Posted by Atticus on August 14, 2004, at 13:57:50
In reply to stand up comic artists, posted by Jai Narayan on August 14, 2004, at 11:36:45
Most of the stand-up comics whose work I really find funny were before my time, but I've seen their routines on video. They tend to have been a bit edgy, like Lenny Bruce (who did a hilarious bit called "Thank You, Mask Man"), George Carlin and Richard Pryor's respective work in the '70s. I love Monty Python, and still think Python alumnus John Cleese is one of the funniest people alive. I really like Bill Murray when he underplays a role, as in the movies "Rushmore" and "Lost in Translation". Silent film star Buster Keaton is also one of my favorites; I think his movie "The General" is just a masterpiece. Woody Allen's earlier work, like "Sleeper" and his greatest film, "Annie Hall", just never get old, although there may be some bias there since I'm a fellow neurotic Manhattanite. I guess often it's the tone of a piece rather than an individual performance that grabs me. "Dr. Strangelove" with all its dark, biting, Cold War humor, and gem of a triple performance by Peter Sellars (playing three different characters) may be the funniest movie to me. I love writer/director Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" for many of the same textural reasons. I guess I'm drawn especially to satires about some of life's darkest topics, such as "Wag the Dog". On the other hand, the body of work of certain auteurs draws me as well --doesn't matter who's in a particular piece. So the writing, direction, and ensemble performances in "Raising Arizona", which is primarily the vision of the Coen brothers, is a top pick as well. :) Atticus of Atlantis, of the clan Odubhda
poster:Atticus
thread:377554
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/write/20040729/msgs/377623.html