Everyone, even the most morose person, enjoys laughing. And while I certainly like a good sophisticated comedy, I am also a sucker for dumb and/or gross comedy. As indicated previously, my favourite movie of the last few years was "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle", and other recent Neanderthal pleasures include the first two "American Pie" movies (but not the dreadful "American Wedding"), "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and, of course, "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" (just kidding about that last one). Give me topless nubile young women, bodily fluids both human and non-human, and huge amounts of alcohol and/or controlled substances, and I'm good for 90 minutes plus of fun, fun, fun.
Today, while buying produce at Dominion, I came across a bin full of videos being blown off for under $4 each. I tend to but DVDs these days, but at that price you have to at least look. I ended up with three movies. The first, for $1.99, was the Steve Martin-Lily Tomlin masterpiece "All of Me". This is an amazing movie that I saw when first released in 1984, and several viewings in the years since, although not recently. A while back I heard a rumour that it was being remade, and if true then that's just wrong. The movies that should be remade are those that had some great elements (starting with an excellent script) but ultimately failed, whether through bad casting or the wrong director. "All of Me", while no "Citizen Kane", is a flawless comedy, sophisticated one moment, pure slapstick the next, with two masters at the top of their game joined by a fine supporting cast, most notably Richard Libertini. It's also rated PG, allowing me to share with my children something wonderful from the guy they know only as the father in "Cheaper by the Dozen". How the mighty do fall.
The second movie was "Ben-Hur", for $3.99, and I couldn't resist. This used to be a staple of my Easter season viewing, although it has again been a few years. I don't know how the girls will hold up under its length, but they'll certainly get a chance.
But the movie I watched this afternoon was the third film, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder". This has been a movie on my to-see list for a few years, although opportunity never presented itself. It definitely wasn't going to make the cut for family movie night. Last Sunday, while channel surfing before settling down for the evening, I landed on Sex TV, and instead of the usual soft core movies with only slightly attractive people or pseudo-documentaries about porn stars or new developments in bedroom toys, I watched the first 15 minutes of "Van Wilder" and was sold. When I saw it in the bin today for $3.99, it was coming home. My girls were out at a Christmas party, so I got to spend the afternoon splitting a gut, at eclairs filled with dog semen, at a sexual encounter ruined by excessive use of massage oil, at a girlfriend's colon-emptying revenge on a cheating beau. In other words, topless nubile young women, bodily fluids both human and non-human, and huge amounts of alcohol and/or controlled substances. Plus, Kal "Kumar" Penn, Chris "Shermanator" Owen and Curtis "Booger" Armstrong. No wonder I enjoyed this movie so much.
In honour of Van Wilder himself, I offer a few poignant quotes, courtesy, as always, of www.imdb.com, the greatest movie site in the world: "Are you stalking me? Because that would be super." "Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." "I know Ms. Pac-Man is special. She's fun. She's cute. She swallows." "Her name's Naomi. That's 'I moan' backwards." "Hey look. I read the damn article all right. But don't tell anyone because if word gets out that I read my reputation shot to hell." "We'll be accepting donations in the form of cash, visa, and full frontal nudity." Yet again proving that quotes taken out of context aren't all that funny. But I'm laughing my ass off as I read them, and highly recommend this film to anyone in need of a good not-so-clean chuckle.
Today, while buying produce at Dominion, I came across a bin full of videos being blown off for under $4 each. I tend to but DVDs these days, but at that price you have to at least look. I ended up with three movies. The first, for $1.99, was the Steve Martin-Lily Tomlin masterpiece "All of Me". This is an amazing movie that I saw when first released in 1984, and several viewings in the years since, although not recently. A while back I heard a rumour that it was being remade, and if true then that's just wrong. The movies that should be remade are those that had some great elements (starting with an excellent script) but ultimately failed, whether through bad casting or the wrong director. "All of Me", while no "Citizen Kane", is a flawless comedy, sophisticated one moment, pure slapstick the next, with two masters at the top of their game joined by a fine supporting cast, most notably Richard Libertini. It's also rated PG, allowing me to share with my children something wonderful from the guy they know only as the father in "Cheaper by the Dozen". How the mighty do fall.
The second movie was "Ben-Hur", for $3.99, and I couldn't resist. This used to be a staple of my Easter season viewing, although it has again been a few years. I don't know how the girls will hold up under its length, but they'll certainly get a chance.
But the movie I watched this afternoon was the third film, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder". This has been a movie on my to-see list for a few years, although opportunity never presented itself. It definitely wasn't going to make the cut for family movie night. Last Sunday, while channel surfing before settling down for the evening, I landed on Sex TV, and instead of the usual soft core movies with only slightly attractive people or pseudo-documentaries about porn stars or new developments in bedroom toys, I watched the first 15 minutes of "Van Wilder" and was sold. When I saw it in the bin today for $3.99, it was coming home. My girls were out at a Christmas party, so I got to spend the afternoon splitting a gut, at eclairs filled with dog semen, at a sexual encounter ruined by excessive use of massage oil, at a girlfriend's colon-emptying revenge on a cheating beau. In other words, topless nubile young women, bodily fluids both human and non-human, and huge amounts of alcohol and/or controlled substances. Plus, Kal "Kumar" Penn, Chris "Shermanator" Owen and Curtis "Booger" Armstrong. No wonder I enjoyed this movie so much.
In honour of Van Wilder himself, I offer a few poignant quotes, courtesy, as always, of www.imdb.com, the greatest movie site in the world: "Are you stalking me? Because that would be super." "Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." "I know Ms. Pac-Man is special. She's fun. She's cute. She swallows." "Her name's Naomi. That's 'I moan' backwards." "Hey look. I read the damn article all right. But don't tell anyone because if word gets out that I read my reputation shot to hell." "We'll be accepting donations in the form of cash, visa, and full frontal nudity." Yet again proving that quotes taken out of context aren't all that funny. But I'm laughing my ass off as I read them, and highly recommend this film to anyone in need of a good not-so-clean chuckle.
posted by George @ 7:53 p.m.
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