When They Were Funny...

[SilverZ]

For some reason a stupid phrase just popped into my head:

Goonie Googoo.

And I thought to myself, "Man, Eddie Murphy: Delirious was really funny." And I thought about how many quotable lines were in that stand-up movie, and how, even by today's standards, its fresh, topical, adult, and FUNNY. There was so much going for him in about 1982-1986. You had SNL, Delirious, Beverly Hills Cop I, Trading Places, and 48 Hours.

Then I thought "Man, he really sucks now." Haunted Mansion. Pluto Nash? Ugh. What happened to this guy? He turned into the exact same thing he used to make fun of Bill Cosby for in Delirious.

It's happened to a lot of others. "Hey, whhhaaa happened?"  

[JediMAC]

Aunt Bunnie!  

Doo doo...  Gonna put it oooonnn yoooouuu...  

Too true...  Eddie was like a god back then in the 80's.  I spent several years doing nothing but quoting his first two comedy routines - Eddie Murphy and Comedian.  Those were classic!  Started to go a little wrong when he hit Raw though...  

Same went for his movies.  Loved all that early stuff.  Classic comedy, and totally "real".  Then things just started changing around the time of Boomerang, or thereabouts...

Miss the old Eddie.    Are either of his first two comedy routines on DVD?  Were they even taped live, I don't remember...  I just had the tape cassettes.

[SilverZ]

Yeah, word is they're outright owned by Eddie, and we may never see them again. Lame.

Dan Akroyd went the same way. Hard to believe that big tub of a man that hasn't done anything in years wrote Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters.  

[Fettish Sez Thanks]

Bill Murray. Not so much a stand up comedian or the like, but it just seems to me that he;s going down hill.

His performance in the overrated comedy movie "Lost in Translation" wasn't so much a performance, but art imitating life. He looks so dejected, and cumbersome in public, like someone ran over his wife and his dog in the same day.

[Scott]

Blasphemy...I thought his performance was wonderful, I've said it a few times, he makes the people he acts with laugh because 95% of the time he's making **** up as he goes.  He's been in some stinkers for sure the last couple of years but he was perfect in LiT

My pick...Turtle Turtle Turtle



You look at Mike Myers who was able to go on and do huge stuff at the movies...and then there's Dana Carvey, man what the hell was I thinking when I thought he was actually funny at one moment in time

[Matt]

Bill Murray. Not so much a stand up comedian or the like, but it just seems to me that he;s going down hill.

His performance in the overrated comedy movie "Lost in Translation" wasn't so much a performance, but art imitating life. He looks so dejected, and cumbersome in public, like someone ran over his wife and his dog in the same day.

That's the idea.

Well, Lost in Translation was certainly no Cat in the Hat, but Bill was great in it regardless.

The only problem with Lost is that they decided to market it as a comedy, instead of the drama it is.

He's done some of the best work of his life over the past few years--see Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums for further proof.  The next Wes Anderson flick, The Life Aquatic, starring Bill as a European oceanographer, should be fantastic.

It'll still suck compared to 2F2F, though, be sure of that. . .

[Jesse James]

I agree that I think Bill Murray's still got it...  The guy's just funny as hell, and is said to be a real genuine fellow in Hollywood.  NOt a snotwad like some turn into...

Speaking of snotwads who were once funny, and probably decent people...  Why hasn't anyone mentioned Chevy Chase?

Short of X-Mas Vacation, I can't think of a remotely modern film that Chase was in that was funny, and on top of it he's a royal prick they say.  Very self-absorbed.

The Dan Akroyd mention was spooky because I was just commenting the other day about how he's gone down hill.  I like him, and I think he CAN be funny, but he's just lost it over the years.

I think Dana Carvey was and IS funny when he wants to be, but he's tried too hard to reinvent himself.  He has too much pride to go back to SNL...  He should though.  They lack the impersonation talent he brought to the table with Phil Hartman.  I think if he returned he could at least be semi-popular again...  Can't hurt him anyway since he appears to have hit bottom.  He's doing a Tostitos commercial now or something I mean, god...  Short of working with ALF on a 10-10-220 commercial, he truly has hit rock bottom.

Doing any work with ALF is the social equivalent to getting on an airplane with Ernest Borgnine...  You're doomed if you do it.  That plane will inevitably crash.

Other unfunny people are...

Jay Leno...  If you saw his stand-up from when he was young, you know what I mean.  He was funny at one time.

Jimmy Kimmel...  Jimmy is funny, but the Manshow was his bread and butter.  His talkshow sucks because he is too "good" on it.  

And Bob Saget...  now, I know what you're thinking...  This guy lost it years ago, and I agree that he did.  He lost it when he got on Full House and/or America's Funniest Home Videos.  But if you saw his early standup, the guy was a foul-mouthed funnyman.  It was hysterical, and he was genuinely good.  He toned himself down for TV though, and he sucked.

Tim Allen...  Same as above.  Home improvement was funny till every other episode was "A very special episode" crap because that woman he co-starred was writing/producing it or something.  She turned it serious, and in turn she turned Tim Allen into a puss.  This was a guy who sold coke for god's sake!  Tim Allen was hardcore stand-up...  Not just foul, but genuinely funny...  Anyone remember the joke about how unattractive guys were naked and bent down working on something like the toilet?  Wife walks in and says "Who let a goat in!?  Good God!"  

That was funny stuff, but he lost it when he got on TV.  

[DSJ™]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Robin Williams.



Now back in the old days, Robin was just plain nutso bozo. Started out on Happy Days as Mork then got his own sitcom, Mork & Mindy. His early comedy routines were a laugh a second, always had me in tears.

[Scott]

Laying off Cocaine does that to people

[DSJ™]

Ah yes, Plutonium Nyborg, Devils Dandruff, Peruvian marching powder. They say Robin snorted with John Belushi before his death.  

[Brian]

Good topic, and I agree with most of the people mentioned here.  I remember when I was younger, I thought Dana Carvey was hilarious, but now he just makes me sad.  I agree, I think he probably still is funny...but just in the wrong places now.  He belongs on something like SNL, but unfortunately probably won't ever go back.

Eddie Murphy...good call on that one.  What happened to this guy?  He was very funny, and still can be (I might be stupid, but I get a kick out of him in Shrek)...but in movies where he actually appears...yikes.  He has had some real stinkers over the recent years.

Robin Williams...I'm not sure about him either.  I think he is probably one of the funniest guys around, or at least was.  His old comedy stuff is really good, but anymore when I see him he just seems a little....too much, for me at least.

Bill Murray...I think he still has it.  I always enjoy his movies (haven't seen LiT though), but he was great in the Royal Tenenbaums (under rated movie I think).  I'll still always remember him mostly from SNL, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters...but he's done some other good movies too.

Chevy Chase is someone I really enjoy, when he was at his best.  Christmas Vacation is one of our all-time favorite movies...and definitely my favorite of his.  The other "vacation" movies aren't too bad either.  Caddyshack, of course, is great too.  Just happened to see him in Funny Farm on TBS a week or so ago, I haven't seen that movie in a long time.  He's got some other movies that aren't bad, I know a lot of people are fans of Fletch, although I don't know if I have ever seen the whole movie.  Its too bad to hear he is a prick in real life, he's one of those guys you hope are nice in real life.  For some reason I still get a kick out of the video for "Call Me Al" with him and Paul Simon, not sure why, just seems funny to me.

Tim Allen...I agree with what everyone has said.  He is a really funny guy, and I used to watch Home Improvement quite a bit when it started and I was younger.  As the show went on, it got un-funny to me.  Some of his movies are not too bad though, no classics mind you...but watchable, at least to me.

[Mikey D]

When was the last time Robin Williams actually had a funny movie, Mrs. Doubtfire?  That was almost ten years ago.  I will say this, for some one who is labeled as a comedian, his dramatic work is pretty good.  Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting are both excellent flicks.  Insomnia and One Hour Photo weren't as good, but not horrible IMO.

[Fettish Sez Thanks]

That's the idea.

Well, Lost in Translation was certainly no Cat in the Hat, but Bill was great in it regardless.

The only problem with Lost is that they decided to market it as a comedy, instead of the drama it is.

He's done some of the best work of his life over the past few years--see Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums for further proof.  The next Wes Anderson flick, The Life Aquatic, starring Bill as a European oceanographer, should be fantastic.

It'll still suck compared to 2F2F, though, be sure of that. . .

The idea that he's a has been? He's had 2 decent movies of the past 8 roles he's taken on in 6 years, "Rushmore" included. He's just putting the final nail in his coffin with "Garfield", and it's a poor career move after "Osmosis Jones" which everyone seems to be overlooking.

"Lost in Translation" was overrated, pretentious, and bratty.

[Scott]

To each there own...

Heard this on the radio this morning Entertainment Weekly that bastion of Comedic Wherewithall named the following as funniest people in America:

#1 Chris Rock
#2 Jon Stewart
#3 Will Ferrell
#4 Larry David
#5 Dave Chappelle
#6 Ellen DeGeneres
#7 Bill Murray (not sure if this counts LiT or not)
#8 Jim Carrey
#9 Jack Black
#10
#11 Dave Letterman

Not listed: Jay Leno

CNN only had these listed (as did the radio) I wonder where Conan ranks

[Brian]

CNN only had these listed (as did the radio) I wonder where Conan ranks

That's a good point Scott, I think that Conan is one of the funniest guys on TV.  I find myself laughing every time I watch his show, just his little comments and quips that he rattles off quick, and the way he makes fun of himself.  His style of humor is just funny to me I guess.  Interesting list overall though.....