I'm in Lyon and Dijon for a wedding, so I'll let you enjoy this bit of pre-recorded Live Blogging.
One of the all-time comedy classics from my childhood, or so I remember it. But how does it hold up more than 20 years later?
0:00 - Of all the evil heads of state, only Qhadafi* is still in power. And only Amin (and maybe the Ayatollah Assaholla) is still seen as a complete asshat.
4:20 - You know what's not outdated? Shower scenes.
5:15 - Hey! It's OJ! I loved him in these! How come you never see him in movies or commercials any more?
7:00 - The beyond over-the-top death scene here reminds everyone that the tone of the intro was, in fact, what they should expect from the movie.
9:20 - "He has a 50/50 chance of living, though there's only a 10% chance of that."
10:00 - Wow. That hospital room looks really, really outdated. It does have one of those cool pump things, though.
11:15 - I love the exchange with Nordberg's wife: "Frank, who could do such a thing?" "It's had to say. A blackmailer, an angry husband, a gay lover..."
14:00 - "No matter how silly the idea of having a queen might be to us, as Americans we must be gracious and considerate hosts." I love randomly quoting this line to Brits.
16:00 - The floating body outline is possibly my favorite sight gag in the movie.
17:20 - KHAAAANNNNNNN!
21:45 - "Nice beaver!" "Thanks, I just had it stuffed."
24:00 - Khan does a great job at being the obvious, smarmy 80s bad guy. Though I'm not sure if it's a parody or an attempt at a straight portrayal.
26:00 - The gadget guy's bits are pretty tired, expect for Fred gasping, "Ted! Why?" as he falls. It's the details that make great comedy.
30:45 - Drebin having trouble getting the pillow off his face is so money.
31:30 - The Drivers' Ed chase scene (start the video around the 1:20 mark) is sweet. "Normally you would not be going 65 down the wrong way of a one-way street." Following this instructions on giving the finger? Genius.
36:00 - After the ultra-straight delivery of the blatant innuendos, her defense of "I was young! I needed the work!" when Drebin mentions "interesting" photos he saw is pretty hilarious.
40:45 - "You really mean that? You're not just saying that because we exchanged bodily fluids?"
44:00 - The care Drebin shows in putting everything back as he found it is key to the hilarity when it all falls apart.
47:00 - "When I see five weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of a park in full view of a hundred people, I shoot the bastards. That's my policy." Too bad it was Shakespeare in the Park.
52:00 - "He's got a picture of your wife! ... Anyone else here seeing his wife?"
55:00 - For my money, there's very little physical comedy funnier than having a man mount the queen on a banquet table. Heh.
55:30 - "Just think - the next time I shoot someone, I could go to jail."
57:30 - The baseball scene! Definitely the highlight. The 7-person announcer booth isn't all that implausible now. It's bizarre that Dick Vitale looks exactly the same as he does now.
1:00:00 - So, do you think Roseanne was ripping off this scene when she sucked at the anthem? I think she just sucks.
1:02:00 - As a civilian, Frank now has two assaults in 3 minutes. That's strong work.
1:03:00 - The baseball scenes are among the funniest in sports movies, but most are visual. Enjoy. What stands out is that this is the last time I actually enjoyed a Randy Newman song. Talk about your no-talent-ass-clowns, how did he make it big?
1:11:22 - Do you think it was this game that made the manager of the Angels turn to crime and eventually become a mob boss in "Reservoir Dogs"?
1:13:30 - "Hey! It's Enrico Palazzo!"
1:16:20 - "I've finally found someone I can love. Good, clean love -- without utensils."
1:18:30 - Do you think Nordberg's white van was wheelchair-accessible?
Verdict: Not as good as I remembered, but still solid. Sadly, I've matured a bit, and I prefer slightly more cerebral humor now. But it was interesting to see how many of the jokes were later recycled (homaged?) on the Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.
B+
* I use alternate spellings
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