to me to be a character that embodied the best and worst of humanity. He was honest, open, friendly, etc, but his (exagerated) cultural upbringing had given him values that were completely offensive to a modern western society - racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. Unfortunately, it just didn't translate into a lot of laughs for me.
I bought the boxed set of Family Guy in Thailand. Very funny. For me anyway.
I liked Two and a Half Men for a while, but it's repetitive now and the canned laughter drives me nuts.
You really like Big Bang Theory Witchie? And give it up, who on here?
Give the modern tellie comedy a chance, the fuddy duddy stuff a few of you are name checking was modern once, and the old farts tut tutted at how unfunny it was way back then too.
I dont mind Blackadder et al, but League of Gentlemen, Boosh, Office, Extras, Royles (the combination of humour and pathos is gold), Little Brit, Mitchell & Webb - all excellent & funny.
The French & Saunder eps about the Ingmar Bergman films had me in stitches a few weeks ago.
I loved the comedy festival time, the atmosphere in town was amazing, wondering around the townhall precinct in the evenings after work was always fun, and autumn is when Melb is at its best. I'd see lots of cheapo shows in weird places and only a few big namer internationals.
I'm just disappointed that the acts that bother to come up the Hume for Cracker are limited.
I did watch The General (Buster Keaton) on Saturday night on ABC2, it was supposed to be a comedy classic, but it barely raised a chuckle.
Two & Half Men is one of Dads favourite shows. He loves Charlie (??)
I only just watched Ferris Bueller on the weekend. It was meh.
Gasp!
You take that back!
I live in hope that someday somebody will say 'surely you can't be serious' so that I can say, I am and don't call me shirley.
I've done that! It was fun!
Apparently I like exclamation marks a lot today! Do excuse me!
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Sorry EMS. You probably had to watch it in the 80s when you were a teenager to appreciate it properly.
The Boy says, "don't call me Shirley" all the time. I never understood why before. It's still not that funny now that I do know.
I used to have a bunch of quotes from movies all around my classroom walls at my old school. Great conversation starters when it's too quiet & you need to interrupt a deathly silence. Like in the middle of a mock exam or something. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'd never do that.)
The Shirley one was up there. The kids loved that one.
Speaking of comedy box sets, I have the complete collection of The League of Gentlemen (series one, two, three and the Christmas special). It's very British and very wrong and I laughed my arse of at it when I was nine months pregnant (it was my maternity-leave present from work).
It's a view-once show for me so if anyone who likes very evil British comedies would like it, just send me your postal address.
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