Tag: Comedy

Jun 01 2019

Episode 132 – Arsenic and Old Lace

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Arsenic and Old LaceFor this episode, we sort of followed Boris Karloff to a classic screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra. Arsenic and Old Lace was based on a stage play that featured Boris Karloff. He’s not in the movie, though. We’ll explain why. Alex Wick joins us to see if this 1941 comedy is still funny to a 19-year-old.  For the most part, it still is!

Up next, we are going to be watching Bride of Frankenstein!

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace poster Rating: 7.9/10 (74,776 votes)
Director: Frank Capra
Writer: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Joseph Kesselring
Stars: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey
Runtime: 118 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Released: 21 Sep 1944
Plot: A Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation after he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are habitual murderers.

 

Mar 04 2019

Episode 127 – The Great Race

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The Great RaceWe followed Peter Paul from The Princess Bride to this farce by Blake Edwards. The Great Race stars Falk, Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Keenan Wynn as they race across the world. Along the way, they get into a bar fight, escape a polar bear, and meet up with another version of Jack Lemmon! Our newbie for this film is…Melissa! Hard to believe there are any films she hasn’t seen but this was one of them. Join us for the silliness!

Up next, we are going to take another road trip with Mad Max: Fury Road!

The Great Race (1965)
The Great Race poster Rating: 7.2/10 (19,671 votes)
Director: Blake Edwards
Writer: Arthur A. Ross, Blake Edwards
Stars: Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon
Runtime: 160 min
Rated: Passed
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 17 Dec 1965
Plot: In the early 20th century, two rivals, the heroic Leslie and the despicable Professor Fate, engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.

Jan 15 2019

Episode 126 – The Princess Bride

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The Princess BrideOK, we finally get to watch The Princess Bride! As one might expect, it was a challenge to find someone who hadn’t seen the movie but with a little work, we found Megan Ealain, who agreed to join us and watch the movie for the first time! If you’ve never seen this 1980’s fantasy/comedy gem before, you should definitely do so before you listen to the episode. If you have seen it before (more likely), you can enjoy our stories about the film and even Tim’s story about meeting one of the actors!

Next up, we are going to follow Peter Falk to The Great Race!

The Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Bride poster Rating: 8.0/10 (448,867 votes)
Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: William Goldman
Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright
Runtime: 98 min
Rated: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Released: 09 Oct 1987
Plot: A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.

Dec 03 2018

Episode 124 – This is Spinal Tap

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This is Spinal TapWe are sticking with comedy for just a bit longer as we watch the classic heavy metal mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer play the members of a rock band whose popularity is on something of a downward slide. Rob Reiner is the director of a film that is mostly improvised and still manages to have a story arc. It’s a super funny movie and Allison Anderson joins us to see it for the first time!

Next up, we are going to try to find someone who has never seen The Princess Bride!

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This Is Spinal Tap poster Rating: 7.9/10 (146,642 votes)
Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest
Runtime: 82 min
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 02 Mar 1984
Plot: Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.

Oct 15 2018

Episode 121 – Blazing Saddles

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Blazing SaddlesOur Mel Brooks series continues with his parody of the Western Genre – Blazing Saddles! Alison Anderson joins us for her first viewing of a film that took on racism head on in the 1970’s. When it comes to addressing racism, the film still really does a good job. When it comes to…other things, it might not have fared so well. Still, for the most part it holds up fabulously and is still wickedly funny.

From here, we are going to watch one more Mel Brooks film – Young Frankenstein.

Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blazing Saddles poster Rating: 7.7/10 (152,019 votes)
Director: Mel Brooks
Writer: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman
Stars: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens
Runtime: 93 min
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy, Western
Released: 07 Feb 1974
Plot: In order to ruin a western town, a corrupt politician appoints a black Sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary.

Jul 15 2014

Episode 27 – The General

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The GeneralJuly is silent film month at A Reel Education!  For our newest episode, we had Jena watch Buster Keaton’s best known work – The General!  Not only was this our first Buster Keaton film, it was our first trip into the world of silent film.  We talk a lot about how the musical accompaniment changes the experience of watching one of these films.

Speaking of silent films and musical accompaniment, our next episode will be recorded live at the Trylon theater on July 20th!  We’ll be watching Metropolis with a live band!

The General (1926)
The General poster Rating: 8.1/10 (97,934 votes)
Director: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Writer: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman, Al Boasberg
Stars: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender
Runtime: 78 min
Rated: Passed
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 02 Jan 1927
Plot: After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through ene...

Jan 15 2014

Episode 15 – Modern Times

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Modern TimesThis week’s episode dives headfirst into the world of Charles Chaplin as we enjoy one of his most iconic works – Modern Times.  We talk about making a “silent” film in sound era, Chaplin’s apparent death wish on roller skates and a great deal more!  Listen as we educate Jena on one of the three greatest comics of the silent film era!

Our next episode will be Double Indemnity, recorded live at Pepito’s Parkway Theatre on January 18th featuring Alex Wick as our stunt Jena!

Modern Times (1936)
Modern Times poster Rating: 8.5/10 (257,290 votes)
Director: Charles Chaplin
Writer: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman
Runtime: 87 min
Rated: G
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 25 Feb 1936
Plot: The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.

Dec 15 2013

Episode 13 – Trading Places

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Trading PlacesIt being December and all, we decided to watch a holiday movie.  The only problem is the one type of movie Jena has watched is Christmas movies. That meant we had to go for a movie that had a rather loose relationship to the holiday.  We returned to the heady days of Eddie Murphy’s youth when his career still seemed to be going places to watch a movie about classism, racism and gorilla sex.  That’s right, we watched Trading Places!  And yes, we said gorilla sex.

Join us for our next episode on January 1st.  We’ll be watching and discussing Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo!

Trading Places (1983)
Trading Places poster Rating: 7.5/10 (164,980 votes)
Director: John Landis
Writer: Timothy Harris, Herschel Weingrod
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy
Runtime: 116 min
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy
Released: 08 Jun 1983
Plot: A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Nov 15 2013

Episode 11 – Playtime

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PlaytimeThis week, we tackle Jaques Tati’s comedy Playtime.  In a unique twist, neither Tim nor Jena had seen the film.  It is also our first “foreign language” film although the fact the movie is French is hardly relevant as the dialogue is almost completely unnecessary. If you’ve never seen the movie and you have Hulu Plus, that would be a great way to check it out.  Even if you haven’t seen the film, you should totally listen to the episode as Playtime may be the most spoiler proof movie ever created.

Our next episode will be recorded live at the Parkway Theatre on Sunday, November 17th.  We’ll be watching John Carpenter’s The Thing with special guest host Matt Allex from Horror Show Hotdog!

Playtime (1967)
Playtime poster Rating: 7.8/10 (25,641 votes)
Director: Jacques Tati
Writer: Jacques Tati, Jacques Lagrange, Art Buchwald
Stars: Jacques Tati, Barbara Dennek, Rita Maiden
Runtime: 155 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Comedy
Released: 27 Jun 1973
Plot: Monsieur Hulot curiously wanders around a high-tech Paris, paralleling a trip with a group of American tourists. Meanwhile, a nightclub/restaurant prepares its opening night, but it's still under construction.

Oct 01 2013

Episode 8 – The Thin Man

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The Thin ManFor our newest episode, we enjoy the glorious duo of William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man. If you have never watched this booze soaked noir/comedy, you should definitely check it out and then listen to our podcast.  It is hard to deny this is one of the great treats of classic cinema.  And William Powell is an actor who definitely needs to be enjoyed as often as humanly possible.

And hey – on the podcast, Tim says that we’ll be doing our next recording live at the Parkway theatre on the 7th of October.  Then later, he says the 10th!  Which is it?????

It’s the 10th.  Thursday the 10th.  Mark your calendars!  We’ll be watching Rear Window!

The Thin Man (1934)
The Thin Man poster Rating: 7.9/10 (32,296 votes)
Director: W.S. Van Dyke
Writer: Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Dashiell Hammett
Stars: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan
Runtime: 91 min
Rated: TV-PG
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Released: 25 May 1934
Plot: Former detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora investigate a murder case, mostly for the fun of it.