MovieChat Forums > Bubba Ho-Tep (2003) Discussion > Can the Humor of This Movie Be Explained...

Can the Humor of This Movie Be Explained?

posted 16 years ago by Dale The Bold
92 replies | jump to latest

I really don't want this to turn into a "You're Dumb for Liking/Disliking This Movie" debate, I am honestly and respectfully just trying to figure out how certain films can be loved by some, but loathed by others.

I remember being a kid in elementary school and watching animal videos in school. If a bear or raccoon fell out of a tree and rolled down a hill, the other kids would be laughing hysterically, while I would be sitting there wondering what was so funny. I was perplexed, wondering if I was missing out on what was actually funny or if the kids who were laughing were just easily amused.

I believe that there are categories of funny that usually work on different levels for different people. A big one is incongruity, such as an arrogant snob farting, or a person making an argument and making an embarrassing typo--especially if it contains an unintentional innuendo. Another is seeing mild misfortune, like someone falling on the sidewalk--which usually gets a bigger laugh if they are carrying something and it breaks. In both of those examples, the humor is found at the mild expense of someone. We don't laugh at major misfortunes, only little things. Nothing more than someone's minor loss of some dignity plus the cost of a pie.

It may be against the law, but I didn't find Bubba Ho-Tep or the Monty Python movies funny. Both were recommended by the same friends. Are there people who liked Bubba Ho-tep but didn't like Monty Python? The only common denominator I can identify between those examples is that they have a gritty, low-budget feel to them and I wonder if that environment helps set the stage for certain folks. I wonder if the humor in them appeals to people of a "humor orientation" different from my own.

I don't find the Three Stooges funny, I don't find physical comedy funny except when performed by John Ritter (he had a style), and old Warner Bros cartoons were cool, but not usually funny (to me). Sometimes a comedy turn-off is when they try too hard. It almost comes across as overly-confident and that can kill humor. Another comedy-killer is condescension. If I feel that the filmmaker is talking down to me or going for the cheap laugh, my emotional reaction is to simply anticipate the next scene and hope it is better.

For example, this quote (and I mean no disrespect, fans, please don't be offended):

"I was dreamin'. Dreamin' my dick was out and I was checkin' to see if that infected bump on the head of it had filled with pus again. If it had, I was gonna name it after my ex-wife Priscilla and bust it by jackin' off. Or I'd like to think that's what I'd do. Dreams let you think like that. Truth was, I hadn't had a hard-on in years."

The quote above gets the following reaction from me:
How unfortunate a dick infection must be. The insult to his ex-wife is kind of funny as it indicates that he has held on to a grudge for years and enjoys a good jab at her when the opportunity arises. I can relate. The talk about hard-on deprivation, which must come from old age, makes me think of Viagra jokes. And I can't help but think this appeals to our inner juvenile. As a result, it reeks of "cheap laugh," for me. I wonder if the Elvis accent and regional colloquialisms add to the "ambience" of the humor, like many Southern sayings do.

Then there is the scene where Elvis is trying to kill the bug. I think we can all relate to the adventures of bug-squishing when it doesn't go well, but I didn't even know that scene was trying to be funny. I have read reviews of Bubba Ho-Tep where that scene was described as THE funniest sequence ever. Suddenly, I felt like I was back in elementary school, once again NOT laughing at that bear cub tumbling down a hill, while everyone else was. I have chased a good many bugs around my apartment, and I usually talk trash to them when I do. "That toilet is your punishment for being ugly. Enjoy your eternity in Sewer Hell. Give my best to toilet-satan." I do that to amuse myself in my own silly way, but I never knew that it would be hilarious for others if they saw it.

What I would like to see in this thread is an explanation, not only of WHAT people found hilarious in this movie, but WHY. I know explaining it often ruins it, but with me, it's already not funny. I just want to satisfy that curiosity. Please explain.

[–] scarlettbees 16 years ago

Well, first of all, I don't think the quote you mentioned was supposed to be an insult to Priscilla. The other couple times he mentions her is with fondness and regret that he didn't treat her better. It was just a thought he had out of frustration over his "condition." The movie believes that Elvis, despite his current indignity, has a sense of humor (albeit hillbilly humor) about his situation, and he expresses his frustration in this abrupt, unsophisticated manner frequently. To me, it's both funny and believable while letting you know that Elvis Presley suffers the ultimate indignity to men -- impotency. That and what a patronizing nurse does to him every day. The king's at his all-time low. All he can really do is make a joke about it.

Secondly, this film (like the python movies) is not for the mainstream, but has more of a cult following. The humor in these movies appeal to certain personality types, people who like a certain kind of silliness that is also intelligent. Many people scratch their heads when they watch Python and wonder what's so intelligent about a King Arthur that's only pretending he's riding a horse while someone follows him banging coconuts together? Well, what made it hilarious to me was that King Arthur was stopped and asked about it, then informed at length that it's pretty miraculous he even has coconuts in his possession in England in a temperate climate carried by a migrating swallow that is much lighter than a coconut, but that an African swallow could maybe carry it except that they're non-migratory, etc....makes me giggle just thinking about it.

I wouldn't call Bubba Ho-tep gut-busting hilarious, but I did love it. The situation is funny in itself, because it's absurd but played with conviction. It's not a "wacky" movie and the characters are not playing funny, but rather just being themselves and doing what their respective characters would do in this kind of situation. The characters just happen to be Elvis Presley and a man who sincerely believes he's John F. Kennedy. Sure, why not? And it's such an imaginative way to tell a fictional story about an Elvis who is still alive and out to re-claim his lost dignity and somehow make up for past mistakes. The genius of the film is that you believe what's going on, because the characters do. They're not winking at you, they're taking care of the problem.

You mentioned you like John Ritter, but you don't really talk about what kind of humor appeals to you in general. What kind of stuff do you find funny? What's your favorite comedy?

[–] gamebro 16 years ago

Yeah to dale the bold--

After reading your post, I am wondering if you find anything funny at all? Perhaps you are just too intelligent to find humor in most things? Are you really a robot!?
I feel sorry for anyone who can't find Quest for the holy grail, or the 3 stooges to be funny =0

Now having said that, it is true that humans have very unique personalities, likes, dislikes, and tastes.... Some people love pizza, other hate it... Some people like fine art, others hate it. No human is the same. Thus it is impossible for EVERYONE to like this film, or even find it funny.

You just aren't a very humorous guy (no offense). And bubba ho-tep is a pretty lousy film for anyone who isn't into comedy, especially of the bizarre type like this. The fact that you felt the need to post here about this shows you must take some level of interest with this film. Perhaps you'll find it funny some day.

"Give my best to toilet-satan."---- lol I forgot that was said in this movie, soo cheesy, yet I can't help but LOL at it. And for me that is what I found most humorous about this film- How cheesy, B rated, yet bizarre the humor was. I really enjoyed it and found myself laughing quite a bit, as this is a really nice break from all the big budget hollywood comedies. =)

[–] Dale The Bold 16 years ago

I appreciate the responses so far.

I think my interest in this film is that I am perplexed by it. Mostly that it has such a committed following for something that doesn't look/feel like much went into its creation (again, no offense to the fans, but this movie isn't shy about being low budget).

I think any appreciation I have for cheesiness is often because it is dated. I get a kick out of 80's action movies where the hero utters some catchphrase that got quoted on all the playgrounds back then. And that cheesiness comes from recognizing that it was "so cool" back then and now just plays as a corny 80s action hero ad lib. Still witty, but not something that would actually be said in an real situation.

The bizarreness of Bubba Ho-Tep (and Monty Python or Stooges, for that matter) is likely what killed the humor for me. Maybe that's the distinction between the people who loved this movie versus those who don't, that of finding humor in that which is weird. Weird is usually my anti-funny. When my friends described the film, it sounded like a great premise. I kind of hoped for what a big budget film would have done with this premise. Maybe instead of playing up the weirdness of the situation, I would rather have the situation being handled seriously, while the humor could be had at the expense of the villian.

To the fans, would this film have been made worse if it would have had a blockbuster budget? I suspect that the low budget charm added to the atmosphere and a big budget with fancy effects would have taken away from it, am I right?

My favorite movie of all time, for what it's worth, is Ghostbusters. But the humor of it, for me, is overshadowed by the utter coolness of the premise. There are some gags in it which are very funny, and those help skip the pace along when the cool scenes aren't going on. Rick Moranis steals every scene he is in. Never a dull moment, but the reason for enjoyment from scene to scene varies. Often, the humor is a quick gag during the action. So the premise is rather serious (albeit not realistic) and the humor is in the deadpan delivery of someone in the midst of an extraordinary situation. And those lines aren't cheesy(meaning too over-the-top/deliberate/rehearsed/etc.), just blurted, much like someone might do if the situation were real (ie. "don't look directly into the trap." "I looked at the trap, Ray."). The lack of realism may have just been more effectively suspended in disbelief in this example.

[–] scarlettbees 16 years ago

It's interesting that you mention Ghostbusters, which is a pretty weird situation, and find it funny, while you turn your nose up at Bubba Ho-Tep, which is no weirder than Ghostbusters. Bubba Ho-Tep was actually handled with more seriousness. In both movies, the characters are making wisecracks during moments where their lives are in a lot of danger. One involves a 300 foot marshmallow man, one involves a soul-sucking mummy. What's the difference? The characters in Ghostbusters crack jokes because they know they're not really going to die in the midst of all this danger -- winking at the audience. The characters in Bubba Ho-Tep actually believe there's a good chance they will die (and they do), but they bravely fight the mummy anyway, consequences be damned, cracking jokes because death is not that big of a deal to them. Re-claiming their lost souls and saving the nursing home is more important.

The low budget didn't take anything away from this film. I don't know why it bothered you so much. It didn't need fancy effects. In fact, the lack of effects lent the film more believability and humanity. Ghostbusters made a spectacle out of the effects, but it still worked. The story, however, is less human to me -- executed like a big, live action cartoon. Well and good, but Ho-Tep has pathos, and I appreciated it more.

The "coolness" of a premise is not good enough for me. I want it handled with intelligence and wit, and Ho-Tep is handled beautifully.

[–] Dale The Bold 16 years ago

But the biggest laughs in Bubba Ho-Tep seem to come from things like:
"What do I care, I got a growth on my pecker?"
"That is one big bitch cockroach"
"I felt my pecker flutter once like a pigeon having a heart attack."

A lot of the humor seems to be rooted in sexuality/impotence, race, and age. Now, I'm NOT saying that is isn't intelligent and witty, but I can't help but see it as juvenile humor. Please DO NOT take this as an insult, I'm trying to get this figured out. Help me figure out how to appreciate it, and if I am misinterpreting it.

Is the humor supposed to be like this?:
"Haha. He has an infection on his penis. That sucks."
"Haha. That IS a big cockroach. And he said 'bitch.'"
"Haha. That chick is hot. He is impotent. That sucks."

There must be something under the surface that makes it appealing. I'm not getting it (I want to). What makes this deep or cerebral? Why ISN'T it seen as a just notch above fart gags? I seriously am trying not to see it as such (again, with all due respect).

The low-budget-ness had the opposite effect for me. It serves as a constant reminder that this is a film, making it hard to get involved in it. It also makes it feel careless, as if the filmmakers didn't want to invest the time or money into trying to make it feel "real." Then I think it must not have been very important to them to tell this story, as if they half-heartedly churned it out to capitalize on people's need for escapist entertainment.

This movie, in particular, seems to get a love-it-or-hate-it response. I find that kind of fascinating. No one seems to think it is "pretty good," they either love it or hate it. What IS it about each end of that spectrum that makes or breaks this movie?

[–] scarlettbees 16 years ago

What the line "I felt my pecker flutter once like a pigeon having a heart attack" and "What do I care? I gotta growth on my pecker" means is exactly what he said. A good and abrupt way to put it, I thought. True to the character. Would it have been less "juvenile" to you if he'd just said, "I have a growth on my penis and I've been impotent for many years?" That's probably how Morgan Freeman would have delivered it in voice over, but not this jaded, frustrated Elvis Presley. It's a well-written, well-delivered line meant to point out his frustration at his current situation, as well as his resignation.

About the "big bitch cockroach" line. I take it you didn't appreciate the Evil Dead movies, either, especially Army of Darkness. These are typical Bruce Campbell lines thrown in just for our amusement. I don't care for the line personally, but I dig the way Campbell delivers it. Here's a few lines from Army of Darkness that are thrown in for a cheap laugh:

In a serious scene, Campbell takes a beautiful woman in his arms, looks deeply into her eyes and says, "Gimme some sugar, baby."

Campbell, about to destroy a demon woman, gets her attention by saying, "Yo, She-bitch!"

And probably the funniest line in the whole movie: When Campbell (having traveled back in time) fires off a shotgun, spooking a bunch of peasants who wanna kill him, then points at them threateningly and shouts, "YOU SEE THIS?? This-is-my-BOOMSTICK!"

But...I guess if you don't like it, you just don't like it. Talking someone into seeing the humor in something they just don't see is an exercise in futility. I can only tell you what I got out of it. A juvenile movie to me that I'd never find funny is pretty much anything with Adam Sandler (excluding The Wedding Singer) and/or Rob Schneider or any of those Scary/Epic/Not Another Teenage spoof Movies.

[–] KevZyx 16 years ago

>"What makes this deep or cerebral? Why ISN'T it seen as a just notch above fart gags? I seriously am trying not to see it as such (again, with all due respect)."

In Bubba Ho Tep, the potty humor drives the narrative, but low brow comedy uses silliness or flatulence only for the sake of silliness. Under Bubba Ho Tep's potty talk is a graphic portrayal of how low this character has fallen. Having a nurse rub an embarrassing growth is the polar opposite of worldwide legendary fame. The low, degraded state is used in a callback later in the movie when Haf says he's come to understand that, in reality, his lowest state was reached not with the rubbing, but when he was surrounded by friends who didn't care about him. The potty talk takes on new significance. Empty fame is more humiliating than embarrassing growths and nurse rubs.

[–] MrBook_ 16 years ago

I don't see where you're coming from, at all. You're apparently accusing the movie's fans of liking its humor because it's juvenile or naughty, but on the contrary it seems like you dislike it for the same reason.

As you've already pointed out, successfully explaining jokes is almost impossible, but I'll try. The humor is not in the fact that he's saying bad words. The humor is in his bizarrely creative way of speaking (a pigeon having a heart attack?? Come on, that's creative!), and the fact that it is Elvis Presley saying it. Do you know much about Elvis? All his dialogue fits with his personality and how he's perceived, but in a weird sideways way that startles laughter out of the audience. It's "Elvis as you've never seen him before."

Your complaints about the budget are simply bizarre. It doesn't look or feel like a low-budget film, and it definitely doesn't look or feel like some half-assed direct-to-video b-movie. The filmmakers deliberately went with an unusually long shooting and post-production schedule to get the film to look the way they wanted it to. They obviously put a lot of care into the cinematography, makeup, special effects, and characterizations. Ghostbusters, on the other hand, always looked kind of cheesy and overblown, and the special effects now look distractingly fake. I'm almost considering that your post is a joke, in that you consider Ghostbusters a successful film, but you consider a thoughtful, well-crafted, and funny film like Bubba Ho-Tep half-hearted escapist entertainment. You have it precisely reversed! The only thing I can think that Ghostbusters has over Bubba Ho-Tep is that the latter has naughty language in it, and that's only a minus if you're particularly sensitive about that sort of thing.

It is 5 AM, and you are listening to Los Angeles.

[–] augbaby1973 14 years ago

To put it simply, it's all in the type of the sense of humor you have. Maybe you just haven't watched it enough per chance?

For the most part, Bruce Campbell really seems to shine in low budget. I have a HUGE respect for this guy simply because he's not going out of his way to whore himself out for megabucks. I'd never really heard of him until someone had me watch the Evil Dead movies and I've been hooked since then. The ED movies, incidentally, were done with Sam Raimi pretty much as a fluke and I have to say, probably Raimi's finest work. I liked the Spider-man movies and what not but they just didn't draw me in the way the ED movies did. But I digress.

This kind of stuff may not be your cup of tea. I can't really explain it any better than I did at the beginning of my post. I don't think it's so much that I am "easily amused" as my sense of humor may be slightly twisted lol. I think that may be the best way to appreciate this and some of the other B movies or the other works you mentioned.

Either or, bottom line is--if you didn't find it funny, it may just not be your type of movie. It's refreshing to see a post that isn't bashing those that like something that you didn't quite get. You took a more analytical approach as opposed to some of the posts I read on here.

Have a good day, sir!

[–] Memories-Of-Murder 16 years ago

Is there anything you find funny at all? From your post, i'm starting to suspect you suffer from Asperger's Syndrome.

"This are Nice shoes! Couldn't you afford some real Nike?"

[–] Dale The Bold 16 years ago

I chuckled at "We're on the floor." "No *beep*

I suspect that a part of it is that much of the humor comes from laughing at the unfortunate circumstances of someone else. The humiliation of a former celebrity, the condition of growing old, the need to kill an ugly bug but struggling to, etc. That kind of stuff is, to me, as effective as making a joke about cancer, AIDS, or...well, Asperger's Syndrome.

I do laugh at stuff. Often. There's just something in this movie that doesn't do it for me. Sorry if it offends anyone, I'm just trying to pinpoint and define this category of humor.

[–] Memories-Of-Murder 16 years ago

Seems the movie is made mostly shaudenfreude in it's nature. Many people don't see the funny side of it. Others do. Like all things, it's not it's nature that's important, but how well you achieve it. You can make jokes about anything, even cancer and death. It all depends if you can pull it off or not. And the preferences of the receiving public. Which figures.

"This are Nice shoes! Couldn't you afford some real Nike?"

[–] KevZyx 16 years ago

>"I suspect that a part of it is that much of the humor comes from laughing at the unfortunate circumstances of someone else."

There's much more going on than that. In Bubba Ho Tep, the audience doesn't really laugh at the characters, it laughs at the embarrasing truths of the human condition. The characters are often portrayed as heroic, not as objects of ridicule. In fact, Haff stops requiring nurse rubs when he gets his "mojo" back. Haff and Jack save the rest home, achieving ultimate heroism.

>"I'm just trying to pinpoint and define this category of humor."

I like the term "absurdist hyper-realism."

[–] ReginaldHarrison 16 years ago

I didn't like Bubba Ho-Tep because it was funny (even though it was). I liked it because it had a heart... thus, I don't think Campbell's lines about his impotence are supposed to make us laugh AT him, at least not for me. I found them funny because of his straightforward honesty, his delivery, etc...

And dude, if you didn't like the movie, you didn't like it. It's not really a big deal, don't try to get people to convince you... you understood it fine, it just didn't appeal to you.

[–] jockey-1 16 years ago

I agree with you that it had a heart. That is why I liked it. I did not think it was funny, though. But I (like the OP) have never had a sense of schaudenfreude.

Interestingly, this even extends to that attitude many convey where (if they are down) they think 'well, at least I am not starving in Africa' (or similar) whereas thoughts like this would tend to make me feel worse on account of those that were.

[–] jls663 16 years ago

Like everyone else has said, don't worry about liking it, there are plenty of other movies to satiate your thirst for non-juvenile humor. But the point with Bubba is that we're laughing because the characters are making funny jokes, not because they're being serious and we're laughing at them. It's about getting inside of it and appreciating a line based on how it was said, not the fact that it exists. The lines you've pointed out are funny because of their bluntness. It's delivery, not punchline.

[–] jackscoloncancer 16 years ago

Ok, so first off I'd like to point out that you dislike people who are condescending in your original post but then act kind of condescending towards people who like what you refer to as "potty humor," or whatever you would like to call it.
The truth is people have been trying to figure out why things are funny for years, and no one really knows. There was a good History channel special hosted by Lewis Black about the history of laughter that might help you find some of the answers you're looking for.

Another point I'd like to make is that Monty Python and Bubba Ho-Tep are completely different except for the fact that they were both low-budget.

I really do hope you find the answers you're looking for and that you find something that makes you laugh, because I honestly think it's a shame for people to live without Python or Bruce Cambell in their lives.

It is not God who kills the children... It’s us. Only us. -Rorschach

[–] MrBook_ 16 years ago

I suspect that a part of it is that much of the humor comes from laughing at the unfortunate circumstances of someone else. The humiliation of a former celebrity, the condition of growing old, the need to kill an ugly bug but struggling to, etc. That kind of stuff is, to me, as effective as making a joke about cancer, AIDS, or...well, Asperger's Syndrome.

If that's the way you approach things, no wonder you didn't like it. This film has nothing to do with laughing at others. We're meant to sympathize with the guy, not make fun of him. We're laughing because we recognize the frustration he feels (even if the specific causes aren't necessarily the same as those in our own lives), and it is handled in a way that makes it amusing rather than depressing (although it's that too).

It is 5 AM, and you are listening to Los Angeles.

[–] dislocatedchaos 13 years ago

I must say, from reading through all your comments, I too was thinking Asperger's Syndrome.
I have a friend with Asperger's Syndrome and you 'talk' very much like him. So much so, that I had to re-check your name, just to make sure it wasn't him writing this!

In fact, I did get him to watch this very movie about three years ago, (which is quite odd, as that could be roughly when you watched it, from the date you started this topic), and we had to pause it a fair few times so I could explain some of the bits he didn't get, such as the complete absurdity of the situation. I think that got him through it enough so that he didn't dislike it.

Would I be correct if I suggested that you get along with movies and humour when you can relate to the situation, as it has a basis in the reality you know?
You tend to prefer movies about everyday life to bizarre or sci-fi-fantasies?

I would suggest trying some of the Woody Allen movies and the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. If your sense of humour is similar to my friends, you will absolutely love these. (I too love Curb Your Enthusiasm.)

Good luck!

[–] therefdotcom 10 years ago

"From your post, i'm starting to suspect you suffer from Asperger's Syndrome. "

i was thinking in the direction of "sociopathic tendencies" or "lack of empathy", so asperger's sounds quite plausible.

[–] Pythe 16 years ago

Like others have said, the humor comes from the matter-of-fact way Elvis describes his ailments. It's funny and sad at the same time. I don't think the goal of this movie was to be a laugh riot like, say, Army of Darkness or Ghostbusters (as you mentioned). It's more a bittersweet exploration of old age, of regrets, of being abandoned. You aren't meant to laugh at Elvis; you're supposed to feel his frustration. Sometimes life is so absurdly depressing that you can't help but laugh. Otherwise, with his impotence, his regrets, and his neglect, the movie would just be him crying for ninety minutes. I sort of took the movie in the vain of, "Well, I've got a growth on my pecker, I lost the woman I loved, and all I have left is this window to stare out of while I wait to die. If I can't make a joke out of it, I'll go as senile and dead-eyed as everybody else around here." To me, that's the humor; it's his defense mechanism, and the audience is (hopefully) so close to him as a character that we feel his pain, and laugh with him about it.

The style of humor is light years away from Ghostbusters, so maybe that's why you're having a problem comprehending it.

Oh, no, I'm not tired. But my finger is!

[–] LeonardPine 16 years ago

You can't 'explain' humour, its either funny to you or its not. Some folks find Monty Python funny, some don't. Some find Kevin Smith films funny, some don't!

"I felt my pecker flutter once, like a pigeon havin' a heart attack"

[–] mortifier-1 16 years ago

Someone once said "humour is universal"... I don't think that's true.
As well as I believe humour cannot be explained.

I always had a problem with comedies since most of them, to me, are not funny at all. I cannot quite explain why. In a cinema, with people around some films are actually funny. But they are funny only in a crowd and in the right state of mind. Some get better over time or when watching with friends. At home, or alone none is laugh out loud funny to me.

I didn't laugh at all when I first saw Bubba Ho-Tep. Yet, it instantly became one of my favourite films for it's message, surreal setting (Elvis and black JFK battle a mummy in a cowboys costume in an old people's home) and the performances by Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. I recommended it to a lot of friends and some, like you didn't find it funny, some didn't like it and some didn't get it. Some said they laughed their asses of throughout the film. I was actually perplexed since I always thought the film's humour was subtle at best, not laugh out loud funny...

Well, having said so much... I'm sorry, humour cannot be explained, just felt or not.

[–] dinoparade 16 years ago

everyone has different opinions on what is funny: slapstick, impersonations, situational, awkward pauses.....but as far as Bubba Hotep, i think the scenes i laugh at most are the ones with so much passion behind the rediculousness. These guys are portraying asanine parts but with deadpan performances. you hear what they are saying and it is crazy, but they way it is said makes you laugh. another similar situation, Paul Simon, back in like 1976, came on the SNL stage dressed as a turkey and began singing "Still Crazy After All These Years"...it's a very funny skit because of the absurdity of it and the seriousness of it's execution. at least, that's my take on it.

"Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."

[–] alkmenesankles 16 years ago

Dale,

De gustibus non est disputandem (boy, do I hope my Latin's right there). It's a matter of taste and I'm not sure these things can be explained. Either you find it funny or you don't.

But you go a long way toward giving a comprehensive discussion of the phenomenon. And I agree with you regarding juvenile humour. It's depressingly widespread (in fact there are days when I despair of ever seeing "adult" humour ever again) and it takes a genius to deliver it without making me want to die of embarrassment on the actor's behalf.

Having said that, you're quite utterly mad if you don't like Monty Python!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm writing all this down in my memoirs so if I grow up twisted & warped, the world will know why.

[–] stackins 16 years ago

I may have missed it but I don't think anyone mentioned that this movie was adapted from a short story written by Joe R. Lansdale. If this film appealed to you then check out some of his full length novels... pure genius. For comedy I would strongly recommend "Freezer Burn". His latest novel "Lost Echoes" is an amazing story and should not be missed.