Best Comedy Tournament: Round 2 - Group C

[mae]

For the Round 2 polls, please vote for up to four titles to move on to the next round. You can vote for less, but please make sure you are not voting for more before clicking that Vote button. The poll will be open for one week. The top four titles will be moving on to Round 3.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ac/Beetlejuice_film_poster.jpg/215px-Beetlejuice_film_poster.jpg
Beetlejuice (1988) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetlejuice)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euZTIOB9PhU

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5f/The_Naked_Gun_Poster.jpg/220px-The_Naked_Gun_Poster.jpg
The Naked Gun (1988) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Gun:_From_the_Files_of_Police_Squad!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PACTQutbow4

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg/220px-Tropic_thunder_ver3.jpg
Tropic Thunder (2008) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_Thunder)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-6YhRZowgc

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ae/Bluesbrothersmovieposter.jpg/215px-Bluesbrothersmovieposter.jpg
The Blues Brothers (1980) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers_%28film%29)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asM2-YAMWxg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Ted_poster.jpg/220px-Ted_poster.jpg
Ted (2012) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_%28film%29)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd4amqRupBA

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Fast_Times_at_Ridgemont_High_film_poster.jpg/220px-Fast_Times_at_Ridgemont_High_film_poster.jpg
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Times_at_Ridgemont_High)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKov1lmq_OU

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/21JumpStreetfilm.jpg/220px-21JumpStreetfilm.jpg
21 Jump Street (2012) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Jump_Street_%28film%29)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLoKtb4c4W0

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Ed_Wood_film_poster.jpg/220px-Ed_Wood_film_poster.jpg
Ed Wood (1994) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Wood_%28film%29)


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

[mae]

Going with The Naked Gun, Ted, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Ed Wood.

[mae]

Really (pleasantly) surprised to see Ed Wood in fourth place right now, ahead of Fast Times and Ted.

[Heather19]

Oh wow, I really didn't even think it had a chance.

[divemaster]

I voted The Naked Gun, Tropic Thunder, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

[mae]

This is closing on Monday. We've got a three-way tie for fourth with The Blues Brothers, Ted, and Ed Wood, with Fast Times at Ridgemont High trailing close. Really surprised that Tropic Thunder is ahead of all of these.

[pathoftheturtle]

This is closing on Monday. We've got a three-way tie for fourth with The Blues Brothers, Ted, and Ed Wood, with Fast Times at Ridgemont High trailing close. Really surprised that Tropic Thunder is ahead of all of these.
I did not enjoy Ted at all. I didn't find anything funny about it and I didn't see anything funny in it. Whatever people think is so fun there, I don't get it. :yawn
FTaRH is good, but not quite on the same level as Ed Wood or The Blues Brothers, IMO. I'd grant the edge to BB, personally. I have to be in the right mood for EW, whereas BB is both perpetually entertaining and, of course, filled with memorable moments.
However, what you have against Tropic Thunder, I don't understand. It's got lots of laughs and, even better, hits the damned movies that it is making fun of directly on target. What's so strange about seeing this terrific comedy receive its due?

[divemaster]

I thought Tropic Thunder was one of the cleverest, funniest movies out of Hollywood in years. I agree that some of the satire is so spot on. Every time I think of the scene where Downey, Jr. is trying to get into the drug-runners' camp with his limited knowledge of Mandarin just cracks me up.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I've only seen Tropic Thunder once, but I didn't like it. I might try it again and see if my opinion has changed.

[Mattrick]

Tropic Thunder is fantastic. It was received poorly/averagely in the beginning but, like EVERY film Stiller directs, becomes an cult classic years later. People HATED Zoolander when it came out, now everyone seems to love it.

I can't think of another comedy that has such a diverse and large cast, where every single person, no matter how little screen time they get, manages to get a moment to shine. Such a great film. "Senn Penn, I Am Sam, 2001...he went full retard. Went home empty handed."

Missed this poll entirely some how, voted:
The Naked Gun, Tropic Thunder, Ted, Fast Times at Ridgemont High

[pathoftheturtle]

Ted
:doh:

[Mattrick]

Nothing wrong with Ted. Compared with 90% of the comedies in the last decade it's an absolute gem lol

[pathoftheturtle]

Nothing wrong with Ted. Compared with 90% of the comedies in the last decade it's an absolute gem lol
Maybe not so bad compared with Movie 43, (Peter Farrelly, 2013) for a different example, but what does that have to do with this thread? How about compared with what's here? Is there a law somewhere that any comedy in the last decade be measured first?

It's a Teddy Bear drinking a beer. Not very funny. I watched it. That's the only joke.

And what do you mean "Nothing wrong" with it?

Mark Wahlberg never stopped acting like a criminal (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=47&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QqQIoADAGOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Frs%2F2015%2F02 %2Fmark-wahlberg-never-stopped-acting-like-a-criminal%2F&ei=KAEYVe2OFMS1sQS2o4DgAg&usg=AFQjCNGlZs9tgKxmbCIWDJHd_3Rn__SGMw&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cWc)
Mark Wahlberg -- I Want a Clean Record So I Can Handle Guns (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=41&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQ-AsoAzAAOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2014%2F12%2F08%2Fma rk-wahlberg-pardon-felony-assault-record-reserve-officer%2F&ei=KAEYVe2OFMS1sQS2o4DgAg&usg=AFQjCNGTRV_W8OjtT_EHAzoWY25fVSx1Rw&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cWc)
Mark Wahlberg Shouldn't Be Pardoned for 1988 Assaults, Says Prosecutor (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=40&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QqQIoADAJOB4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.people.com%2Farticle%2Fmark-wahlberg-no-pardon-1988-assaults-says-prosecutor&ei=2gAYVbHXCai1sAS664KQAw&usg=AFQjCNEVzBeLxXvPjKMIczWguaQY0FrXKg&bvm=bv.89381419,d.eXY)
1 of Mark Wahlberg's victims says he shouldn't be pardoned (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=39&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDoQqQIoADAIOB4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Fmovies%2Fs%2Fmar k-wahlbergs-victims-divided-over-pardon-request-065151453.html&ei=2gAYVbHXCai1sAS664KQAw&usg=AFQjCNGUEuaTq3fQnhB7y2Wzrle9DjTx6A&bvm=bv.89381419,d.eXY)
Mark Wahlberg doesn't deserve pardon (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=37&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDIQqQIoADAGOB4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2014%2F12%2F09%2Fop inion%2Fyang-mark-wahlberg%2F&ei=2gAYVbHXCai1sAS664KQAw&usg=AFQjCNEP6CUm5G47eYSZtdP-GtVDnG7gPg&bvm=bv.89381419,d.eXY)
Don't pardon Mark Wahlberg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=35&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQqQIoADAEOB4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonglobe.com%2Fopinion%2F2 015%2F01%2F12%2Fdon-pardon-mark-wahlberg%2F2zCWxyVay7QLD4MDGjGbAN%2Fstory.html&ei=2gAYVbHXCai1sAS664KQAw&usg=AFQjCNHsUn670NaxgeRd_oMCha9UDvmdZg&bvm=bv.89381419,d.eXY)

[Mattrick]

I really don't see what Whalberg's past has to do with Ted...I guess that means The Pianist and Midnight In Paris have something wrong with them too...

Evidently you would rather watch Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, Paul Blart, Hangover 2, Hangover 3, Epic Movie, Disaster movie, Scary Movie 4, Chuck and Larry, Good Luck Chuck, Jack and Jill...I could go on and on...than Ted.

There are a lot more jokes than Ted drinking beer..if anything he smokes way more pot than drinks beer lol. If there is anyone 'one joke' in Ted, it's how a Teddy Bear can say/do things and get away with it, while a human being wouldn't be able to.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BG23Ze9e4k

[pathoftheturtle]

Evidently you would rather watch Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, Paul Blart, Hangover 2, Hangover 3, Epic Movie, Disaster movie, Scary Movie 4, Chuck and Larry, Good Luck Chuck, Jack and Jill...I could go on and on...than Ted. That's not logical. I asked you if there is a law somewhere that any comedy in the last decade must be measured first. Could I not rather than Ted and also rather than everything else you just listed watch other movies altogether? How about compared with what's here? What does any of that have to do with this thread? How does any of it apply to reasoning for voting in favor of that now?


There are a lot more jokes than Ted drinking beer..if anything he smokes way more pot than drinks beer lol. If there is anyone 'one joke' in Ted, it's how a Teddy Bear can say/do things and get away with it, while a human being wouldn't be able to. That's not relevant. It doesn't really matter what the variations on the one joke are if it's still all one and it's still not very funny.


I really don't see what Whalberg's past has to do with Ted...I guess that means The Pianist and Midnight In Paris have something wrong with them too...Care to elaborate?

[mae]

The poll has closed. The following four titles are moving on to the next round:


Beetlejuice (1988) 80.00%
The Naked Gun (1988) 56.67%
Tropic Thunder (2008) 46.67%
The Blues Brothers (1980) 36.67%


And the following four titles have been eliminated:


Ted (2012) 33.33%
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 30.00%
Ed Wood (1994) 26.67%
21 Jump Street (2012) 13.33%

[fernandito]

Beetlejuice is going to be a monster in the play offs.

[fernandito]

I really don't see what Whalberg's past has to do with Ted...I guess that means The Pianist and Midnight In Paris have something wrong with them too...Care to elaborate?
I assume he's referring to the controversies surrounding Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, respectively.

[pathoftheturtle]

I really don't see what Whalberg's past has to do with Ted...I guess that means The Pianist and Midnight In Paris have something wrong with them too...Care to elaborate?
I assume he's referring to the controversies surrounding Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, respectively.

I assumed as well, although the director of Ted, so far as I know, only has the trouble of being a terrible director and having just awful taste in actors, so that that makes a rather incomplete argument.

[Still Servant]

Mark Wahlberg is not a bad actor.

He was great in The Departed and I loved him in Three Kings. He was also good in Boogie Nights, Four Brothers and The Fighter. As far as comedy, I really enjoyed him in The Other Guys and I thought he was really funny in a small role in Date Night.

I get why he rubs some people the wrong way.

[pathoftheturtle]

The Other Guys was also terrible, or he was in it at least. I may have gotten carried away, but he can't do comedy, or not hardly.

[Mattrick]

Evidently you would rather watch Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, Paul Blart, Hangover 2, Hangover 3, Epic Movie, Disaster movie, Scary Movie 4, Chuck and Larry, Good Luck Chuck, Jack and Jill...I could go on and on...than Ted. That's not logical. I asked you if there is a law somewhere that any comedy in the last decade must be measured first. Could I not rather than Ted and also rather than everything else you just listed watch other movies altogether? How about compared with what's here? What does any of that have to do with this thread? How does any of it apply to reasoning for voting in favor of that now?

About as much relevance to this thread as Movie 43. I think most comedies these days suck. We're lucky to get one great one a year. Ted was one of the few good comedies of it's entire year, with Ruby Sparks and This Is 40 being the only other two I liked. And in terms of the rest of these films, I'm not a big Beetlejuice or Blue's Brothers fan, I'm not a Jump Street fan either, and I haven't yet watched Ed Wood. So I picked the only 4 movies I really enjoyed, with Ted being one of them. That isn't to say I'm going to vote for it in later rounds. I haven't voted for every film I like in this tournament. Ted's a silly and funny film and like I said, there's nothing wrong with that. You see one joke, while I see more than that. That's where this magical word called 'subjection' comes in.


I assumed as well, although the director of Ted, so far as I know, only has the trouble of being a terrible director and having just awful taste in actors, so that that makes a rather incomplete argument.

What's wrong with Giovanni Ribisi and Mila Kunis? Kunis has come a long way from That 70's Show, which can be seen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Black Swan. And I love Ribisi.


The Other Guys was also terrible, or he was in it at least. I may have gotten carried away, but he can't do comedy, or not hardly.

The Other Guys isn't terrible at all. It's not stellar but it's an above average comedy, which are rare these days. And I completely disagree he can't do comedy as in several movies he's the funniest part of it to me.


Mark Wahlberg is not a bad actor.

He was great in The Departed and I loved him in Three Kings. He was also good in Boogie Nights, Four Brothers and The Fighter. As far as comedy, I really enjoyed him in The Other Guys and I thought he was really funny in a small role in Date Night.

I get why he rubs some people the wrong way.

Yeah, his part in Date Night was the only part I really enjoyed in the movie. He's an actor who has really impressed me. I mean, he was awesome in Fear back in 1996. I've enjoyed his work in plenty of movies like the ones you mentioned along with his hilarious role in I Heart Huckabees.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy1MpYMTdX0

[Jimimck]

I really don't see what Whalberg's past has to do with Ted...I guess that means The Pianist and Midnight In Paris have something wrong with them too...

Evidently you would rather watch Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, Paul Blart, Hangover 2, Hangover 3, Epic Movie, Disaster movie, Scary Movie 4, Chuck and Larry, Good Luck Chuck, Jack and Jill...I could go on and on...than Ted.

There are a lot more jokes than Ted drinking beer..if anything he smokes way more pot than drinks beer lol. If there is anyone 'one joke' in Ted, it's how a Teddy Bear can say/do things and get away with it, while a human being wouldn't be able to.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BG23Ze9e4k

I'm with you. Ted was way funnier than those other crappy movies you listed.

[pathoftheturtle]

About as much relevance to this thread as Movie 43. Seth MacFarlane was in it.


What's wrong with Giovanni Ribisi and Mila Kunis?I didn't mean to imply that. Cry your pardon.


The Other Guys isn't terrible at all. It's not stellar but it's an above average comedy, which are rare these days.It's not even above the average these days, much less the average of all comedy ever filmed. And I still don't see how a general quality decline gives newer films that don't stink quite so much as many newer films do more worth than older films that are still good.


And in terms of the rest of these films, I'm not a big Beetlejuice or Blue's Brothers fan, I'm not a Jump Street fan either, and I haven't yet watched Ed Wood. So I picked the only 4 movies I really enjoyed, with Ted being one of them. You are more of a fan for personal reasons, I guess? That's cool, if so, but can you appreciate that those are better movies?


You see one joke, while I see more than that. That's where this magical word called 'subjection' comes in. "Subjection" is a synonym of "subjugation." What you describe sounds more like the definition of "subjectivity." If you mean just that we ought to agree to disagree, well, this post actually required no further comment:

Ted :doh:

[Mattrick]

And in terms of the rest of these films, I'm not a big Beetlejuice or Blue's Brothers fan, I'm not a Jump Street fan either, and I haven't yet watched Ed Wood. So I picked the only 4 movies I really enjoyed, with Ted being one of them. You are more of a fan for personal reasons, I guess? That's cool, if so, but can you appreciate that those are better movies?

No, it just made me laugh. I can't appreciate a movie is better if I'm not fond of it. I can judge a movie for what it's trying to do, and for what Ted was trying to do, it did it well. If it's not your cup of tea, it's not your cup of tea.


You see one joke, while I see more than that. That's where this magical word called 'subjection' comes in. "Subjection" is a synonym of "subjugation." What you describe sounds more like the definition of "subjectivity." [/quote]

Both are derivative of the word 'subject', which has various forms and definitions. I meant subjective but, autocorrect.

[pathoftheturtle]

You see one joke, while I see more than that. That's where this magical word called 'subjection' comes in. "Subjection" is a synonym of "subjugation." What you describe sounds more like the definition of "subjectivity."

Both are derivative of the word 'subject', which has various forms and definitions. I meant subjective but, autocorrect.
Yeah, I hate when my phone does that. It's good enough here, I just wanted to make sure you knew.



And in terms of the rest of these films, I'm not a big Beetlejuice or Blue's Brothers fan, I'm not a Jump Street fan either, and I haven't yet watched Ed Wood. So I picked the only 4 movies I really enjoyed, with Ted being one of them. You are more of a fan for personal reasons, I guess? That's cool, if so, but can you appreciate that those are better movies?

No, it just made me laugh. I can't appreciate a movie is better if I'm not fond of it. I can judge a movie for what it's trying to do, and for what Ted was trying to do, it did it well. If it's not your cup of tea, it's not your cup of tea. Not sure whether we are communicating at all. Are you saying that you can't appreciate a quality film apart from subjective attraction or that you've already considered altered perspective to the point that it can't affect your opinion any further?

Why does some comedy make some people laugh and not other people? It's subjective or it's personal; something, sometimes hard to say, inside of you.

I remember when Polanski won his directing Oscar for The Pianist I thought that it was ironic that Scorsese had been passed over again possibly because his work so often focused on crime in ways that the academy found unpalatable. I would say that if and when we admit the level of judging what movies are trying to do, then the personalities of creators is indeed a factor in that to some respect.

[Mattrick]

[quote]Not sure whether we are communicating at all. Are you saying that you can't appreciate a quality film apart from subjective attraction or that you've already considered altered perspective to the point that it can't affect your opinion any further?

Why does some comedy make some people laugh and not other people? It's subjective or it's personal; something, sometimes hard to say, inside of you.

The problem here is that we're voting on films as comedies, and how they work as comedies. If a comedy doesn't make me laugh, or doesn't make me laugh much, how can I judge it's worth if it's purpose failed on me? There are some quality films like Almost Famous that are comedies that weren't given votes because it also functions so well as a drama, people didn't think it was a comedy. A lot of dramatic movies are hilarious but are either not viewed as comedies or simply didn't make people laugh. I'm afraid the way people are voting in this tournament has little to do with the quality of the film itself, and instead has everything to do with how much they laugh. It's a simple yet subjective metric.

Most of my favourite comedies are already eliminated, or weren't nominated, and they're all better films than Ted. I don't really have much to work with going forward :/ When it comes to comedies a movie can look shitty, have a shitty plot and be an all around shitty movie...but it can still be funny. Quality isn't necessarily a requirement for funny.


I remember when Polanski won his directing Oscar for The Pianist I thought that it was ironic that Scorsese had been passed over again possibly because his work so often focused on crime in ways that the academy found unpalatable. I would say that if and when we admit the level of judging what movies are trying to do, then the personalities of creators is indeed a factor in that to some respect.

Polanski won because The Pianist is a masterpiece :)

[pathoftheturtle]

Voting on films as comedies definitely is a problem, just like I have been saying all along, for anyone interested in drawing any kind of meaningful conclusions. Comedy is just a buzzword. It can be nearly anything. All these things go on for different reasons, and often for no reason. Congratulations to all of us for making a tournament that's fundamentally silly!


Polanski won because The Pianist is a masterpiece :)

Well, yeah.
Scorsese's past losses make for another good topic, though.

[Mattrick]

The funny thing about Scorsese is so many people view him as 'that mob guy' and think his films boil down to Goodfellas, The Departed, Casino and Mean Streets. I'm a huge Scorsese fan but my favourite films of his have nothing to do with crime. When I think Scorsese I think Raging Bull, The Aviator, After Hours, Hugo. It's funny Scorsese is seen by a lot of people as a crime director when that's such a small part of his filmography.

[pathoftheturtle]

Well, I don't know if Raging Bull is totally dissimilar. My point is not that he has nothing else in his oeuvre, but just that Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Gangs of New York are all Oscar-worthy, and by some unfairly looked down upon.