Comedy in film US vs UK?

[Jeffbiscuits]

Originally Posted by Porkchopexpress

I'm dreading 'Paul'

I Like Simon pegg and the rest of the spaced/Shaun guys but don't know how well their humour will work out of context. Shaun of the dead worked because it was clearly aimed at a British audience. Is Paul going to be pegg's humour in an American setting aimed at an American audience? Mr bean springs to mind

[snakeplissken]

I was watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation over the weekend and it occurred to me just how difficult it is to make slap stick comedy work. There are some genuinely funny moments before Randy Quaid turns up to ruin the whole movie.

I find Chevy Chase as the bumbling father of the Griswald clan absolutely hilarious, and seeing him fall off ladders, roofs etc can always make me chuckle.

However, this type of innocent comedy has disappeared in favour of cheap laughs appealing to the lowest common denominator, an over reliance on excessive swearing or bodily functions as "comedy".

I've seen some absolutely dire attempts at what passes for comedy from the US recently: Date Night (Tina Fey you are not funny - GO AWAY), MacGruber (Utter wank)

For British comedy, as long as Armando Iannucci & Chris Morris continue to make films then I would say the future is bright and infinitely funnier than anything the US is capable of producing anytime soon.

[Porkchopexpress]

Originally Posted by snakeplissken

For British comedy, as long as Armando Iannucci & Chris Morris continue to make films then I would say the future is bright and infinitely funnier than anything the US is capable of producing anytime soon.

Agreed, now if only we has a way of thinning the number of ridiculously over rated stand ups we have in this country I'd be happy.

Starting with a cull beginning with Peter Kay, Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard., Kevin Bishop and Jimmy Carr. Not to mention the low brow novelty acts like Jethro and Chubby Brown, eugh, pass me the rifle, kill them, kill them all!

Only a few will be spared the comedic cleansing, Bill Bailey you're name will be put on the protected list and you carry on your work free from persecution.

Plus can Russell Brand stop making films with his pseudo-Dickensian ramblings please, ok thanks!

[jaykays hat]

The funniest US film that I have seen in a long time was The Hangover. I don't remember a UK comedy that has made me laugh this much.

I find that these days the US TV shows are much more humorous than our shows. Our shows are starting to irritate me with the 'lets see how far we can go to offend' type of humour, Frankie Boyle is currently the king of this.

The older UK Comedy shows were far better, such as Blackadder, Fools and Horses and The Fast show.

[Jeffbiscuits]

Shows like Blackadder, Fawlty Towers and such also often pushed the boundaries of decency and what's acceptable but are now all seen as fairly tame and even family viewing. In 20 years me and the grand kids could be sat round the fire on Christmas evening watching that family classic-Frankie Boyles Tramadol Nights

[Scruff]

I'm a Brit, but I find US comedies to be infinitely superior to the UK output.

We still rave about Fawlty Towers here. Cmon people!!!

[morris]

Originally Posted by Scruff

I find US comedies to be infinitely superior to the UK output.

Would you care to qualify that generalisation with some specific examples/titles ? Say in the last ten years..really funny US comedies. It's hard because comedy is so subjective. One man's funny is another man's 'meh.

[Jonesy]

Originally Posted by Scruff

We still rave about Fawlty Towers here. Cmon people!!!

What a ridiculous statment. We still rave over Citizen Kane but it was made in 1940. Just because something is old doesn't mean it should be forgotten.

Ultimately Monthy Python is the most influential both for American and British comedy, and Life of Brian funnier than anything else out there. But morris is right, comedy is incredible subjective. There's no better or worse, just different.