Now that so many people have cut the cable chord, are using streaming services and watch movies and shows any damn time they please, I'm not sure the term "remote dropper" will be understood in the near future.
I'm not sure who invented the term (actually, it may have been me) but to explain: You know when you're flipping through channels on cable (I've already lost you, I'm sure) and you come across a movie that you love so much that you can recite the dialogue along with the actors, and you have memorized every scene?
You know how you adore the movie so much that you will watch it every single time you come across it, no matter how far into the running time it is, or how recently you've just watched it?
You know how the moment you see it on screen you feel joy, or excitement, or comfort, and you know that your search to find something to watch is over, and you drop the remote?
That movie is a "Remote Dropper."
Remote Droppers do come in every style and genre, from action to heavy drama to horror to sci-fi, but the genre that unquestionably contains the most Remote Droppers is, of course, the comedy.
Everyone wants to laugh and feel great, and everyone wants to be comforted by familiar amusement and fun, so when we come across one of our favorite comedies, we stop, and watch.
Now personally, I have a MASSIVE list of Remote Droppers that covers every single genre (especially horror), but in this post I'm concentrating solely on comedies, 5 comedies in particular (well, I'm cheating actually, because there are really 7 on this list...you'll see).
These comedies give me joy, and I pretty much know every single line in all of them, but I still watch them whenever they are on, and at whatever point they are. It could be 5 minutes or 105 minutes in, Ill drop that remote and watch...and I'll be very, very happy.
Anyway, here are my FIVE FAVORITE FUNNY REMOTE DROPPERS:
I love "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights," and, especially, "Step Brothers" as much as the next guy, but "The Other Guys" is absolutely my favorite of the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay collaborations.
It's a hilarious satire of the over-the-top cop action genre, and it contains some of the biggest and most sustained laughs found in any of the popular broad comedies of the 2000s. In addition to being ridiculous and outrageous, it is also surprisingly smart, not just about the style being satirized, but also about the world in general.
It's about two mismatched, below-average NYC cops (Ferrell and a HILARIOUS Mark Wahlberg), operating in the shadows of a couple of hotshot detectives (Samual L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, both hysterical), who suddenly find themselves with a huge case, and it's about as funny a movie as you can get.
This was the last good movie that Adam McKay made before he started to believe his own hype and made a series of heavy-handed, one-joke, message-satires (they started with the slightly irritating "The Big Short" and continued to get more annoying until the enormously pretentious and absolutely unwatchable "Don't Look Up") in which he treated his audience like dummies.
He clearly thinks that he is the smartest guy in the room and is the lone voice of authority and satire, but he isn't nearly as brilliant as he thinks he is. He was much funnier when he was writing weird and goofy shit for SNL and making stupid, but amusing movies like this one.
Anyway, back to "The Other Guys," which is a riot, and has so many funny scenes and performances in it that I cackle my ass off every single time I watch it, and I find something new to laugh at each time I catch it.
Everyone in the stellar cast is given several scenes and moments to shine and has more than a few giant laughs. In addition to those already mentioned the incredible line-up includes: Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, Brett Gelman, Natalie Zea, Bobby Canavale, Damon Wayans Jr, Rob Riggle, Ray Stevenson, Adam McKay himself as "Dirty Mike," Derek Jeter, and, most notably Michael Keaton, who is unbelievably funny as the TLC quoting police Captain who moonlights at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
There are a TON of laugh out-loud callbacks, running gags and lines throughout the film including hilarious gags involving Ferrell's car. My favorite line in the film is: "We found your red Prius. It was trying to vote for Ralph Nader."
This is an obvious choice, but I don't care. I love this movie, and I will watch it anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
We all know the plot and what happens in the movie, that's not important, what is important is that this is a magnificent showcase for the late Chris Farley, and it is LOADED with huge laughs and side-splitting gags (especially in the first hour). It is also an uncommonly sweet movie that has its heart in the right place, and really captures the lovely nature of Farley as a performer and person.
The chemistry and byplay between Farley and David Spade is, of course, legendary, and adds immeasurably to the charm and success of the movie. As does the terrific work from the supporting cast who really get to shine throughout the movie.
Brian Dennehy, Bo Derek, Dan Aykroyd, Sean McCann, Zach Grenier, and a lovely Julie Warner all have terrific stuff to do in the movie. But it's Rob Lowe's terrific supporting performance that really stands out. It came long at a time when his career was at a bit of a stand still, and no one was sure if he could do comedy. He had appeared briefly in "Wayne's World," and was amusing in that, but "Tommy Boy" was before stuff like the "Austin Powers" movies and his brilliant work on "Parks and Recreation," so it's a bit of a revelation.
Whenever I come across this movie on cable, I will drop the remote during any scene: Fat Guy in a Little Coat; the battle over the car radio that ends with Spade and Farley crying/singing along with Karen Carpenter; "A lot of people go to college for seven years." "Yeah, they're called Doctors."; Spade and Farley pretending to be flight attendants; "Please go away and let me sleep FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!"; Farley explaining why he's a bad salesman; "Does this suit make me look fat?" "No your face does."
I could go on and on (seriously, I could), but you get the general idea, this movie is FUNNY, and I watch it every single time its on my TV.
This movie is probably the one where I came up with whole "Remote Dropper" thing in the first place. There was a period in which this thing was on cable ALL THE TIME, and I found myself staying with it every single time I came across it.
Robert DeNiro plays a bounty hunter doing one last job before he gets out of the business and Charles Grodin is the mob accountant he is bringing in. They are being pursued by the police, the FBI, and the mob as they make their way across the country.
A classic road movie premise with a great script by George Gallo, executed with style and panache, and directly brilliantly by Martin Brest who really lets his actors shine and create some vivid three-dimensional characters. The result is a movie that may not be wholly original, but it is loaded with genuine emotion, honesty and huge laughs.
Like the other entries on this list, "Midnight Run" has a cast of tremendous actors doing some of their finest and funniest work. DeNiro and Grodin have a surprising chemistry and they created some truly indelible moments and scenes. Who doesn't crave a plate of chorizo and eggs, or want to attempt the Litmus Configuration after watching this movie for the 500th time. "Why aren't you popular with the Chicago police department?" will be repeated and repeated after every viewing.
John Ashton, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Foronjy, Jack Kehoe, and Robert Miranda and Frank Pesce as "Moron # 1" & "Moron # 2," all shine. Philip Baker Hall plays a mob lawyer named Sidney who inspires some of the movie's funniest lines AND inspired Paul Thomas Anderson to write "Hard Eight" for Hall and name the character Sidney.
Then there are the late great actors Yaphet Kotto, as FBI agent Alonzo Mosely ("IM MOSELY!!!") and Dennis Farina, as gangster Jimmy Serrano knocking it out of the park, playing two of the most memorable supporting characters ever. Kotto has a blast playing with tough guy stereotypes and delivers the laughs effortlessly. While Farina, who has many of the best lines in the film, is just incredible as the villain being terrifying and completely hilarious at the same time.
I also need to mention that while I laugh very hard every time I watch this movie, I am also moved by many moments, chief among them being the incredibly powerful and heartbreaking scene in which DeNiro sees his estranged daughter (a lovely Danielle DuClos) for the first time in years.
The scene has no business being so damned poignant (seriously, I cry every time I watch it), and it also adds to the development and depth of the Grodin/DeNiro relationship. The laughs are overwhelming and the real connections between characters are solid as a rock.
To close: After the encounter with the ex-wife and estranged daughter, DeNiro puts a handcuffed Grodin into a car, but just before he closes the car door, DeNiro moves the bottom of Grodin's raincoat to make sure that it doesn't get caught in the door. It might be my favorite moment in the entire film.
If I were to put this group of Remote Droppers in order of preference, or number of times I've seen each film, "My Cousin Vinny" would be at the top....EASILY.
Joe Pesci is an inexperienced New York lawyer who travels to backwoods Alabama to defend his cousin and a friend on a murder charge. He brings along his fiancee (the magnificent Marisa Tomei) who helps him try to win his first case.
Look, we all know this movie, we have all seen it, and we all know how great it is. It is jammed with classic scenes, lines, moments and performances. It is not only an incredibly funny movie, but it is also (seriously) a very smart, accurate and realistic depiction court room procedure.
In addition to a phenomenal Pesci, the cast is incredibly funny and have moments of comedic brilliance. Top to bottom, everyone is terrific including Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield as the defendants, Lane Smith as the prosecuting attorney, Austin Pendleton as a nervous defense attorney and the great Bruce McGill as the town sheriff.
Then, of course, there's Fred Gwynne as Judge Chamberlain Haller...yeah, Herman Munster...and he is amazing ("Two Yutes? What is a Yute?") Gwynne gives one of the funniest supporting performances of all time, and he is responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the entire movie.
Now....Marisa Tomei.
Please.
Marisa Tomei. She deservedly won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her exquisite performance in this movie. Anyone who thinks she didn't deserve the award is a moron, it's one of the funniest, most nuanced comedic performances in film history.
She has so many iconic moments in the movie that it's frightening, from her unforgettable first appearance, to the "biological clock" speech, to the hilarious reactions and responses she so aptly delivers, to the uproarious monologue about shooting a deer in the head, all leading to her brilliantly performed testimony sequence in which she basically clears up the whole case...she is magnificent.
The relationship between Vinny and Mona Lisa is also lovely, sweet and believable, all while being unapologetically and wonderfully vulgar. My favorite line in the whole movie is when Tomei says: "He has to, by law. You're entitled. It's called disclosure you dickhead." A really funny line hilariously delivered, that is also a great representation of the relationship between the main characters. And she gets to say 'dickhead'...which is always funny.
I remember seeing the trailers for "My Cousin Vinny" and thinking that it looked terrible, and it was following Pesci's other AWFUL comedic roles in "Lethal Weapon 2," "Home Alone," and, especially "The Super." I expected stupid jokes, predictable situations, and more "Dumb Southern" and "Numbskull New Yorker" stereotypes than you can shake a stick at...and shockingly, I got none of that.
The movie turns out to be a funny and very respectful culture clash, in which the southerners and the New Yorkers are portrayed as smart and comfortable in their own skins, and each side learns from the other. The comedy might be crude as times, but it's never cheap, and it's never at the expense of others.
"My Cousin Vinny" is kind of a miracle, and I am overjoyed that it exists, and I can't wait until I find it on cable again at 3 o'clock in the morning, and stay up until 5 when it ends.
OK, the last entry is quick, and it's a cheat:
THE HOLY TRINITY OF MOVIE COMEDIES:
Yeah, it's three films, but I don't care. If you were to ask people my age (guys specifically) what are THE three defining comedies of their youth, nine out of ten people (guys specifically) would answer "Animal House," "Caddyshack," and "Stripes." Some, may include "The Blues Brothers," and a few might throw in "The Jerk," or "Airplane!" but they would ALL include the films I mentioned above.
They are, indeed, "The Holy Trinity of Movie Comedies" and to argue about that would be futile. Just know that they contain more cherished dialogue, outrageous scenes, treasured moments and absolute CLASSIC performances than any other comedies of that era, and they remain amazing to this day.
Try this, the next time you are in a room full of people (guys specifically) in their 50s and you wanna break the ice, just shout out a line from one of these movies...I guarantee that you will get a response and make new friends.
Anytime they are on cable, they are watched. Anytime you need comfort, you put one of them on. For me, they represent my youth, my love of comedy and they are the classrooms in which I learned what was funny. I do not have room here to list the classic lines or sequences...it would take all month.
These represent the Mount Rushmore of Film Comedy, and, I must point this out, they all have one incredible thing in common: the late, great, Harold Ramis. Ramis was a brilliant performer, writer and director, who studied at The Second City and went on to be an integral part of some of the best TV, stage, and film comedy ever created.
He was truly one of my personal heroes, and I loved him very, very much. I miss him terribly and I adore almost everything that he's ever done. We have all been entertained by, laughed at, or treasure something he acted in, or wrote, or directed (sometimes all three).
He hatched the original idea for and co-wrote "Animal House," he co-wrote and directed "Caddyshack," and he co-wrote and appeared in "Stripes." Yeah....there would be no Holy Trinity without Harold Ramis. If you're unfamiliar with his other work, do yourself a favor, check out his filmography and get to watching.
OK, those are my Funny Remote Droppers, what are yours? Please leave your choices on my podcast voicemail at 773-417-6948, or drop me an email at nick@nickdigilio.com and I'll share them here and on my podcast.
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