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Whose Line Is It This Wednesday?
Ryan Stiles, you know what to do:
–Carol Channing
True, but laughter with applause is the best.
They’d Be Dumb Not Two
Harry Dunne: I can’t believe we drove around all day and there’s not a single job in this town. There is nothing, nada, zip!
Lloyd Christmas: Yeah, unless you wanna work 40 hours a week!
There is a brilliance to the simplistic awareness of the 1994 cult classic Dumb and Dumber. In my opinion, Dumb and Dumber is the funniest movie ever made. To say, “I like it a lot!” with the necessary mouth play is an understatement. Twenty years have passed and I still quote random lines from this movie with pride and gusto in virtually any situation, just like many, many, many other fans from around every corner. Aside from the quintessential boy humor (sans profanity, FYI), there is a story about two lovable losers, whose intellectual ceiling is waist high, that are truly struggling to function within society. And this gets to the heart of the story, which is one of the paramount reasons why this comedy endures. Let’s not neglect the perfect casting, writing, settings and clothing as well.
The jokes are laugh-out-loud hilarious, not mean-spirited and are intended to bring out the goofiest parts of ourselves. They dance on the line of appropriate and inappropriate for a mass audience, but don’t cross it. And haven’t we all been in one of these situations (to some extent) at least once before?
Who hasn’t fallen off the jet way?
As shown by the scene below, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne have been beaten down by their shortcomings and reveal an emotionally raw, dejected sadness about their plight. Again, we’ve all been there, whether it’s a relationship/series of failed relationships, a lost job or a wide-range of personal issues that can devastate a man or woman to his or her core. It hurts and it feels inevitable to continue. All that Lloyd and Harry have is themselves. But, what if there was just a sliver of hope in the form of a briefcase (what brand was it again?) that offered the tiniest glimmer of hope?
Friendship requires forgiveness and the opportunity to act foolishly. A lot of things in life demands seriousness and focus. Yes, absolutely. But, if these events are not complemented with instances of random silliness, then, well, that’s pretty dumb and boring. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta hop on the back of a hog and ride on the road of life to wherever it takes you. In all seriousness though, it should take you to Aspen. It’s “where the beer flows like wine.” Also, note the spectacular song (“Where I Find My Heaven” by Gigolo Aunts) in the clip.
Dumb and Dumber is a story about friendship, stupidity, heartache, love, delusion, hardships, personal happiness, physical comedy, innocence, amusement and, above all else, acting dumb…and then acting even dumber.
After decades of hesitation to make a sequel to such a fan favorite, many people have long assumed that a sequel with the original cast and crew would never happen. Too much time had passed. And now that it’s really happened, the most prominent questions being asked are:
Was it a good idea to make a sequel?
What effect(s) will the sequel have on the legacy of the original?
Will the sequel live up to the original in its fresh, unique comedic perfection?
If Dumb and Dumber To (which brings back the best comedy buddy duo of all-time in Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, as well as its directing duo of Bobby and Peter Farrelly) has incorporated the aforementioned elements of nostalgic boy humor, realities of life, quotable lines and an unforgettably inappropriate scene, then perhaps making this sequel to a beloved classic will prove to have been a smart move after all.
Dumb and Dumber To is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
Oh, and I got worms.
Will Harry and Lloyd have worms?
Did Harry end up running a store specializing in worm farms?
I’d say the odds are like one in a million…just like the odds of a sequel finally being made.
Happy Monday!
This past weekend, Saturday Night Live was in some rare form: it was funny. While that may seem harsh, it’s really not that harsh. However, the triumphant return of Bill Hader and former cast-mate and now co-star in the film, The Skeleton Twins, Kristen Wiig provided genuine laugh-out-loud moments: impressions ranging from Kathie Lee Gifford to a war veteran mastering puppetry and, of course, you know who…
One word, one name: Stefon!
FYI – When watching this clip, notice that when Bill starts to laugh about the mention of a certain individual multiple times (plus a doorman zinger), it’s not rehearsed. Part of the story with Stefon is that the co-creator and co-writer of the character is John Mulaney and he would frequently try to trip his buddy up during the live show with new jokes/changes handed to him as he was walking out to the Weekend Update desk. Some of these changes and jokes, however, come without warning. This was one of those segments.
Need proof?
This was John Mulaney’s twitter post from the weekend: “Sent to Rob Klein last night. Apologies for misspelling Cortese. They didn’t tell Bill about any of it before air.”
http://www.hulu.com/watch/698990
Here’s to hanging out with Dan Cortese this week (apparently, the odds are pretty good)!
Mixing ID’s
Spoiler Alert: This post contains details from the season 2 premiere of The Goldbergs:
“Pick a name”
“James Bond”
“Taken”
“Barry Bonds”
“Also taken”
“Barry Goldberg”
“That’s your name!”
“Erica Goldberg”
“That is my name!”
Now that television’s “summer break” is officially over, families like The Goldbergs have re-entered our lives with their perfectly placed ’80s references (a Lost Boys t-shirt anyone?), along with their all too familiar bickering between siblings and between siblings and parents. Of course, nothing seems to pull a family closer together than the dedicated art of a mixture tape.
(FYI: Mixture Tape = Mix Tape)
Let the awkward hilarity rejoice and begin anew in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 1980-something!
When young Adam had his first crush, feelings of love, excitement and nervousness seemed to paralyze him from communicating anything to Dana Caldwell beyond asking her if she wanted to poke a snake with a stick after school. Enter the glorious relationship gift called the “mix tape.” It was a certified gold gesture from the days of analog technology and the card game Uno. This way, Adam could let famous musicians express his true feelings for Dana instead of him.
Genius.
The only problem was that Adam left his romantic prize laying out for the one and only sMother (aka-his mom Beverly) to find it who obviously assumed it was meant for her. This led to the most delicious pancakes ever, Boo-Berry cereal and the public declaration that he was her favorite child…in front of her other two children.
Nothing could go wrong, right?
Meanwhile, Erica was teaching Barry how to obtain the coveted Fake ID. Naturally, with Barry involved, it led to one of the most amusing failed experiences of all-time. Plus, add in David Spade as the willing photo hut employee (for a double sitcom reunion, mind you) and you knew the laughs were coming. Please see the opening dialogue for a glimpse into this comedic exchange.
As Beverly convinced herself the mix tape was a loving tribute to her from her snuggle monster, this threw Adam’s universe into a tailspin. This relationship volcano erupted when Beverly gave Adam and his appreciative girlfriend Dana a ride home from a laser show. Beverly then proceeded to play “her” mix tape in the car and sing the title track, Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration.”
Yes, this happened. And then questions were asked from every direction.
Whose mix tape was it? Did Adam make the same mix tape for his girlfriend and his mom? Who was Adam’s true inspiration?
Some of you may even be asking, “what’s a mix tape?”
Bottom line: This created a disastrous conundrum for Adam. He had to fix his delicate relations with his girlfriend and his sMother. Like so many of the plot lines in these episodes, the season 2 premiere reminded me of a situation in my life. While there’s no single event that perfectly reflects what occurred in this episode, listening to my mom talk about her life and her experiences over the years has always made me really proud of what she’s accomplished and of who she is. Similar to Adam and Beverly, these feelings are usually expressed in actions rather than words, like when Beverly helped her snuggle monster win his girlfriend back with a spectacularly public laser redemption show starring Adam and Dana (and Beverly…). The point is that family will inevitably embarrass us at the most awkward times to be embarrassed, but they’ll also be there to bail us out when we need it the most.
Ask Barry, as he stood in front of the popular seniors with two bags of sandwiches gyro’s (sounds like) when his fully-clothed dad Murray came to the rescue whilst simultaneously busting his moron son for attempting to buy beer with a Fake ID.
Just Barry being Barry. Well, as Carlos Del Monaco actually.
Or ask me. After a girl I’d been dating for more than 2 months ended things with the devastating silent treatment, my mom responded by saying, “I think I’m going to have to go Beverly Goldberg on her ass.”
Mom, you’re an inspiration to me in so many ways!
Welcome back for your second season Goldbergs:
(Cinema Blend online)
Here’s to family!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 