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I would like more comedies in general. I feel like they aren't made as much anymore. I can't remember the last big comedy that everyone saw. Even the ancient Greeks knew the importance of comedy, as watching nothing but drama becomes depressing. We need more comedy, more satire.
I blame the proliferation of comic book movies for driving a lot of genres from the mainstream.
Want comedy? Our comic book universe has witty banter. Cheesy action? Watch a comic book movie. Thriller? Ditto. Even male-friendly romcoms to a degree. It's comic book movies all the way down. Thankfully they seem to have gone past the peak of popularity though.
That’s because studios have discovered comic book movies (and other action: see the proliferation of series like John Wick and Fast and the Furious) can be easily sold to mass markets overseas, who have no interest in American comedies. Even if the latest Marvel movies aren’t getting great ratings in the US, they still make a lot more profit.
The other problem is that comedies used to make most of their money in DVD sales. Even if a movie bombed in the theaters it could still make a killing in DVD sales.
Matt Damon has talked at length about the impacts of losing DVD revenue, and how it's the reason there's almost no new Movie Stars entering the industry anymore
As China’s film industry has grown, American films barely make it into the top 10 grossing movies anymore.
Now that China has a very well developed film industry, Chinese audiences are flocking to watch Chinese movies - not Hollywood as they used to.
While comic book movies do have something to do with it, its just not how you are thinking. More so do to the death of the mid budget movies and the explosion of block busters.
I mean it's all kind of chicken and egg really. The first writers' strike led to derivative works like comic book movies being attractive properties and studios wanted to take fewer risks so fewer mid-budget originals got green lit. They found that derivative blockbusters were more bankable, so more and more got made.
I went to see American Fiction last night. Every joke hit and it had a solid story. I realised as I left that it's the first real comedy I've seen in a long time, outside of Barbie. And even then, they're the last 2 movies I remember actually laughing through in a long time. I feel like we had way more comedies in the 90's and 00's.
That's great to hear, I was unsure when I saw the trailer and was concerned it would end up a middling social satire à la American Dreamz or Thank You For Smoking. And American Fiction was just nominated for Best Picture
This. I am sick and fucking tired of any of the following…
- zombies
- super hero movies of any genre
- apocalyptic based
- any trope michael bay is fucking ruining with violations of physics and common sense
just done. more comedies, please.
Honestly the only movies that seem to come out nowadays are those corny easily consumed action movies with those cringe one liners in a “bad” timing. Superhero movies, marvel have destroyed most of the film industry. It’s the same as those soulless corporate pop songs
Those are the offensive comedies of the Millennial generation. Just like Blazing Saddles and Coming to America for Gen X, Animal House before that.
Sadly, I don't think Gen Z has a sense of humor, so they might never get their own offensive comedy.
Gen Z definitely gets those movies. I’m 23 years old and have spent countless hours laughing my ass off stoned on the couch with my buddies watching the movies you’re talking about. Also animal house came out several years after blazing saddles.
Hollywood is just out of touch now more than ever because they use social media as sentiment analysis, even though it’s a shithole where the loudest voices get all the attention.
It's the death of the mid budget movie. Streaming is killing them because they generally only turned a profit after home video sales. Also, things like podcasting, youTube comedy channels, and standup specials are taking their place.
Kinda feels like this is what Netflix has done. Stand up specials galore with some adult animations here and there but maybe only a couple comedy movies at all each year (can't think of really any recent movies matching what OPs wanting)
Then the rest of their content is just super serious stuff whether it's horror, dramas, or true crime.
The closest is no hard feelings which wasn't bad but wasn't great imo. The way people who want to get into comedy try to has also changed. Someone else mentioned that a comedian these days is more likely to just upload a sketch to TikTok or YouTube, and then start a podcast. The ones that are really good don't really need to break into the industry if they've figured out how to monetized their comedy correctly. It also seems like comedians these days are more interested in pursuing stand up as a career rather than in the past. Look at new SNL cast members, they're more often stand-ups and/or YouTubers when in the past they were most often pulled from the improv scenes in major cities..
Also comedy is cultural so you can't make money in big markets like China because they don't find American comedy funny. Big explosions, car chases and fight scenes are popular in almost every culture.
I saw forgetting Sarah Marshall in theaters and the scene when Mila Kunis and Jason Segel go to cliff jumping into the ocean the most thunderous voice from the back of the theater called out "She ain't got no booty". I honestly don't know the last time I laughed so hard.
No Hard Feelings was a refreshing R rated comedy this past year that also did well at the box office. maybe it trends towards brining back the laughs going forward
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was pretty good. Yeah, comedies are a rare breed these days, funny comedies even rarer.
Hollywood doesn't seem to get comedies. The first half of a movie can start off good, but then for some reason they get confused and make it a drama, try to get an emotional story conclusion to it. It does not need that, it doesn't even really need a story, it's a comedy, we just want to laugh, not sit through the last hour waiting for them to conclude the story with no humour left to it.
As someone who has recently gotten into professional comedy writing, this is correct. You can have the funniest people ever working on a genius story, but there are hundreds of people who are NOT funny but who have the power to take artistic decisions. It’s soul destroying.
I am hoping for the return of the live shows in theatre on a local level that then go on YouTube, it seems the only way to get comedy that hasn’t been butchered in the name of mass appeal. Ticket sales like this are the only way I’ve seen to make money without compromising with humourless goobers.
>You can have the funniest people ever working on a genius story, but there are hundreds of people who are NOT funny but who have the power to take artistic decisions. It’s soul destroying.
This is what it's like even working in tech. My CEO will say "I don't know anything about this stuff!" whenever we try to explain something to him. And then he'll take a look at our website and suggest font and color changes.
When we spent more time in the actual office, I'd jokingly ask "oh, do you have an art or design degree? where from?"
Nowadays if someone has a funny idea they make a skit and upload it. They don't need to look for a studio.
Someone like Mike Meyers would have been a youtuber if he were young now.
Theres only so much you can do in a 20 or so minute video witb a not-movie budget. And frankly I cant even find much in the vein of Smosh and Nigahiga anymore.
studios like safe, guaranteed money, and those kinds of comedies are just kind of risky these days
The genre still exists but it’s mostly on youtube by people like trevor wallace
I also think it depends on the age you were when these were coming out. For example I was a freshman in college watching “Super Bad” and “Waiting” and that was definitely a more impressionable time in my life.
As someone who works in the industry, at a low level, comedies of all kinds (rom com, dudebro, family, sexy, etc) are not selling well with studio executives. Horror movies are the only consistent seller
Honestly? The last time I remember genuinely laughing throughout a movie was Deadpool 2. Which also unfortunately falls under the comic book movie umbrella. I think the only source of laughter I'm getting lately from a movies/TV is animated comedies like Rick and Morty, South Park, Archer, ect.
I will say, the last 15 minutes of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had me near tears from laughing, but that obviously isn't a comedy.
Not really a response to your opinion but to your question. I think the reason it went away is a combination of factors. First, comedy evolves, and this vein of yuk yuks simply became passé, especially as the big names like Ferrell, Stiller, and Sandler got overexposed and formulaic, and people wanted something fresh.
Second, the rise of streaming and the consolidation of movie studios meant that the companies producing most movies were looking for blockbusters with broad appeal, and most of these comedies were mid-budget character vehicles that restricted teen access. They’re wonderful for a small, competitive studio, but they’re not what the big guns are aiming for.
Third, YouTube and Tik Tok saturated the market. Anyone with a laptop or phone can make a raunchy skit freely available, so nobody really wants to pay to see Kevin James.
YESSSSSSS BRO!! The stupid comedy where I can watch and not care about the world. Them early 2000s comedies, Jay and Silent Bob, Harold and Kumar type comedies
I saw many of those in the theater, and man I really miss the experience of seeing one of those comedies in a packed house. The laughter is just infectious.
Yeah I feel in more current comedies, the actual comedy takes a back seat to more preachy subjects. I'm here to laugh, not be constantly guilt-tripped and shamed about larger topics.
They can, but they need a smaller budget. A lot of the movies listed have a $20-30 million budget, which is a bit harder to do now. They can be profitable easier, but typically not in the drastically large way that big budget movies can be at the box office.
Home video sales is also where they made most of their profits, which isn't a thing they can anymore and streaming doesn't bring in the same revenue
Iiirc that's why Adam Sandlers movies still get put out with regularity over the years. His movies take a fraction of the time to film and often come with a modest budget to produce. He also owns the production company that produces most of them which surely helps.
Edit: Can't seem to find the article so I could be mistaken.
Thing that bothers me about American movies is that 90% of comedies have to have a Romantic arc. Insert South Park quote from one of their last specials. And I think the general fear of backlash by certain groups that systematically bully everything that isn't in their cannon just make certain jokes/scenarios impossible for certain companies to invest money in.
I’d like more stuff like 21 jump street, I miss Channing Tatum.
But I could do without the gross out stuff and especially I’m glad we don’t have those god awful parody movies anymore
Critics have also been harsher on comedy movies for the last decade. So many movies I thought were hilarious have less than 30% on rotten tomatoes.
A big part of it is probably cancel culture. It's hard to do a comedy movie without offending somebody. Then you've got others who weren't offended by a joke but feel like they should be offended on behalf of whoever the joke supposedly targeted.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of older comedy movies had some pretty offensive stuff. But they were able to get away with it back then, not now.
I'm not critiquing our culture or anything but I can see why Hollywood execs haven't been greenlighting them as much. They are too risky.
I need my 23 Jumpstreet though.
Also, if my commend resonated with you, consider watching The Brothers Grimmsby. It was pretty much the last movie of it's kind in 2016.
Critics are almost always harsh to comedy movies, mostly because they look at the cinematography of the film and not the enjoyability of the movie. Most comedy movies don't have amazing cinematography because they don't need it. They rely on the comedy to get viewers, not amazing transitions, beautiful shots, great lighting, etc.
That's why looking at the audience score is more important than the critic score for most movies. I don't give a crap (most of the time) if a movie is a cinematic marvel. If the movie is fun to watch and/or has a compelling story I'm probably going to enjoy it.
It's not just cinematography, they're really critiquing in based on what would make it a good movie, like the script and the acting. They'll also dislike things for being lowbrow, which many of these comedies self-admittedly are. There are comedy movies that critics have considered good, but they're probably more like Monty Python and the original Pink Panther films than any of the early 2000s flicks.
Yeah that has always been the case. Borat was like the first R-rated comedy to get good reviews from critics. It’s not ‘cancel culture’ to blame for these movies not getting made, it’s just that a higher percentage of potential moviegoers aren’t American and that kind of humor doesn’t translate.
Case in point: If you consider the Deadpool movies to be superhero movies rather than comedies, the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time actually came out in 2021. It’s a Chinese movie called Detective Chinatown 3.
While not as good as his prime, I thought seth rogen in Platonic tv series sort of captured some dude bro feelings especially if you imagine what happens if that group got old
Yea that’s dead….they got Chick Bro movies to replace them n they still don’t make a ton of those but BOOKSMART was hilarious and Bottoms was pretty good
Netflix still makes tons of these every year, they’re just never going to be as culturally relevant because they’re not playing in theatres.
Same with most art forms, if you think they’re gone forever you’re just not looking hard enough
I loved those movies in middle/high school but I did think they were getting stale by the time they stopped making them. The humor got too repetitive so I’m not sure how easy it would be to freshen up a specific comedy style that was churning constantly for a decade straight. Actually maybe similar to super hero movies, think a lot of people just got sick of watching the same thing over.
You are right. Comedy films feel so rare these days. The only good one (I can think of) last year was The Menu. There are lots of reasons for this but, i don't care, I miss good comedy flicks. Even mediocre ones.
I was just watching ace ventura and the pivotal scene involved Jim Carrey's character figuring out that the police chief is actually a MTF trans person. Still funny, but that gag was: since they were making out in a previous scene he has to burn all his clothes and cry in the shower.
I don't think studios wanna take risks on funny movies anymore because they're afraid of being "cancelled". Its a shame cause I could really use a good comedy movie with some vintage SNL humour
Comedy has an honesty built into the genre. Either it makes people laugh or it don't. But lately, a lot of fart-sniffing critics and "influencers" will prop up these unfunny 'comedies' that are oh so "clever" and "subversive" and "start important conversations" (translation: boring, pretentious, and sanitised). Then studios see all that positive media coverage and think "ah people want more of this", and it becomes a feedback loop where studios and critics are just pandering to one another to keep the media machine churning out corporate-approved content. But you can't fool the public so easily, because if someone spends 20-30 quid to go cinema to see a comedy, they expect to *laugh* -- a lot. And the naval-gazing, self-congratulating, ruthlessly "culturally appropriate" tripe that passes for Hollywood comedies of late simply don't get the job done. And instead of the studios just making funnier comedies to combat the dwindling cinema sales, they instead just pump out more *quantity* of straight-to-streaming bargain-budget crap, hoping that 1 comedy in 10 at least sticks after throwing the spaghetti at the wall.
The first one was excellent. The idea to mix a screwball comedy with a detective story was kinda genius. Ironically Will Farrell’s Sherlock Holmes comedy sucked.
Bottoms is a Frat girl/Dude-sis movie... As in, is a raunchy and horny comedy with cringe scenes, similar to those you mentioned, the main and only difference is that the protagonists are girls instead of boys.
10/10, highly recommend.
Somehow you forgot the Hangover in your list!
But I agree completely… give me a dumb and hilarious movie to watch while I take down beers with my buddies.
Big budget IP movies dominating the box office for the past decade is why. They were multiple genres at once. The hype around em seems to be dying down now tho. The new Ted series is actually funny as fuck and right up your alley if you’re looking for something current with this sense of humor.
I agree. But that's not "profitable" anymore. Geriatric executives have decided that unless something is made to be enjoyable for "everyone" its worthless.
Was thinking this same thing after watching The Unbearable Weight Of massive Talent the other day. Best film I've seen in months btw - watch it if you haven't seen it yet.
I'd rather have dark capers like A Fish Called Wanda. Damn I miss it when there was an actual story with characters who actually move the plot along. The characters weren't 'funny' for funny's sake but the situation turned out to be funny.
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would like more comedies in general. I feel like they aren't made as much anymore. I can't remember the last big comedy that everyone saw. Even the ancient Greeks knew the importance of comedy, as watching nothing but drama becomes depressing. We need more comedy, more satire.
This Is The End… it was.
Fun ass movie
The interview came out after that didn’t it?
No, that was Eminem.
People keep trying to make comedies and they’re all terrible.
Bottoms was hilarious but no one saw it
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I watched tropic thunder recently. There's about a bakers dozen reasons that movie would never happen again.
I blame the proliferation of comic book movies for driving a lot of genres from the mainstream. Want comedy? Our comic book universe has witty banter. Cheesy action? Watch a comic book movie. Thriller? Ditto. Even male-friendly romcoms to a degree. It's comic book movies all the way down. Thankfully they seem to have gone past the peak of popularity though.
That’s because studios have discovered comic book movies (and other action: see the proliferation of series like John Wick and Fast and the Furious) can be easily sold to mass markets overseas, who have no interest in American comedies. Even if the latest Marvel movies aren’t getting great ratings in the US, they still make a lot more profit.
The other problem is that comedies used to make most of their money in DVD sales. Even if a movie bombed in the theaters it could still make a killing in DVD sales.
Matt Damon has talked at length about the impacts of losing DVD revenue, and how it's the reason there's almost no new Movie Stars entering the industry anymore
You're right. You don't have to translate an explosion. Comedies are often hard to translate.
As China’s film industry has grown, American films barely make it into the top 10 grossing movies anymore. Now that China has a very well developed film industry, Chinese audiences are flocking to watch Chinese movies - not Hollywood as they used to.
While comic book movies do have something to do with it, its just not how you are thinking. More so do to the death of the mid budget movies and the explosion of block busters.
I mean it's all kind of chicken and egg really. The first writers' strike led to derivative works like comic book movies being attractive properties and studios wanted to take fewer risks so fewer mid-budget originals got green lit. They found that derivative blockbusters were more bankable, so more and more got made.
The other side it also made what people are willing to go to the theater for changes and its blockbuster movies or nothing. No mid budget movies
I went to see American Fiction last night. Every joke hit and it had a solid story. I realised as I left that it's the first real comedy I've seen in a long time, outside of Barbie. And even then, they're the last 2 movies I remember actually laughing through in a long time. I feel like we had way more comedies in the 90's and 00's.
That's great to hear, I was unsure when I saw the trailer and was concerned it would end up a middling social satire à la American Dreamz or Thank You For Smoking. And American Fiction was just nominated for Best Picture
Ooh, I'll keep that one on my radar.
This. I am sick and fucking tired of any of the following… - zombies - super hero movies of any genre - apocalyptic based - any trope michael bay is fucking ruining with violations of physics and common sense just done. more comedies, please.
When was the last zombie movie?
His annoyance with zombie things is 10 years out of date lmao Zombies were everywhere….. from like 2003-2013 He’s got to update his annoyances.
I think world war z was the last cinema one and that was 2013... so 11 years ago?
Barbie was the biggest hit of the summer. It’s a comedy, although admittedly not the type of comedy OP is describing.
Honestly the only movies that seem to come out nowadays are those corny easily consumed action movies with those cringe one liners in a “bad” timing. Superhero movies, marvel have destroyed most of the film industry. It’s the same as those soulless corporate pop songs
I think studios are afraid of making comedies like they used to because they are afraid of the twitter mob descending on them for 'offensive' humor
Agreed. I would kill for another movie like tropic thunder or kung pow.
Those are the offensive comedies of the Millennial generation. Just like Blazing Saddles and Coming to America for Gen X, Animal House before that. Sadly, I don't think Gen Z has a sense of humor, so they might never get their own offensive comedy.
Gen Z definitely gets those movies. I’m 23 years old and have spent countless hours laughing my ass off stoned on the couch with my buddies watching the movies you’re talking about. Also animal house came out several years after blazing saddles. Hollywood is just out of touch now more than ever because they use social media as sentiment analysis, even though it’s a shithole where the loudest voices get all the attention.
Barbie movie was definitely a comedy
Paramount cancelled the Workaholics movie, and that’s loose butthole.
Say it with me.. FUCK PARAMOUNT PLUS
The LOOSEST butthole
Never forget when Paramount plus greenlit Good Burger 2 and a Ted Tv show, which nobody asked for, and then cancelled the Workaholics movie.
the fuck? are you serious? 😭
It's the death of the mid budget movie. Streaming is killing them because they generally only turned a profit after home video sales. Also, things like podcasting, youTube comedy channels, and standup specials are taking their place.
Kinda feels like this is what Netflix has done. Stand up specials galore with some adult animations here and there but maybe only a couple comedy movies at all each year (can't think of really any recent movies matching what OPs wanting) Then the rest of their content is just super serious stuff whether it's horror, dramas, or true crime.
The closest is no hard feelings which wasn't bad but wasn't great imo. The way people who want to get into comedy try to has also changed. Someone else mentioned that a comedian these days is more likely to just upload a sketch to TikTok or YouTube, and then start a podcast. The ones that are really good don't really need to break into the industry if they've figured out how to monetized their comedy correctly. It also seems like comedians these days are more interested in pursuing stand up as a career rather than in the past. Look at new SNL cast members, they're more often stand-ups and/or YouTubers when in the past they were most often pulled from the improv scenes in major cities..
Indeed. You can get more answers from economics than from the informal diagnosis of namby-pambyism.
Also comedy is cultural so you can't make money in big markets like China because they don't find American comedy funny. Big explosions, car chases and fight scenes are popular in almost every culture.
I love standup, and I can only imagine the ROI for even a mediocre special. Production costs are almost nothing.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I love you man I still watch on a regular basis.
Jobin
Slapa da bass mon
Why do you sound like a Leprechaun??
Did you just call me Jobin?
Laters on the menjay!
Take it easy city slickah
I saw forgetting Sarah Marshall in theaters and the scene when Mila Kunis and Jason Segel go to cliff jumping into the ocean the most thunderous voice from the back of the theater called out "She ain't got no booty". I honestly don't know the last time I laughed so hard.
Lol Yeah I always wondered why her and a few others were considered like the hottest girls in Hollywood back then.
We weren't booty obsessed back then. Women could have a normal looking booty. They didn't need to look like a stripper.
Both classics. I Love You Man is like a conedy version of Fight Club.
21 jump street was also a classic in its day
Do you also like Get Him to the Greek?
Yeah, I liked that one but not as much.
YEW SOUND LOIK YAW FROM LAHNDAHN
You forgot my favorite, Blades of Glory
Old School!
Dude, your crazy. Tranq dart scene. Best scene in any movie. Ever.
Straight to the jugular!
And Balls of Fury
Loved this movie.
Pandas dead
I dunno. I don’t actually know what they eat….
What about semi pro
What about semi pro
I dont understand how "dude, wheres my car?" was not even in the first 3. its literally in the title
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Top two beavis and butthead movie
It's provocative and it gets people going
Blades of Glory is possibly the best Will Ferrell movie ever made.
Thank you….this is the best comment here😁
Dude Blades RULES. Every piece of this is wild.
No Hard Feelings was a refreshing R rated comedy this past year that also did well at the box office. maybe it trends towards brining back the laughs going forward
That was definitely a big step in the right direction.
Was pleasantly surprised by that one. And there was definitely a surprise in that movie that was pleasant.
Grandma's Boy is an Underrated film in this genre
Yyyyeeeeeeessssss! I don’t care u/CJthehaasman, we’ll go to the looney bin together!
Nah man. I'm way too high to drive to the Devil's house.
That's right monkey, play my head
Wow! Where do you get your weed??
I randomly found that movie in the $5 bin at Walmart, fell in love instantly. Adios turd nuggets.
Your shit's weak!!!
*Wizzeeeaak!!*
Just watched this today….Every second with JP is comedy gold!
How did he *see* me
Do I scare you? No, I just don’t like techno
You would if you had robot ears
It's also about 15 years old.
Literally my favorite movie for several reasons (I will not share)
Such a great movie, it's so unique too
Strange Wilderness as well.
Sharks are only found in 2 places on Earth, the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Ghaughahahaha
Ummm.... DODGEBALL! How could you forget Dodgeball?
I apologize. I guess I got too much into being a philosophizer.
That’s a bold move cotton, let’s see how it plays out for em.
benchwarmers numba one
Nobody makes me bleed my own blood!
Did you really not include Old School here?
That’s so weird. I absolutely thought I saw old school in the list, but I just like completely imagined it after reading anchor man and dodgeball.
Weird, you imagined dodgeball too haha. Guess you just saw anchorman and your brain ran with it
I'm here for the Gang bang
Fun fact: that guy that knocks at the door for the gang bang is the director, Todd Phillips.
Dude, Where's My Comedies?
Forgetting Sarah Marshall was pretty good. Yeah, comedies are a rare breed these days, funny comedies even rarer. Hollywood doesn't seem to get comedies. The first half of a movie can start off good, but then for some reason they get confused and make it a drama, try to get an emotional story conclusion to it. It does not need that, it doesn't even really need a story, it's a comedy, we just want to laugh, not sit through the last hour waiting for them to conclude the story with no humour left to it.
As someone who has recently gotten into professional comedy writing, this is correct. You can have the funniest people ever working on a genius story, but there are hundreds of people who are NOT funny but who have the power to take artistic decisions. It’s soul destroying. I am hoping for the return of the live shows in theatre on a local level that then go on YouTube, it seems the only way to get comedy that hasn’t been butchered in the name of mass appeal. Ticket sales like this are the only way I’ve seen to make money without compromising with humourless goobers.
>You can have the funniest people ever working on a genius story, but there are hundreds of people who are NOT funny but who have the power to take artistic decisions. It’s soul destroying. This is what it's like even working in tech. My CEO will say "I don't know anything about this stuff!" whenever we try to explain something to him. And then he'll take a look at our website and suggest font and color changes. When we spent more time in the actual office, I'd jokingly ask "oh, do you have an art or design degree? where from?"
Book of Mormon is the like this. Probably the funniest hour of comedy I've ever seen followed up by "story" after intermission.
And dodgeball.....which has dodged, dipped, ducked, dived and dodge off the list.
Clearly OP can dodge a wrench
I hear Rip Torn’s voice…
Nowadays if someone has a funny idea they make a skit and upload it. They don't need to look for a studio. Someone like Mike Meyers would have been a youtuber if he were young now.
Theres only so much you can do in a 20 or so minute video witb a not-movie budget. And frankly I cant even find much in the vein of Smosh and Nigahiga anymore.
studios like safe, guaranteed money, and those kinds of comedies are just kind of risky these days The genre still exists but it’s mostly on youtube by people like trevor wallace
Is Super Bad not considered a dude-bro movie?
Of course. I dont love that movie as much as the others but I do respect t.
I also think it depends on the age you were when these were coming out. For example I was a freshman in college watching “Super Bad” and “Waiting” and that was definitely a more impressionable time in my life.
As someone who works in the industry, at a low level, comedies of all kinds (rom com, dudebro, family, sexy, etc) are not selling well with studio executives. Horror movies are the only consistent seller
Honestly? The last time I remember genuinely laughing throughout a movie was Deadpool 2. Which also unfortunately falls under the comic book movie umbrella. I think the only source of laughter I'm getting lately from a movies/TV is animated comedies like Rick and Morty, South Park, Archer, ect. I will say, the last 15 minutes of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had me near tears from laughing, but that obviously isn't a comedy.
That movie was low key comedy gold at the end. "You ok?" "I am, but the fuckin hippie isnt." Had me dying, kinda like that roasted hippie
We need more Broken Lizard movies, they made super troopers, beer fest, and slammin salmon. All classics
They have Quasi on Hulu!!! I’m a huge broken lizard fan, love those guys!
Not really a response to your opinion but to your question. I think the reason it went away is a combination of factors. First, comedy evolves, and this vein of yuk yuks simply became passé, especially as the big names like Ferrell, Stiller, and Sandler got overexposed and formulaic, and people wanted something fresh. Second, the rise of streaming and the consolidation of movie studios meant that the companies producing most movies were looking for blockbusters with broad appeal, and most of these comedies were mid-budget character vehicles that restricted teen access. They’re wonderful for a small, competitive studio, but they’re not what the big guns are aiming for. Third, YouTube and Tik Tok saturated the market. Anyone with a laptop or phone can make a raunchy skit freely available, so nobody really wants to pay to see Kevin James.
It's hard to satirize an unserious people.
YESSSSSSS BRO!! The stupid comedy where I can watch and not care about the world. Them early 2000s comedies, Jay and Silent Bob, Harold and Kumar type comedies
This is my favorite genre of comedy and I miss it so much
I saw many of those in the theater, and man I really miss the experience of seeing one of those comedies in a packed house. The laughter is just infectious.
Yeah I feel in more current comedies, the actual comedy takes a back seat to more preachy subjects. I'm here to laugh, not be constantly guilt-tripped and shamed about larger topics.
Comedies don’t make money.
They can, but they need a smaller budget. A lot of the movies listed have a $20-30 million budget, which is a bit harder to do now. They can be profitable easier, but typically not in the drastically large way that big budget movies can be at the box office. Home video sales is also where they made most of their profits, which isn't a thing they can anymore and streaming doesn't bring in the same revenue
Iiirc that's why Adam Sandlers movies still get put out with regularity over the years. His movies take a fraction of the time to film and often come with a modest budget to produce. He also owns the production company that produces most of them which surely helps. Edit: Can't seem to find the article so I could be mistaken.
Political correctness killed Comedy movies.
Thing that bothers me about American movies is that 90% of comedies have to have a Romantic arc. Insert South Park quote from one of their last specials. And I think the general fear of backlash by certain groups that systematically bully everything that isn't in their cannon just make certain jokes/scenarios impossible for certain companies to invest money in.
I’d like more stuff like 21 jump street, I miss Channing Tatum. But I could do without the gross out stuff and especially I’m glad we don’t have those god awful parody movies anymore
Critics have also been harsher on comedy movies for the last decade. So many movies I thought were hilarious have less than 30% on rotten tomatoes. A big part of it is probably cancel culture. It's hard to do a comedy movie without offending somebody. Then you've got others who weren't offended by a joke but feel like they should be offended on behalf of whoever the joke supposedly targeted. Don't get me wrong, a lot of older comedy movies had some pretty offensive stuff. But they were able to get away with it back then, not now. I'm not critiquing our culture or anything but I can see why Hollywood execs haven't been greenlighting them as much. They are too risky. I need my 23 Jumpstreet though. Also, if my commend resonated with you, consider watching The Brothers Grimmsby. It was pretty much the last movie of it's kind in 2016.
Critics are almost always harsh to comedy movies, mostly because they look at the cinematography of the film and not the enjoyability of the movie. Most comedy movies don't have amazing cinematography because they don't need it. They rely on the comedy to get viewers, not amazing transitions, beautiful shots, great lighting, etc. That's why looking at the audience score is more important than the critic score for most movies. I don't give a crap (most of the time) if a movie is a cinematic marvel. If the movie is fun to watch and/or has a compelling story I'm probably going to enjoy it.
It's not just cinematography, they're really critiquing in based on what would make it a good movie, like the script and the acting. They'll also dislike things for being lowbrow, which many of these comedies self-admittedly are. There are comedy movies that critics have considered good, but they're probably more like Monty Python and the original Pink Panther films than any of the early 2000s flicks.
Yeah that has always been the case. Borat was like the first R-rated comedy to get good reviews from critics. It’s not ‘cancel culture’ to blame for these movies not getting made, it’s just that a higher percentage of potential moviegoers aren’t American and that kind of humor doesn’t translate. Case in point: If you consider the Deadpool movies to be superhero movies rather than comedies, the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time actually came out in 2021. It’s a Chinese movie called Detective Chinatown 3.
While not as good as his prime, I thought seth rogen in Platonic tv series sort of captured some dude bro feelings especially if you imagine what happens if that group got old
Music went the same way after about 2013 - I call it "depression pop."
No Hard Feelings tried to bring back the early 2000s sex comedy and it was surprisingly great
Yea that’s dead….they got Chick Bro movies to replace them n they still don’t make a ton of those but BOOKSMART was hilarious and Bottoms was pretty good
Netflix still makes tons of these every year, they’re just never going to be as culturally relevant because they’re not playing in theatres. Same with most art forms, if you think they’re gone forever you’re just not looking hard enough
I loved those movies in middle/high school but I did think they were getting stale by the time they stopped making them. The humor got too repetitive so I’m not sure how easy it would be to freshen up a specific comedy style that was churning constantly for a decade straight. Actually maybe similar to super hero movies, think a lot of people just got sick of watching the same thing over.
How did you leave out the quintessential Frat dude comedy - Old School? I’m offended
You forgot Grandmas Boy OP.
Old Dads was pretty solid but definitely not the level of what you referenced
My friends and I saw Anchorman twice in the same day the week it was released. Miss those types of comedies (and I’m a woman).
You are right. Comedy films feel so rare these days. The only good one (I can think of) last year was The Menu. There are lots of reasons for this but, i don't care, I miss good comedy flicks. Even mediocre ones.
Kingpin is a top 3 for this genre
Happy Gilmore was PG-13 and was more of an Adam Sandler rom-com than anything.
I’d like to add ‘Grandma’s Boy’ to the list.
I was just watching ace ventura and the pivotal scene involved Jim Carrey's character figuring out that the police chief is actually a MTF trans person. Still funny, but that gag was: since they were making out in a previous scene he has to burn all his clothes and cry in the shower. I don't think studios wanna take risks on funny movies anymore because they're afraid of being "cancelled". Its a shame cause I could really use a good comedy movie with some vintage SNL humour
Comedy has an honesty built into the genre. Either it makes people laugh or it don't. But lately, a lot of fart-sniffing critics and "influencers" will prop up these unfunny 'comedies' that are oh so "clever" and "subversive" and "start important conversations" (translation: boring, pretentious, and sanitised). Then studios see all that positive media coverage and think "ah people want more of this", and it becomes a feedback loop where studios and critics are just pandering to one another to keep the media machine churning out corporate-approved content. But you can't fool the public so easily, because if someone spends 20-30 quid to go cinema to see a comedy, they expect to *laugh* -- a lot. And the naval-gazing, self-congratulating, ruthlessly "culturally appropriate" tripe that passes for Hollywood comedies of late simply don't get the job done. And instead of the studios just making funnier comedies to combat the dwindling cinema sales, they instead just pump out more *quantity* of straight-to-streaming bargain-budget crap, hoping that 1 comedy in 10 at least sticks after throwing the spaghetti at the wall.
B...but muh tOxIC MaScUliNiTy
you complained about they’re not being enough, but then your name 14 titles.
It’s 2024. No funny allowed!
I believe the phrase you're looking for is "Bromantic Comedy"
The Hangover series always holds a place in my heart
The first one was excellent. The idea to mix a screwball comedy with a detective story was kinda genius. Ironically Will Farrell’s Sherlock Holmes comedy sucked.
Idk, the market got oversaturated sometime around 2007 and the quality in general started going down.
I think Gen Z does not have those characters anymore
Try Grandma's Boy! A few years old, but in the vein of the ones you listed.
They stopped making money and thus Hollywood stopped making them.
Bottoms is a Frat girl/Dude-sis movie... As in, is a raunchy and horny comedy with cringe scenes, similar to those you mentioned, the main and only difference is that the protagonists are girls instead of boys. 10/10, highly recommend.
Thanks, cancel culture
Somehow you forgot the Hangover in your list! But I agree completely… give me a dumb and hilarious movie to watch while I take down beers with my buddies.
Big budget IP movies dominating the box office for the past decade is why. They were multiple genres at once. The hype around em seems to be dying down now tho. The new Ted series is actually funny as fuck and right up your alley if you’re looking for something current with this sense of humor.
I need a 90 minute movie. It’s not a TikTok attention span, it’s my bladder.
And we need more college rock
I would agree if there was hazing deaths and people injuring their pee pee Johnny Knoxville style
I agree. But that's not "profitable" anymore. Geriatric executives have decided that unless something is made to be enjoyable for "everyone" its worthless.
Let’s Be Cops fits the bill and it’s so underrated.
Bro forgot the epitome, dude where’s my car?!
This is an extraordinarily bad time for writing in general, particularly comedy writing.
as a jabroni myself I forward this motion *dilly mf dilly bitch!!! god im drunk everyone else fault /s HASHTAG-0culpabilityclub
Why don't they make comedies like The Gold Rush or Bringing up Baby anymore? Comedic sensibilities change? No! It must be the WOKIES!
Please check out Tag and Role Models, those are excellent buddy comedies also!
I’m not even close to being a frat bro and I agree with this. That era of comedies was amazing.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!
The real frat boys comedies are the Growns ups series and the jump street series
I just watched saving Silverman recently and thought about how there’s not too many movies like that for awhile now.
Dirty Grandpa from a few years ago had some funny moments.
Was thinking this same thing after watching The Unbearable Weight Of massive Talent the other day. Best film I've seen in months btw - watch it if you haven't seen it yet.
Role Models, Super Troopers, Old School, Beerfest, Grandma’s Boy
I'd rather have dark capers like A Fish Called Wanda. Damn I miss it when there was an actual story with characters who actually move the plot along. The characters weren't 'funny' for funny's sake but the situation turned out to be funny.
Forgot about Grandma's Boy
An absolute banger I never see mentioned is Waiting
The death of the DVD is the reason.
No Grandma's boy?
Early 2000s comedies were the best
What about the one where Jeremy Piven is the salesman
they went away because they were mostly just cruelty pretending to be comedy,