Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Caesar
Have added laughter to the sword of traitors.-- Octavius, Julius Caesar
Slaughter appears 55 times in Shakespeare, laughter just 24. It just goes to show that for all the Falstaffian wassail, there's nothing quite like a gory shank from nave to chaps* to get the punters in.
Apropos chucklement, I have a theory. Not just any old theory, mind you, not some ludicrous half-baked notion, but a 100% fully baked theory. One based on detailed, assiduous observation, and developed over an extended period of research. Five seconds, or so.
No one should laugh in movies!
Seriously; think about it. When was the last time you saw an actor convincingly laugh on cue? Never; that is when. Sure, actors mold their faces into appropriate shapes to convey the idea of laughter. They also expel the requisite variety of absurd noises. But rarely have I thought "By Christ, that WAS funny!" and brayed along with them. It's more "Shut it! And stop overacting!" Could be it's a ruse to get the viewer to laugh. Un-canned laughter, if you will. It just doesn't work on me.
You can't fake laughter. Smiling? Smiling is good; smirking, sneering, jeering, leering. It's hard to beat a truly malicious snigger for entertainment value. But laughter? Never. Cut it out, I don't buy it.
* Right up the guts.
Well, look at that! It's midday. Time for work.
Posted by: Tony.T | 14 July 2005 at 11:54
So what are all the evil villains supposed to do after they've unloaded their dastardly plans to the hero?
"Soon the whole world shall be mine!"
...
And if they don't perform a histerical, malicious laugh, how else will they be distracted while the hero breaks his/her shackles?
This has more implications that you think.
Posted by: donnyc | 14 July 2005 at 12:44
Now, Donny, I didn't mean shtick. And anyway, hysterical villains would probably fall under the smirking, sneering, jeering, leering umbrella.
Posted by: Tony.T | 14 July 2005 at 14:35
Yeah, I can just see 'em shouting to Wirrpunda on the kickout, "kick it from nave to chaps".
Posted by: carneagles | 14 July 2005 at 14:36
Check this out, Carna.
Straight up the guts.
Posted by: Tony.T | 14 July 2005 at 14:37
Any actor worth their salt can laugh as if they mean it.
Examples...anon. (Exit)
Posted by: boynton | 14 July 2005 at 17:10
What example?
"Upon example; so the spirit is eased"
-- Henry The Vee
Posted by: Tony.T | 14 July 2005 at 17:48
I've been sitting here for five minutes trying to recall a convincing laugh. Maniacal laughter gets me laughing, and I'm surprised it doesn't crack up the actor as they do it, but other than that... nothing.
You're absolutely right. This is going to bug me in every movie I see for the rest of my life.
Posted by: BourbonBird | 14 July 2005 at 21:09
Happy to have cast a pall over the rest of your life, BB. Don't thank me.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 14:13
I seriously haven't heard the term "gutto" since primary school. Seeing as "mint" is making something of a comeback (no sign of "mintox" yet, but it has to follow) maybe that will as well.
As I understand it, actors tend to take some personal emotional matter and use it to generate the emotion. It's one thing for an actor to think about when their dog died, but who thinks about funny things in their past and bursts out laughing?
Posted by: carneagles | 15 July 2005 at 14:14
How about "yonnie"?
I think about my past and just cringe.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 14:15
I completely agree with you, Tony. But I'd go further - no one in the audience should laugh at movies. Even the most hilarious gag can be rendered humourless by some braying fuckwit sitting next to you.
Posted by: hungbunny | 15 July 2005 at 14:16
I rarely see people laugh correctly in real life. It's always a little too loud, and over nothing.
Posted by: Pierre | 15 July 2005 at 14:19
Both of you are on to something I pondered turning the post into. Namely that laughing is pretty fucking annoying full stop. Loud bastards in pubs are probably the most irritating.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 14:22
Especially when they laugh at their own jokes.
I also know this girl who bursts into gales of laughter at the most unfunny joke. And half the time she doesn't even know what she's laughing at. Insufferable moron.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 14:26
Ha ha ha ha! Who said what again! Oh yeah! Ha ha!
Posted by: Russell Allen | 15 July 2005 at 14:39
Oh, you! You are so, so funny. HA HA.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 15:32
I hate it when people say that. If it is soooo funny then express it with an involuntary laugh that runs through your body. Don't express it in words.
Sorry George Dubya (and don't bomb us, for me saying this) but you Americans are the worst culprits of all.
Posted by: Russell Allen | 15 July 2005 at 16:06
It's tautolaughical.
Posted by: Tony.T | 15 July 2005 at 16:53
No way, a German I know is the worst. She laughs all "HEEEEEEE HEEEEEE HEEEE-- Hey, HEEEEE, why aren't you laughing? Hmpf." The worst is that nothing she laughs at is ever funny, and yet she demands that other people also share her crazed he-hawing. It makes me so depressed.
Posted by: vague | 16 July 2005 at 06:41
I trust she doesn't laugh with food in her mouth. Then you'd have to stick a fork into her tongue.
Posted by: Tony.T | 18 July 2005 at 15:30
I wish.
Posted by: vague | 19 July 2005 at 05:31