For movie enthusiasts looking for some seriously good laughs, I would like to turn your attention to a series of YouTube videos called Honest Trailers. Some very talented people have collaborated to show us a hilarious spin on various films and their flaws. These are the kinds of trailers the studios wouldn’t want you to see, but I’m sure glad someone was funny enough to think of this great idea.

What kind of pictures get the Honest Trailer treatment? Well, for starters, how about every installment of the Twilight franchise? Love how they point out the excessive use of voice-over and the pesky fact that Edward and Bella’s relationship is kind of super creepy if you really think about it.

The Hunger Games is mentioned in the Twilight trailer and it too gets the Honest Trailer treatment.

Some of our most beloved screen heroes are not spared – from James Bond…

to Batman…

to Spider-Man…

to Indiana Jones…

For the ladies, we’ve got some interesting takes on The Notebook…

and Titanic…

There are other laugh inducing trailers for The Avengers, Lord of the Rings, Prometheus, Jurassic Park, Les Miserables, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and more.

So what should we expect the team behind Honest Trailers to spoof in the future? I have a feeling megahit Oz the Great and Powerful could be a candidate. It made a boatload of money, but certainly has its detractors. And there is no doubt this fall’s Hunger Games: Catching Fire will get its Honest Trailer. I’d love to see them take a crack at older titles like Independence Day or The Matrix. And a final request: M. Night Shymalan’s ridiculous The Happening.

I have never been one of those movie buffs who spends much time nitpicking errors or implausibilities. If the story works, a lot of that stuff falls by the wayside. Truth be told, the Honest Trailer folks have figured out a brilliant way to do it. Many of their subjects are solid movies. They even admit it in The Avengers and Dark Knight spots.

My personal fave so far? The Inception Honest Trailer. Great film, but equally great treatment here. It leaves us on a high note… seriously, why didn’t Michael Caine just take Leo DiCaprio’s damn kids overseas?

 

As news broke today of the death of Margaret Thatcher (no relation, though that’s not what I tell people), I thought of her immeasurable contributions to world history and her legacy of anti-socialism and freedom.

And then I thought of movies. I can’t control the way my mind works, people. I just blog about it!

Specifically, I thought about Meryl Streep winning the Best Actress Oscar in 2011 for her portrayal of Thatcher in The Iron Lady. 

That got me wondering just how many performers have been nominated for playing real-life characters in the Best Actor and Actress categories in recent Oscar history… say the last 25 years.

The answer? 76 nominations out of 250 in the past 25 Oscars have been for real-life portrayals, by my count. Of these 50 winners in those two top acting categories over the past quarter century, 19 of them were for such performances. Not too shabby.

Additionally, in the last 11 Oscars, at least one winner in the Best Actor and/or Actress race has been for a real-life portrayal.

Of those 19 winners, 10 were for Best Actor. 9 were for Best Actress.

Who were they, you may ask? Well, I’m going to tell you.

Best Actor

1989: Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown in My Left Foot

1990: Jeremy Irons as Claus Von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune

1996: Geoffrey Rush as David Helfgott in Shine

2002: Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist

2004: Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray

2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in Capote

2006: Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland

2008: Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk

2010: Colin Firth as King George VI in The King’s Speech

2012: Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln

Best Actress

1995: Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking

1999: Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry

2000: Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich

2002: Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours

2003: Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos in Monster

2005: Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line

2007: Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose

2009: Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side

2011: Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

In the last 24 years, Daniel Day-Lewis has been nominated three times for playing real characters. He won for My Left Foot and Lincoln and was also nominated for his role as Gerry Conlon in 1993’s In the Name of the Father.

On the Actress side, Dame Judi Dench also received three nominations: as Queen Victoria in 1997’s Mrs. Brown, as Iris Murdoch in 2001’s Iris, and Laura Henderson in 2005’s Mrs. Henderson Presents. No wins for M… I mean, Dame Judi. In addition to Streep’s win for The Iron Lady, she was nominated three more times for real person roles – as Lindy Chamberlain in 1988’s A Cry in the Dark, as Roberta Gouspari in 1999’s Music of the Heart, and Julia Child in 2009’s Julie&Julia. Cate Blanchett has the interesting distinction of being nominated twice for the same role as Elizabeth I in 1998’s Elizabeth and in 2007 for its follow-up Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

In 2004, we saw the most real-life portrayals nominated in one race with four of the five Best Actor nominees. In addition to Jamie Foxx’s winning performance as Ray Charles, other nominees were Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda, Johnny Depp as JM Barrie in Finding Neverland, and Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in The Aviator. The following year would bring three more nominations that fit the criteria for Best Actor. Philip Seymour Hoffman won for Capote and Joaquin Phoenix was nominated as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, as well as David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck. So in those two years for Best Actor – 70% of the nominees were based on real-life individuals.

2009 is the one and only time three of the Best Actress nominees have been real-lifers. Sandra Bullock won for The Blind Side, alongside fellow nominees Streep as Julia Child and Helen Mirren as Sophia Tolstoy in The Last Station.

What might we see in 2013 as far as potential nominees? Plenty. Tom Hanks has good odds. He’s playing Captain Richard Phillips in the true-life Somali pirate hostage drama Captain Phillips and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. Curiously, while Hanks has won two back-to-back Oscars playing fictional characters in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, he did not receive nominations for his real-life roles as Jim Lovell in Apollo 13 and Congressman Charlie Wilson in Charlie Wilson’s War.

Steve Carell could earn Academy attention as John du Pont in Foxcatcher. After all, the film’s director Bennett Miller guided Philip Seymour Hoffman to an Oscar win in Capote and Brad Pitt to a nomination as Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane in 2011’s Moneyball.

Matthew McConaughey seems destined for an Oscar nomination with the way his career’s been going lately and his turn as real-life AIDS activist Ron Woodroof in The Dallas Buyer’s Club might be the role. Idris Elba is sure to get some attention as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Morgan Freeman was nominated for playing Mandelia in 2009 in Invictus). That’s happened before in recent Oscar history, by the way. Both Anthony Hopkins in 1995 and Frank Langella in 2008 received nods for playing Richard Nixon in Nixon and Frost/Nixon, respectively.

On the Best Actress front, expect both Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman to get substantial talk for their upcoming roles. Watts as Princess Di in Diana. Kidman is Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco. Also, Emma Thompson is a likely contender as author P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks.

So, folks, there’s your recent history of performers playing real folks and getting Oscar attention. As you can see, it’s no secret why actors seek out these types of roles. That gold statue could come calling.

Bill Murray is a national treasure.

I would put forth that he’s the funniest human being on the planet and he’s been making us laugh for going on 40 years. While known best for his amazing comedic skills, Mr. Murray has also shown a great ability at drama as well. This is often found in the best comedic performers, including Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey and it holds true here.

Picking Murray’s Top 10 Performances was not easy, but here goes:

10. Stripes (1981)

A solid comedy from 1981, Ivan Reitman’s Stripes represents Murray’s first turn as the leading man and was a great preview for what was to come.

9. Zombieland (2009)

Ruben Fleischer’s very funny zombie comedy might have starred Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone, but it was Murray’s turn playing himself that represents the best part of the movie. When Murray comes on screen, it was a terrific surprise that provided huge laughs. And he’s got one of the best death scenes in memory.

8. Rushmore (1998)

This picture started Murray’s many collaborations with director Wes Anderson, with titles including The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Moonrise Kingdom. This is still the best.

7. Kingpin (1996)

Murray’s hilarious turn as a pro bowler in the Farrelly Brother’s 1996 feature is the best thing about this movie, by far. He owns every scene he appears in.

6. Scrooged (1988)

Richard Donner’s comedic update of A Christmas Carol provided a tailor-made role for Bill as an egotistical network exec who’s forced to find the Christmas spirit.

5. What About Bob? (1991)

Frank Oz’s film gives Murray a chance to go off the rails as a severely neurotic patient who ingratiates himself to his doctor’s family on their vacation, while driving the doctor (Richard Dreyfus) a little nuts.

4. Caddyshack (1980)

Carl Spackler. This scene. ‘Nuff said.

3. Ghostbusters (1984)

This classic 80s film is one of the best comedies of all time and features Murray doing what he does best. His highest grossing picture has spawned rumors of a third installment for years, but it’s Murray’s reluctance that has held it up.

2. Lost in Translation (2003)

For those who know Murray for only comedy, please see Sofia Coppola’s wonderful Lost in Translation, starring Bill as a well-known actor in Tokyo who befriends a lonely girl played wonderfully by Scarlett Johannson. His performance is subtle and remarkable and justifiably earned him Oscar attention (though no win).

1. Groundhog Day (1993)

While Murray would earn that Oscar nod for Translation and deserved it, Groundhog Day is proof that the Academy is reluctant to honor comedy, even when it’s obvious. Murray is totally brilliant here as he relives that day over and over again in Punxsutawney. Harold Ramis’s film is a masterpiece. Murray’s performance is masterful.

And there you have it – my personal Top Ten for my personal favorite comedic actor.

 

 

I’ve spent my entire life reading and watching Roger Ebert.

My love of movies and particularly writing about films is due in no small measure to Roger Ebert.

The reason this blog exists has to a lot to do with Roger Ebert.

Over the next few days, a lot of appreciations will be written for Roger Ebert. They will talk about his importance in the movie world, which is hard to describe for just how significant it’s been.

I still wonder from time to time just why I became so interested in movies and writing about them. When I’m asked this question, two faces immediately come to mind: Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

I grew up watching their show. And taping their show. And re-watching their show.

I grew up buying Roger Ebert’s annual book that would be updated each year to include the new reviews. I would read it from cover to cover. And re-read it from cover to cover.

Until today, I would go to Roger’s website every Thursday to read his thoughts on the weekend’s new releases. We didn’t always agree (far from it), but I always wanted to know what Roger thought.

Roger Ebert was a brilliant writer. He’s the first movie critic to earn a Pulitzer Prize. Most importantly, he loved movies. Oh, he didn’t love every movie (far from it). But when Roger loved a movie, he championed it. He wanted others to experience the joy he experienced when he watched it.

I’ve seen many movies because of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. That’s what movie writers are supposed to do: expand a reader’s palate of movies they watch. Expose them to films they may not normally see.

And Roger Ebert had the kind of exposure to recommend great pictures to millions of readers and millions of viewers of his show.

The next days will bring about well-written pieces discussing the importance of Siskel&Ebert. They will discuss Roger’s brave final decade and his unimaginable health issues. And they will rightly discuss his place in film history which simply cannot be understated. He’s the most well-known and famous movie critic. Ever.

This evening, I just wanted to share my personal history regarding Roger Ebert. I know that I wouldn’t have the passion I do about movies if Roger Ebert had never existed. I’m sure glad he did. I’ve spent countless hours reading the words of Ebert. I’m sure glad they still exist on this Earth for me to re-read.

Every week on their program, Siskel and Ebert would end with the words “The balcony is closed.”

Today, an era in film history closed.

RIP Roger Ebert. And thanks.

If Olympus Has Fallen has not completely given you your fill of films where the White House is taken over by terrorists, just wait a couple of months. In late June comes White House Down from Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow director Roland Emmerich. This one features Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx and is expected to be one of the summer’s biggest hits.

The Olympus/White House Down example of very similarly plotted movies is nothing new for film fans. Far from it…

Let us travel back to the 1980s where in 1987 and 1988, we got not one, not two, but THREE comedies about a teenager switching bodies with an older man. There was Like Father, Like Son with Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron.

And Vice Versa with Judge Reinhold and “Wonder Years” star Fred Savage:

And 18 Again with George Burns and Charlie Schlatter:

None of them did too well at the box office, but Like Father, Like Son was the clear winner with $34 million, compared to Vice Versa‘s $13 million and 18 Again‘s anemic $2.5 million.

In 1989 and 1990, we were treated to two comedies about a cop being paired up with a dog. In ’89, it was Jim Belushi in K-9.

In ’90, it was Tom Hanks in Turner and Hooch.

It was Mr. Hanks for the win, as Turner and Hooch grossed $71 million and K-9 made a decent $43 million.

In 1992, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery and 1492: Conquest of Paradise both opened. They had some things in common: they were both about Christopher Columbus, for starters. They both featured some recognizable talent. The Discovery was conceived by Mario Puzo (author of The Godfather) and had a cast featuring Tom Selleck and Marlon Brando. Conquest of Paradise was directed by the great Ridley Scott, with a cast that included Gerard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver. And… they were both huge box office disasters. With a $45 million budget, The Discovery grossed only $8 million domestically. With a $47 million budget, 1492 made only $7 million.

Late 1993 and summer 1994 gave us the battle of two Wyatt Earp films. There was a clear and unexpected winner. Tombstone starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer was not expected to gross more than Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid. Then a funny thing happened: Tombstone turned out to be a kick-ass Western that delighted audiences. By the time Wyatt Earp rolled around six months later, audiences had seen the Earp movie they wanted to. Tombstone made $56 million. Earp managed only $25 million.

1997 saw two volcano related disaster flicks. First, Dante’s Peak with Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton.

Less than three months later came Volcano starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche.

Both had big budgets and were considered financial disappointments, though Dante’s Peak won the competition with $67 million. By the time Volcano made only $49 million, audience anticipation had clearly hollowed out (I’m sorry).

1998 featured two flicks about giant asteroids heading to Earth. First up: Mimi Leder’s Deep Impact with Tea Leoni and Morgan Freeman.

Two months later: Michael Bay’s Armageddon with Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and that Aerosmith song.

Both were commercial hits in the summer of ’98. Armageddon was the #1 grosser of the season with $201 million. Impact earned a solid $140 million.

That same year, moviegoers were treated to two animated pics about insects. There was Dreamworks Antz:

And, of course, Pixar’s A Bug’s Life:

Both titles were critical and commercial successes. Antz sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $90 million. It couldn’t quite compete with Pixar, however. A Bug’s Life, while slightly lower on the Tomato meter with 92%, grossed $162 million.

The year 2000 gave us two sci-fi movies about Mars. There was Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars starring Tim Robbins and Gary Sinise.

Then there was Red Planet with Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Mission to Mars would win with a decent $60 million gross, while Red Planet bombed with only $17 million.

Just last year we saw dual Snow White live-action films. There was Mirror Mirror with a cast that included Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer. Geared more towards kids, Mirror Mirror managed a respectable $64 million.

Just a couple of months later was the more serious Snow White and the Hunstman starring Kristin Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth. It did considerably better to the tune of $155 million domestic.

There are other examples: 1998/1999 saw The Truman Show way outdoing EdTV, both about a guy whose life is a reality show. In 2006, the magician themed thriller The Prestige ($53 million) outdid The Illusionist ($39 million).

So the Olympus Has Fallen/White House Down phenomenon is nothing new. What path will this pair follow compared to the others mentioned? I’m predicting it’ll look most similar to Deep Impact/Armageddon. Deep Impact came first and grossed more than pundits predicted… just like Olympus is doing. There was little doubt, though, that Armageddon was the more high-profile pic and would gross more, with its major director and bigger stars. That is also the case with White House Down. We will know in June when Down debuts. Olympus Has Fallen is the first title of 2013 that I’ve seen (earlier this week) and I can tell you that I found it to be a fun throwback to 80s “hard R” action flicks. I hope White House Down is of the same quality.

This post could also be titled “One of Todd’s Biggest Pet Peeves with Other Moviegoers”.

Allow me to explain. Over the past year, we’ve seen a number of pictures based on historical events, some more recent and some much older. Quite a few are Best Picture nominees. Argo, centered on events during the Iranian Hostage crisis in 1979. Lincoln, focusing on the passage of the 13th amendment. Zero Dark Thirty, about the manhunt and raid to kill Osama Bin Laden. Even Django Unchained, which isn’t a true story but has self-appointed historians talking about its realism or non-realism during the slavery era in which it takes place.

There were biopics like Hitchcock, with Anthony Hopkins as the great director. And Hyde Park on Hudson, casting Bill Murray as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This year, we’ll see Naomi Watts in a Princess Diana biopic. Also The Butler, about a White House caretaker who served eight Presidents.

Inevitably, these kinds of pictures serve as fodder for followers of those times to harp and complain about “historical inaccuracies”. This picking apart is often used as a convenient crutch to explain why one doesn’t care for a particular title: “I didn’t like Zero Dark Thirty because I don’t think that’s how detainees were tortured” or “They were certain politicians just as important to the 13th amendment in Lincoln that weren’t talked about”.

And, yes, this serves as one of my biggest pet peeves with other film fans. Why? I’ll explain my position. It’s pretty simple. It’s these three words. Read carefully: It’s a movie. 

It’s. A. Movie.

Even movies based on historical events are not meant to be documentaries. Why? Because those are called documentaries.

Let me repeat: Documentaries are supposed to be historically accurate. This is not required of movies.

Again: It’s. A. Movie.

To me, movies are meant to be judged on how well you liked it or not. How entertained you were. How thrilled you were. How funny it is. How moved you were. And so on and so forth.

The biggest examples with this pet peeve of mine occur when political opinion interferes with a movie watcher’s experience. Oliver Stone’s Nixon is a perfect example. Those on the right felt it was far too harsh on the President. Those on the left felt it didn’t hit the President hard enough. My opinion? Nixon is a terrific picture about a man whose demons get the best of him at the highest levels of power. It’s a fascinating portrait of someone who has the power to do nearly anything, but goes too far in pursuit of that power for small and unnecessary reasons.

Here’s the important thing: do I think everything in Nixon happened in “real life”? Of course not. Did the film change my personal opinion of Mr. Nixon? Not it did not. Why?

Because… It’s. A Movie. It’s Oliver Stone’s take on the Nixon presidency. And filmmakers have a right to make movies signifying… well, whatever the heck they want.

Films such as Michael Mann’s The Insider, about the cigarette companies misleading the public as to health risks, were criticized for some inaccuracies. In my mind, The Insider is one of the best films of the last 20 years. I could care less whether certain events happened in a particular order, etc…

I could go on and on. You get the idea. I respect everyone’s opinions when it comes to movies. What I don’t quite respect is being so nitpicky when it comes to pictures based on actual events. That’s not what movies are all about. Not to me, at least.

You know that one guy who played D-Day in National Lampoon’s Animal House and he’s been in like 100 movies since then? That’s Bruce McGill, an actor whose become a personal favorite of great director Michael Mann and appeared in his movies The Insider, Ali, and Collateral. He’s also shown up in The Last Boy Scout The Sum of All Fears, and Cinderella Man, among many others. Here he is making the absolute most of his screen time in a fantastic courtroom scene in The Insider.

Mr. McGill is a perfect example of a “Character Actor”, those performers who seem to pop up in about three or four high-profile pictures a year. While a lot of us may go to the theater to see the actor whose name is above the title, it’s these character actors that often put a smile on our faces. Their presence is like comfort food. We may not even know their names, but we know their work. And we’re often left saying, “You Know That One Guy…” from “so and so”… “he/she is great!!”.

I certainly have my group of favorite character actors and here is just a small sampling. You may not know the name James Rebhorn, but I bet you know him. He’s been in everything from Independence Day to Scent of a Woman to The Game to Meet the Parents to Baby Mama. Here he is alongside Gwyneth Paltow in 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

There’s the late, great J.T. Walsh, who you may know as Jack Nicholson’s right-hand man in A Few Good Men. You know, the one that killed himself and screwed up Tom Cruise’s whole case. You may also know him from Backdraft. Or Pleasantville. Or Hoffa. Or The Negotiator. Or Sling Blade. Here he is in one of the few decent scenes in 1995’s Outbreak.

Then there’s Alfred Molina. He’s been in everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Spider-Man 2, in which he had a breakout role playing the main villain. You may also know him from The Da Vinci Code. Or Chocolat. My favorite Molina role is unquestionably his role as a coked-up weirdo in 1997’s brilliant Boogie Nights. He had only one scene, but he killed it and that sequence in the film is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. Molina’s contribution had a lot to do with that.

Another one of my beloved character actors was also in Boogie Nights. Luis Guzman is definitely a face you’ll recognize. If not from Boogie Nights, how about Carlito’s Way, Out of Sight, or Traffic. Here he is alongside Jack Nicholson in 2003’s Anger Management.

The late Paul Gleason is also a personal favorite. He always tended to show up as a prick in many famous 1980s pictures, namely Trading Places, The Breakfast Club, and Die Hard. Here is a wonderful tribute to his work:

William Fichtner is that guy who’s been in everything from Heat to Armageddon to Black Hawk Down to Crash to The Dark Knight. He also absolutely kills in every scene from 1999’s Go. Fichtner pretty much steals that movie.

How about Richard Jenkins? Burn After Reading. Friends with Benefits. The Kingdom. Eat Pray Love. The Cabin in the Woods. You know… that guy. Here he is as John C. Reilly’s dad in Step Brothers.

And there’s no way I could do a post on fabulous character actors without mentioning Gary Cole. From his perfect comedic portrayal of Mike in The Brady Bunch movies to Will Ferrell’s absentee dad in Talladega Nights to sportscaster Cotton McKnight in Dodgeball, Cole has brilliantly turned a career that started in TV drama (he was the star of the series “Midnight Caller”) to a comedic gold mine of roles. Oh yeah. There’s also his role as Bill Lumbergh in a little 1999 comedy called Office Space.

Sometimes performers known as character actors become household names. Think Christopher Walken. Or John C. Reilly. Or Paul Giamatti. Or William H. Macy. Or Steve Buscemi. Or Gary Oldman and Kevin Spacey. I could go on pontificating on the greatness of many more character actors, from Joe Pantoliano to Frances McDormand to Philip Baker Hall to Dennis Farina to Brian Cox to J.K. Simmons (you know, that guy who’s Peter Parker’s boss and Juno’s dad…).

However, I’ll end on this note, giving you two character actors to keep an eye on. First up: Lucy Punch, a talented comedic actress who has made the most of her roles in Dinner for Schmucks and Bad Teacher. 

By the way, that scene in Bad Teacher features another wonderful character actor, John Michael Higgins or “that guy from all the Christopher Guest movies who also played Jennifer Aniston’s brother in The Break-Up“.

And remember the name Brett Gelman. He’s been in such comedies as 30 Minutes or Less and A Very Harold&Kumar 3D Christmas. Gelman caught my attention in the 2010 Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg picture The Other Guys, in which he owned the scene he got to appear in. Pay attention to about :56 seconds into this clip. This dude’s awesome!

I could obviously go on with many more examples, but you get the idea. We may talk about the big movie stars and their filmographies on a more regular basis. It is often those character actors that we remember the most though. Even if we can’t always recall their names off-hand.

 

In case there is any ambiguity about the premise of this particular blog post, it’s that most sequels to comedies really suck. Seriously. Quickly think of a comedy sequel that’s better than the original… not easy. There are examples and we’ll get to those later, but the vast majority of the time, it doesn’t work.

Why? This explanation might encompass the answer to most: most comedies aren’t made with a sequel or sequels in mind. While countless action films, superhero sagas, and sci-fi pics are made with “franchise” on the brain, this is rarely the case for comedies. Most comedy sequels come as an afterthought, after the original has made boatloads of money (unexpectedly in many cases).

Some of the very worst offenders involve comedy sequels where certain principal cast members didn’t even bother to come back. I give you Teen Wolf Too, released two years after the original where a young Jason Bateman took over the role for Michael J. Fox (who probably knew much better). The original made $33 million in 1985… the sequel made $7 million. And it’s awful.

There is not one, not two, but THREE examples of sequels to Jim Carrey comedies in which Mr. Carrey wisely did not return. There’s Son of the Mask, which tried and failed to keep that franchise going. Carrey’s Mask earned $119 million. The other one: $17 million.

New Line also tried to keep the saga of Lloyd and Harry going in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd by casting the characters in their youth. Bad idea. Carrey’s movie: $127 million. The other one: $26 million.

And then there’s Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty, where Steve Carell took over. The film was expected to be a hit and had a huge budget, but it underperformed. Carrey’s movie: $242 million. The other one: $100 million. Not terrible, but well below expectations.

Of course, Carrey isn’t totally innocent. The sequel to 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective that came a year later, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, is pretty lame. Though it did well at the box office.

One of the most notoriously bad comedy sequels: Caddyshack II. Coming eight years after the classic original, only Chevy Chase bothered to make a return appearance. Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield knew better. In 1980, Caddyshack made $39 million. The sequel only managed $11 million. And I’m going to go ahead and assume you don’t go around often quoting lines from the sequel.

Chevy Chase would further offend with Fletch Lives, a vastly subpar sequel to the 1985 film. Original: $50 million. Sequel: $35 million. It tries hard to replicate the original’s charm. It doesn’t.

While we’re talking 80s comedy sequels, 1984’s Police Academy wasn’t that great in the first place, but it was a hit and spawned a LOT of sequels that pretty much suck equally. Even Steve Guttenberg knew to leave the franchise after a couple of them. That didn’t stop him, however, from making another bad comedy sequel: Three Men and a Little Lady, after the surprise hit Three Men and a Baby. The original: $167 million. The sequel: $71 million.

Then there’s the ill-conceived Blues Brothers 2000, which came two decades after the original and co-star John Belushi’s death. John Goodman took over the Belushi role, but audiences had little desire to see that. The original: $57 million. The sequel: $14 million.

Two forgettable sequels were made to the 1986 surprise hit Crocodile Dundee. A bad sequel to 1984’s Revenge of the Nerds was released in 1987.

And there’s my favorite comedy of all time: 1980’s Airplane! It’s sequel came and went two years later. I’ve seen Airplane! countless times. I’ve seen the second installment exactly once and it pales in comparison. Original: $83 million. Sequel: $27 million.

Probably the most anticipated sequel to an 80s comedy is 1989’s Ghostbusters 2, following up the 1984 smash hit. The first one is a total classic. The sequel is just OK. Original: $229 million. Sequel: $112 million.

Moving on to the 1990s, we have plenty of examples too. How about City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold, 1994’s follow-up to the 1991 hit. That unmemorable experience actually used the grand old soap opera tactic of bringing Jack Palance’s character back because… he had a twin brother no one knew about! Lame. So is the movie. Original: $124 million. Sequel: $43 million.

Two 1993 sequels to 1992 comedies tried and failed to capitalize on the original’s successes: Wayne’s World 2 and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habbit. 1995’s Father of the Bride Part II actually made good money, but it fails to match the first. Also, 1991’s Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear and 1994’s Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult performed decently, but couldn’t come close to the quality of the 1988 original.

Our previous decade brought us more comedy sequel disappointment: anyone think Legally Blonde 2 was better than the first? It did, however, gross only slightly less than the first ($96 million-$90 million). Or how about 2002’s mediocre Men in Black II, which was no match for the 1997 original (for that matter, MIB3 was underwhelming too). Or Steve Martin’s second Pink Panther flick… even though the first was nothing great either. Or the second Nutty Professor installment. Or the return of Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma… twice. Or 2002’s Analyze That, the sequel to Analyze This. That one made $32 million or $74 million less than the first. Also, 2001’s American Pie 2 and 2003’s American Wedding didn’t live up to the original, though both had their moments, I’ll admit.

As mentioned earlier, we do see exceptions from time to time. 1964’s A Shot in the Dark is actually the second Peter Sellers-Pink Panther movie and it’s widely considered the best. Meet the Fockers became the highest grossing comedy of all time upon its release, though I maintain it’s not near as good as Meet the Parents. And Little Fockers… ugh. By the same token, The Hangover sequel did enormous box office, though I basically thought it was a carbon copy of the original. The three sequels to Scary Movie all had some funny stuff in them too. The first Austin Powers is the funniest, though I think both sequels were solid.

Other comedy sequels that many believe are better or at least almost as good as the original: 1993’s Hot Shots: Part Deux. 1991’s Bill&Ted’s Bogus Journey, and 2006’s Clerks II. Also, many consider 1993’s Addams Family Values to be an improvement on the 1991 original.

Finally, there’s the the Good, the Bad, and the Just OK sequels that represent the Vacation movies. The 1983 original is one of the funniest films of all time. There were three sequels. The Good is obviously 1989’s Christmas Vacation. Very good, as a matter of fact.

The Bad is 1997’s embarrassing Vegas Vacation.

The Just OK is the first sequel, 1985’s European Vacation.

This all leads to us to wonder what category the upcoming sequels to Anchorman, Ted, and the third Hangover will fall under. And we’re going to get a proper Dumb and Dumber sequel, with Carrey and Jeff Daniels back. And this weekend, we’ll have the “sort of” sequel to Knocked Up – This is 40.

We can all hope and, in particular, I can’t wait to see Ron Burgundy, Brick, Champ, and Brian back in action. You may want to temper your expectations though, because generally the history of comedy sequels has been… well, sucky.