MovieChat Forums > Play It Again, Sam (1972) Discussion > I dunno, it just wasn't funny

I dunno, it just wasn't funny

posted 18 years ago by jgroub
24 replies | jump to latest

I watched the first half hour of the movie. I just didn't find it funny. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of the Woodman. But this one just didn't do it for me. That scene with the hair dryer I just found to be not only completely unfunny, but also painful to watch. Likewise with the scene when the blind date comes into his apartment. I find that he wasn't doing that kind of slapsticky type humor well in this movie. I know there are tons of examples from other movies where he does do it well, but these attempts fell flat for me. They were too forced. Also, Tony Roberts' running gag with the phone numbers got very tired, very quickly.

I stopped watching right after they got to the Chinese restaurant because I was just bored with it. Right after when Roberts is leaving his phone number for the twelfth time, they have Woody showing how Chinese people eat rice. Again, that just wasn't funny. Too forced.

I really wanted to like this movie, but I didn't. Maybe I was in an un-Woody mood when I saw it. Can anyone tell me what's so great about this one without flaming me unmercifully? Try not to reference scenes after the Chinese restarurant, so I can understand. I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] ThereWillBeBeer 12 years ago

Different strokes I guess. This is my favorite, and funniest IMHO Woody film. Always found it strange that he didn't direct. Personally I find Sleeper and Bananas (except for the all-time classic bookstore scene) to be boring and unfunny.

Man who stand on toilet, high on pot - Confucius

[–] jgroub 9 years ago

Well, I came back to this after 9 years, and would you believe it, I got up and walked away at EXACTLY the same moment in the movie! Right after the Chinese Restaurant scene.

And my reaction is exactly the same. The repeated klutziness, the phone number gag, it's just all too forced. Wow, this movie is just bad, bad, BAD.

Now I'm watching this critique of Pollock, who I truly despise. Oh, god, he's leaving his number yet again. And again.

Oh, look, it's more forced klutziness. Wow, Lemmy looked pretty good when he was younger.

Okay, that's a funny line about the rape in Oakland.

And, whoops! More stupid klutziness.

I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6357) 3 years ago

It's cringe humor. One has to like that type or be in the right mood for it.

It's an interesting question with cringe humor, how to find the right level of it. Go too far and it becomes too painful for some viewers, but not far enough and it isn't funny.

[–] TheDemon (590) 3 years ago

I disagree.

I found parts of this movie side splitting funny, especially when I first watched it in the pre-mobile phone era. There were people who were obsessed with their self importance that they would leave numbers of where they could be contacted in case of emergency. Am I correct that he never actually receives a call while out on the road?

The scene in the unit is pure comedic genius. If you can't find that marginally humorous then perhaps you find sit-coms funny. In my universe, I rarely find sit-coms funny. Horses for courses I suppose.

The scene in the Art museum. Brilliant.

OK, maybe the restaurant scene was a bit cringe worthy, but it was amusing.

[–] liscarkat (18373) 3 years ago

Everything in the movie is funny. It's a classic.