“Historically, Hollywood comedy has arrived in skinny envelopes. From fence post Buster Keaton to herky-jerky Jerry Lewis to wiry nerve-bundle Woody Allen to hung-loose Richard Pryor to whippy contortionist Jim Carrey, its comics and clowns have tended to be sliced thin and bendable.” ComedyHollywoodPostsNervesHungFenceClownSkinnyJerryWoodyEnvelopesBundlesBustersFence Post Author:James Wolcott
“And what could be a hotter ticket than the improbable triumph of 'The Book of Mormon,' the musical-comedy moon shot of the season? Its creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, of Comedy Central's 'South Park,' are the most unlikely Rodgers and Hammerstein team ever to bowl a thundering strike.” BookComedyTeamMoonShotsStonesSeasonsSouthMusicalCreatorStrikesTriumphParksBowlsTicketsUnlikelyImprobableInspirational TeamHotter Author:James Wolcott
“Feature-length film comedy is harder to pull off than the episodic sitcom - it doesn't have the same factory machinery up and running, teams of writers putting familiar characters through permutations - but that doesn't explain the widening quality gap that makes movie humor look like a genetic defective.” LooksCharacterRunningFilmQualityComedyTeamHarderFamiliarFeaturesLengthGapsFactoriesMachinerySitcomDefective Author:James Wolcott
“Whenever I catch a chunk of an Adam Sandler comedy on cable, it looks as badly shot and goofily tossed off as a Jerry Lewis gag reel once he hit the late downslide with 'Hardly Working' and 'Cracking Up.'” LooksComedyLateShotsAdamCablesJerryChunksGagsCracking Up Author:James Wolcott
“It's the contemporary woman that movies don't know what to do with, other than bathe her in a bridal glow in romantic comedies where both the romance and the comedy are artificial sweeteners.” KnowsRomanceComedyRomanticContemporaryArtificialRomantic LoveBridalSweeteners Author:James Wolcott
