Reel Corner - July 2015

by Donne Paine

What makes a good comedy?

Since comedy is not a science, but an art, there are no rules and it can be very subjective. The original meaning of the word comedy was merely a dramatic play that featured a happy ending, basically the opposite of tragedy.

In literary circles, people often talk of high comedy and low comedy. High comedy is seen as intellectual wit, using clever characterizations and complex situations. Low comedy uses coarse language, slapstick and farce.

Comedy is personal; everyone has a style that makes them laugh. There are various types of comedy, including: 

Slapstick: Joe picks up a large plank. Fred behind him says, “Hey Joe, careful with that plank!” Joe turns round saying “What?” and whacks Fred in the face with the plank. 

Parody: A character deliberately mimics the style of another person.  

Spoof: A light parody or gentle imitation. 

Satire: Where a section of society or politics is deliberately mimicked and mocked.

Irony: Where the opposite of what is expected happens or where someone says the opposite of what they mean. 

Sarcasm: The use of irony to mock with an insult or quick remark.  

Farce: Where comedy is achieved through exaggeration and extreme characters in preposterous circumstances that seem to spiral out of control. 

Dark comedy: A dark comedy is where a light-humored touch is applied to a dark and serious subject matter in order to ease the pain or make some specific point by juxtaposing the humor and the sadness. 

LAUGH A LITTLE

Here are a few 2015 summer movies that combine many types of comedy sure to please and make you smile. 

Pitch Perfect 2 PG-13 | Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp and Hailee Steinfeld. Why you should be interested: The original a cappella comedy already is a classic, and those who loved Pitch Perfect 1 won’t be disappointed.

Spy R | Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham and Jude Law. Why you should be interested: McCarthy and Byrne are teamed with their Bridesmaids director Paul Feig and this one re-creates the magic.

Aloha PG-13 | Starring: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, John Krasinski, Rachel McAdams. Why you should be interested: This romantic comedy is the latest project from director Cameron Crowe with Cooper and Stone as love interests in Hawaii…why wouldn’t it work? 

Trainwreck R | Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader and Vanessa Bayer. Why you should be interested: Schumer is one of the funniest fresh new personalities on TV. Judd Apatow is behind the camera on this one. It might be summer’s funniest movie. 

Pixels PG-13  |  Starring: Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan and Kevin James. Why you should be interested: This fantasy comedy about video games coming to life and attacking the Earth looks like a crowd-pleaser. 

Irrational Man R | Starring: Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Parker Posey. Why you should be interested: Woody Allen cast Phoenix as a professor who is having an existential crisis as he falls for his student, played by Stone. 

Vacation PG-13 | Starring: Ed Helms and Leslie Mann are grown-up Rusty and Audrey, while Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo will reprise their roles. See who else (like Chris Hemsworth!) is in the cast. Why you should be interested: The beloved comedy franchise is back with a cast of genuinely funny people but isn’t leaving out the original Griswolds. And did we mention Chris Hemsworth doing comedy! 

Masterminds PG-13 | Starring:  Zach Galifianakis , Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis. Why you should be interested: Besides the cast being stocked with a comedy dream team, the movie is inspired by a so-crazy-it’s-true tale of a huge armored-car heist. 

She’s Funny That Way R | Starring: Imogen Poots, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Why you should be interested: Legendary director Peter Bogdanovich is behind this screwball comedy, which doesn’t look like highbrow comedy as much as it just looks like a ton of fun. 

Reference: www.popsugar.com, www.hollywood-movies.com; www.thinctanc.co.uk

Donne Paine, film enthusiast, once lived around the corner from the Orson Wells Theater in Cambridge, Mass., where her strong interest in films, especially independent ones, began. She was a 12-year member of the Hilton Head Second Sunday Film Society, and frequent visitor to the Sundance Film Festival. To support her habit of frequent movie going, Donne is an executive recruiter and staff development consultant. Are you interested in joining a film club? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..