Tag Archives: Dark Comedy

Coffee and Cigarettes (2004)

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As per Jim Jarmusch style, “Coffee and Cigarettes” is a study, not only of human nature, and conversation, but also on unbridled meandering within gestures and just conversation in general which prompt uncomfortably silences and really fascinating situations that are often very amusing and engrossing. Filmed in stark black and white, Jarmusch examines conversation and human interaction while prompting his fascination with Coffee and Cigarettes, an admittedly unhealthy diet that all of the characters use in their sketches. As a love of coffee and a sheer hater of cigarettes, the film did manage to make for some entertaining sketches that shows off the talents of its stars while inadvertently paying homage to “Waiting for Gidoux”.

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The Stepford Wives (2004)

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No seriously, is this a real movie? No seriously. And studios wonder why they’re in a state of decline. Now, I’ve never seen the original “Stepford Wives”, which I recall was more of a grim statement about feminism, but I can easily imagine that it was ten times better than this, as is always the case. So, as if there weren’t enough male bashing in this militant neo-feminist, politically correct age where men are inbred, dumb, fat monsters, and women are smart, beautiful, flawless beings, we get this ridiculous remake. Ridiculous is just me holding my tongue, mind you, because what I really want to call it, would offend even Lenny Bruce. In a nut shell, this is further male bashing about a male bashing society  seeking revenge by male bashing those who are tired of being relegated to subservient positions.

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Envy (2004)

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Here’s my pitch for a product: A spray that causes really bad movies to vaporize into air. The first victim I’d choose for the spray would be “Envy”. This is a heaping helping pile of excrement. “Envy” is purely and utterly awful and I just don’t know where a plot with such potential, and a cast of great actors could have possibly taken a turn for the worst. Now, if I’m not mistaken, this is a comedy… isn’t it? Or at least it was supposed to be. Well there were Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Amy Poehler, and yet I didn’t laugh once.

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Bad Santa (2003)

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bad-santa-2003--02“Bad Santa” is crude, disgusting, violent, graphic, and has a lot of unsuitable content I wouldn’t recommend for a family out on Christmas, but it’s a great piece of comedy filmmaking by director Terry Zwigoff. There is a lot to like in this excellent character study, especially the two main characters Thurman and Willie, both of whom are opposites in every form of the word. Though their dichotomous relationship becomes something to watch with the highest regard allowing for comedy and warm moments.

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Coffee and Cigarettes (2004)

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This movie has a lot of quirky, funny moments. Iggy Pop Meeting Tom Waits, for instance, and just jawing about whether they’re on the jukebox or not, and the White Stripes talking about Tesla coils and the resonance of the earth. It’s an arty film, and if arty films are your bag, you’ve found the right place. If you like Jarmusch, you’ve also found the right place. There are a number of recurring themes that resound nicely. Certain cups, certain patterns on tables, and certain lines of dialogue are mentioned.

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The Secret Lives of Dentists (2003)

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Slater: These children are monsters, they should be struck… can I hit them?
David: No.

In “The Secret Lives of Dentists” we get a glimpse at the life of a dentist no one really sees, the life of a dentist, a person who people fear once they sit on the chair preparing for a check up, he’s the person, as character Slater says, everyone hates and no one wants to know because all they want to do is sit down get their work done and get the fuck out. David, played by a serene Campbell Scott, is the very submissive dentist who follows his usual daily routines and is always enveloped in his career. When he returns home he is very enveloped in the raising of his three daughters, one of whom clings to him like an extra limb and refuses to acknowledge her mother.

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Duplex (2003)

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gal-zoom-7-jpgI don’t mind dark comedies, I’ve seen a lot of them, some of them have been really good (Serial Mom, War of the Roses), and then there are the dark comedies that just shouldn’t be made (Death to Smoochy). “Duplex” is another one of them. With a plot right off of a sitcom, and with a script written with such a mean spirit and sense of disgust, we meet young couple Alex Rose (Ben Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Drew Barrymore). The two up and comers are nitpicking looking for a house. After a really cheesy set-up from director Danny Devito, the two finally stumble upon a really old but beautiful house which they discover has two floors and the second floor is being lived in by a little old woman Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essel) who is a seemingly sweet lady but cannot be kicked out because she’s on rent control.

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