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Screwball Comedies

post #1 of 19
1/2/04 at 9:08pm
Thread Starter 
I have a list of movies that would be considered screwball comedies (but they are classics in my opnion) and I can only find them on DVD without extra features. Does anyone know if the following DVDs will ever be released with extras like commentaries or deleted scenes:

1. "Better off Dead"
2. "Fletch"
3. "Office Space"
4. "Sixteen Candles"
5. Many of Steve Martin's movies like "The Jerk", "The Man With Two Brains", "All of Me", or "The Three Amigos"
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post #2 of 19
1/2/04 at 9:14pm
Quote:
2. "Fletch"

Kevin Smith is making a Fletch movie, perhaps they will release a SE around the time of its release.

Quote:
3. Office Space

This forum helped get a SE on the way a couple of years ago, but it has been held up (can't remember the reason). I think it is on the held up indefinitely list but I could be wrong.
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post #3 of 19
1/2/04 at 10:19pm
If you want to see some great screwballs, might I suggest some of the classics that defined the genre in the 30s and 40s? "It Happened One Night" is generally acknowledged as the first screwball comedy, and remains entertaining to this day.
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post #4 of 19
1/2/04 at 11:17pm
Screwball comedy is a very specific genre. None of the movies in the first post are screwball (though Office Space and Better Off Dead have certain screwball elements).
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post #5 of 19
1/3/04 at 3:58am
"Screwball Comedies" as a genre got named so because of the "screwball" characters in them, like the film that I understand established the name for the genre: My Man Godfrey with the idle rich, Carole Lombard character being the primary "screwball" in it.

(That title is available as a nice Criterion DVD with a funny bonus feature with Lombard cussing when she messes up her line.)

Mark
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post #6 of 19
1/3/04 at 4:58am
i would also recommend classics like "bringing up baby" (imho the best), "arsenic and old lace" (wooooowwwwww), "philadelphia story" or "his girl friday". really the best screwball comedies.

maybe to be or not to be, but i guess that´s more a serious, black comedy.

but the comedies from the first post really aren´t screwball comedies at all. i guess the last really successful ones were "paper moon" and "whats up doc" ... and the latest movie from zeta jones and clooney is, from what i´ve heard, a screwball too
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post #7 of 19
1/3/04 at 11:01am
Bringing Up Baby is one of my all time faves, but it is not on DVD yet.

While we're at it, can someone define the "Screwball Comedy" genre precisely and post it in this thread?

I would do it, but it would not be very succinct, and I am sure others could define it better than I could.

Grazie,

Mark
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post #8 of 19
1/3/04 at 11:30am
Well this site is a good place to start, although I find it a bit limited timewise (doesn't include What's Up, Doc? which is clearly a screwball comedy).

http://freespace.virgin.net/d.moore1...all_Comedy.htm
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post #9 of 19
1/3/04 at 11:31am
When i saw this thread, I instantly thought about Bringing Up Baby and how for whatever reason it's still not out on DVD. Why oh why!

Is there a "screwball comedy" genre listing on IMDB, or could we compile a pretty definitive list of screwball comedies?

EDIT: Thanks for that link, George. We posted apparently at the same time, so I didn't see it...
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post #10 of 19
1/3/04 at 12:03pm
oh i thought "bringing up baby" would already be out on dvd in america. because i have the german dvd (from kinowelt, englisch and german soundtracks, a rare, interesting docu (or more an interview) about howard hawks and his movies, quality of the picture average but cannot be compared with f.e. warners classic dvd´s) ..... i´ve just watched it, and what can i say?! i love that movie. really one of my all time faves

btw: wanted to do some links but can´t because i don´t have the required 15 posts yet
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post #11 of 19
1/3/04 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Is there a "screwball comedy" genre listing on IMDB, or could we compile a pretty definitive list of screwball comedies?

Here ya go (although I don't think some of these on the list belong there):

http://www.imdb.com/List?tv=on&&keyw...g=19;screwball
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post #12 of 19
1/3/04 at 2:24pm
One of the best of the genre is 1944's "The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek". Screwball has to do with the characters (actors) behavior not the situations. I agree that the first list falls short. 1972's "What's Up Doc?" (a re-working of "Bringing Up Baby") tried to be a "screwball" comedy to mixed effect.
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post #13 of 19
1/3/04 at 3:24pm
I checked that first list and sadly most films are unavilable on DVD.
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post #14 of 19
1/4/04 at 2:07am
George-

Thanks for that great link!

While it has a relatively narrow scope, it is MUCH MUCH more accurate than the IMDB-generated one, which has lots and lots of titles that should not be classified as "screwball comedies."
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post #15 of 19
1/4/04 at 6:26pm
Quote:
3. "Office Space"
I think that one is in legal limbo right now. Someone should ask Peter Staddon about the Office Space SE at the upcoming chat to see if there are any new developments.
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post #16 of 19
1/4/04 at 6:34pm
Quote:
I think that one is in legal limbo right now. Someone should ask Peter Staddon about the Office Space SE at the upcoming chat to see if there are any new developments.


Didn't Peter Staddon say "You'll probably see an Office Space 2 before the SE DVD release" (paraphrasaed) at the last Fox chat?
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post #17 of 19
1/4/04 at 7:01pm
Yes he did, Matt...

Quote:
The Office Space SE is held up big time. Agents got involved and it got ugly in a hurry. I think you will see Office Space 2 before you see the SE - but I haven't given up on it.
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post #18 of 19
1/4/04 at 9:36pm
Personally, I can't wait until 1939's Bachelor Mother finally makes it to DVD. That's a great screwball comedy.

Essentially, the screwball comedy disappeared from theaters because they morphed into the television sitcom.
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post #19 of 19
1/5/04 at 5:29am
Another great screwball comedy: Nothing Sacred.
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