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buddhadan-1
Reviews
The Aristocrats (2005)
Not for the faint of heart
Well, I think that the movie description on IMDb pretty much provides you with any basic information regarding the theme of the movie. It doesn't really have a plot and is mostly told in a documentary style fashion, but without any one narrator.
In essence, a group of comedians are all discussing this famous (apparently only to Hollywood folk) joke that has been told for some time now (I think that they reference the very early days of Hollywood and even vaudeville) primarily by comedians and typically behind the scenes. The main areas being parties, pre show discussions, post show discussions, and get togethers where any group of people include a comedian.
While I did find a few of the retellings to be funny, and a few of the comedians were just funny because of who they were, I found most of the actual dialogue to be in extremely poor taste and felt that this could have been more in the lines of a 20 minute to 30 minute short instead of a full length documentary as there is only so much perversion that can really take place in one period without fully overloading most people.
A general warning should be given up front, this is most certainly not a show for anyone under the age of 16 as it contains graphic descriptions of the most vile deviant behaviors imaginable.
Overall I don't recommend it, but I do give it at least a 4 out of 10 due to the partial comedic factor and the history lesson included.
An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)
Good but not as good as the first
Well, if you've seen this movie and you've never seen the original (American Werewolf in London), either because you've never heard of it, you didn't like this one and felt that the original must have been worse, or you just haven't gotten around to it, see the original.
I know, this review is for this movie, not the original, but I still want to recommend that you see the original as it broke so much ground in the concept of a horror comedy, a genre that has so few movies in it that when a good one is made, it stands out.
OK, now this movie here is still a fun movie and it is in the horror comedy genre, so it's got some work to do if it wants to appeal to any group of people out there.
Yes, there are a bunch of people who love horror movies, and probably even more who love a good comedy, but it's difficult to appease both even when you stick with only one genre, let alone trying to find an audience for one that mixes two that are not typically put together.
This movie has some pretty darn good special effects, an actual plot, pretty good acting overall, some interesting settings for their scenes, a little nudity, some blatant humor (things like site gags and one liners) and even some subtle humor that is more biting than outright humor, and it even has (for those who care) a little nudity.
The action scenes are pretty dang fun if not a little gory, and a few surprises for those who enjoy those as well.
See the original if you are only going to see one, but otherwise, see both.
American Wedding (2003)
Good movie but best when watched as series
OK, if you've read my reviews of the first two movies in this series, then you have an idea of my overall view of these movies. But if not, here's the basics.
I loved all three movies (I still don't count the newer direct to DVD's that have come out) on their own but really loved them when viewed as a series of movies.
The first two were hilarious for both younger folk (ok, not too young, let's say maybe as early as preteen but most likely the high school students) and the older folk (because it's funnier to look back on some of the things that we did or knew that others did when we were younger) and this movie follows suit. It's just as funny when viewed on it's own, but for the best result, it makes an awesome ending to a trilogy.
I think that if you watch all three movies, you'll see the growth of the characters as they mature from ignorant (but in a funny way) young people to mature (or at least what passes as such) people entering full adulthood. They do so without being too serious but also touching on a lot of subjects that young people (and some older people) think about and have experienced in their lives.
See these movies for the humor, the growth of the characters, and for one of the few sets of movies that actually use all of the same actors for all three movies.
American Pie 2 (2001)
Great movie, but better series
As I noted in my review of the first movie, this movie is hilarious by itself but better in the movie series.
The first movie helps to set up the characters, brings us a lot of humor, and can truly be watched by itself without seeing any of the sequels.
But, to truly get the most out of the three movies (I don't count the direct to DVD movies that came out later), it's best to see each of them in order.
The first movie has our characters as young and still fairly stupid as far as life is concerned. They learn a bit at the end, grow a bit, and we all get to go along for the funny ride.
This movie has at least one of the group (no spoilers, just see it) already maturing from his role in the first movie and the rest of the characters either resisting the call to adulthood or working their way through their own twisty hilarious paths to maturity.
Again, if you are going to see them, I strongly recommend watching them in the order that they came out in so that you can not only enjoy the humor in each, but so that you can notice that the characters are growing into adults throughout the series, ending in the American Wedding movie.
American Pie (1999)
Good by itself but great as a series
This movie, by itself, is hilarious. It's funny for the younger set that can immediately relate to the humor that describes, at least on some level, the world that they live in and for the older set that can now sit back and laugh at the way that they were (or their friends were) when they were growing up.
It's got a cast of younger actors who are truly hilarious and then they also throw in the father, Eugene Levy (sp?) to make things even funnier. His straight acting to the comedy around him is legendary, and he shows off his skill in this set of movies.
As noted in my tagline, this movie is funny even if you only saw it and none of the sequels. But where this set of movie excels is in the fact that there are sequels. It shows not only that they can find fresh humor with all of the same characters (a winning point to this set of movies is that it appears that the entire cast returns each time) but that the characters can actually start to slowly show maturity throughout the films up until the American Wedding movie.
See this movie if you want a good laugh, get all of them if you want to have a lot of good laughs and if you want to actually see the characters grow over time.
Ali Baba Bunny (1957)
A big fan
OK, I'll admit that I'm a big fan of animated shows, having grown up with them, they were part of my life for as far back as I can remember.
My tastes have changed a little since that time, and I have added a sizable mental library of shows that I've seen, but overall I enjoy the animated shows quite a bit.
Taking that into account, I can say that I was lucky enough to grow up with the Bugs Bunny line of cartoons, the Looney Toons cartoons if you will. While I believe that some of them are better than others, I would give all of them a higher rating than most other animated shows in existence, each having something to offer in the way of humor, animation skill, or just plain silliness.
This specific one, with Bugs and Daffy, is one of my all time favorites, one that I've quoted (much to the chagrin of my family) often, especially the Daffy lines regarding how greedy he is when encountering the vast amount of wealth in the cave.
This one isn't played often enough on television, so if you have an opportunity to see it on TV, or in some sort of DVD set, do so and I believe that from the beginning, you will laugh.
Aladdin (1992)
Hilarious piece of animation
This movie is truly hilarious and it appeals to both children and most adults.
It isn't only the comic genius of Robin Williams as the Genie, or Gilbert Godfried (sp?) as the parrot, but it's the little subtle bits of humor like facial expressions, inside jokes, one liners, and the humor of the overall scenes themselves.
But, if the humor wasn't enough for you, it's got a very addictive soundtrack, much of the music is very catchy and I found myself singing along to a few of the songs after watching it for the first time. I think that the Prince Ali song is my favorite, mostly for the song, but partially because of the parade format of the scene.
If the humor and the music wasn't enough to suck you in, we also have some rather amazing action scenes (yes, I know it's animated, but it's done so well that you get pulled right into the scene itself) having something to do with what appears to be a mixture of old fashioned animation and computer animation.
See this movie, you will not be disappointed.
Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
One of the funniest sequels ever
This is one of the funniest sequels ever. It has all of the same types of jokes, the same writing style, the same filming style, and a hilarious cast of people who understand exactly what it takes to make a movie funny.
The site gags, the plays on words, the silly facial expressions and the overall humor of this movie works so well that I can watch it over and over without losing any real fun value.
I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who liked the first movie or who can watch a funny movie without taking it seriously at all.
I think that this is one of the first movies that William Shatner was in that I really liked, and he helped add a lot to the fun value of the movie. It might be that this is one of the first movies he was in where he did not take himself seriously, making it even funnier.
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
Hilarious
Well, I can see that this movie really didn't get the best reviews, which surprised me as it is one of my favorite movies ever.
I thought back on it while posting my 9 out of 10 review and I can see how others might not enjoy this style of humor, as it does take getting used to and not everyone gets that chance because the movie is rarely played.
If you are a Gene Wilder fan, a Marty Feldman fan, a Madeline Kahn (sp?) fan, or a fan of sherlock holmes, then this movie is for you. Yes, it's a bit dry in places, and yes it can be a bit flighty, but if you can stick it out and just turn off the logical part of your mind for a bit and go along with the wild ride, I think that in the end, you'll buy a ticket and ask to go on the ride again.
The singing numbers, the wild looks of Kahn, Wilder and of course my buggy eyed friend, Feldman, help to make this movie quirky and humorous at the same time. The dark London (I think it's in London) streets and the perpetual night helps to make this a very fun period piece with humor at every step.
For someone such as myself who does enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes story, I truly loved the way that our main character (Wilder) is constantly getting things so way off. Such as when he thinks he is describing the person on the other side of the door based on the clues he has and then he is so way off that it's hilarious.
See this movie, and if you need to watch it again to fully enjoy it, give it about a week and then see it again. It's worth the multiple viewings.
Armageddon (1998)
Awful and loud at it
I remember thinking that due to the cast, the subject matter, and the director, I was going to love this movie.
Stepping into the theatre and taking my seat, I was like a giddy schoolgirl as my anticipation for the opening scene built.
I was not disappointed with the opening and felt that I was truly going to love this movie.
If you haven't seen the movie and feel that anything that gives away scenes might be seen as a spoiler, please stop reading. I'm not going to give away anything really important, but it might be seen as such, so that is the warning.
Spoiler may be included below, beware.
I think that the first scene that really hit me as just utterly ridiculous was the Russian space station scene. I mean honestly, refueling a shuttle with no real prior warning, and then to simply show the station as being so fragile that a simple little mistake can cause the entire thing to just explode.
While all of this is possible, it seemed to me to be way over the top. I'm not sure if it was just the situation or if it was the cheesy acting, the silly view of the Russian technology, or just the campy attitude of the scene itself.
It only got worse for me after that because then we endure what seemed like 2 hours of constant super loud explosions in space...you know, that place where there is no sound because it's a vacuum.
But the coup de grace for me, honestly, was the gun scene. (spoiler possibility) - Earlier in the movie, we see Bruce Willis tearing apart their land vehicle (the vehicle that they will use to drive around in when they get there and to help them drill) when he is told that this is what they will be using. He is taking pieces off and complaining about it because much of what's on it is heavy and not required for what they are doing.
So then, as we are wandering onto the asteroids, we see that they have opted to add a massive gatling like gun to the vehicles...you know, standard NASA fare is to have heavy weaponry on all space missions in case, you know, aliens or something.
I could have taken the explosive 2 hours, the silly Russian space station refueling scene, the cheesy love scene near the end, the Bruce Willis character being nothing more than most of his other past characters, but the Steve Buscemi going mad and shooting the space vehicle's gun all over the place and causing havoc/damage, well that threw the entire thing over the top for me.
Save your money and time and avoid this movie. If you want a good meteor movie, see Deep Impact, if you want a fun space movie with awesome special effects, see Space Cowboys, but no matter what, avoid this flick.
Aliens (1986)
Truly one of the best movies ever made
I think that others have commented here about this movie, so I doubt that I'll be adding anything new. Here goes anyway.
Simply put, this is one of the best action sci fi movies ever made.
It has action, intense action, from near the beginning of the movie until the very end.
This isn't standard action, you know, with people firing at people and other people jumping away from explosions and the like. It's not fisticuff type action or people falling from tall buildings and catching on at the last minute type action.
This is suspenseful type action, with guns and fighting, but also with aliens and imaginary aliens, bad guys you don't expect at all, and scenes that cause you to grip your chair until all of the blood has left your hands entirely.
The special effects for this movie are off the scale, being just as good today as they were when they were first displayed on movie screens some time ago. You get so immersed into the movie and the special effects don't in any way cause you to think that your watching something of fiction. It's like they have a vision of the future and they are showing you that vision in stark reality.
The interaction between characters gives you such a great feel for who they are in the short period of time that you see them. The actors, from the main stars who have shown their skills to us in past movies to those that are relative unknowns, are all true artists. They give you no reason to believe that they are anyone but who they are portraying.
The one liners and humorous interaction between some of the characters helps in some areas to ease the tension, and to set you up for the surprises later.
Wow, if you have never seen this movie, see it, the movie is truly awesome.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Truly one of the best sci-fi action flicks ever
Alright, there are a bunch of Alien movies out there in the series, but amongst them all, this is one of my favorites. I would say that it's a three way tie between Alien, Aliens, and Alien Resurrection.
I'm not going to give any spoilers, or cover the other Alien movies in this note, other than to give vague references for comparison purposes.
This movie, in my opinion, was awesome for the following reasons: A female hero along with a female hero sidekick (probably not the best word, but it works for me), which is rare in action oriented movies. It's refreshing to have a female character in the main role in an action movie and I wish that they would do this more often.
A great mixture of horror (not as much as the first movie), action (probably not as much as the second movie), and overall dark themes (well, outside of horror) that are in the other movies, but really pushed in this one.
The acting, especially considering that this is a sci-fi action flick, is amazing. The story is great with some twists. And the special effects are still good to this day.
See this movie, it's awesome.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
Very funny
I actually liked this movie far more than I liked the first one in the series.
I give the first one credit for setting up the premise, for being hilarious, and because it has Jim Carrey in it. But this one goes so much further in the humor department, at least for me.
I found more quotes from this movie that I can easily recall later, and whenever someone mentions even part of a scene from the movie, the entire scene in full color comes back to me and I laugh all over again.
I've seen the movie several dozen times and I laugh every single time, a good sign in my book that this is a great comedy.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
One of his funniest movies
Jim Carrey (sp?) is truly hilarious in this movie as the wacky pet loving pet detective.
The number of one liners and silly phrases in this movie that are truly memorable outnumbers those in most other movies. The movie is so quotable that even I can remember a great number of quotes from the movie and I've never been really good at doing that.
If your not a Carrey fan, then this movie is most certainly not for you, as he is himself (his standard wacky crazy character) in the entire movie.
I strongly recommend the movie as long as you are able to turn your thinking mind down a little and just enjoy the silly nature of the movie and the characters that Jim becomes throughout.
The All New Pink Panther Show (1978)
One of the greatest cartoons ever
The pink panther movies and then pink panther cartoons are awesome, but for different reasons.
I think that I really enjoyed the pink panther cartoons for some of the same reasons that I enjoyed the looney toons cartoons. They had a touch of class and their was true art to what they did.
The pink panther cartoons were awesome because the main character, the pink panther, hardly ever talked. There were very few episodes when he actually said anything and typically it was only a line or two at most. The rest was filled with comedy, music, silly cartoon sound effects, and a wide array of walk on roles by other animated characters.
The give and take of the character was another redeeming aspect. The main character was never always the winner or always the loser and managed to give the lumps in some episodes and in other, was the lump magnet. It made for an interesting viewing to see both sides show up all in one character.
I strongly recommend this cartoon series, if not only for my favorite character, but for all of the side shows that came with the package.
Aquaman (1967)
Standard old fashioned action cartoon
I'll admit that Aquaman was never my favorite superhero and in fact I felt that he, along with those like the Sub Mariner, were sort of silly because they had a limited venue and their powers were really only focused on this limited area.
Yes, I understand that the world is over 70 percent water, but that being said, most people (and thus most adventure) do not live on or under the water, thus limiting these heroes.
This series was, in my opinion, very average for the time and even less impressive these days. The animation style was fairly average, the stories very simplistic, and the sound effects very campy.
While I didn't think that it was that impressive, I do give it credit for helping to push many other cartoons forward and for being entertaining to young children, even if it was only for a short period of time.
Anderson Cooper 360° (2003)
I miss the good old days
I'm not as much of a fan of CNN now that they have opted to go with a bunch of new people giving the news and even commentary as opposed to just news.
I'm not sure that I blame Anderson Cooper in person for this negative effect on the CNN franchise, but he is one of those that I would rather not see unless he's just giving news.
I think it's because I always saw CNN as a means to just news without commentary, without lots of color or modification. News in the raw as it happens.
Lately they have brought on a group of people that do commentary, discussion, and fluff and regretfully this show by Anderson Cooper is one of them.
Bring back the news as it is, raw and unscripted.
Aladdin (1994)
Very average considering that it's Disney
Please allow me to preface my review of the Aladdin series with my view of the movie.
I loved it, just as I love most animated Disney movies to date. The animation was awesome, the characters full, the story is detailed and the humor is evident in most of the movie.
I truly wish that I could say the same for the Aladdin series.
I feel that the series, just as Disney does with their direct to DVD movies, was a severe let down. Since it's Disney, this let down isn't as bad as if it had been just about any other group, but it is still sad.
The animation is average for Disney, the stories are standard Saturday morning fare, and the characters haven't really changed much. Since it's Disney, I have higher expectations and regretfully the series didn't quite meet those. On it's own, it's a cartoon series that is slightly above average, with detailed fun characters and stories that keep you enthralled.
I just wish that they would put the same effort into their series that they do for their theatrical releases, then we can truly say that they are living up to their original quality work.
Are You Being Served? (1972)
One of my favorite British comedies
Another poster here managed to remember in more detail than I probably could had I seen an episode yesterday, but I shall strive to provide you my opinion with the fuzzy memory that serves me still.
Let me start by saying that as an avid fan of British comedies for as far back as I can remember, 'Are you being served?' counts to me as one of the best ever created.
As a young child, I would sneak from my room late at night to enjoy the ribald comedy of Benny Hill, then later in life the silliness of Monty Python and then even later, the more serious humor of Good neighbors and butterflies.
Are you being served is by far one of the funniest overall continued series that I've ever seen, whether it's American or British, mostly due to the nature of the characters and the unique situation in which they all work. The one liners and the double entendres help to make this better than most other shows of it's time and even now.
If you've never seen this series, give a few of them a try and I'm sure that you'll fall instantly in love as I did.
The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (1983)
Not the best of the Scooby line
While I have remained one of the most loyal fans of the Scooby line of cartoons and even the movies, this particular period of Scooby history would best be left by the wayside and forgotten by everyone.
Almost anything with scrappy in it, in my opinion, was just plain awful. The addition of this character, far from energizing the show or adding a touch of cute (which may have been intended originally) only seemed to provide a character that was so annoying that even as a young child I despised him.
Stick with the classic Scooby line, the new Scooby doo show, and even the one when they are all kids, as all of these are entertaining. But leave this specific series in the dust where it belongs.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000)
Not really that funny
I can see from the votes on this show that I am in the minority in my dislike for the series, but here goes.
Let me start with a positive, as I wouldn't have ever even watched it if I didn't find something in it that I liked.
I do find that on occasion, when the television is on in the background and this show comes on, I do find a scene or two that makes me laugh despite my dislike for the overall show.
The absurdity of the situation in general or an off color comment will sometimes cause me to laugh, and I do appreciate the strangeness (read - unique nature of the characters) of the show itself.
But overall, it goes nowhere, it appeals to only one real group of people (thus it doesn't really carry a broad appeal like other shows have done) and it's so strange that it really only covers a niche concept area.
The show typically carries no plot, no story, very little in the way of witty dialogue, and the characters are rarely redeeming in any way. If at least a learning experience or gain could be had, the show might have something to offer, but regretfully it falls short on this end as well...unless your learning experience is to avoid living anywhere near a talking shake, meatball, and box of fries.
The Angry Beavers (1997)
Truly one of the funniest cartoons ever
This is one of the funniest cartoon series ever created, and yet I'm not sure why I loved it so much.
Another has already posted the premise of the cartoon, and I'm sure that it's noted in detail on the page itself, so there is no need to cover that ground.
I'll say that the two beaver brothers, dag and norb, are the funniest two comedic characters I've seen in a long time. I compare their interaction with each other to the hilarious Bob and Doug McKenzie (sp?) of the great white north fame and the two moose from the Brother Bear movie.
It's obvious that the two of them care about each other, but they are both very competitive. One of them is fairly bright and the other is, well, not so bright. These two qualities, plus their accents and silly way of speaking, mixed with the animation style, make this a winner all the way around.
America's Funniest Home Videos (1989)
One of my favorite television shows
I watched this back when they had their other host, um, what was his name? I forget his name, but he was on an older show with kids and I recall that his hosting of AFV was rather cheesy.
Tom does a pretty great job hosting, considering that your watching a show where people hurt themselves physically or have their ego's bruised by being seen in a silly or negative light.
I'm normally not into watching others suffer, but this show makes me laugh every time. I'm not sure why, because I do feel bad for those that get hurt or when something bad happens like a party getting ruined, but some of it is so funny that I laugh later just thinking back on it.
So, ignore the host, and if you've got TiVo or the like, you can just record it and fast forward past him, because the whole point of the show is the videos, not the host.
The Amanda Show (1999)
Way out of my demo
OK, while this show didn't even hit me until I was way out of it's demographic, I did watch it a few times (child at heart and all that), and I recall actually laughing a few times.
Now, granted I have to look at the target demographic to see if the show was a good show for everyone else involved, but for me, I felt that it was like a young person's version of the old Carol Burnett show or the like.
The skits were fairly funny, considering the age group it was designed for, and they were all fairly creative.
I think the part that I actually really enjoyed, which is a little weird, was the theme music. It was so catchy that I still get the little 'Amanda amanda amanda show' part stuck in my head to this date.
So, for the young and the young at heart, I'd recommend giving it a chance to see if it's your bag.
All in the Family (1971)
Truly one of the best shows ever created
There is another poster on here who pretty much got it right with everything they said, so I'm not going to repeat.
I will say that I grew up watching this show (a little before my time, but it was still on when I was growing up) and I recall, as a child, not really enjoying it to it's fullest potential.
I watched it a lot with my mother or my grandmother and of course I was trying to bond with family, so I would laugh when I thought it was appropriate (sometimes just me, sometimes laughing because family was laughing) and other times I would be bored.
Since that time, I've had an opportunity to grow quite a bit, and not only in size and age, but also in my ability to appreciate true works of art.
This show is one of those works of art, handling issues that even for today still exist to some degree or other. Back when this show was first airing, they were probably the most controversial show on the air and I would think that they deserve a large amount of the credit for helping to enlighten society in a great number of ways.
None of the characters were as simple or 1 dimensional as they first appear, and after watching a few episodes, you'll see that.
If you are ever in need of entertainment and enlightenment from television, start here, you will not be disappointed.