Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Great Flydini

Steve Martin has disappointed THE FUTURIST! in his recent ventures. The very funny man has made one horribly tepid comedy film after another ... usually playing chagrined father figures or in recent, disgraceful, memory, reinventing the character of Inspector Clouseau in the truly unwatchable Pink Panther films. THE FUTURIST! remembers Mr. Martin in his earlier cinematic comedies such a THE JERK, DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID, THE LONELY GUY and the mirthfully insane MAN WITH TWO BRAINS. What pure pleasure there was in watching him use slapstick silent comedy technique entangled with abstract jesting and plenty of bawdy adult humor. He does redeem himself often in THE FUTURIST!'s eyes; his two very well-written novellas SHOPGIRL and THE PLEASURE OF MY COMPANY, as well as his autobiographical look into his early career and sensational success in comedy entitled BORN STANDING UP were greatly appreciated. Occasionally, also, Mr. Martin will perform brief presentations of comedic genius such as the one below performed on The Tonight Show in 1992. This may be a perfect comedy performance using no words and all sight gags ... and that makes THE FUTURIST! quite elated ... he truly loves the brilliance of ingeniously engineered silent comedy.


3 comments:

Dara said...

He's also a well-endowed magician! Impressive stuff.

Simon Abrams said...

Pure magic.

christian said...

Martin is a strange case. A smart erudite man who has gone onto make the most wretched soulless cinematic abortions in recent years. I honestly find his books to be thinner than gruel and with as much depth. I prefer CRUEL SHOES...