MovieChat Forums > The Man Who Laughs (1928) Discussion > 'Where are you taking me, Homo?'

'Where are you taking me, Homo?'


I know I shouldnt have laughed at the dog being named Homo, but shoot me, I did.

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hoooo

"Roses are red, Violets are blue. I'm schizophrenic, and so am I." Levant

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zzzzzziiiing!

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Yeah, me too. I kept thinking how ripe for parody those parts of the movie are (if, that is, the movie were well-known enough to be parodied...). They could CGI in Richard Simmons or someone for all the scenes with the dog.

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I laughed too, and my husband almost cried. What Mel Brooks could have done with those scenes, especially where (1) Homo grabs the blind girl's skirt to guide her steps and (2) when Homo returns briefly to shore to turn killer beast,
then jumps back into the water wagging his tail.


Stop by the office anytime! You know we've moved!

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when Homo returns briefly to shore to turn killer beast, then jumps back into the water wagging his tail.


And then, it looked like he was dry when he was back in the boat. If there was a moment that had me laughing, though, it was when Homo's "stand-in," looking petrified as can be (stuffed animal?), was clinging onto Barkilphedro's neck. If anything, I kept thinking about Adam West, hanging off of a ladder in "Batman," with that rubber shark on his leg. Or Bela Lugosi, with the rubber octopus, in "Bride of the Monster."

Ah, well, you have to suspend disbelief sometimes...

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Revival theaters in big cities still screen this movie. I wonder how loud the audience laughs at Homo the Wolf.

And who could have guessed that name would become risible?

... Justin

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I once saw this film at Theatre 80 St. Marks in Lower Manhattan with a fair-sized audience. The first time the dog's name was mentioned there was some chuckling, but not all that much. The film has such a strong, somber atmosphere I guess we just accepted the funny names and rolled with it.

I do recall that at the end, when the dog attacks the bad guy and sinks his teeth into his neck, there was a round of applause and somebody called out "Way to go, Homo!" Now that got a laugh!

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That sounds like a wonderful audience. They took the movie seriously, but not too seriously.

... Justin

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I didn't really laugh at Homo's name, but there were a few parts of the movie I still found humorous:

--The look on Gwynplaine's face during the scene with Duchess Josiana. She has this "come hither" look for most of the scene, and meanwhile, he's like, "Look, lady, I just met you, okay? . . . WTF is going on here???"

--The entire ending of the scene where Gwynplaine returns home after his visit to the duchess. He's carrying Dea up the steps and everything's happy, and then, Ursus gets this nervous look on his face like, "Gwynplaine . . . what are you doing?" and Gwynplaine seems like he's thinking, There is no way in hell I'm letting you spoil the moment now, and they walk inside and Ursus throws up his hands in what I've named the "Oy, my children!" look. Then we see Homo happily sitting under the wagon with a bone.

And I always find it kind of funny/sad how Gwnyplaine and Dea never seem to get a moment alone. Just when it seems like they will, something always happens that spoils it. Unless, of course, the cut to the next morning right after he carries her into the caravan is supposed to be some kind of innuendo.

Nevermore!

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I hated myself for laughing at the dog's name, especially since otherwise I was sooo emotionally invested in the story. But still........"Be quiet, Homo!"

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ya, i always laugh at the shot where Homo is chomping away at the bone, like "Here's a happy ending for everyone, even the dog, who gets a nice bone with some meat still on it".

the movie should have ended right there ;-)

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I know you know it, but the way Victor Hugo intended it to sound was more like "man" than like "gay".
I squinted the first time I read it too, though.

We're the heirs to the glimmering world.

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You might enjoy The Dam Busters (1955) then. ---It wants no straps. - Karlhttp://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000024/nest/158601447

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