The Projectors

The Disorderly Orderly (1964)

We’re discussing a lot of box office misses this month for our theme of AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP but our unofficial mascot for Awkward Laughter is the one and only Jerry Lewis who made a lot of money in movies for a long time. We’re examining a smidgen of Mr. Lewis’s nutty career in three movies this month and we’ve hit the final of that trilogy in the zany 1964 comedy “The Disorderly Orderly” directed by Frank Tashlin and starring the ultimate chaos god, Jerry Lewis. Classic vaudeville slapstick and Looney Tunes (some of which also directed by Tashlin) paved the way to Jerry Lewis and this film embodies those roots more than any Lewis feature we’ve discussed so far. Jerome Littlefield has a condition that makes working at a hospital the worst idea but we know what he’s really there for. He’s God’s punishment sent down to destroy the greedy hospital owner, Mr. Tuffington. Yes, Jerry Lewis is pretty much a reality warping deity of some sort who is too dumb to know that’s what he is. There are plenty of “miracles” that occur in this film that back up that theory. We will never see Jerry Lewis movies the same ever again. Also starring Susan Oliver, the green lady from Star Trek who is stalked by the chaos god. This is some scary shit if you really think about it.
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Pootie Tang (2001)

That damie stays my hammie. Forever sine on the cappa pane. Sada tay. If you think you know what that meant then you’re likely in a very specific age range. For April’s theme of AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP we’re reexamining some comedies that didn’t do very well at the box office but have managed to find a little bit of cult appreciation since their release. Today’s talk is like a few selections this month in that its spins out of some solid sketch comedy background. This character was introduced on The Chris Rock Show and it got the green light for a feature film directed by none other than Louis “Look at me rub my weiner” C.K. who wrote for The Chris Rock Show and created “POOTIE TANG” the hero of the 2001 comedy of the same name. It was alleged to originally be called “POOTIE TANG IN SINE YOUR PITTY ON THE RUNNY KINE” for theatrical release. The characters are rich and fun but making movies is hard and post-production can really hurt a film project. This may be the case as C.K. claimed to have been released from the project after shooting. The editing in this movie is…fucking rough. Can the inherent charm overcome the final execution? We will let you know if you just play the damn episode. Sada Tay.
 
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Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

For April’s theme of AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP we examine the cult status of some movies that weren’t quite commercial successes in their day and while today’s discussion wasn’t considered an initial success, it did manage to get past the finish line in both financial success and long term it may have defied initial critical reactions. Panned almost entirely across the critical realms upon release (with some notable exception) the only directed feature film by Canadian comedian Tom Green has often worn the albatross of a “worst movie ever” ranking by many, but Tom Green doesn’t mind the albatross. He might just hump it, masturbate it and wear it around. You know damn well we’re talking about “FREDDY GOT FINGERED” from 2001. A now legendary film starring Tom Green, Rip Fucking Torn, Marisa Coughlan and more. Decades have passed and upon reflection, many have cited this movie as a true underrated classic. The contrast between its modern examination and initial reaction upon release seems more and more apart. Is it really one of the “worst movies” or is it a display of surreal and absurd genius the likes of which so rarely manifest in such a pure form? Movies like this are what this month is all about. 
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The Ladies Man (1961)

Our theme is called AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP but not every comedy selection is a flopper this month. For some vintage comedic studies we turn to three movies by the iconic Jerry Lewis and in our second Lewis feature the studios have the utmost faith in Jerry because they built for him a four story dollhouse that encompasses two sound stages. You gotta give Jerry Lewis credit, he managed to direct a visually nice looking film with a stunning set all for a 90 minute humiliation fetish display. Yeah, we said it. Don’t even bother questioning our media literacy. You’re all turnips compared to our analytical prowess when it comes to film and we have come to know that the Jerry Lewis directed and starring feature “THE LADIES MAN” from 1961 is a true showcase in kinkery. He’s nutty all right. Busting nutties. The film also stars Helen Traubel, Kathleen Freeman, Buddy Lester & Pat Stanley. Herbert H. Heebert experiences “Repulsion” around women so of course he has to work in a building with dozens of them and help them rehearse and not be depressed all while getting hosed down with milk. Your freaky ass might like this movie. I bet you’re chubbing right now.
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Little Nicky (2000)

Some of the comedies we’re discussing for this month’s theme “AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP” are movies that maybe missed the mark after some high expectations but even with Adam Sandler’s hitmaking comedy pedigree, $85 million seemed like a quite a bit of money for any comedy film. Maybe even a lot by today’s standards. Most movies would be ecstatic to make a $53 million box office but studios had higher expectations for the 2000 Adam Sandler comedy “Little Nicky” directed by Steve Brill. Sandler would quickly get his box office groove back for his next few films but this flick about the very nice son of the Devil (Harvey Keitel) who must stop his demon brothers from making hell on earth maybe doesn’t rank very high on the lists of Sandler fans. Is this really a bloated bomb or is this as good, if not better, than any Adam Sandler flick? We thought about discussing “Jack & Jill” for the month but it turns out that movie actually exceeded its budget. Somehow.
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B.A.P.S (1997)

All April long is AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP in which we examine comedies that were not very commercially successful in their day and check in to see how they hold up many years later. This is a month of what many would call underrated cult classics and today’s discussion embodies that pretty well. We discuss a commercial disaster whose life on basic cable integrated itself into a classic black & gay cult film status. Of course we’re talking about Robert Townsend’s 1997 comedy “B.A.P.S” starring Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle, an incredibly happy looking Martin Landau and Ian Richardson. There is actually some heart and spirit in this film that could definitely find an emotional connection but then there’s everything else. This half-baked “plot” gets weirdly deflated. It’s a mess but we hang on to what little joy it can provide even if it doesn’t seem to be trying very hard. All that nephew had to do was nothing. Literally nothing.
 
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The Delicate Delinquent (1957)

Our theme this month is called AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP but not every comedy this month flopped. As a vintage palette cleanser we will be examining three films by Jerry Lewis that actually did pretty well compared to our other discussions for the month. We start off our Jerry Lewis trio with the 1957 Don McGuire directed “THE DELICATE DELINQUENT” which was Jerry Lewis’s first major feature that was absent his previous on screen partner, Dean Martin, marking the official ending of the Martin & Lewis era. Jerry plays Sidney Pythias, a 21 year old janitor’s apprentice who accidentally falls into a wrong crowd scenario and is being rehabilitated by a Cop despite being naturally insane and possibly brain damaged. We examine the nature of Jerry Lewis’s comedy stylings, its legacy today and the current status of his long lost tone-deaf masterpiece “The Day the Clown Cried”. Comedy is subjective and changes considerably over time in what’s popular but Jerry Lewis is absolutely one of the biggest comedic stars we will be discussing all month long. Maybe some of his antics seem kinda “cringe” but a lot of you TikTokkers are deep in his shadow whether you know it or not. Oh! Here’s the movie: https://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x3unyy
 
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Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)

We’re ending the first week of our April theme known as “AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP” with a selection that is a fond memory from our youth. Apparently, not enough people can say that they watched “KIDS IN THE HALL: BRAIN CANDY” in the theaters when it came out in 1996 but our two hosts actually did pay to see this movie. Or they at least borrowed money from their parents to go see it. The Canadien skit comedy troupe garnered a loyal audience in North America after spending years on basic cable and are absolutely influential to modern comedy. (The good stuff, anyway) It seemed exciting when Paramount opted to release a Kids in the Hall movie but, unfortunately, not much more than the hardcore Kids in the Hall fans went to see it. We were huge fans but were also children who were, admittedly, watching something more adult than our parents intended. It’s amazing what they didn’t pay attention to right under their noses. Decades later we reevaluate a personal cult favorite. A film project that brings about mixed feelings upon reflection for the talented players involved those being the director Kelly Makin and the cast. Shit, we might as well list them: Scott Thompson, Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald & Mark McKinney. There you go. Does this smart character-driven satire of corporations and cynical marketing still hold up? Does it deserve more? How would this movie fare amongst people who didn’t know anything about The Kids in the Hall? Hear us out and watch the movie at this link (that worked as of this posting) right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc4ND4Javf4 Pretty sure direct media for this has been out of print for a while so click away.
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Cabin Boy (1994)

We’re back into one of our earliest themes to discuss a month full of comedies that didn’t quite hit at the box office in their time. We reflect decades later to determine if these panned films deserve more praise. We’re calling our theme: AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP. Some of these movies have gone on to enjoy genuine cult status and a few have actually become quite influential. The thing about influence is that it doesn’t always mean success. Sometimes it’s what you influence that gets the success you were going for. Chris Elliot and Adam Resnick have high comedy nerd clout to this very day, but when they wrote a script for a possible Tim Burton film they maybe weren’t very prepared to pick up the reigns after Burton backed out of directing. Resnick and Elliot’s first feature film flopped at the box office. They might have written something completely different if they knew Tim Burton would back out. The shadow of their notorious 1994 fantasy comedy CABIN BOY looms over their career but love it or hate it, it was a part of the building blocks of a certain style of modern comedy. How does “Cabin Boy” fare in our eyes? Does it clean our pipes? Would you like to buy a monkey?
Cabin Boy 25th anniversary discussion panel hosted by Tom Scharpling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyYexZFb58w
 
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Ishtar (1987)

New Month new theme. Last April our little movie review show was finding its footing when we discussed a few spoof comedies in an early event we called “Awkward Laughter”. One year later we return to the theme, our first returning theme for the show, and we’re discussing some comedies from over the last few decades that didn’t really blow up at the box office but may deserve some reevaluation and perhaps some more cult recognition. We’re calling April’s theme “AWKWARD LAUGHTER 2: THE FLOP” and we’re starting off legendary with a movie whose production woes overshadowed what could have been a more objective audience response. It was an expensive movie whose initial box office didn’t even make back the marketing cost which may have been a bit of a shock seeing as Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman were huge stars at the time. Critics were all over the map in reviews of this one, with Siskel & Ebert calling it the worst movie of that year. Perfection is rare but this film being a tentpole for “worst” seems rather baffling. The experience drew director Elaine May out from behind the camera after just four movies. Three of her films found critical acclaim. Is the fourth really as bad as they say? We reevaluate Elaine May’s notorious 1987 flop “ISHTAR” in which Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty play two idiots, who sincerely want to make it as songwriters, finding themselves wedged between political turmoil in a fictional North African country. Gene Siskel maybe wasn’t laughing but we sure were. How does this attempt at throwback comedy seem to accidentally feel ahead of its time? Here’s a movie link we found but it may not last long: https://archive.org/details/ishtar.-1987.720p.-blu-ray.x-264.-aac-yts.-mx
 
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