Comedy and Me

In real life I laugh way more than I cry. Getting a tear out of me is very difficult. But there is always a giggle or a chuckle bubbling under the surface ready to pop out at any time. At movies, however, I cry at the drop of a hat but you can very seldom get me to laugh.

Sacha Baron Cohen leaves me cold as do Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Mr Bean, bathroom humour, sex humour, slapstick, black comedy, standup comedy (except Jamie Foxx). I dislike romantic comedies, Seinfeld, 2 and a half Men – in fact things that are the most popular, comedy-wise, appeal to me the least.

Which is really strange because my three favourite comedy movies are all Ben Stiller movies.

My second most favourite one is Blades of Glory. I am not sure why I find it so funny but I can watch it endless times and still be entertained. It is the story of two arch-enemy men’s figure skaters who are stripped of their titles and banned for life after they brawl on the medals podium. The only way back into skating is for them to skate as a pair. Jon Heder and Will Ferrell are perfectly cast and the extra scenes on the dvd are well-worth the purchase price. Ben Stiller was a producer on this one.

My absolute favourite comedy is Tropic Thunder. Despite its bordeline offensive lack of political correctness (which lampoons the whole craft of acting perfectly, in my opinion) and it being an out-and-out comedy, Robert Downey Jr was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Oh he should have got it, I think! The plotline is as follows – a big budget Vietnam war movie is almost scuppered by the prima donna cast (a method actor, a drug addicted comedian who specialises in playing entire fat families in films about farts, a Rambo-type action star, a hip-hop star who sees everything as a franchise opportunity, and a serious acting student), the pyromaniac special effects man and the fantastic Nick Nolte as the veteran who wrote the book. The megalomaniac producer (played by Tom Cruise who is unrecognisable and uncredited) does his nut at their prima donna antics, so they are dropped in the jungle until they get their acts together, but they end up in a real life situation. I really like this movie. The DVD commentary has been rated the best ever. I take my hat off to Ben Stiller on this one – he starred, produced and directed a film within a film within a flm. And he did it brilliantly.

And another one – Zoolander. I hated this the first time I saw it but then I happened to catch it on TV and loved it the second time round. I have it on DVD now and I watch it when I have had a Very Bad Day. My favourite parts? Derek’s phone, his family and his eugoogly! And of course it has David Bowie in it! There is a sequel being made at the moment.

Other movies this hard-to-get-to-laugh cookie has found funny are