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Category Archives: Comedies. Go figure!

BEDAZZLED

Dec 24

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BEDAZZLED-United States/Germany-2000

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Brendan Fraser as Elliot Richards/Jefe/Mary

Frances O'Connor as Alison Gardner/Nicole Delarusso

Frances O’Connor as Alison Gardner/Nicole Delarusso

Directed by Harold Ramis

Screenplay by Larry Gelbart, Harold Ramis and Peter Tolan

Based on a 1967 story and screenplay by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “John, have you lost your ever-loving, modestly intelligent mind?”

Nope.

“But Bedazzled is a comedy!”

Yep.

“So why are you reviewing it? You write a horror film blog.”

Because I want to, because it has the devil in it; and that kind of sort of if you grade on the curve sort of way puts it into my territory. But there is one other main reason I wanted to write about this movie; besides the fact I got to see Elizabeth Hurley in all those fantasy inducing outfits. Hmm, scratch the ‘one other main reason’ part and make it ‘two other main reasons’. The other, other main reason is simply that I love this movie.

Hey, I know; it’s as stupid and ridiculous a movie as you’re ever going to see and I could care less. I’ve watched Bedazzled countless times and I laugh out loud (lol) every time. I personally think this is the best movie Brendan Fraser has ever done. His chance to portray so many characters with so many different characteristics is essentially the cherry on the whipped cream of his career. As for Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil; all I can say is that my reactions changed with each new outfit she wore.

Red Dress: Reowwwwrrrr!!!

Black Bikini (while walking Doberman Pinschers on the beach): Arf! Arf! Down boy!!

Cheerleader: Nice Pom Poms!!!

Traffic Cop: So, tell me officer, do those handcuffs come in fuzzy style?

School Teacher: I have been so bad, Miss Hurley. I really think I need to stay after school.

Nurse: I got a boo boo. Kiss it and make it better.

*Sigh* Huh, what? Oh, sorry. I got drool all over my keyboard.

Anyway, the plot of Bedazzled is this. Brendan Fraser (George of the Jungle, Encino Man) is Elliot Richards, a nerd, dweeb, and loser; just pick one because they all apply. Elliot is in love with Allison (Frances O’Connor, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Timeline); a girl who barely even knows that he exists. When Elliot says aloud that he would do anything to be with Alison he sparks the interest of Old Scratch, Beelzebub, Lucifer (well, “Lucy”-fer); you know, the Devil (Hurley, Serving Sara, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery). Appearing to Elliot in the various aforementioned fantasy inducing ensembles, the Devil grants him 7 wishes in exchange for-you guessed it-his soul. Now, of course, with the Devil and wishing with every wish there comes a curse and Elliot soon finds himself getting a lot less than he bargained for out of this agreement.

If you take Bedazzled seriously as a piece of cinematic art then there is really something wrong with you. The only way that you can take this movie and get any sort of enjoyment out of it is to see it for what it is: good, sexy, dumb as bricks fun.

TRIVIA

The Devil’s dogs in the beach scene are named Dudley and Peter, a reference to the writers and stars of the original Bedazzled, Dudley Moore and Peter Cook.

Elizabeth Hurley wears a total of 19 different outfits as the Devil.
In the basketball game, the name on the opposing team’s jerseys is Shirts.
According to producer Trevor Albert, the schoolgirl outfit that the Devil wore was actually owned by Elizabeth Hurley.
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Posted in Comedies, Comedies. Go figure!, Comedy-Horror Films, Films featuring the Devil, Films Released in 2000, German Horror Films, Movies

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YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Jul 25

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YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN-United States-1974

Peter Boyle as The Monster

Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher

Teri Garr as Inga

Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp

Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth

Directed by Mel Brooks

Screen story and Screenplay by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder

Based on the novel “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus” by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

I’m not going to make this a long, drawn out review. Looking back, this is probably the first time I have ever reviewed a comedy so I’m not really even sure if I’m doing this right. It’s easy to talk about a funny movie when you’re with your friends. You can act out scenes from the film and quote your favorite quotes; but putting all that down on paper and getting that humor across to your readers is another thing altogether. So, the next paragraph will be me doing my best to review a film that has become a comedic classic. I hope I got it right. If not, then be gentle with me.

When “Young Frankenstein” made its debut Mary Shelley rolled over in her grave…from laughter. The ghost of James Whale did a spit take. Somewhere, the spirits of Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive and Dwight Frye sat eating popcorn, sipping Pepsi’s and giggling their asses off. “Young Frankenstein” is a classic of the comedy genre. As Doctor Frederick Frankenstein, Gene Wilder leads one of the most talented and hilarious casts through a riot of a film that will leave your sides splitting with laughter. Marty Feldman, Teri Garr and Cloris Leachman all take their turns in stealing the spotlight. Peter Boyle as the monster is nothing short of casting genius. As for Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth, all I can say is that she was one of the funniest women to ever walk the face of this earth. With a nod of her head or a blink of her eye she could make you laugh harder than some comedians can in an entire stand-up routine.

Okay, so I said one paragraph. But let me close with this; with “Young Frankenstein”, Mel Brooks did to the horror genre the same thing he did with “Blazing Saddles” and the western genre earlier that same year. He made a hilarious parody without once being disrespectful of the original source.

TRIVIA

The film was shot with many of the same props and lab equipment as the originalFrankenstein.
 
Teri Garr, who plays Inga, was called in when Madeline Kahn, whom Mel Brooks had originally wanted for the role, turned it down and asked if she could play Elizabeth instead. Mel Brooks told Garr that if she could come back the next day with a German accent, he’d like her for Inga. She looked at Mel and said, “Vell, yes, I could do zee German ackzent tomorrow – I could come back zis afternoon” and the part was hers. Garr has said that she based her accent on Cher’s wigmaker whom she worked with on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
 
Gene Wilder conceived the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” scene, while Mel Brooks was resistant to it as a mere ‘conceit,’ and felt it would detract from the fidelity to Universal horror films in the rest of the film. Wilder recalls being “close to rage and tears” and argued for the scene before Brooks stopped him and said, “It’s in!”. When Wilder asked why he had changed his mind, Brooks said that since Wilder had fought for it then it would be the right thing to do. But it was only when he soon saw the musical number along with a howling audience that Brooks was finally confident about the sequence.
 
 
 
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Posted in Comedies. Go figure!, Films Released in 1974, Frankenstein Films, Movies

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