PARODY FILMS THROUGH THE DECADES SERIES — the 1900s
‘Sherlock Holmes Baffled’ Over the Children’s Little Train Robbery
The dawn of a genre
Movie theaters feel shallow without comedies. It’s been a few years without a comedy appearing in the theater, and I miss them. Right now, everyone could use a hearty laugh, but not a joke from a superhero affair or a quip to break the tension in a horror film.
It doesn’t matter if the comedy is snarky or childish; it must captivate cinephiles and the general audience.
In today’s social climate, any joke in a comedy would frustrate and offend, ending anyone’s idea of making a comedic film.
Recently, comedy movies have surfaced on streaming services. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, for example, made me laugh so hard that I couldn’t breathe. I reacted similarly to the new adult animated film Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe. The comedy was crude, but I had a few good laughs. Nicolas Cage’s recent flick, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent with an overabundance of cageisms, takes a crack at comedy films, and perhaps its experimental take can revive the genre.
Those comedy films are a pleasure to watch, but none like the parody: the sub-genre of comedy that satirizes any film genre.
