I don’t ever think that I’ve been accused of having a great DVD collection. My taste in movies has been called into question by many people, including a fellow editor on this prestigious site. So why would I tell you this and damage any credibility that I might have?
Well, it’s not that my taste in movies is particularly bad, it’s just that I have the ability to sit through almost everything and find incredible humour in unintentional comedy. As a result, I’ve seen a number of films that most people scoff at, as they peruse the selection at their local movie rental store. Of course, this means that there are some bad films and some good films. Fortunately, I’m here to tell you about the good ones. I’ll save the bad ones in case I’m asked to write another article.
The Hebrew Hammer – Ever wonder what Shaft would look like if he was Jewish? Well, neither had I but this film answers those questions with hilarious results. It stars Adam Goldberg as a bad-ass Jew who has to defeat the evil Santa (played by Andy Dick) and stop him from destroying Chanukah. It sounds a little ludicris but it’s worth it to sit back and enjoy the laughs.
Free Enterprise – This film is pretty much the turning point in William Shatner’s career. Here was really the first place where he played himself and he primarily makes fun of himself. The film centres around two struggling professionals in Hollywood (including a young Eric McCormick, Will of Will & Grace) who run into William Shatner at a book store and develop a friendship with their boyhood hero. The part I forgot to mention is that both young men are huge sci-fi nerds. While not the slapstick and baseless humour of The Hebrew Hammer, the film delivers plenty of laughs. One of which involves Linda Harrison’s Nova character from Planet of the Apes being lauded as the ideal mate because she’s beautiful, scantilly clad and mute. Also, if you can’t laugh at William Shatner performing a rap version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, you might as well stop reading the column right now.
Super Troopers – Aside from the 40 Year Old Virgin, this is funniest film that I’ve seen in the last 5 years. The movie plays almost like a sketch comedy with the plot just moving you from gag to gag but the gags are worth it. Just don’t get carried away playing a game of repeater.
Mean Machine – Long before Adam Sandler made the travesty of a film known as The Longest Yard, a group of British actors, well known for their roles in Guy Ritchie films, remade the film using soccer as the sport instead of football. Unlinke Sandler’s version, the Brits end up with a funny film that doesn’t disrespect the classic nearly as much as Sandler’s version. Vinnie Jones stars as the ex-pro sent to prison and forced to assemble a team to take on the guards. Jason Statham is about the only other recognizeable name and stars as the psychotic goalie with dreams of stardom.
UHF – Supplies! While this one isn’t nearly as obscure as the others on the list, it deserves a mention as it has been forgotten about as one of the funniest films of the last 20 years. Parody movies are tough to make and this one succeeds where the Scary Movie franchise has failed repeatedly. Michael Richards’ physical comedy gives us a preview as to what Kramer would become and Weird Al does a good job at moving from joke to joke.
Bubble Boy – Have you ever been karmically bitch-slapped by a six-armed goddess? Long before he was a gay cowboy, Jake Gyllenhaal was the boy in the bubble. The movie seemed rather innocent, thanks to trailers which surprisingly didn’t show the funniest moments of the film. There is racial humour that springs up in the weirdest places and can bring you to tears. Actually, if you’re going to watch this film go in with low expectations, don’t think too much and you’ll enjoy it.
After reading this, you might think that just grabbing a random film off the shelf at Blockbuster is guaranteed laughs. Unfortunately, that’s not true. For every watchable film you find, you find five films on the level of Black Friday, Ninja III: The Domination and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn.
Note: Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn involves neither a storm of metal nor is Jared-Syn destroyed. That title is very misleading but it does star Bull from Night Court and Kelly Preston.
Editor’s Note: Ninja III does not star Richard Hamilton II
