This week we’re back with a fun one for those of us who used to peruse the shelves at Blockbuster with friends on a Friday night, looking for something interesting and weird: What is the most ridiculous movie you’ve ever seen? Good or bad, doesn’t matter, but which movie caused you to laugh to yourself, wondering, “What the heck am I watching?”
I'll see your Barbarella and raise you the legendary star of the Blaxpoitation genre, Rudy Ray Moore, in his crowning, anti-drug epic: Disco Godfather (also known as The Avenging Disco Godfather in later prints).
When the now peace-loving, club owning, Disco Godfather's nephew almost dies from aaaaaaagel duuuust, he is thrust out of vigilante retirement to kung-fu his way toward cleaning up the city.
It's got everything you'd expect: endless disco, roller-disco, psudo kung-fu, and all the platform shoes you could ask for.
Oh this is a fun one😊 The name Blockbuster brings about all sorts of fun memories….I miss the simplicity. But to answer the question, my auntie brought over a stack of VHS rentals to me when I was (extremely) sick with a lengthy illness in high school. I wasn’t able to eat, talk, or move. Her aim was to bring some life back to me. She put in the movie Young Einstein and sat at my feet. It was so utterly ridiculous! I was trying not to laugh because I hurt so bad. But it did raise my spirits, even as I wondered, “What am I watching?!” Sadly my auntie passed earlier this year (well it’s not totally sad…she’s 100% alive and well with Jesus!) I wish I’d thought of this memory sooner so I could tell her how much that meant to me.
Scavenger Hunt! Rich guy dies and sends his greedy relatives and servants on a scavenger hunt to determine the beneficiary of his estate. As a kid, I watched it over and over, every chance I got. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. It's a chaotic, crazy comedy with a great cast, but not everyone could appreciate that kind of side-splitting humor. Film critic Gene Siskel called it "excruciatingly dull" (whaat?), TV Guide (who here remembers the TV Guide, btw?) called the film "an all-star, all-stupid comedy attempt that proves, once again, no actor can triumph over bad material" and Allmovie called it an "utterly wretched comedy" (whatev!). This movie was FUNNY, and the cast was top-notch.
Favorite line of the whole movie though, is completely dead-pan (not mad-cap like the rest of it).
Tony Randall (Henry, the widowed son-in-law/single dad) walks into the mansion with his four rowdy kids in tow.
Roddy McDowall (Jenkins, the butler): "How are the children?"
I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous movies, most of which are bad. I’ll focus on the entertaining ridiculous movies, which Stephen Chow is the king of. I think the best of entertaining ridiculous movie is Kung Fu Hustle. So that’s my pick. Martial arts meets Looney Tunes meets gangster.
Aw, I already lost one round with "Trouble in Mind," but I have to mention it again here because it's absolutely a "What the heck am I watching?" movie, the kind of movie that has Divine playing a male gangster, a young punk's descent into evil being illustrated by the weirdness of his hair, and capital-A Allegory being swung around like a bludgeon. Yet I love it. (The trailer lets you know exactly what you're in for: https://youtu.be/veg4lAjX0bs?si=xWD_gehjbkilYmwi)
I'll see your Barbarella and raise you the legendary star of the Blaxpoitation genre, Rudy Ray Moore, in his crowning, anti-drug epic: Disco Godfather (also known as The Avenging Disco Godfather in later prints).
When the now peace-loving, club owning, Disco Godfather's nephew almost dies from aaaaaaagel duuuust, he is thrust out of vigilante retirement to kung-fu his way toward cleaning up the city.
It's got everything you'd expect: endless disco, roller-disco, psudo kung-fu, and all the platform shoes you could ask for.
And the winner is Jess with Young Einstein. Congratulations Jess, you get to choose Monday's question.
Oh this is a fun one😊 The name Blockbuster brings about all sorts of fun memories….I miss the simplicity. But to answer the question, my auntie brought over a stack of VHS rentals to me when I was (extremely) sick with a lengthy illness in high school. I wasn’t able to eat, talk, or move. Her aim was to bring some life back to me. She put in the movie Young Einstein and sat at my feet. It was so utterly ridiculous! I was trying not to laugh because I hurt so bad. But it did raise my spirits, even as I wondered, “What am I watching?!” Sadly my auntie passed earlier this year (well it’s not totally sad…she’s 100% alive and well with Jesus!) I wish I’d thought of this memory sooner so I could tell her how much that meant to me.
Scavenger Hunt! Rich guy dies and sends his greedy relatives and servants on a scavenger hunt to determine the beneficiary of his estate. As a kid, I watched it over and over, every chance I got. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. It's a chaotic, crazy comedy with a great cast, but not everyone could appreciate that kind of side-splitting humor. Film critic Gene Siskel called it "excruciatingly dull" (whaat?), TV Guide (who here remembers the TV Guide, btw?) called the film "an all-star, all-stupid comedy attempt that proves, once again, no actor can triumph over bad material" and Allmovie called it an "utterly wretched comedy" (whatev!). This movie was FUNNY, and the cast was top-notch.
Favorite line of the whole movie though, is completely dead-pan (not mad-cap like the rest of it).
Tony Randall (Henry, the widowed son-in-law/single dad) walks into the mansion with his four rowdy kids in tow.
Roddy McDowall (Jenkins, the butler): "How are the children?"
Tony Randall: "Everywhere." 😂
Fantastic, funny movie. Those were the days...
I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous movies, most of which are bad. I’ll focus on the entertaining ridiculous movies, which Stephen Chow is the king of. I think the best of entertaining ridiculous movie is Kung Fu Hustle. So that’s my pick. Martial arts meets Looney Tunes meets gangster.
Aw, I already lost one round with "Trouble in Mind," but I have to mention it again here because it's absolutely a "What the heck am I watching?" movie, the kind of movie that has Divine playing a male gangster, a young punk's descent into evil being illustrated by the weirdness of his hair, and capital-A Allegory being swung around like a bludgeon. Yet I love it. (The trailer lets you know exactly what you're in for: https://youtu.be/veg4lAjX0bs?si=xWD_gehjbkilYmwi)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Entertaining, but so far-fetched we would need a different word than "far-fetched!"
Who was the winner last week? Asking for a friend?
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You totally anticipated my question about Duran Duran as I read your answer.