http://joys.net/1006/reeling-with-laughter-american-film-comedies-from-anarchy-to-mockumentary-2/ Bringing Joys and Happiness Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:48:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 http://joys.net/1006/reeling-with-laughter-american-film-comedies-from-anarchy-to-mockumentary-2/#comment-829 Anonymous Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:00:05 +0000 http://joys.net/1006/reeling-with-laughter-american-film-comedies-from-anarchy-to-mockumentary-2/#comment-829 University film professor Michael Tueth surveys American film comedy in this 2012 release from Scarecrow Press. REELING WITH LAUGHTER spotlights “various subgenres that have sustained their popularity and quality over the years and strives to find (film comedy’s) own particular niche in film studies.” Each subgenre is represented by one or two comedy “gems” which are described and analyzed.Among the sub-genres and films covered in REELING WITH LAUGHTER are “Anarchic Comedy” (DUCK SOUP), “Romantic Comedy” (IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT), “Screwball Comedy” (BRINGING UP BABY & WHAT’S UP DOC?), “Sex Farce” (SOME LIKE IT HOT), “Parody” (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), “Neurotic Comedy” (DR. STRANGELOVE) and “Mockumentary” (WAITING FOR GUFFMAN).Your reaction to REELING FROM LAUGHTER will probably depend on how seriously you take film comedy. Tueth includes a great deal of interesting production history along with detailing each film’s plot including ‘the good parts.’ The analysis, though, sometimes gets awfully scholarly. For example, Tueth’s recap of NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, the exemplar of “Dionysian Comedy,” is replete with references to Dionysian energy, Friedrich Nietzsche, the Komos ritual, etc. Well, OK.REELING WITH LAUGHTER will appeal most to college film study profs and students. Us regular Joes could do without the scholarly dissection, which tends to suck the fun out of what’s being analyzed. Short and sweet: Recommended with reservations.*****One point in passing: the book is way-overpriced at $60.00!

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