Comedy Movies...

[Spawn67]

We were having a debate today about comedy movies. Seems they don't make alot of comedy movies anymore. I know they make them but unlike the 80's and 90's where they were churning out 2 or 3 classics a month I can't really think of any nowdays. My guess is that anyone can go on youtube and see someone doing something stupid or playing a prank nowdays...Thoughts? Opinions?

[Mikey]

It seems they don't make epic comedies anymore --- Comedies with an ensemble cast lampooning a particular situation.

Today's comedies are usually based around 1 comedian in a non comedic world, most of the time rehashing their stage act bits.

[Makernaut]

I have had some random moments of contemplation along this line in recent years. I get to thinking about how movies didn't seem to be such a big deal up until the late 90s and instead of everything having to be made to be a blockbuster, there were all kinds of goofy little movies coming out that were just made to be moderately entertaining. In the 80s and early 90s, it was nothing for me to go see a movie at least once a week, if not two or three times a week at half a dozen theaters that are now gone. All that's left around me are extravagant movie theaters that only play big budget movies and they seem to only rotate a new one in per week as they rotate one out. The last movie I saw in the theater was "The Last Jedi", though I intended to catch "Black Panther" and just didn't get around to it. Now, I realize some of that is due to me not being a teenager/20-something, but the general business model for theaters and movie making has shifted big-time along with disruptive technologies and services that caused massive changes, too. Dopey little movies still get made, but they are straight to video or streaming service.

[Brazoo]

I think it's just that the business model for theatrical movies has changed so much. I think part of the problem is that movies are essentially financed for earnings in multiple foreign markets now - and only certain types of comedies work in other languages. Action/comedy probably works better - there's a lot of physical stuff going on. And most action movies only get financed if they're a recognizable brand. An action comedy, like Jumanji can get financed, because it's a got a brand people know.

In the 80s nobody even looked at foreign markets - domestic gross was everything.

Looking at the box office for 2017 tells a lot. "Girls Trip" is the biggest non-animated original comedy last year - and it's at #26.

I think this is why all the good stuff for adults is on the small screen now.

[palitoy]

I think Netflix is also playing a factor, people probably won't be motivated to theatres but I'll bet you that netflix copped to the concept that a lot of people had "dirty little Adam Sandler" secrets.

There are big comedies but they tend to target certain demographics and do well, stuff like "Bad Moms" and "Madea goes to _____" come to mind. Being a white male in my mid 40s, I didn't see either in the theatre but people came, in droves.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Agreed, I think streaming services, Netflix in particular, have become the home to a lot of non-blockbuster and non-Oscar bait type films. And comedies fall right in there.

Chris

[Brazoo]

I honestly don't know if streaming is playing a factor or simply filling a void. Maybe it's both?

[Brazoo]

I think the 'mommy movie event comedy' is the biggest non-action-comedy trend now, for sure. I think Bridesmaids and the first Sex and the City movie woke movie marketers up to the fact that there's this huge segment of the population looking for a fun Movie Event that has never been catered to. Now there's Bad Moms, Pitch Perfect, Girls Trip...and lots of others that didn't hit trying to accomplish that .

I think previously movies marketed for women were mainly marketed as date movies - and then romantic comedies weren't doing as hot. Probably because those movies are perfect for streaming, but maybe also because they started getting bad reviews and bad press? There also seemed like a string of bigger budget action-romance-comedy movies that flopped.

[Makernaut]

I honestly don't know if streaming is playing a factor or simply filling a void. Maybe it's both?

quoting Brazoo

^ that's what I've been wondering, too, but yeah....maybe it is both.

Also, I think I may have had the assumption that theatrically released movies were down in number compared to years ago, but when I went looking for numbers I found it's quite the opposite.

[palitoy]

I think the 'mommy movie event comedy' is the biggest non-action-comedy trend now, for sure. I think Bridesmaids and the first Sex and the City movie woke movie marketers up to the fact that there's this huge segment of the population looking for a fun Movie Event that has never been catered to. Now there's Bad Moms, Pitch Perfect, Girls Trip...and lots of others that didn't hit trying to accomplish that .

Yeah my wife and her friends go to see these in groups quite often.

[Makernaut]

My opinion on "mommy comedies" is that anything that gets Kathryn Hahn screen time is aces, by me. I think she's hilarious.

[Brazoo]

Yeah my wife and her friends go to see these in groups quite often.

Same.

I completely understand too, my wife and her friends are crazy busy. I think half of it is just a nice excuse to make a plan to go out and have a specific date to do it on. Plus, I usually end up thinking most of these movie's are pretty good.

[Brazoo]

My opinion on "mommy comedies" is that anything that gets Kathryn Hahn screen time is aces, by me. I think she's hilarious.

She's great!