Hello, all.
I love a solid dark comedy [I guess the better term is "black comedy," but then everyone would assume I was talking about FRIDAY or I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA or BLACK DYNAMITE or something (all of which I enjoyed, incidentally, especially the last one)] so... "dark comedy" it is.
This one almost belongs on another project I've got percolating in my head, as I'm thinking it's a flick that most people probably haven't seen... but it'll be here because it's a really great comedy, not just a somewhat lesser-known movie.
GROSSE POINTE BLANK
From the IMDb, the plot is: "Martin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time."
Admittedly, it's a slightly goofy conceit, but it absolutely works like a charm largely thanks to the performance turned in by John Cusack. Some other veteran comedic actors turn in great supporting roles here, namely Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd, but the movie lives and dies on the back of a wonderfully fine-tuned [and occasionally manic] performance by John Cusack.
I have to say John rather than Joan, because she's in the flick, too...
If you're curious about how these parts fit together [and I haven't even mentioned Minnie Driver], take a look at the trailer embedded below:
And yes, the soundtrack is freaking solid, too. It's not often that I hear Siouxsie and the Banshees used at all, let alone quite so well. But nostalgic tunes notwithstanding, the movie succeeds on its own merits, balancing action and comedy without ever delving into parody... tho' it sometimes gets close. Even when it gets close, it's still more than a bit funny, as this *very* NSFW clip will attest:
Yeah, it probably isn't for viewing with the church youth group... but what would you expect from a black comedy?
Oh, by the way, this one just barely edged out ELECTION, which is pretty brilliant in its own right, so if you're keen on comedies with an edge, then you may want to have a double feature with these two. You'll definitely want to skip another black comedy featuring Dan Aykroyd, tho', LOOSE CANNONS. Just don't. Seriously. It's tone, plot, and pacing are all a mess... it's like the anti GROSSE POINTE BLANK. Stick with today's recommendation, and you'll be happy.
One last qualification, BEVERLY HILLS COP very nearly was today's recommendation... but it's more of an action/comedy hybrid than a black comedy, as such, and I just felt like I needed to put in a flick that covered that particular genre. Besides, I'm only writing about films that I actually own on DVD or "Blurry," so for those who are clamoring for MAJOR LEAGUE, CADDYSHACK, or even the aforementioned BEVERLY HILLS COP, that's one of the things that informed my choices. A bit myopic, perhaps, but I have to be disciplined somewhere!
Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - GROUNDHOG DAY, Day 2 - KINGPIN, Day 3 - TRADING PLACES, Day 4 - FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF; Day 5 - MODERN TIMES; Day 6 - AIRPLANE!; Day 7 - CHEECH AND CHONG'S NEXT MOVIE; Day 8 - STRIPES; Day 9 - I MARRIED A STRANGE PERSON!; Day 10 - STRANGE BREW; Day 11 - CLERKS; Day 12 - GHOSTBUSTERS; Day 13 - MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE; Day 14 - DUMB AND DUMBER; Day 15 - THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN; Day 16 - THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD!; Day 17 - VALLEY GIRL; Day 18 - THANK YOU FOR SMOKING; Day 19 - A FISH CALLED WANDA; Day 20 - THIS IS SPINAL TAP; Day 21 - REAL GENIUS; Day 22 - I LOVE YOU, MAN; Day 23 - TOMMY BOY; Day 24 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 25 - OFFICE SPACE]
I love a solid dark comedy [I guess the better term is "black comedy," but then everyone would assume I was talking about FRIDAY or I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA or BLACK DYNAMITE or something (all of which I enjoyed, incidentally, especially the last one)] so... "dark comedy" it is.
This one almost belongs on another project I've got percolating in my head, as I'm thinking it's a flick that most people probably haven't seen... but it'll be here because it's a really great comedy, not just a somewhat lesser-known movie.
GROSSE POINTE BLANK
From the IMDb, the plot is: "Martin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time."
Admittedly, it's a slightly goofy conceit, but it absolutely works like a charm largely thanks to the performance turned in by John Cusack. Some other veteran comedic actors turn in great supporting roles here, namely Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd, but the movie lives and dies on the back of a wonderfully fine-tuned [and occasionally manic] performance by John Cusack.
I have to say John rather than Joan, because she's in the flick, too...
If you're curious about how these parts fit together [and I haven't even mentioned Minnie Driver], take a look at the trailer embedded below:
And yes, the soundtrack is freaking solid, too. It's not often that I hear Siouxsie and the Banshees used at all, let alone quite so well. But nostalgic tunes notwithstanding, the movie succeeds on its own merits, balancing action and comedy without ever delving into parody... tho' it sometimes gets close. Even when it gets close, it's still more than a bit funny, as this *very* NSFW clip will attest:
Yeah, it probably isn't for viewing with the church youth group... but what would you expect from a black comedy?
Oh, by the way, this one just barely edged out ELECTION, which is pretty brilliant in its own right, so if you're keen on comedies with an edge, then you may want to have a double feature with these two. You'll definitely want to skip another black comedy featuring Dan Aykroyd, tho', LOOSE CANNONS. Just don't. Seriously. It's tone, plot, and pacing are all a mess... it's like the anti GROSSE POINTE BLANK. Stick with today's recommendation, and you'll be happy.
One last qualification, BEVERLY HILLS COP very nearly was today's recommendation... but it's more of an action/comedy hybrid than a black comedy, as such, and I just felt like I needed to put in a flick that covered that particular genre. Besides, I'm only writing about films that I actually own on DVD or "Blurry," so for those who are clamoring for MAJOR LEAGUE, CADDYSHACK, or even the aforementioned BEVERLY HILLS COP, that's one of the things that informed my choices. A bit myopic, perhaps, but I have to be disciplined somewhere!
Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - GROUNDHOG DAY, Day 2 - KINGPIN, Day 3 - TRADING PLACES, Day 4 - FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF; Day 5 - MODERN TIMES; Day 6 - AIRPLANE!; Day 7 - CHEECH AND CHONG'S NEXT MOVIE; Day 8 - STRIPES; Day 9 - I MARRIED A STRANGE PERSON!; Day 10 - STRANGE BREW; Day 11 - CLERKS; Day 12 - GHOSTBUSTERS; Day 13 - MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE; Day 14 - DUMB AND DUMBER; Day 15 - THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN; Day 16 - THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD!; Day 17 - VALLEY GIRL; Day 18 - THANK YOU FOR SMOKING; Day 19 - A FISH CALLED WANDA; Day 20 - THIS IS SPINAL TAP; Day 21 - REAL GENIUS; Day 22 - I LOVE YOU, MAN; Day 23 - TOMMY BOY; Day 24 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION; Day 25 - OFFICE SPACE]
