What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[Ack]

And I don't label people idiots after seeing that, but the whole show pretty much confirms what I've always thought about humanity as a whole getting dumber and dumber by the year. The worst part is I've lost track of the number of times I've been called a snob because I hate brainless, groan-inducing comedies like the ones Will Ferrell makes (which, unfortunately, make up 99 % of all comedy films made today) and I'm not afraid to say so. Apparently it's snobbish to prefer movies/tv shows/whatever that don't completely insult my intelligence.

And yet you like the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies?

[Erik_Twice]

Fuck, the moment I start moving everything to a new direction and hosting, someone links an old TF2 article and the old one becomes suddenly popular

[Erik_Twice]

Fuck, the moment I start moving everything to a new direction and hosting, someone links an old TF2 article and the old one becomes suddenly popular

[Retrodude]

And yet you like the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies?

Well, to be fair, those aren't pretending to be something they're not. I go in expecting a big, dumb action movie and that's exactly what I get. Most modern comedies, though, advertise as if they think they really are making great cinema (they're not) and each one tries to be more stupid, vulgar and crude than the last in a never-ending game of oneupmanship. I would say there hasn't been a truly great comedy film since Be Kind Rewind in 2008. This review sums it up nicely:

http://www.mountainx.com/movies/review/be_kind_rewind

Next to a film like that, The Hangover, Bridesmaids and Movie 43 look like the garbage they are. Some call that snobbish, I call it having standards.

[AppleQueso]

Most modern comedies, though, advertise as if they think they really are making great cinema (they're not)

...they do?

[elmagicochrisg]

Oh come on, Will Ferrell is funny. Just looking at the guy's face is funny. He doesn't even have to do anything...

Most powerful Tranquilizer gun in the market

[Retrodude]

Most modern comedies, though, advertise as if they think they really are making great cinema (they're not)

...they do?

A few representative examples, though they're far from the only ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqS2_0WHa4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PX0xob0rWE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUb1XC6VLI4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg5kVG0i7r0

[Ack]

I would say there hasn't been a truly great comedy film since Be Kind Rewind in 2008.

I guess I can agree with that. Be Kind Rewind was wonderful, and easily my favorite of every film I've ever seen Jack Black do, though I have to admit that I enjoyed Tropic Thunder a few months later if only for how much it made fun of the film industry and was willing to break some serious taboos about depiction of race in films.

Plus, "I'm a lead farmer, mother fucker" was a favorite line in LAN parties I attended for a while.

[Retrodude]

I like Tropic Thunder because it's a spoof of Schwarzenegger-esque action movies and a satirical commentary on Hollywood politics all rolled into one. They disguised it as a typical stupid comedy so that more people would see it (it likely would have been ignored otherwise, sad but true). Kind of brilliant if you think about it.

I've always thought Ben Stiller was in that odd catagory of "smart stupid", meaning that his movies appear dumb on the surface but are often far more clever than they're given credit for. Jack Black's done a few of those too.

[flex wood]

Be Kind Rewind was wonderful, and easily my favorite of every film I've ever seen Jack Black do.

You should really watch the never ending story 3 then, by far the best role he has ever done and probably one of the best performances that has ever graced a direct to DVD movie of all time.