Add It To Your Queue: Vol 6: The Comedy Queue
So, you’ve seen the blockbusters, and all the Oscar contenders, but you still are looking for something to watch. Maybe something you missed. There are so many films that didn’t make a big splash, earn a lot of money or garner a lot of awards, but are still worthy of being seen. Clear your Netflix queue (or itunes or amazon or epix queue) and make some room for a few of these overlooked gems that may not have come your way before but are well worth your time. Missed Volume 1, Volume 2 , Volume 3, Volume 4 and Volume 5? Check them out here. In this edition, we focus on comedies. Eight smaller comedies that definitely worth watching. And as always, more to come.
Volume 1 Volume 2. Volume 3. Volume 4. Volume 5. Volume 6: Comedies Volume 7: Alternate Horror
Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002)
An ambitious movie if there ever was one, ‘Kung Pow! Enter the Fist‘ takes footage from the 1978 Hong Kong Kung Fu movie, ‘Tiger and Crane Fist‘ and splices it together with new footage to create a whole new plot and movie. Written, directed, and starring Steve Oedekerk (known for his various collaborations with Jim Carrey and Tom Shadyac) who plays ‘The Chosen One’, a man who travels from town to town looking for his families killer. ‘Kung Pow!’ isn’t short on absurdity, with Oedekerk fighting multiple animals during the film, but the real hilarity comes from the spot-on lampooning of the poorly-overdubbed kung-fu films of the 1970’s.
Rent Kung Pow: Enter The Fist
Murder by Death (1976)
A spoof on the classic whodunit murder mysteries, ‘Murder By Death’ features an all-star cast including Eileen Brennan, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, and Maggie Smith. The film revolves around a group of detectives who are invited to a mansion by eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (played bizarrely by author Truman Capote) who are tasked with solving a murder for the chance at $1 million. Featuring scenes that seem right out of a Monty Python movie, Murder By Death pokes fun at ever cliché you’ve seen in a detective movie.
Buy Murder by Death
Foot Fist Way (2006)
Nobody had heard of Danny McBride before his starring roles in Eastbound & Down, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, but his first attention grabbing role was in the low-budget comedy The Foot Fist Way. McBride collaborated with director Jody Hill to make the indie-comedy, which starred McBride as a Kenny Powers-esque Taekwondo teacher searching for respect after his wife cheats on him. The film caught the eye of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, who got it distributed at several film festivals in 2006. It’s easy to see how The Foot Fist Way served as an inspiration for other McBride roles in the years that followed.
Rent The Foot Fist Way [HD]
The Dish (2000)
‘The Dish‘ is a 2000 Australian comedy that tells a slightly-dramatized version of how the 1969 moon landing was broadcast to people around the world. ‘The Dish‘ is more of a feel-good movie than the others listed here, but that doesn’t take away from the films humor as a group of Australians who are in over their head, try to pull off a piece of one of the biggest technological feats in human history. Starring Sam Neill & Patrick Warburton, ‘The Dish’ is one of the rare films where you can laugh and actually learn something without being bored to tears.
Rent The Dish
Run Ronnie Run (2002)
You probably saw ‘Run Ronnie Run‘ while perusing the aisles of Blockbuster without thinking anything of it. The comedy was developed by the stars of the cult comedy series ‘Mr. Show‘ (Bob Odenkirk and David Cross) and is a spin off of a character featured on the show named Ronnie Dobbs. The movie was doomed from the start according to some, who felt that the studio hampered the film and it’s true essence to their constant notes and editing, which caused the film to endure re-shoot for over a year. The end result is a movie that does have it’s share of hilarious and brilliant moments, as well as appearances from Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Mandy Patinkin that fans of Mr. Show will love.
Rent Run Ronnie Run
Four Lions (2010)
You wouldn’t typically think of terrorism as a jumping off point for comedy, but acclaimed British satirist, Chris Morris does and made ‘Four Lions‘ one of the best dark comedies ever made. The film follows four wannabe suicide bombers in England as they train to commit an act of terror in the name of Allah. The basic plot of the film may suggest overly offensive humor but Morris delivers one of the smartest comedies in recent years as he satirizes the panic over Islamic terrorists infiltrating our everyday lives. Terrorists are often thought of as evil masterminds by some, but Morris shows that just like normal people around the world, they can also just be idiots.
Rent Four Lions
Big Trouble (2002)
Judging by it’s literal cover, ‘Big Trouble‘ is a movie that you would probably stay away from at first glance, seeing as Rene Russo and Tim Allen peering over a pair of shades doesn’t really convey a great comedy. But if you give the movie a chance and and take a look at the rest of the starring cast, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what a great comedy it is. The movie was delayed over a year in the wake of September 11th due to the subplot of a WMD being snuck on a plane, which led to the movie receiving no real promotional push and ultimately bombing. ‘Big Trouble’ has one of the best casts for a movie that you probably haven’t heard of with Stanley Tucci, Tom Sizemore, Janeane Garofalo , and Dennis Farina.
Rent Big Trouble
Mystery Team (2009)
Donald Glover is known to most for his role on the NBC comedy ‘Community‘ and his rap career under the stage name ‘Childish Gambino‘. But before that, Glover was a part of the comedy group ‘Derrick Comedy‘ alongside Dominic Dierkes and DC Pierson who teamed up for the feature length film ‘Mystery Team‘, which follows three immature high school grads whose amateur detective agency is forced to get serious after they are tasked with solving a murder. Also starring ‘Parks & Recreation‘s Aubrey Plaza and SNL’s Bobby Moynihan, ‘Mystery Team’ is a low-budget comedy that that’s worth checking out.
Rent Mystery Team
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