Movies - Your favorite Black Comedies

[Brahmsian]

Watch A Serious Man last night.  It was pretty entertaining and funny.  However, quite a bad ending.

[Brahmsian]

Happiness is probably my favorite black comedy.

That is a favorite of mine too, George.  However, it is highly disturbing!

[Brian]

Watch A Serious Man last night.  It was pretty entertaining and funny.  However, quite a bad ending.

I did like the Fred Malamud character quite a lot. He was so comforting in his animosity, so loving. It was really quite hilarious. The last shot might have been amusing as a sick joke, but the phone call the main character gets right beforehand from his doctor really annoyed me...

[karlhenning]

Yeah, I liked the acting and cinematography in A Serious Man, not so much the ending. And I really didn't like Burn After Reading very much, aside from some witty lines and a brilliant performance by Brad Pitt.

Well, I must give it a go, then.  Brad Pitt's character was the great surprise for me in Twelve Monkeys.

[George]

That is a favorite of mine too, George.  However, it is highly disturbing!

It is, but that's one of the things about it that makes it special. They push things really, really far.

Did you see any of Solondz's other films, like Storytelling? That was pretty good. Palindromes wasn't very good though.  Haven't seen Life During Wartime yet, but the imdb numbers look decent. Welcome to the Dollhouse was great.

[Todd]

However, quite a bad ending.

I must disagree.  I loved the ending!  You're watching and waiting, and - whammo! - there it is.  And the things that aren't resolved.  It made the movie for me.

[MN Dave]

I must disagree.  I loved the ending!  You're watching and waiting, and - whammo! - there it is.  And the things that aren't resolved.  It made the movie for me.

That one was just like HURT LOCKER for me, where I kept waiting for something to happen...

[MN Dave]

I guess movies don't require plots anymore. 

[Todd]

That one was just like HURT LOCKER for me, where I kept waiting for something to happen...

For A Serious Man I was referring to waiting for the ending.  When I watched I noticed there were literally two minutes left, and two major unresolved threads were going, and BAM!, it ends.  (I also love the ending to No Country for Old Men - them Coen brothers are good at this sort of thing.)

The Hurt Locker had plenty of things happening with no ultimate point, which is part of the point. 

[MN Dave]

For A Serious Man I was referring to waiting for the ending.  When I watched I noticed there were literally two minutes left, and two major unresolved threads were going, and BAM!, it ends.  (I also love the ending to No Country for Old Men - them Coen brothers are good at this sort of thing.)

The Hurt Locker had plenty of things happening with no ultimate point, which is part of the point.

But that's why I watch movies. If I didn't need a point, instead of watching a movie, I'd walk down the street or read GMG. 

By the way, I'm reading NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN so I can maybe figure out what that ending was all about.

[Todd]

By the way, I'm reading NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN so I can maybe figure out what that ending was all about.

Is the book any good?  On the same level as The Road or Blood Meridian or All the Pretty Horses?  (I don't know how much McCarthy you're familiar with.)  Some of his books end in a pretty open ended fashion, too.

[MN Dave]

Is the book any good?  On the same level as The Road or Blood Meridian or All the Pretty Horses?  (I don't know how much McCarthy you're familiar with.)  Some of his books end in a pretty open ended fashion, too.

The book, so far, is very similar to the movie. In fact, as I read along, I recall scenes from the film even though I can't really remember the actors. I haven't found too much fiction lately that does anything for me but this book is definitely an exception.

I enjoyed THE ROAD (well, "enjoyed" isn't the right word, is it?), thought ALL THE PRETTY HORSES was merely decent and still have to read BLOOD MERIDIAN which sits on my shelf. I need to get to that soon.

[Brian]

Maybe this won't surprise you, but BLOOD MERIDIAN has a lot of blood in it. A lot.

[MN Dave]

Maybe this won't surprise you, but BLOOD MERIDIAN has a lot of blood in it. A lot.

Sweet.

[Todd]

Maybe this won't surprise you, but BLOOD MERIDIAN has a lot of blood in it. A lot.

I'll bet the screen adaptation will not be a comedy, black or otherwise.  (It's currently in production.  I can only imagine what scenes will make it in, and who they'll get to the play the judge.)

[MN Dave]

I'll bet the screen adaptation will not be a comedy, black or otherwise.  (It's currently in production.  I can only imagine what scenes will make it in, and who they'll get to the play the judge.)

Some bad actor will ruin it.

[Todd]

Some bad actor will ruin it.

No, I think Tom Cruise is filming something else.

[MN Dave]

No, I think Tom Cruise is filming something else.

That's one down...

[karlhenning]

Maybe this won't surprise you, but BLOOD MERIDIAN has a lot of blood in it. A lot.

Sweet.

Yup, that immediately got you on Dave's good side, Brian!

[karlhenning]

No, I think Tom Cruise is filming something else.

Oh, I've been waiting for MI-8!