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Tripitaka of AA
19th July 2003, 17:48
Nycuk3X has reminded me of the highly skilled practitioners of Physical Comedy that we all watch on film and TV. His favourites are, of course, the Three Stooges. Now while they have particular relevance to students of the martial arts (poke-in-eye, slap-on-cheek, swing-arm-uppercut-to-chin and associated counters), I would suggest that we all take a moment to step back and assess the real skills that these people have displayed for our benefit.

My personal favourite of the Silent era is Buster Keaton, with his impeccable timing and extraordinary physical skills he still has the most to offer a modern viewer. He wrote and directed his own movies with more wit and compassion than the melodramatic slush of Chaplin.

Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye, Donald O'Connor (Singin' in the Rain), Abbot & Costello... the list could go on... couldn't it.

elder999
19th July 2003, 20:26
Chevy Chase, John Ritter, Dick VanDyke, Red Skelton......

....but I'd only say "Harold Lloyd," in the same breath as Buster Keaton.

gendzwil
19th July 2003, 20:36
John Cleese, John Belushi

elder999
19th July 2003, 20:37
oh, yeah, Roberto Benigni.

A. M. Jauregui
19th July 2003, 21:28
Harpo Marx had his day - when you are silent it has to be physical.

Currently I enjoy the contrived but nonetheless funny physical comedy of Amanda Bynes as seen on the TV show What I Like About You.

sammycerv
21st July 2003, 03:07
John Ritter is one of my faves.

Jack B
21st July 2003, 17:02
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

aemon_
21st July 2003, 17:05
Jackie Chan

later

medenfield
21st July 2003, 17:19
Lucille Ball and Caroll Burnett.

william northcote
21st July 2003, 17:30
What is there to say, all the good ones have been named. :)

Tripitaka of AA
22nd July 2003, 11:11
David Schwimmer (Ross in "Friends"), I never hear him mentiond, but his timing is near perfection. Apparently he trained in drama and always considered himslef a serious actor until his role in "Friends". He is the most gifted comedian of the bunch, if you ask me.

Lee Evans, an English Stand-Up Comedian who does some excellent Mime. International viewers may remember the movie "Funnybones" with Oliver Platt and Jerry Lewis. Also "There's Something About Mary" and a bit in "Fifth Element". I would highly recommend "Funnybones" for a bit of an odd, quiet and slow-paced tale with a hint of British reserve.

Danny DeVito. Well, with that body, how coould you avoid giving him physical stuff to do.

Rowan Atinson YOu may now him as Blackadder, or as Mr Bean, or as the voice of Zazu in "Lion King". This multi-talented Englishman can do verbal humour and physical humour to the highest degree... some people call him a genius. I would love to have some of his talent. Yet to really conquer the world through Movies, his greatest successes have been on TV.


Sorry Will, did I leave you any? ;)

william northcote
22nd July 2003, 11:23
Well, maybe we could have comedians like John Major, Maggie Thatcher, Tony Blair ETC ETC ETC


But film comedians.... Will Hay, Norman Wisdom, Cary Grant, Tony Curtis.

But physical would have to go to Keaton. Who else could do a triple sumersault/flip from standing and make it look good.

aemon_
22nd July 2003, 15:59
Michael Richards - Kosmo Kramer from Seinfeld
Jim Carrey

later

Chuck Munyon
22nd July 2003, 16:26
Marty Feldman.

Oh, and I'm not quite sure if this counts, but what about Jim Henson?

larsen_huw
22nd July 2003, 16:45
I think he's an awesome comedian!

He's able to be moderately funny in a foreign language (deliberately!). OK, the use of an english speaking scriptwriter might help, but he still has to deliver the lines himself.

He's also able to make traditional movie stunts humerous. When many movie directors are resorting to computers for stunts, he's still doing them himself and injecting some much needed humour and human element into them.

Please excuse the spelling, i've never been able to spell!

Tripitaka of AA
22nd July 2003, 20:07
Jackie Chan, I've been a fan since , I suppose, the mid-Eighties, which doesn't make me all that unusual, but it does mean that I've got used to the Hong Kong style of comedy. The humour of those movies is sometimes a little off-the-wall (or off-the-beaten-track), but his personal charm is universal.

When it comes to pulling funny faces and doing silly reaction stuff, Chan's style is popular in Hong Kong but it looks like over-acting buffoonery to a Western eye. His talents are elsewhere. He can learn a new skill (Roller-Skate, Skateboard, Water-Ski, Comedy cycling) and make it look easy. He can shin up a drainpipe or fall from an escalator with style and grace. He can film a scene for 1000 takes to get the right shot where the stunt works. His outtakes are the best deterrent to going home and trying to duplicate his moves. The pain and suffering endured by star and stunt team really show why you'd need a lifetime of training to be able to match his skills.

spartanmachine
23rd July 2003, 07:55
Michael Richards - Kosmo Kramer from Seinfeld
Jim Carrey

These are two of the best. How about Chris Farley RIP of early nineties Saturday Night Live and Dana Carvey.