See No Evil, Hear No Evil: The Dynamic Duo Do It Again (Or Richard Pryor. Gene Wilder. Nuff said.)

Every so often a comedian is able to rise to the occasion and transcend their unordinary calling to simply make others laugh and entertain. These comedians are capable of holding up a mirror to society's reflection, and by poking fun at society, are able to generate great and true societal change. The film See No Evil, Hear No Evil has two such comedians in the starring roles: Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.

One is hilarious....The other is...also hilarious. Together they are...hysterical.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil was a film done in 1989. Spanning a fifteen year time period from 1976 to 1991,  See No Evil, Hear No Evil was the third film out of four that Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder did as a comedic duo. Interesting to note is that, at the time, TriStar pictures was looking to produce another Pryor-Wilder film, but Wilder said he would only do the film if he were personally allowed to rewrite the script. TriStar reluctantly agreed, and on May 15, 1989, the film opened to--le gasp--mostly negative reviews. While most critics of the film agreed that Wilder, Pryor, and Kevin Spacey (in a supporting role) all gave fine performances, the script itself was lackluster and many of the gags were considered to be tried and juvenile. Now, I don't know what film those guys were watching because from where I'm sitting, this film is a comedic gold mine--and apparently people agree with me because the film held the #1 spot when it came out for the first two weeks (Source). And you can see why by taking a look at these clips.

The film's plot is simple enough to follow, too: A man is murdered at a newsstand shop in the middle of the day. Two men happen to witness it. Kind of. A blind man, Wally Karue (Pryor), hears the killer's shots, and a deaf man, Dave Lyons (Wilder), sees the killer walking away after pulling the trigger. Soon after the police come across the pair at the scene of the crime and do their best from what they're given to get to the bottom of it, but even they don't think Wally and Dave are credible witnesses. But the killers, (played by Kevin Spacey, Joan Severance, and Anthony Zerbe respectively)  don't want to take any chances. The two men must now work together, handicapped and impaired though they are, to save themselves and bring the killers to justice. 

One's deaf. One's blind. Can you guess which one is driving? What could possibly go wrong?!

And now, of course, the moment you've all been waiting for. To the breakdown!

The Breakdown

• Ridiculousness: Okay, now here's a ridiculous film if I ever saw one. The premise is as farfetched as the characters themselves. A blind man and a deaf guy are friends? Okay, I can buy that. Continue. A blind man and a deaf guy are witnesses to a murder? Um, okay, now you're starting to stretch things a bit, but hey, I can dig it. A blind man and a deaf guy travel all over the state of New York in search of the killers that framed them? Yeah. That's ridiculous. 3/5 Stars
• Classiness: I have always loved Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor because no matter what they do, always manage to remain true to themselves. There's a genuineness and obvious sense of style that just seeps out from their private personality into the characters they inhabit. This is no different. It's like getting a look at what Pryor and Wilder would have been like if they'd been blind and deaf, respectively, yet managed to remain hilarious. And that's classy. 3.5/5 Stars
• Cheesiness: Alright. This can be a pretty cheesy film at times. It's gags are most definitely tried and true and some jokes hit while others miss. Sometimes the characters can be right on point, and other times they're just so over the top and overdone you're just like, "Ehh...really?" Then there's the Captain of Police. What a dumb character. He ends the movie lamenting the fact he couldn't shoot either of the protagonists. What kind of police officer wants to shoot a deaf guy and a blind guy, let alone a police captain? 2/5 Stars
• Hilariousness: This film is funny. Very funny. At least at times. It's essentially a blind man and a deaf guy being smart, clever, and doing slapstick. Which they do very well sometimes, and other times, not so much. Still. Here's an example of what to expect in See No Evil, Hear No Evil.  2.5/5 Stars

• Awesomeness: This...is a Somewhat Awesome film. It's actually a terrible shame that with an average of 2.75 Stars, a film like Hear No Evil, See No Evil isn't better. It had all the makings of being something Awesome or even Totally Awesome. But alas somethings just fall apart at the seams and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Oh well. That's okay. Not all of'em can be home runs. Sometimes you've just gotta settle for the walk.
  
  Wundebar, meine kinder. See No Evil, Hear No Evil. It's a helluva flick, and I'd say give it a viewing if you're in the mood for Richard Pryor or Gene Wilder. Can never go wrong with those two. Clearly. And thus concludes our breakdown of a good-almost-great Pryor/Wilder duo flick. Thanks for tuning in and I'll seeya next time film fans.
  
  - Duke

Midnight Run: DeNiro Does Action-Comedy (Or What More Could You Want?)

The film Midnight Run is one of those rare gems you find once every blue moon. For starters it's one of Martin Brest's few films, and arguably one of his best. If I had to decide between Midnight Run and Brest's earlier action-comedy, Beverly Hills Cop, I'm not sure which one I'd pick. They're both so damn good.

                                    

                                                 This One...

...Or This One

Secondly is that it's also one of Robert DeNiro's few comedic roles. It's true. Big Boss Bobby D's done some comedic roles before, but it's rare to see the man crackwise so much without being a mobster. In fact, DeNiro's so in-character and in a comedic mood throughout, he actually carries a good portion of the humor in the film. Watch as he and Yaphet Kotto spar in this scene to great comedic effect.

Finally, Midnight Run is one of those great films that encapsulates just about everything you could want in an Action-Comedy--with a solid cast to back it up. It's the story of a down-on-his-luck ex-cop turned bounty hunter named Jack Walsh, (Robert DeNiro), who is forced to track, locate and then trek across the U.S. from New York to L.A. with an awkward, former Mob accountant named John "The Duke" Mardukas, (Charles Grodin), as his prisoner. What ensues is a bond of friendship forged on the road through hilarious circumstance as the two of them are chased by the F.B.I., the Mafia, and another bounty hunter out to steal Walsh's prize. Don't believe me? Here's an epic car chase from the film. And when I say epic, I mean EPIC.

And just for good measure, here's another car chase scene. Only this time it involves a helicopter. Yeah.  A motherfuckin' helicopter. See how "two of the dumbest bounty hunters ever" get out've that one.

Alright, let's not beat around the bush. Let's get to what ya'll came for: the breakdown!

The Breakdown

• Ridiculousness: Make no mistake. This is a ridiculous film. And yet the premise, while containing it's fair share of plot holes (why is Jack so much more resourceful then both the FBI and the Mafia in finding "the Duke"; why, if "the Duke"is such an integral witness against Serrano, not placed on a flight-risk and put under surveillance when released for bail; etc.), actually holds water to a degree. I can buy Jack Walsh's predicament and past. Probably because DeNiro sells it so well. 3.5/5 Stars
• Classiness: In terms of class, well, Midnight Run certainly has plenty of believable characters although "classy" wouldn't be the term I'd use to describe'em. Crude. Crass. Spunky. Those are the type of adjectives I'd use to describe the characters of Midnight Run. Grodin's character is the only one out've the bunch that has an honest and genuinely classy bone in his body, but still, even with all the grime and grittiness all the other main characters of Midnight Run display, there's still a measure of rugged, tough-guy kinda classiness that can be felt and seen throughout the film.  4/5 Stars
• Cheesiness: This film could have very easily gone the way of nachos and been cheesy from start to end. Yet, as I mentioned before, there's a certain air of machismo about this action-comedy that lends it a certain sort've credibility and lessens the severity of any cheesy bits there might be. 2/5 Stars
• Hilariousness: Okay, now this is a funny film. When I first saw it, it had me laughing from the opening credits onwards. And yet, while I thought the film was quite humorous, for whatever reason, maybe from knowing how hilarious and awesome Beverly Hills Cop was, I was expecting maybe a little bit more out of this one. Still, a great watch for some good laughs. 3.5/5 Stars

• Awesomeness: This...is an Awesome film. With a total Awesome rating of 3.25 Stars, Midnight Run manages to tie with it's predecessor Beverly Hills Cop. Robert DeNiro is often hailed as one of the greatest dramatic actors of his time while people say pretty much the same thing about Eddie Murphy as a comedic actor. This shows that, if DeNiro had a mind for it, he could come out swinging and give Murphy a run for his money. At least when it comes to comedies. Dramas...well, Murphy needs to shape up or ship out. DeNiro would wipe the floor with him. Raging Bull style.
  
  

There it is. Midnight Run. In all of its bounty hunting glory. Until next time film fans.

- Duke

The Princess Bride: The Romantic's Action-Comedy (Or Everything You Want In A Film)

Few films are capable of transcending genre restrictions so flawlessly as The Princess Bride. Originally a novel by S. Morgernstern but translated and abridged by William Goldman and published in 1979, the film version of The Princess Bride would come out a little under ten years later in 1987.

                                 

                                                Book Version

Film Version

This movie is, quite frankly, one of my favorite movies of all time. The book is an absolute stellar read and I highly recommend picking it up, but the movie! Just watch this clip of the late great Peter Falk (may he RIP) as the Grandfather talking to his Grandson, (played by Wonder Years star Fred Savage) about, ironically, the magic of books:

This film truly has it all, and yet, I know many of you will say that it is not truly an Action-Comedy. To this I might have to agree as the film takes place in a Renaissance-era setting and therefore lacks the necessary explosions, car chases, and witty one-liners that abound in the Action-Comedy genre. Indeed, The Princess Bride would more appropriately fall under the Adventure-Romance-Comedy kind of flick. However this film is so damn funny and packed full of action. If you don't believe me, watch these two clips. The first is an epic sword duel between the Dread Pirate Roberts, played by Cary Elwes, and the Spaniard Inigo Montoya, played by Mandy Patinkin. And the second is a mash-up of Wallace Shawn as the evil Sicilian genuis, Vizzzini uttering his favorite catchphrase: inconceivable!

The Princess Bride is such a good film because it's both a parody of the classic love-story/fairy-tale, and yet also a simple re-imagining of it. The story, like so many other fairy-tale romances, begins as such: Buttercup is a beautiful girl whose parents own a small farm in the countryside of Florin and Westley is a farm boy who works for them. Buttercup's favorite pastime is ordering Westely around, to which Westley always replies "As you wish.", a sign of his affection, and obliges Buttercup happily. The two eventually fall deeply in love, but in order to get money to be married, Westley goes off to find a job and start a life for them. But then Buttercup hears of Westley's death by pirates and she suddenly finds herself whisked away by Prince Humperdinck, who is resolved to make her his bride. As the nuptials near, Buttercup is kidnapped by three outlaws--Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo Montoya who are hired to kill the Princess and start a war with Florin. Buttercup is then saved by the Dread Pirate Roberts who later reveals himself to be Westley who happened to escape death. But Buttercup is taken once again right as she and Wesley are reunited by the ruthless Prince Humperdinck. The Prince then orders torture upon Westley so as to  keep him away from Buttercup, but Westley ends up being saved by Fezzik and Inigo, who in turn risk life and limb to help him save Buttercup.

So how does this movie fare? Let's find out in the breakdown.

The Breakdown

Ridiculousness: Now this is one seriously wacky fairy tale. Told with a mostly tongue-in-cheek style of story-telling, The Princess Bride is always pushing towards the more ridiculous as the film progresses. From its humble beginning on Buttercup's family farm, to the grand castle of Prince Humperdinck, to the incredibly twisted Fire Swamp and the self-explanatory Cliffs of Insanity--this flick has ridiculousness all over it like a Holocaust cloak on a giant. And it works. 5/5 Stars

Classiness: While ridiculous, The Princess Bride also manages to remain incredibly classy and on point. The dialogue is always sharp and witty. The characters are all so fresh and well-crafted. I mean, hell, even the look and feel of it is just like if you'd been dropped into a fairy-tale yourself. And all of the scenes with Cary Elwes and Robin Wright as Westley and Buttercup respectively are tender and sweet when they very easily could have been cheesy and overdone. Incredibly classy film, indeed. 5/5 Stars

Cheesiness: Actually, in my opinion, this film isn't very cheesy. But I could see where people would draw those conclusions. The characters are big, the romance is heightened, and the relationship between the Grandfather and Grandson, (while in my mind appropriate), can get kind of hammy and sappy towards the end. 2.5/5 Stars

Hilariousness: The Princess Bride is full of funny moments from beginning to end. It wouldn't be one of my favorite movies of all time if it didn't have as many funny moments as it does. To prove my point here are two more clips of awesome hilarity. 4/5 Stars

• Awesomeness: This...is a Totally Awesome film. With a rating of 4.125/5 Stars The Princess Bride is a film that's just superb on so many levels. It's damn near perfect. I mean, seriously, what more could a person ask for what with all it gives you: fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...
  
  So there you have it ladies and gents. The Princess Bride. The Romantic's Action-Comedy. The Action-Rom-Com. The Comedic-Action-Romance. Yup. It's all of those things, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of awesome, too.
  
  - Duke

Beverly Hills Cop: AH-huh-huh-huh-HUH! (Or Why Eddie Murphy Ran the 80's)

The year is 1984. It's not quite as morbid and Totalitarian as George Orwell predicted, but still, it's pretty damn close.

Thankfully, it was an especially good year for Action-Comedy films. Why? Beverly Hills Cop came out. Rejoice, children, rejoice!

The blunt I just smoked was this big! I swear! Ah-huh-huh-huh!

This film is not only an excellent example of a renegade cop flick, but also the perfect example of why Eddie Murphy just totally owned the 80's. See in 1982 Eddie Murphy teamed up with Nick Nolte to do 48 Hrs., thus creating the buddy cop genre. Then in 1983 Murphy did a little comedy special known as Delirious which earned him instant fame and notoriety as a very edgy and very racy stand-up comedian. Homie was tellin' some jokes. Fuckin' funny ones, too. Like this one, about racism:

I reference these two incidents as they both highlight Murphy's on-screen personality which he develops and really defines in the protagonist of the film, Axel Foley. The story of Beverly Hills Cop goes like this: Axel Foley is a streetwise, foul-mouthed detective from Detroit who heads down to the sunny, smog-infested streets of Los Angeles after one of his longtime friends comes to town for a visit. Foley is forced to take a leave of absence from work and follows the killer to, as you may have guessed, Beverly Hills. What happens next is a hilarious trek through the streets of Beverly Hills and L.A. that sees Foley get into all kinds of trouble including, but not limited to: a fight in a strip club, getting thrown through a glass window, getting arrested multiple times, being shot at and being chased at practically every turn. Short of robbing a liquor store, punching a hooker, and kicking a baby, Axel Foley does just about everything a guy can do to get into trouble in L.A.

And anywhere else for that matter.

Oh shit. I know you did not just talk shit about the Detroit muthafuckin' Lions. Say somethin' again, I dare you. I'll tear your ass up like a muthafuckin' lion, see if I don't.

The film was a financial success with a worldwide net gross of $316,360,478 and would prove to be one of Eddie Murphy's most lucrative roles as he would go on to do a second and third installment. Murphy is also known in Hollywood as the actor with the most sequels under his belt, and no wonder when he brings such awesome characters like Axel Foley to life. But enough of this nonsense. Let's break this muthafuckin' thang down.

The Breakdown

• Ridiculousness: As far as plots go this one isn't so far fetched. A police detective from one city goes looking for his friend's killer in another. That's not the ridiculous part. The ridiculousness of the film actually comes from the main character, Axel Foley, and his boisterous, fast-talking, silver-tongued, holy-shit-I-can't-believe-he-just-got-away-with-that attitude and personality. 3.5/5 Stars
• Classiness: This is a classy film. Why? Because of how it's handled. This is the sort've film that, at the time, could have easily gone too far and been way over the top and exaggerated. Fortunately the execution of this film, from the action scenes to the comedic timing, are perfect. And Murphy is able to be both himself and a larger than life version of himself that's also down-to-earth and believable enough as a detective to make you think, nay, hope that there's at least one Axel Foley working in every police station. 4/5 Stars
• Cheesiness: This film, thankfully, had very little cheese. If there was any one thing that was cheesy about this film, I'd say it was the music soundtrack. But that can't be helped. It was the 80's, man. And it's part of the reason we love it so much. 1/5 Stars
• Hilariousness: This is a funny movie. It's downright hilarious, actually. In fact, I'd say this might be one of Eddie Murphy's funniest films. Bold, you say? If you don't believe me, take a look at the video below of some of the best scenes and then try to disagree with me. I dare you. 4.5/5 Stars

• Awesomeness: This...is an Awesome film. Not Totally Awesome. Not Awesomeness Prime. But with an average rating of 3.25 Stars, the film comes in at a solid Awesome rating. Well done Axel Foley. Well done, indeed.

And there you have it folks. Beverly Hills Cop. A film that helped shape (and would later become a quintessential icon) of the 80's, helped propel Eddie Murphy's film career, and also spawned a ridiculously catchy theme song.

Catch ya next time film fans.

- Duke

Greetings! And the Best of Both Worlds: An Ode to the Action-Comedy

Hello, greetings, and good day fellow film lovers!

Allow me to take you to a place where the questions asked are as bold as the quests they inspire, and the babes are as bad(ass) as the puns spawned after them. My name is Brad, or Duke to the internet, and as long as you're aboard this crazy train the in-flight movie will be set to what I say it is: Action-Comedy. Or more to the point, action-comedy films of the 1980's and the 1990's. But first...

A Little About Me and Why I'm Starting This Blog

Think of this blog as a testament. An ode, really, to my favorite genre of film—the action-comedy. Why is the action-comedy the genre of film closest to my heart? I'm glad you asked, rhetorical question.

For whatever reason the Gods made Man a tinkerer. We tinker, Man. And from the fires of our tinkering we create things. Awesome things. Things that otherwise would have no business being together, come together under the watch of Man. And in those moments of producing one from two, Man transcends his mortal limitations and is able to play Creator. Just for a moment. Just for a second. Just to see how it feels. But, of course, that which Man creates and has created is then left behind in this physical plane forever, a mark upon the soul of the world. There are limitless examples: The Bow and Arrow. The Sword and the Stone. Nuclear Energy and the Atom bomb...

...Peanut Butter and Jelly. Alcohol and Girls with Daddy Issues. The Internet and Porn....

You see? Limitless.

The point is that all of these examples are the coming together of two great and terrible things that, through their unification, have forever changed the face of mankind.

I love action movies. And I love comedy movies. Action-Comedy is simply the marrying of the two and the awkwardly hilarious, adrenaline-fueled honeymoon that follows.

But then, when you  have to get right down to it, what is an Action-Comedy film? What actually separates an action-comedy from being just an Action or a Comedy film? Great point, rhetorical question, and once again I'm glad you asked.

The First Action-Comedies

No one can say for sure when the action-comedy first arose from the celluloid soup of film. It just sort of happened. It was one of those "Right place, right time" kind of affairs.

Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was premeditated. Maybe some big-wig studio execs got together in a big board room at the top of some downtown Los Angeles skyscraper, lit up and smoked some fat Cuban cigars until the room was nice and smoky and then decided "It's time..." and unleashed the Action-Comedy upon the world.

There are those that would insist that the old timey Adventure films and serials were the original Action-Comedies. Others would say that Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte really kicked off the genre with the first buddy-cop flick, 48 Hours.

What little actual research I have done shows that Action films in particular came into a sort of "Golden Age" at the start of the 80's and by the end of the decade, and into the 90's, hybrid cross-genre Action films were everywhere. And that included the Action-Comedy.

So what does this mean for you and me? It means that I'll be playing fast and loose with the term 'Action-Comedy'. I might attribute it to an Action film that's a little more Action-y than Comedy; or just the opposite, and attribute it to a Comedy that has some really sweet Action in it, even if it's only briefly. But don't get your panties in a bunch just yet. I'm definitely going to critique and dissect films that are undeniably worthy of the genre Action-Comedy.

The System

The films will be broken down in depth and given ratings based on five factors. 

• Ridiculousness: This pertains to the ridiculousness of plot, of action sequences, of the main character or their predicament, etc.
• Classiness: This is in regards to the classiness of characters, of how believable the actor portrays the character, of the authenticity of the time or how well the film looks and feels, etc. 
• Cheesiness: This is, of course, in regards to the cheese-factor of the films’ on-screen romance, of any moral or ethical themes that are brought up repeatedly or poorly, the jokes and how they're executed, etc. 
• Hilariousness: This one kind of speaks for itself, but if you aren’t sure what this is measuring it’s how funny the film is. Clearly.
• Awesomeness: This will be determined by all the other scores combined.  But this is the measurement of the film in terms of sheer awesomeness. The Awesomeness rating will then be used in order to rank films in how they measure up against each other, so as to determine which Action-Comedy film of the 80’s and 90’s is truly the best.

And there you have it kiddies. Them's the rules and the reasons for'em. So now let's get to the fun stuff. To the action-comedies! To the art of awesome! To the cinema!

- Duke