Funnyman.. the most important film ever..
i've never told this story before (well before noon anyway [sorry bruce]).. but it's about how i discovered 'funnyman'..
back in november of 2000, i was at the flea market on highway 17 near little river, right outside of myrtle beach, south carolina.. my roommate and i used to head there all the time just to look around and i'd wind up buying horror movies from a guy that had a room there.. i bought many quality flicks from him and wound up trusting his judgement..
one day i go up there in the rain, knowing i have a cold coming on, and decide that i want to buy something.. i see a promo copy of 'funnyman' he had on the shelf.. i had never heard of it and was hesitant to give it a try.. the guy working told me that i would love it and he guaranteed it: if i didn't enjoy it i could bring it back and he'd let me have two other movies instead.. i couldn't pass that up..
(side note: this man was a quality man.. he had videotaped footage of his daughter's best friend flashing the camcorder, while in the flea market, that he showed to me one day.. quality man.. for the record, i'm being VERY serious about calling him quality..)
i took the flick home and put it in the vcr.. i saw the poker footage at the beginning and wound up letting my cold take over.. i fell asleep and woke up and it was over.. i rewound and this process kept happening.. i would wake up during different parts of the movie and watch for a bit and doze back off.. i likely laid through about 7 subconscious viewing of 'funnyman' that first day..
it hadn't sunk in yet what had happened..
somehow, the movie was living inside my head.. i hadn't even watched it from beginning to end yet and i knew something was going on.. a few days later i gave it another watch and saw it all..
and my eyes were openned.. my life was about to change..
it's been 5 years now and no movie has even come close to topping it for me.. it replaced 'blood diner' on my list of 'favorite' horror movies ever (which had held that spot for about 12 years itself).. so many elements that i love about 'funnyman', a few i'll mention here, with no spoilers:
the funnyman theme song
the cokeslide (note my signature)
PSYCHEDLIC WIGS!!
the gnomes banter (no spoilers)
the thumps up.. my god, the thumbs up..
the dancing/prancing
'i know *beep* all about art.. but i know what i like'
'cheer up love.. there is SOME good news.. i brought ya this!' WHACK!!
and, what certainly has to be the greatest exchange of dialouge in film history starts with this immortal line:
funnyman: but you don't get THE point
i have no reservations when telling people this is my favorite movie of all-time.. nothing is even close to it.. i have roughly 3000+ movies in the living room and every copy of 'funnyman' i own is more precious to me than anything else..
do yourself a favor: find this and love it..
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'eh.. dark out here, itn't it?' - funnyman