Best comedy of all time?
I thought comedies were supposed to be funny...
Spinal Tap’s bass player sues former French sewer
Actor, writer and director Harry Shearer, who played Derek Smalls in the band Spinal Tap, is suing the owners of the movie This Is Spinal Tap over royalties. The 1984 film is often cited as the best comedy of all time. The band was formed in 1978, and was lampooning TV the following year. In his lawsuit, Shearer claims the …
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 17:54 GMT David 132
Re: Best comedy of all time?
@DailyLlama: I thought comedies were supposed to be funny...
I can see you're being downvoted to oblivion for that, but I'll - sort of - sympathize. My own take on Spinal Tap is that it's intermittently funny - there are certain parts that are very funny, but let's be honest... extended sections of it are just tedious improv.
It's one of those movies that's funnier to quote & think about, than it is to actually watch.
"This one goes up to 11", and the description of the former drummers who all met nasty ends "Died in a bizarre gardening accident..."."... choked to death on vomit... ...they don't know WHOSE vomit, but it's not like you can 'dust for vomit'...". The Stonehenge set. The "how much more black could it be?" discussion. And so on. All very very funny indeed, but they don't comprise the whole movie.
For my money the funniest films of all times would be "Airplane", "Return of the Pink Panther", or "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (the Caine/Martin one).
But hey, this is the Internet, where everyone has an opinion and the shoutiest person wins.
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 14:27 GMT Can't think of anything witty...
Re: A percentage of net?
i think that is the point on this. On the page linked to at the bottom, there is this statement:
"According to the complaint, Vivendi and its agents, including StudioCanal and Universal Music Group, wilfully manipulated certain accounting data, while ignoring contractually-obligated accounting and reporting processes, to deny Shearer and his fellow co-creators their rightful stake in the production’s profits. The action seeks US$125,000,000 in compensatory and punitive damages."
so it looks as though it is exactly those shady accounting practices that he is targeting.
As far as i am concerned, i get that marketing and producing films is expensive and risky, and for each one that pays off there are probably dozens that get nowhere. But at the same time, Shearer has been told that global sales for the soundtrack only added up to $98 and that merchandising was another $81.
That don't sound right to me.
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 15:46 GMT I Like Heckling
Re: The 1984 film is often cited as the best comedy of all time?
@croaker
"The 1984 film is often cited as the best comedy of all time?
Wrongly.
Life of Brian.
I rest my case..."
Whilst I kind of agree, I think Spinal Tap is the best Mockumentary ever made, Life of Brian one of the Funniest comedies ever made, and Army of Darkness is the funniest comedy horror of all time.
I have fave movies from across a wide variety of genres...
Then we have Deadpool... which just might be the greatest superhero action comedy of all time... at least until Deadpool 2.
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 15:38 GMT The Nazz
It just seems a bit rich to me.
Let me see, a guy who earns a (reported) ridiculous sum of $300k per episode for 25 years launches a lawsuit to sue for "fair artistic compensation, industry-wide."
I look forward to him paying back some $298,000 per episode back into the artists collective pot, so that all such artists can receive a "fair" return.
Modern life i suppose.
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 16:19 GMT Stuart Moore
Re: It just seems a bit rich to me.
On the other hand, I can see the argument that he's taking one for the team here. He doesn't need to care about rocking the boat - if he gets black listed, so what - but if it's proven that the accounting practices were shady it makes it easier for "the little guy" to get their shares as well.
I don't know for certain that he's got good intentions here, but I do know that the people he's taking on don't...
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 16:32 GMT Swarthy
Re: It just seems a bit rich to me.
So, he gets paid a contractually agreed rate, that both parties deem as fair, that you feel is "ridiculous". Because of this, he should give money away ( To whom? You, perhaps? Everyone?) so that he can then earn the right to complain that a separate company, on a separate contract did not pay him the contractually agreed amount.
You're the type that won't pay back a $20 loan from a family member because "they make more than me, they don't need it like I do", aren't you?
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Tuesday 18th October 2016 18:46 GMT Anonymous Coward
As someone who has had their work (created before I joined) used by a large corporation I don't see what's wrong with him wanting what's rightfully theirs (the band members). No different to working on commission and selling thousands of units for a company. Only to be told on payday that because of accounting differences and what's classed as a unit they don't owe you any commission.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
