The secret of Loriot's genius was his focus on physical, as well as verbal, comedy – but the English just don't get it
Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time trying to convince friends and colleagues of the rare genius of Loriot, the German comedian who died on Monday. Let's just say I've struggled.
One reason for this, of course, is that English people can be supremely arrogant about their own sense of humour: a feeling of national entitlement comparable to the pre-1953 smugness of English footballers. The Pavlovian response ("German comedy, is it?") I've met again and again this week would just be a tad more credible if it was followed by an appreciation of any non-English form of comedy whatsoever: "Belgian stand-up: now we're talking." Empirically speaking, English people are among the least qualified in the world to pass judgment on comedy in other languages.
Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time trying to convince friends and colleagues of the rare genius of Loriot, the German comedian who died on Monday. Let's just say I've struggled.
One reason for this, of course, is that English people can be supremely arrogant about their own sense of humour: a feeling of national entitlement comparable to the pre-1953 smugness of English footballers. The Pavlovian response ("German comedy, is it?") I've met again and again this week would just be a tad more credible if it was followed by an appreciation of any non-English form of comedy whatsoever: "Belgian stand-up: now we're talking." Empirically speaking, English people are among the least qualified in the world to pass judgment on comedy in other languages.
- 8/25/2011
- by Philip Oltermann
- The Guardian - Film News
First the history, then the list:
In 1969, Jerome Hill, P. Adams Sitney, Peter Kubelka, Stan Brakhage, and Jonas Mekas decided to open the world’s first museum devoted to film. Of course, a typical museum hangs its collections of artwork on the wall for visitors to walk up to and study. However, a film museum needs special considerations on how — and what, of course — to present its collection to the public.
Thus, for this film museum, first a film selection committee was formed that included James Broughton, Ken Kelman, Peter Kubelka, Jonas Mekas and P. Adams Sitney, plus, for a time, Stan Brakhage. This committee met over the course of several months to decide exactly what films would be collected and how they would be shown. The final selection of films would come to be called the The Essential Cinema Repertory.
The Essential Cinema Collection that the committee came up with consisted of about 330 films.
In 1969, Jerome Hill, P. Adams Sitney, Peter Kubelka, Stan Brakhage, and Jonas Mekas decided to open the world’s first museum devoted to film. Of course, a typical museum hangs its collections of artwork on the wall for visitors to walk up to and study. However, a film museum needs special considerations on how — and what, of course — to present its collection to the public.
Thus, for this film museum, first a film selection committee was formed that included James Broughton, Ken Kelman, Peter Kubelka, Jonas Mekas and P. Adams Sitney, plus, for a time, Stan Brakhage. This committee met over the course of several months to decide exactly what films would be collected and how they would be shown. The final selection of films would come to be called the The Essential Cinema Repertory.
The Essential Cinema Collection that the committee came up with consisted of about 330 films.
- 5/3/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Joe Dante presenting "The Movie Orgy" in L.A., a rare stateside appearance of Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda for a retrospective in New York and the Fantastic Fest in Austin are just a few of the events that serve as the perfect antidote for the endless stream of summertime sequels and toy-based franchises.
More Fall Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]
[Anywhere But a Movie Theater]
[Breakout Performances]
92Y Tribeca
While the 92Y Tribeca is taking a well-deserved break in August, the cinema space comes roaring back in September, beginning with hosting the Fifth Annual NYC Shorts Festival (Sept. 10-13), followed by a late night "Labyrinth" sing-along complete with trivia and a costume contest (Sept. 25-26), and a Michael Winterbottom double bill of "Code 46" and "24 Hour Party People" (Sept. 30)...In October, the 92Y Tribeca will premiere "Zombie Girl: The Movie" (Oct. 2), the doc about 12-year-old filmmaker Emily Hagins and her quest to make a zombie movie, followed by hosting the Iron...
More Fall Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]
[Anywhere But a Movie Theater]
[Breakout Performances]
92Y Tribeca
While the 92Y Tribeca is taking a well-deserved break in August, the cinema space comes roaring back in September, beginning with hosting the Fifth Annual NYC Shorts Festival (Sept. 10-13), followed by a late night "Labyrinth" sing-along complete with trivia and a costume contest (Sept. 25-26), and a Michael Winterbottom double bill of "Code 46" and "24 Hour Party People" (Sept. 30)...In October, the 92Y Tribeca will premiere "Zombie Girl: The Movie" (Oct. 2), the doc about 12-year-old filmmaker Emily Hagins and her quest to make a zombie movie, followed by hosting the Iron...
- 8/5/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
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