Comedies from the 1970s

Ten
      1979 | USA | Laughs: 1.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

In the throngs of a mid-life crisis, a Berverley Hills personality becomes obsessed with a woman whose face he has glimpse by chance at a stop light.

Although this was not a Blake Edwards movie of the "laugh-out-loud" category, I found it very entertaining. I loved the pacing, the dialog, the texture and the actors.

The worst part of the movie is probably its sexist posters: don't let that keep you away from this 1970s classic. (Last viewed: December 2018)

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Blazing Saddles
      1974 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

I know that for some Mel Brooks is a big reference in comedy, but I just don't seem to like any of his movies. This one is a little less chaotic than others I'd attempted, and at least I was able to make myself watch it till the end. I had to—Blazing Saddles is something of a cultural icon.

On the verge of being destroyed by bandits, a town telegraphs the governor asking for a new sheriff. Being black, the one who is appointed must overcome the citizens' prejudice. He is soon joined by a skillful sidekick, played by Gene Wilder.

The movie still failed to make me laugh, but it has some redeeming qualities, not least of it its sweetness. If this is the effect even Blazing Saddles has on me, I won't be trying to watch (and review) other films by Mel Brooks. For the most part, my impression has been that they are best suited to the mindset of thirteen year-old boys, from the mixture of grand phrases with crassness to the interplay of various levels of reality.

Lucky for us, there are movies to suit just about every sense of humor. If Mel Brooks fits yours, please enjoy. (Last viewed: July 2017)

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Monty Python and the Holy Grail
      1975 | U.K. | Laughs: 1.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 8.2
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

King Arthur and the knights of the round table go searching for the holy grail. Many people rate this as the funniest movie ever. I take that as proof that collective hallucinations do happen. In fact what people remember as being funny may well be the experience of watching this film in a drunken group. After forcing myself to watch it again on my own, I can assure you that the funniest part of the movie is the opening credits. To be sure, there are scenes that will bring you a smile, but they are all stretched out for so long that you'll want to yawn. That, some worthless musical scenes, and some boring animation, combine to make this 90-minute movie feel like two hours and a half. Oh, and let's not forget the amazingly bleak colors, which cannot all be put on account of English weather as some English movies are beautiful, but must be the result of appalling cinematography. Burn me at the stake, but it has to be said: This is a boring movie. If you want to laugh, watch Fawlty Towers, also featuring John Cleese. (Last viewed: Nov 1991 October 2012)

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The Phantom of Liberty (Le Fantôme de la Liberté)
      1974 | France | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I hesitated to add Bunuel movies to the site because at no moment do they try to make you laugh. And yet it's hard to say there is anything "serious" about many of them, so I understand how they often end up classified as a comedies. To say there is nothing serious in this film sounds derogatory and wholly fails to describe it. Indeed I have no idea to describe it, except to say that it is a work of art and deserve to be seen. But not in the hope of laughing, although a chuckle or two may come. (Last viewed: July 2014)

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Come Have Coffee with Us (Venga a Prendere il Caffè da Noi)
      1970 | Italy | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A middle-aged man in search of warmth and comfort decides to marry one of three sisters who live together in a spacious house. I can't say that this movie made me laugh, but the slow and deliberate pace at which the main character puts his plan to action—contrasting with the reckless speed of a younger competitor—was strangely satisfying. (Last viewed: August 2014)

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Dona Flor and her Two Husbands (Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos)
      1976 | Brazil | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I don't recall watching a Brazilian film before, so I didn't want to give up on this movie. It took me three sitings to get through it. That says a lot. It may just be that the movie is a bit rambling for my taste. For the first hour, Dona Flor is married to a man who is a gambler and a drunk. Worth a watch for cultural value, but not for comic relief. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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Till Eulenspiegel
      1974 | East Germany | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
      who was involved?

The beginning of this movie feels like it's the original Holy Grail. Since the Pythons released their famous work a year after this one, they may indeed have been inspired by it. The movie follows a man whose slyness and irreverence alternately get him into the good graces of the mighty then in their bad books. I was pleased to recognize the lead actor from The Legend of Paul and Paula, once again in the lead role. There's not much of a plot, but if you sometimes enjoy arthouse and subculture, you might find something of value in this odd movie. (Last viewed: August 2015)

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Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy
      1978 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This short film is a series of skits which have the funny feature that they all fail to make me laugh. Maybe it's the forty years that have elapsed, but my suspicion is that Steve Martin and I are not on the same wavelength. Next I'll go try some his stand-up. (Last viewed: August 2018)

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The Anchorite (El Anacoreta)
      1977 | Spain | Laughs: 0.2 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A man who has retired from the world and has been living in his bathroom for eleven years receives the visit of a young lady who has found one of the thousands of messages he sends out to sea in aspirin tubes via the magic of modern plumbing. She sets out a challenge for herself: to make him leave the bathroom. Partly this is a study in a man's character; often it seems more like an excuse to make the attractive actress take off her top.

I was excited to hear about a 1970s Spanish comedy—as Spanish films in that genre seem hard to come by—but this turned out to be a light-hearted psychological drama rather than the laugh-out-loud movie I was hoping for. (Last viewed: July 2014)

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Delusions of Grandeur (La Folie des Grandeurs)
      1971 | France | Laughs: 0.1 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

An adventure comedy set in Spain in the 16th century. Perhaps this movie earned it high imdb rating because of its high-budget production and famous cast—famous in France at the time of release, that is. I didn't find it funny at all and gave up after thirty minutes. In the medieval genre, the perfect antidote to this dreadfully empty movie might be the second season of The Black Adder. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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The Chaos Class (Hababam Sınıfı)
      1975 | Turkey | Laughs: 0.0 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 9.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

The theme of a class of misfits is a successful one in comedy. In the States the high-school or college comedy movie is a whole genre (try Van Wilder or She's The Man), of which the Police Academy franchise can be seen as a derivative. France has the Sous-Doués series, Germany has the Goethe movies.

This is a theme that I tend to enjoy, so I looked forward to that Turkish rendition of it. Sadly, and despite its inflated imdb ratings (no doubt fake — 9.4 as of January 2019), it seemed to me that this movie was unfit to make anyone over the age of eight laugh. The characters are likeable enough, but the humor is below basic.

The next installment in the series, The Chaos Class Failed the Class, might be a little better. I'll soon try to review The Chaos Class Is Waking Up as well as The Chaos Class Is on Vacation.

Also in the series:
— The Chaos Class is fretting over
— The Chaos Class: Bye Bye
— The Chaos Class Goes Abroad
— The Chaos Class in the Military
— The Class of Chaos 3½


(Last viewed: January 2019)

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Taxi Girl
      1977 | Italy | Laughs: 0.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 5.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Before I started watching this movie, I hadn't realized that it belongs to the once-popular genre of Italian adult comedies. If you can make it five minutes into the film, you'll have seen more of it than I did—I barely made it past the opening credits. Utter garbage, at least on the laugh-o-meter scale, the only measure of value on this side. (Last viewed: July 2014)

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Heaven Can Wait
      1978 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Three stars. A heaven bureaucrat makes a mistake and Joe (Warren Beatty) dies before he's had a chance to win the superbowl. Very sweet, with many funny moments. (Last viewed: August 2009)

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My Friends (Amici Miei)
      1975 | Italy | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Three stars. The joys and tribulations of a group of friends—a classic theme in Italian cinema. Cute, but not laugh-out-loud. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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