
redpaws
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I could not stop finding classic hero type moments from all my favorite movies-Trinton throwing from Spartacus,Net dragging from Planet of the apes,dance off's with switch blades from West side story,it seemed as though every comic channeled a hero from Charlton Heston to Chevay Chase in Three Amigio's. Movie infrences Mel Brook style,zany furious pacing ZAZ style,pie in the face meets Keystone cops chaos,its got it all.
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Zaz,approach and the timing of the gags runs at a break neck pace-almost like a Tom and Jerry cartoon chase scene,with each pass Tom or Jerry appears with a larger hammer or object in order to "out do" the other in hitting one over the head.Brooks/Wilder tend to set up a verbal gag-then pause (take a breath) and hit you with the gag line.Wilder in particular would hesitate just long enough and get that certain glint in his eye and slight smile before delivery of the "punch" line .ZAZ movies you need to literely watch several times in order not to miss a gag,the pace is like a freight train sl
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Daily Dose of Doozy #14: The Reanimation of Classic Gags
redpaws replied to Russell K's topic in OUCH! A Salute to Slapstick
The use of black and white film removes us from the present time and takes us back to our childhood. Spooky castles, creepy old people whispering history's of ancient hauntings, murder , and family skeltons in the closets.We are placed in a fun campy mood of disbelief right from the start . We have "knowledge" of how a "mad" scientist acts and thinks-Wilders actions have us waiting with baited breath for him to "lose" his self control and let "out" the unrestrained thinking of his passions.Wilder doesn't disappoint us,he winds us up slowly but,when he loses his control he makes us laugh instea -
What can I say ?-who doesn't love a villain dressed in black head to tails-(tux coat tails that is lol),with a huge mustache to twirl and sneer ?- I can easily see Professor Fate tying ladies to train tracks, demanding the rent or marriage, the audience boo's, hisses, at every entrance-vs the dressed in white hero arriving at the last minute to save the day. Professor Fate is Wild E. Coyote to a tee with huge cannons, arrow machines, and general mayhem.
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I honestly cannot give a biased opinion on this-please understand-I know word for word "your pick ?shovel or pick" from Abott and Costelleo meet the mummy. ,Sunday afternoons were spent at my grandfathers house watching the local Seacaucus station as my dad packed the car to take us home to Penn. 1st the Charlie Chan movie,then Shirly temple and Last a Abott/Costello movie. The trip home was always 3 hours of my dad listening to my brother and I repeat Abott/Costello routines.
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I agree that the Marx brothers cannot be "class" placed-they do not merly meander over class levels in society they push threw ,over,and conquer all society levals. W.C. Fields however seems always slightly out of step with what ever place or environment he finds himself in.He reminds me of the "uncle" that the family is slightly embaressed about-rumpled clothes,smelly cigar,gravel course voice,and way to often slightly tipsy with drink,and talking under his breath about his feelings towards family members.
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Alan Dales definition of verbal slapstick perfectly fits the Marx brothers.Chicos repeating back to Grocho his own words but in a different order or with a slight accent move the verbal gags forward. The Marx brothers were so smooth in their delivery of verbal slapstick,notice the timing of a physical action only before or after the spoken word. In contrast the Ritz brothers never did seem to have the same smooth timing between word and physical action of a gag.Abott and Costello signaled the start and end of a verbal gag with over exagration of the face.
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I could easily find the slap stick gags in A pip from Pittsburg,but did not find myself really relating to the character.I felt he was flat and not really funny,but someone posted the Wooden wedding-in their coments, this I could not stop laughing at out loud-the pace seemed more upbeat and the gags were more well rounded. I think I would need to see more of his work to really judge.
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Lloyd,doesnt need to "educate" film goers at this stage of time-Over played pantomime,huge gestures with arms ,over played facial expressions-are not needed-the film quality is better,and the audience is more relaxed-vs ealier years when film goers were not sure what a "movie/moving picture really was",I find Lloyd more "middle class", and his settings prove it. He experinces things everyday middle class American families were doing in their lesuire time. In Lloyds time movie fans knew what to expect and could be more relaxed among others in their enjoyment.It was typical of this time to list
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What is Slapstick? A Discussion of Definitions
redpaws replied to Dr. Rich Edwards's topic in OUCH! A Salute to Slapstick
I tend NOT to think in terms of definition-why ?-Both of my two "children" -(now young adults) are on the autism spectrum. It is impossible to "define" what aspects of their personality are from the autism vs well personality. When they were toddlers, I being a good mother screened films and TV for appropriateness, I found much to my amazement that Sesame Street had R rated episodes-most of these involved poor Grover as a waiter being thrown across the room by a swinging door.ie: SLAPSTICK-instead of laughing my kids would cry-even after seeing Grover repeat-(ritualistic repeats of the very s