Welcome to our penultimate “What’s So Funny?” episode; this week we’ve got a Neil Simon-penned (or more likely typewritered) little number, the spiritual sequel, sort of, to a movie both Mike and I really enjoy, “Murder By Death,” another Neil Simon creation. This one focuses more on one genre: the hard-boiled detective movie, more specifically, the hard-boiled Humphrey Bogart detective movie. I mean, the detective in the movie is hard-boiled, not Humphrey Bogart. Hard-boiling Humphrey Bogart would be horrible. Really. Everyone knows that you should pan-sear your Humphrey Bogart for optimum flavor and mouth-feel. Mmmm . . . delicious first-half-of-the-twentieth-century-acting flavor . . . Oh, um, sorry, where was I, why am I drooling . . . anyway, give a listen and see if Mike and I think this one lives up to its predecessor or if it’s a case of cinematic . . . muuuuurrrrrrddderrrrrrr.
Poll question: what’s your favorite musical moment in a movie, either a staged number or spontaneous playing or singing?
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“mis en scene” is basically set decoration or setting the stage for the action in the film, tv show or movie. Cue rainbow sparkles and the title “now you know!” LOL
Two of my favourite unexpected musical moments are Annie Lennox singing “Every time we say goodbye” in Edward ll and though not really unexpected, Bowie singing heroes in “Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo” because it was a pleasant break in a really depressing, heartbreaking film.
Please tell me that “Wir Kinder” film is from comedy genius Werner Herzog! It’ll drive Max nuts! 😀
I am not nuts! It is you who are nuts! Keep those rainbow sparkles away from me!
I appreciate the correction about mis en scene, Vince! I mixed it up with some other term from my one film class that did actually mean “editing” but mis en scene ain’t it! I can’t even remember what the other term was.
Max is safe this week. Christiane F. Was film based on a german article in Stern , i think, that followed a young girl addicted to heroin around that train station. It made quite a splash and the movie is intense, especially the graphic detox scenes. So, yes, almost as funny as a Herzog film but it includes a Bowie concert!