Comedies
137 videos • 8,743 views • by Donald P. Borchers Comedies is a category of film designed to emphasize humor, and make the audience laugh through amusement. Traditionally, with a happy ending. Some of the earliest silent movies were Comedies, as slapstick comedy predominantly relies on visual depictions of events, without requiring sound. The silent film era also implemented animated comedy films. Sound was introduced into film towards the end of the 1920s and became much more prevalent through the 1930s and forward. Comedies took another swing, as laughter could result from burlesque situations but also dialogue. This advancement in technology allowed for comedy acts such as W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy to flourish via verbal humor and auditory sounds instead of complete silence. When television sets became popular in the 1950s, the film industry was forced to make some innovations to compete with at-home entertainment. Some of these innovations include the use of color in film, widescreen formats (Cinerama, CinemaScope, VistaVision), 3D, and surround sound. The 1960s welcomed a more mature, darker humor known as black comedy such as Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove". Comedy moved towards more parody and satirical humor in the 70s and 80s with directors like Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, and the Monty Python comedy troupe thriving. Teen comedies like "The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles", and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" also became popular in the 80s. In the 1990s over-the-top, wacky characters succeeded in the comedy scene. Notable actors that played these types of characters include Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, and Mike Myers. From the 2000s until recent, comedies have leaned towards the trend of incorporating more bathroom or raunchy humor with films like the "American Pie" series, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", and "Superbad". Overall, Comedies have moved away from traditional joke-telling, and now leans more towards eccentric characters finding themselves in unexpected situations. Comedy Sub-types include: Anarchic Comedy is a random or stream-of-consciousness type of humor which often lampoons a form of authority. The genre dates from the silent era. Examples: films produced by Monty Python. Bathroom Comedy (or Gross-Out Comedy) rely heavily on vulgar, sexual, or "toilet" humor. They often contain a healthy dose of profanity. Example: "Animal House" (1978). Black Comedy deals with taboo subjects, including death, murder, crime, suicide, and war, in a satirical manner. Example: "Dr. Strangelove" (1964). Comedy of Ideas characters represent particular divergent world views such as religion, sex, or politics, and are forced to interact for comedic effect and social commentary. Example: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986). Comedy of Manners satirizes an illicit love affair or some other scandal of a social class. However, the plot is generally less important for its comedic effect than its witty dialogue. Example: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961). Farcical Comedy exaggerates situations beyond the realm of possibility, thereby making them entertaining. Example: "Sleeper" (1973). Mockumentary Comedies are fictional, but use a documentary style that includes interviews and "documentary" footage along regular scenes. Example: "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984). Musical Comedy as a film genre has its roots in the 1920s, with Disney's "Steamboat Willie" (1928) being the most recognized of these early films. Observational Comedy finds humor in the common practices of everyday life. Example: "Knocked Up" (2007). Parody or Spoof Comedy satirizes other film genres or classic films. Such films employ sarcasm, stereotyping, mockery of scenes from other films, and the obviousness of meaning in a character's actions. Example: "Blazing Saddles" (1974). Sex Comedy is primarily derived from sexual situations and desire. Example: "Bachelor Party" (1984). Situational Comedy comes from knowing a stock group of character types and then exposing them to different situations to create humorous and ironic juxtaposition. Example: "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". Straight Comedy does not attempt a specific approach to comedy but, rather, uses comedy for comedic sake. Example: "The Shaggy Dog" (2006). Slapstick Comedy involves exaggerated, boisterous physical action to create impossible and humorous situations. Example: "Mr. Bean's Holiday" (2007). Surreal Comedy includes behavior and storytelling techniques that are illogical; including bizarre juxtapositions, absurd situations and unpredictable reactions to normal situations. Example: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963). Hybrid Subgenres include: Action Comedy Buddy Movies Comedy Horror Comedy Mystery Comedy Thriller Crime Comedy Day-in-the-life Comedy Fantasy Comedy Romantic Comedy Science Fiction Comedy Screwball Comedy Slapstick Martial Arts Movies Sports Comedy War Comedy Western Comedy