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Post by london777 on Feb 27, 2017 15:11:02 GMT
This thread will contain spoilers
I am real picky when it comes to supposedly humorous movies. Few elicit more than a wry smile or the odd chuckle. I do not think it is down to lacking a sense of humor, as numerous comic novels will have me in tears of laughter, even on repeated readings.
The one category of cinematic humor I do often enjoy is black comedy. I started to compile a list of my favorites, hoping that others will comment and suggest additions. But I soon found I was on treacherous ground. What defines a black comedy? Should I include movies with blackly comedic scenes that fall into other genres? There are even movies where the whole premise is black comedy but are barely, or not at all, funny within.
Wikipedia defines black humor like this: topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in an unusually humorous or satirical manner while retaining their seriousness. I am not really sure what they mean by the last bit, or whether it applies to all of my choices.
I will start with some which I think no-one will dispute are Black Comedies (although some fall into other genres as well). I do not necessarily recommend all of them highly, as my ratings show. I am just listing them to illustrate the core concept. I hope you will all agree they qualify, before we look at more debatable examples in later posts.
After Hours 1985 Martin Scorsese 8.0
A Serious Man 2009 Ethan Coen, Joel Coen 8.0
Lolita 1962 Stanley Kubrick 7.0
Dr. Strangelove 1964 Stanley Kubrick 7.0
Wag the Dog 1997 7.0
Very Bad Things 1998 7.0
American Psycho 2000 7.0
In Bruges 2001 7.0
Death at a Funeral 2007 Frank Oz 7.0
Burn After Reading 2008 Ethan Coen, Joel Coen 7.0
Bad Santa 2003 6.5
Delicatessen 1991 Jean-Pierre Jeunet 6.0
Shaun of the Dead 2004 7.0
Hot Fuzz 2003 6.0
The World's End 2013 6.0
Thank You for Smoking 2005 Jason Reitman 6.0
In the Loop 2007 6.0
Big Nothing 2006 5.0
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schizkebab
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Post by schizkebab on Feb 27, 2017 17:01:48 GMT
Not many folks will agree with me, but I see 'Angst' (1983) and 'A Serbian Film' (2010) as terrific black comedies from the horror genre.
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steven18
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Post by steven18 on Feb 27, 2017 17:07:29 GMT
Much of Brian De Palma's work. Carrie, Body Double.
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Post by naterdawg on Feb 27, 2017 17:13:45 GMT
Hammer Films's THE ANNIVERSARY, starring Bette Davis, is a black comedy. And a biting one, at that.
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Post by london777 on Feb 27, 2017 18:29:15 GMT
Thanks,guys, for helping to get this thread moving. Unfortunately I have not seen any of the five films you suggested.
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Post by fangirl1975 on Feb 27, 2017 20:04:01 GMT
I would rate Doctor Strangelove higher than you did. It's my favorite black comedy. Also, you should check out Theater Of Blood starring Vincent Price if you haven't yet. It's a black comedy with horror and mystery elements.
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filmfan95
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Post by filmfan95 on Feb 27, 2017 20:19:43 GMT
I consider Roald Dahl's works to be black comedy, as they make humor out of situations that wouldn't be very funny in real life.
Here are some movies based on his books:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (both versions): A fat kid is sucked up a pipe, where he is in danger of being boiled, a girl turns into a giant blueberry, another girl falls into the incinerator, and a boy is shrunk and then stretched thin on a gum-stretcher. And it's played for laughs.
Matlida: Abusive parents, abusive headmistress, kids getting thrown out of windows, kids being forced to eat more food than they can hold. And it's played for laughs.
Need I say more?
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maxwellperfect
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Post by maxwellperfect on Feb 27, 2017 22:32:02 GMT
I would recommend 'The Loved One" (1965), a comedy about shooting people's remains into space.
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gogoschka1
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Post by gogoschka1 on Feb 27, 2017 22:45:33 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2017 22:47:04 GMT
Heather's is a good one too. Christian Slater's sarcasm suits it well.
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Post by cryptoflovecraft on Feb 27, 2017 23:02:16 GMT
Another Scorsese film deserves a mention: The King of Comedy (1983). It's a hard to classify film. While it has some humor and moments of sheer absurdity, it's also deadly serious and tragic. The King of Comedy falls somewhere in between the dark comedy of After Hours and the utter hopelessness of Taxi Driver. A difficult film for Scorsese. Critics loved it but movie goers didn't take to it. The film didn't really get an audience until it hit cable television a year or so after its theatrical run. It's easily my favorite Scorsese film and Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) is a far more interesting sociopath than Travis Bickle. (Not that I don't love Travis... )
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Post by london777 on Feb 27, 2017 23:04:27 GMT
I would rate Doctor Strangelove higher than you did. It's my favorite black comedy. Thanks for your post. I think it was a mistake to include my ratings as it may only distract from the theme of this thread, which is to define and illustrate "Black Comedy" movies. The only reason I did so was to show that, while I may label movies as genuine Black Comedy, it does not mean that I am necessarily recommending them. But 7 is a high mark from me. I am a Scrooge with ratings. Strangelove has some great scenes and lines but I find it a bit too slapstick and unsubtle in parts to rate higher. Basically I am not keen on Peter Sellers. The only film I really liked him in was "Being There" (1979) where he is very subdued.
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filmfan95
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Post by filmfan95 on Feb 28, 2017 0:48:43 GMT
Heather's is a good one too. Christian Slater's sarcasm suits it well. LOL. I saw that one recently. I didn't think it was funny at all. You should have seen the look on my face throughout the movie. There's no way they would be allowed to make a movie like that today.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 0:52:37 GMT
Tucker and Dale vs Evil The Brass Teapot Sightseers Cooties Night of Something Strange
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 0:55:20 GMT
Heather's is a good one too. Christian Slater's sarcasm suits it well. LOL. I saw that one recently. I didn't think it was funny at all. You should have seen the look on my face throughout the movie. There's no way they would be allowed to make a movie like that today. That is why it's so good. And yes if they made that today there would be traumatized PC nutters in the cinema they would need counselors on standby. LOL
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filmfan95
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Post by filmfan95 on Feb 28, 2017 0:58:20 GMT
LOL. I saw that one recently. I didn't think it was funny at all. You should have seen the look on my face throughout the movie. There's no way they would be allowed to make a movie like that today. That is why it's so good. And yes if they made that today there would be traumatized PC nutters in the cinema they would need counselors on standby. LOL It's not bad. It's just... weird. And I don't really think its comedy, dark or otherwise.
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Post by poelzig on Feb 28, 2017 1:13:26 GMT
Dem Tyler Perry movies where he be done dressed likes a womans. Dats the epitome of a black comedeys.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 2:29:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 4:55:46 GMT
I thought this thread would be about something different- movies like Big Momma's House, Johnson Family Vacation, Soul Plane, etc.
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Post by poelzig on Feb 28, 2017 5:32:12 GMT
I thought this thread would be about something different- movies like Big Momma's House, Johnson Family Vacation, Soul Plane, etc. For reals yo. White man always stealing everythang!
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