Study Guide Quiz #9 The 80s and 90s -widely Divergent Comedies
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| Thea B32 Spring 2008 Study Guide Quiz #9
The 80s and 90s -Widely Divergent Comedies: Raunchy, Gross-Out Comedies at the Turn of the Century: The writer/director team of David & Jerry Zucker & Jim Abrahams (known as ZAZ), first gaining notoriety with the Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), created Airplane! (1980) – a fast-paced lampooning of all the Airport-like disaster films of the 70s, with non-stop visual gags, pratfalls & parodies of common film clichés’. They also went on to make Top Secret! (1984), The Naked Gun (1988) films, spoofs on Police Squad-type TV cop shows, Ruthless People (1986) starring Bette Midler & Danny DeVito, Hot Shots! (1991) (a spoof of Top Gun (1986) and the sequel Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) a parody of Stallone’s Rambo films. Other 1980-90s comedies: 48 Hours (1982) (better than the sequel in 1990), Nick Nolte & *Eddie Murphy (in his screen debut while still a cast member on Sat. Night Live) were paired as ‘odd-couple’ buddy-cops. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) Another long-running series started with Disney’s adventure/fantasy comedy with Rick Moranis as an experimental shrinking machine inventor whose kids unwittingly turned a ray-gun upon themselves. City Slickers (1991)- the mid-life crisis of three urban dwellers (Billy Chrystal, Bruno Kirby & Daniel Stern) was resolved by sturdy cowpoke, Curly (Jack Palance) during a ‘vacation’ cattle drive in this western comedy spoof. TV to Film Cross-Over Stars: The counter-cultural, shocking-for-its-time TV show Saturday Night Live (introduced as “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night”) first appeared in the mid-70s & featured some of the best, up-and-coming comics (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy & more) known as the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players”. *From television shows such as SNL, a new breed of talented comedians, all cross-over stars, emerged in the 80s & 90s. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) with stand-up comedian Robin Williams (TV show: Mork & Mindy) as Adrian Cronauer, the manic, anti-authoritarian DJ voice of Armed Forces Radio in Vietnam. Wayne’s World (1992)- The most popular SNL film was this wildly popular film with Mike Myers & Dana Carvey in spin-offs from their SNL sketches as self-mocking Wayne & Garth, two stoned, high-school public access cable-TV show hosts. Thea B32 - Spring 2008 Study Guide Quiz #9 2. *Mike Myers wrote & starred in a series of James Bond spy-spoof films---the three Austin Powers films--played multiple roles: Austin Powers,Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard & Goldmember. (Jim Carrey was originally cast as "Dr. Evil" in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Is the voice for the cat in Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, for Horton in Horton Hears a Who & Shrek in all the Shrek films. Dan Ayckroyd: SNL’s Dan Aykroyd starred in some of the best comedies ever made: his “road film” The Blues Brothers (1980) was filled with guest-starring appearances & cameos (Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker) – and featured a spin-off of characters portrayed by Aykroyd & Belushi on SNL. The duo portrayed black-suited rock/blues singers/brothers Jake & Elwood Blues who were on a ‘mission from God.” He also played a prominent role in Trading Places (1983) with Eddie Murphy. Ghostbusters (1984) featured additional SNL stars in a tale about paranormal exterminators in NYC. *Aykroyd’s sole Oscar for Best Supporting Role in Driving Miss Daisy (1989). *Dan Akyroyd has written many stories, screenplays (i.e.: Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers, Spies Like Us). John Belushi: Another member of NBC’s SNL cast (originally a member of Second City comedy troupe in Chicago) was John Belushi. Often considered the most famous & popular of the group, he was best noted for two films directed by John Landis: National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), a classic college frat-based comedy of ‘misfit slobs vs elite snobs’ The Blues Brothers (1980) in which he acted as vocalist Jake Blues opposite Dan Aykroyd as harpist Elwood Blues (characters derived from skits & appearances on SNL Steve Martin: Steve Martin (from The Smothers Brothers variety show and SNL as a guest host & one of the ‘Wild & Crazy Guys’) The Jerk (1979) – Martin’s farcical debut film. Nevin a simple-minded white man who was adopted by a poor black family as an infant. Unable to follow the beat of Rhythm and Blues or Gospel, one day as a young man hears a Lawrence Welk song on the radio and able to follow the beat. He invents the “Opti-Grab” to keep glasses from sliding down noses. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982) –about a detective facing suspicious characters-stars from old film noir clips All of Me (1984) about a lawyer with two genders inside him battling each other-co starring/Lily Tomlin Little Shop of Horrors (1986)-a musical comedy with Martin as leather-jacketed, Elvis-like sadistic dentist, Orin Scrivello DDS John Hughes’ Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) including Martin’s hilarious, disastrous cross-country trip as a tired businessman trying to get home accompanied by boorish companion John Candy. Frank Oz’ Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) co-starred Michael Caine & Martin as international con artists on the Riviera (remake of Bedtime Story (1964 Thea B32 - Spring 2008 Study Guide Quiz #9 3. Parenthood (1989-)Director Ron Howard’s drama/comedy about parenthood Father of the Bride (1990) (a remake of Father of the Bride-1950); a sequel followed in 1995. Bringing Down the House (2003) a farce abut a newly-divorced attorney & single father who helped escaped convict, Charlene (Queen Latifah) Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) - a remake of the 1950 film of the same name Chevy Chase: Chevy Chase, another slapstick performer on SNL in the mid-70s noted for his numerous pratfalls (and he pioneered the “Weekend Update” segment), starred in many of the National Lampoon Vacation films as bumbling Clark Griswold==Nat’l Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) Nat’l Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) & Nat’l Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation (1997). Caddyshack (1980) and as the arrogant title character Irwin M. Fletcher Fletch (1985) – undercover newspaper reporter is sequeled in Fletch Lives (1989). Bill Murray: Both a writer & dry-witted cast member on SNL in the mid-70s, Bill Murray further established himself with numerous TV and film appearances afterwards in both slapstick comedies & serious adult dramas, including: Meatballs (1979) Caddyshack (1980); Stripes (1981); Tootsie (1982) in an unbilled role as Dustin Hoffman’s partner, Jeff, Ghostbusters (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) in a cameo appearance as masochistic patient Arthur Denton, What About Bob? (1991) as neurotic psychiatric patient Bob Wiley, Groundhog Day (1993) as Phil Conners – an obnoxious TV weatherman destined to repeat his life daily in a time loop, Ed Wood (1994) as the title character’s trans-sexual cohort Bunny Breckinridge; and in the Farrelly Brothers’ ‘gross-out live-action and animated comedy; Osmosis Jones (2001) as zookeeper Frank. *Bill Murray received critical acclaim for his serious, Oscar-nominated role as lonely & bored American actor Bob Harris in director Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003) Eddie Murphy: John Landis directed SNL’s Eddie Murphy as a con-artist hustler reversing roles & exchanging jobs with a wealthy Wall Street stockbroker (SNL’s Dan Aykroyd) in the test of Social Darwinism in Trading Places (1983) with Jamie Lee Curtis in a memorable & sexy role as a prostitute. John Landis’ hit Coming to America (1988) was an enormous success for both director & actor Murphy (and co-star Arsenio Hall). Murphy played a pampered African prince who journeyed to America to find a new bride. Some other Eddie Murphy films: The Haunted Mansion (2003) Daddy Day Care (2003) The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) .... Pluto Nash Shrek (2001) & Shrek 2 (2004) & Far Far Away Idol (2004) (voice) .... Donkey The Nutty Professor (1996) played 8 different characters Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) Doctor Dolittle (1998) Thea B32 - Spring 2008 Study Guide Quiz #9 4. Mulan (1998) (voice) .... Mushu Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) Harlem Nights (1989) The Golden Child (1986) Trading Places (1983) 48 Hrs. (1982) Billy Crystal: *began his career as gay character Jodie Dallas (the first openly gay character in TV history) on the TV drama Soap, and soon after starred in *his debut film Rabbit Test (1978) as theworld’s first pregnant man. He became a regular on SNL in the mid 80s with a few signature characters, the most memorable being the suave Fernando Lamas (with his catchphrase “You look maaaaahvelous”). The romantic fantasy adventure The Princess Bride (1987) as a wizened dwarf reanimator named Miracle Max, in addition to appearances Running Scared (1986) in the cop buddy film with Gregory Hines; & in Danny DeVito’s dark-Hitchcock spoof Throw Mamma From the Train (1987). Crystal’s first major role was in the modern-day romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally (1989) opposite Meg Ryan as a clever but uncommitted guy, City Slickers (1991) dude ranch comedy with Oscar-winner Jack Palance as Curly (and its sequel) City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994). Among other films, Crystal appeared in director Harold Ramis’ popular comedy Analyze This (1999) & its sequel Analyze That (2002) with Crystal as the therapist of mobster Robert De Niro. Then he served as the voice for one-eyed round-shaped Mike Wazowski in Pixar’s animated comedy Monsters, Inc. (2001). Jim Carrey: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1993) *Carrey’s first hit as a silly, hammy pet gumshoe Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls The Mask (1994) - the comic book supernatural action-comedy film with great special effects Dumb and Dummer (1994) the gross-out film Liar Liar (1996 ) as a compulsive lawyer-liar compelled to tell the truth. Batman Forever (1995) replaced Robin Williams as “The Riddler” The Cable Guy (1996) a malevolent repairman in director Ben Stiller’s dark comedy He won back-to-back Golden Globe awards for Best Actor in a Drama & Comedy/Musical for Peter Weir’s The Truman Show (1998) and for Milos Forman’s Man on the Moon (1999) – in the role of uniquely complex comedian Andy Kaufman. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) portrayed the mean & green lead character in director Ron Howard’s, the top-grossing film of its year. Other hilarious Jim Carrey films are: Me, Myself & Irene (2000) playing a state trooper whose Jekyll and Hyde personalities both fall in love with the same woman The Majestic (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), Thea B32 - Spring 2008 Study Guide Quiz #9 5.
Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) is a bank clerk & a typical loser. He is too shy to get girls, doesn't dare to stand up for himself, and is pushed around by his boss. He discovers a mysterious, ancient mask by the sea, which (according to an archaeologist) pictures the Norse night god of tricks and deception, Loki. When he puts it on, it transforms him into his inner self that brings his inner most desires to life--releases his repression. With his sidekick Milo, this wise-cracking green tornado as a cartooney wildman is taking Edge City over the top. Stanley discovers the person he really is is the best person to be. He & Tina (Cameron Diaz) fall in love. The Mask was the first film to combine both live action & animation in the same person--much of the Mask character was animated, mixed with live action. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Effects & Best Visual Effects Golden Globe nomination—Jim Carrey for best performance in a comedy/musical Download 26.29 Kb. Share with your friends:
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