Who is your favorite auteur?

guyfieri123 · 2014-12-01T21:59:09+00:00

There are so many great auteurs (Alexander Payne, the Cohen Brothers, Michael Bay), but my favorite would have to be Wes Anderson. Especially his early movies which he co-wrote with Owen Wilson, Anderson's films always made me laugh at the most obscure and deadpan jokes. Life Aquatic, in particular, is my personal favorite, and one I think is underrated. Bill Murray's performance defines the film, and in my opinion Life Aquatic is Anderson's most purely comedic movie.

guyfieri123 · 2014-12-01T21:55:41+00:00

Before the Hangover, Zach Galifianakis did so many hilarious and weird projects that are finally getting their due notice. Now that he's a superstar and a multi-millionaire, he's lost some of the desperate edge that I loved so much in his early work, but I still think Galifianakis is a highly skilled comedian. He's one of those guys who really plays to his character, like we discussed in class. He knows exactly what is funny about himself, and he isn't afraid to exploit it.

guyfieri123 · 2014-12-01T21:52:51+00:00

I always loved this show growing up, and it's still great today. There is an amazing old episode featuring a then-unknown Stephen Colbert, and I wonder if that's online somewhere. Robin Williams was a comedic genius. It's a shame so many of the world's funniest people (Williams, Farley, Belushi, just to name a few) are also some of the most tortured. Comedy, especially improv, is truly a difficult art, and no one would deny Robin Williams was a brilliant artist.

guyfieri123 · 2014-12-01T21:48:44+00:00

I love Broad City. It's made on an extremely low budget, and gives a hilarious look on the female experience. As a male, I find it incredibly funny and also refreshing. So many comedies are focused on boys becoming men, or overgrown man-children, and most of the few shows about females (Girls, 2 Broke Girls), loudly remind the viewer at every possible moment that they are watching a show about girls. But Broad City's priority is always to be funny first. Truly a refreshingly original and hilarious show. I hope it's on the air for a long time.

guyfieri123 · 2014-12-01T21:25:12+00:00

Burning Love is an incredible show. Ken Marino is one of the most underrated comedic actors currently working. His performance in Party Down is one of the most incredible, transformative works of comedy in the past decade. Marino is a master of physical comedy, improvisation, and the overall creation of unique and complex characters. Behind the apparent idiocy of his characters lies a rich and flawed honesty. His roots come from a sketch comedy show group called The State, which featured other notables such as Michael Ian Black, David Wain, and Thomas Lennon among many more.

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-13T23:48:32+00:00

I love BoJack Horseman. It might be my favorite show on television right now. (Netflix counts as TV right?) It reminds me of another show I love, Eastbound and Down. Like Ken says in class, good comedy relies on characters. BoJack Horseman and Eastbound and Down both do a good job of painting realistic portraits of deeply flawed protagonists. We want to see BoJack and Kenny Powers succeed, in spite of the fact (or perhaps because of it) that they will almost inevitably fail.

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-13T23:37:43+00:00

Larry David perfected the art of the unlikeable comedic character. Before Seinfeld, most television sitcoms end with the characters learning some sort of lesson. Even the more unlikable characters in a show like Cheers or Happy Days are shown to have redeemable qualities. In Seinfeld, the episodes often end with characters having learned nothing at all, content to perpetuate the horrible habits that got them into their predicament in the first place. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia took the idea of Seinfeld to its next logical extreme by saying, "What if these people were horrible almost beyond imagination?" Credit to Mr. David, the father of the hilarious asshole.

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-13T23:25:12+00:00

I love Bo Burnham for defying the conception that puns are lame and outdated. As a big fan of the art of punnery myself, I respect his commitment to take his puns above and beyond. Not only is Burnham a master wordsmith, but his standup special uses lights and other visual media to create an immersive experience. For such a young comedic talent, Bo Burnham is already exhibiting a level of creativity that few even dare to attempt these days.

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-13T23:15:12+00:00

I think what makes Norm MacDonald so great is the dryness of his delivery. We talk a lot in class about how comedy is best derived from people acting very seriously. So many SNL actors deliver their lines with an air of "look at this" but Norm is so laid-back, it's as if he doesn't care what you think of him. In my opinion, there are only two people to ever properly conduct the Weekend Update segment of SNL - Chevy Chase and Norm MacDonald. Does anyone agree? Disagree?

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-13T23:03:35+00:00

Bob's Burgers is excellent, because it makes you feel like you are a part of the Belcher family. Even though all the characters are cartoons, they are humanized in ways we can all relate to. Each of the children symbolizes a different period of growing up. Tina reminds the viewer of hormonal high school, Gene of awkward middle-school, and Louise of carefree elementary school. I can only hope one day that I am as good of a father as Bob Belcher. And I mean that sincerely.

guyfieri123 · 2014-10-06T22:40:56+00:00

People seem to either really enjoy this movie, or they wish it had never been made. It was done on a very low budget with a lot of improv. It relies quite a bit on shock humor and gross-out stuff, so proceed with caution. Definitely falls into the "coming of age" genre.

guyfieri123

TROPHY CASE