Harvey

Who is really crazy in this life?  Is it a man who has found inner peace and has an imaginary 6'3" friend rabbit? Or, is it the people who care so abundantly on social status, and what others think of them?  By the end of the film I think all of us can answer that without a doubt.  One of my favorite quotes of the movie was stated by Elwood, he said, "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."  Out of everyone in this movie I think Elwood is the sanest out of all of them.  He has found inner peace with himself, and he is content with all aspects of his life.  Elwood should be looked at as a clear indication that attitude is naturally the key to happiness.  

Elwood invites everyone and anyone to have a drink with him or to his house for dinner.  It didn't matter what status they were in society.  He asked the asylums gate operator to go have a drink with him downtown.  He also asked Dr. Chumley's wife to have dinner with him and his friends.  Elwood did not care that these two people were on opposite ends of the spectrum.  His niece and sister on the other hand, they cared heavily on social status and impressing other people.  Distressed Veta, Elwood's own sister, tried to keep him out of the house while she was having guests over.  He showed up and started introducing every one of the guests to Harvey.  Veta knew what was going to happen next.  This has happened more than once; where Elwood introduces Harvey to her guests and they all leave.  Veta decided that was the last straw and was going to put her brother into Chumley's Rest—a mental hospital.  In many reviews I read, the authors said considering that this was a comedy there was not nearly enough laugh out loud moments.  Well, I beg to differ.  I was laughing out loud at many different parts of the movie, especially the circumstances that played out when Veta took Elwood to the Chumley's Rest.  Another part was when Elwood and Dr. Chumley were talking alone in his office and Elwood was telling the doc about Harvey.  He lied down on the type of bed you see in a psychiatrist’s office.  This was portraying that the doc was the crazy one and Elwood was the doctor.  These little moments throughout the movie had me laughing out loud.

One of my favorite themes in the movie was friendship.  Elwood would introduce everyone he met to Harvey.  He also would open the door for him and insist he go in first.  The things he did with Harvey he would do the same for other people.  He carried himself out with a very respectful and proper demeanor.  Another one of my favorite quotes was said by Elwood, he stated, “I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with.”  You could tell he had a grand time with anyone.  In my opinion, the world would be a much better place if we had more people like Elwood in it. 

Then ending in this movie was great.  I was sad when Dr. Chumley asked if Harvey could stay with him.  Elwood didn’t mind at all because he respected people’s wishes.  Then as Elwood is walking through the gate he turns around and sees Harvey.  He then says, “Thanks, I prefer you too Harvey.”  They then proceed to walk off into the distance together. The End.  Joe was right; you should be admitted into a mental hospital if you don’t like this movie.  I really enjoyed Harvey and would recommend it to anyone.            

Purple Rose

Woody Allen with another marvelous masterpiece.  The Purple Rose of Cairo is so lighthearted and honest, that it is just another Woody Allen classic.  He presents his messages in such a simple way, you can't help but grin when the films are over.
I love the overall idea of The Purple Rose of Cairo.  Society today has a skewed perception that life and love are exactly how they are in a movie.  We dream of falling in love when you least expect it, and running off in the distance happily ever after.  Cecilia, who escapes her abusive and loveless relationship by going to the movies alone, is another one of these fairytale love fanatics.  She dreams one day she can have a relationship like the ones in the movies.  I can say honestly that I didn't expect what happened.  I knew there was a twist coming up in this film, however I didn't think it was going to be an actor in the movie breaking the fourth-wall and living in real life.  Usually when society watches hopeless romantic films we, in our minds, break the fourth-wall, and put ourselves in the film.  I think that is why Cecilia went to see this movie so many times.  She had this idea in her mind that she was apart of that life, she escaped the hardships of her life by putting herself in that movie.
Allen does a great job in connecting the ideas of reality and fantasy.  Tom has a charming personality.  He is great at sweet talking to women, kissing, and holding hands.  But when he is faced with real life problems, he gets lost in translation.  There are many little things that Tom can't do.  For instance, he can drive a car because he drives one in the film, but he can't start a car because he never started one in the film.  The overall problem is that Tom is trying to learn the basics of real life, and Cecilia is still hopelessly awaiting the romantic movie life.
I think the underlying theme is--who you want to be in life, and how others want you to be in life.  You have two characters trying to learn to different lifestyles, trying to figure out each others problems.  But in reality you have to get through them together.  That is when the comedy comes to play in this movie.  We laugh at the adversity these characters go through.  When love works you have two people coming together, conquering life and life's problems together.  The sad aspect of this movie is you just have two halves of hopeless wonders.  Tom and Cecilia try to make it together but reality slaps them both in the face.
The Purple Rose of Cairo is so cleverly done that I was thinking about it a couple days after I watched it.  The love triangle between Gil, Tom, and Cecilia is pretty funny to watch unravel.  This movie and Harold & Maude have been by far my favorite movies of the semester.  This was one of the Woody Allen films I have never seen before.  I am super glad I got to watch it, and I am looking forward to discussing it in class.                       

The Birdcage

The Birdcage does not focus heavily on a specific plot, rather it focuses on the characters.  It is a densely character driven film.  Along with many other films we have viewed this semester, The Birdcage presents "identity crisis."  Albert has a problem with his age, and his insecurities.  Albert and Armand who have been lovers for twenty years have a son, Val.  Val is engaged; unlike his fathers, he is going to be marrying a women.  Val wants to bring his fiancee home to meet his father and his "Auntie Albert."  Val's fiancee comes from a very conservative family.  Her father is a very conservative senator.  So Val is stuck in a pickle and is timid bringing Barbara around his nontraditional family.  This movie is definitely a comedy.  Unlike Harold & Maude, where people were wondering if it was even considered a comedy.  The Birdcage, most definitely can make you laugh out loud.  Val's biological mother plays his mother married to Armand so that his fiancee will not be shocked Val has two dads.  Everything that could go wrong in this situation goes wrong.  Many of the times when I caught myself laughing was when misfortunes happened to people.
The main themes in this film were acceptance, homosexuality, identity, and family.  I think my favorite part in the movie is when Albert tries to act straight throughout most of the movie.  Throughout the movie the underlying aspect was the failure to mask your true identity.
I really enjoyed this movie.  After the week we watched Harold & Maude my expectations were really high for a "great film"  but The Birdcage was a very well done film I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh.  And who wants to see the criticisms of the differences of people done in a comedic way.              

Harold & Maude

Harold and Maude...where do I even begin? First of all, when Joe said in class that the first twenty minutes or so you are going to be staring blankly and confused at the screen...he was right.  This was one of the first movies of the semester where I decided not to read any summaries, reviews, or anything in between before watching the film.  I wanted to go into the it with no knowledge of the film and with an open mind.  During the first twenty minutes I the movie opened with a young adult (Harold) committing suicide.  Then, Harold's mother walks in the room where Harold is hanging by a rope from his neck.  She shows very little emotion, basically she is bugged that Harold is playing these theatrical games again.  It was about twenty minutes into the film that we figured out Harold regularly attended funerals and regularly tried to kill himself (but not really).  Harold is a strange yet privileged young adult.  At one of the funerals he was at he stumbles upon another regular funeral goer--Maude.  The scene in the movie where one could describe Maude is when she steals Harold's hearse and asks him, with his car for a ride home.  Theses two characters are polar opposites.  I guess the saying "opposites attract" works perfectly for them.  Harold who is intrigued with death, and Maude who is intrigued with the beauty of life basically hit it off and become the best of companions.  Harold's mother is annoyed to the max, she has endured his strange theatrical suicide attempts for far to long.  So she decides that he needs to get married.  She sets him up with 3 different dates from a dating website. The first date was one of my favorite parts of the movie, you see the date and Harold's mom talking but you also see out the window Harold planning another suicide attempt.  The date sees "Harold" set on fire and runs around the house frantically, while Harold is right next to her.  The second date he chops off his hand with a meat cleaver...
I really enjoyed watching the character of Maude throughout the movie.  Her outlook on life gives you a happy feeling inside.  She uproots trees and plants them back in the forest.  She doesn't believe in attachments, but her house is filled with "incidental" belongings.  She "steals" any car she wants including a police officers motorcycle.  When she died by overdosing on her sleeping pills, on her 80th birthday I couldn't help but feel sad.  She said 75 is to young and 85 is to old so she is at peace with 80 and knows she will die when she turns 80.
This movies theme is "opposite feelings/attitudes.  These opposite outlooks on life make it seem like the world is a peaceful place.  When Harold drives his car off the cliff and you think he was dead but then they showed him at the top of the cliff with Maude's banjo.  He proceeded to dance away while playing the banjo.  This went along with the line earlier in the movie when Maude said, "Do you dance?"  These little connections are presented throughout the film and you couldn't help but smile.
By far the best part of the movie in my opinion was when Harold sees the number on Maude's forearm, which he then realizes she had a concentration camp experience. I did some research after the movie and the line she quoted was from Dreyfus, who was a French officer with Jewish background.  He spent time in the prison called Devil's Island. He said that he could see glorious birds from his window, though many years later he realized they were only seagulls.  After Maude stated that quote she said they will always be glorious birds.  She was in a prison just like Dreyfus was but her outlook on the beauty of life never changed, even when she got out of the concentration camps.  This was Maude's personality and attitude towards life.  She is by far my most favorite character from all the movies we have watched this semester.
Harold and Maude is now my favorite movie by far this semester.  Even though it starts slow and dark, in the end it is a great and warm-hearted film.  I would recommend it to anyone.       

Young Frankenstein

I cannot count how many times I have watched Young Frankenstein on two hands.  This was one of the only movies we had at my Grandma's house growing up.  My brother, sister, and cousins watched it at least 3 times a year growing up.  I hadn't seen it in a long time though; probably 5 or 6 years ago.  But watching it this time around I realized there was a lot more to the movie than I remember as a kid. 
I love all the contrasts Mel Brooks presents to us in this film: evil/good, acceptance/rejection.  Watching it as a kid we basically used to laugh solely at the funny looking characters.  This time watching it I found myself laughing at many other parts and the true satire of the film.  This film has parts in it where most people find themselves laughing, but others would take offense.  Although this movie came out in the 1970's Brooks decided to use black and white.  I think he was trying to set the scene better and also represent older films. 
 Yes this film is a comedy, but overall it was kind of touching is some aspects.  I found myself feeling for some of them at parts in the movie.  He doesn't want to accept is infamous Grandpa's name.  So every time someone says it he pronounces it in an absurd way.  He wants to rid himself of his family connection.  Then comes along Igor.  He tells people that the correct pronunciation is eye-gore.  Igor has accepted what he has--screwed up eyes.  This is the underlying them of Young Frankenstein--accepting who you are, and what you have.  And Brooks does a superb job of portraying this through comedy.  Another theme would be identity.  Igor throughout the entire movie accepts himself for what he is.  Others in the movie, have trouble accepting their identities, and they try to change themselves. 
I think this is one of Mel Brooks best films.  Although this is a comedy, he doesn't stray to far from what he is trying to express and that topic is actually very meaningful and purposeful.  I think I enjoyed this movie more watching it as an adult.  Even though watching it as a kid all those times was great, watching it this time made me realize what it was actually signifying and I totally loved this movie even more.

Never Been Thawed

Where do I even begin with all the absurdities taking place in this film? First of all, I didn't really grasp the point of the film.  Don't get me wrong I found it to be funny, clever and inventive, but overall I don't think I fully understood the just of the film.  This film definitely did not lack humor, the club itself (Mesa Frozen Entree Enthusiast Club) had me laughing out loud.  The seriousness of this club and to its extent made me chuckle a few times after viewing the film.  Also the name of the band (The Christers) had me laughing out loud as well.  Also, the lyrics they sang were very outlandish to say the least.  The fact that these characters in this film collected frozen TV foods is amusing.  Shawn had FOURTEEN freezers in his house.  I found it hilarious when he said if someone was to break in his house and try to steal his most prized frozen dinner (I forgot what one it was) that it would be hard to find.  Which actually, it was in his main freezer above his refrigerator.  One of my favorite parts was the meetings and how intense they got.  They argued over the color the newest frozen dinner entree would be! The discussions at the meetings were so absurd I found myself surprisingly laughing after I viewed the movie.  The discussions ranged from how the hazing of new group members needed to stop all the way from if you were staying for the band performance Shawn asked you to leave then re-enter because the cover fee went to the club.  If I kept talking about the absurdities and bizarre topics in this movie I could go on for days.  So I am going to take a shot in the dark and tell you what I think the overall theme of this movie was.  I think the theme was if you believe in something, don't give up on it.  If your hobby is completely and utterly absurd but you truly love it; then keep doing it! I give kudos to the film because most people in the world probably would laugh if there was a club actually like this, but this club loved what the did and you have to respect them for standing up for what the love and believed in.
Halfway through the movie I was on the fence whether I was going to like the film or not.  But all in all I wold watch it again and surprisingly I would recommend it to someone interested in these types of film.  Never Been Thawed was cleverly done, harsh at most points in the film the overall theme in my opinion is difficult to grasp, but with an open mind I think you can really see what this film was going for.      

M*A*S*H

Where do I even start talking about this movie? When Joe told us in class if we haven't seen M*A*S*H we were going to be in for a culture shock. I have never seen so much black humor in one movie ever.  Hawkeye, Trapper, and Duke on a day to day basis are around the deepest hardships of war.  They are cutting off limbs, tying up arteries, and basically drenched in blood every surgical operation they perform.  The comical thing is they all approach each operation with a nonchalant attitude.  As soon as they are out of the medical tents, they live their lives in a nonchalant fashion as well.  When they medics and nurses are out of surgery you basically get the idea that war isn't even happening, and the front line is 2 miles from the med station.  In their lives outside the medical tents they use cruel and impractical jokes (mostly toward women) to take their minds off their arduous surgical jobs.  For example, when they put the microphone in Major "Hot Lips" tent while she is having sex, and broadcast it to the whole camp.  Also, they lift up the shower tent while she is showering, and all the medics and nurses are spectating this cruel joke to see if she is really blonde.  M*A*S*H is no where near slapstick humor, but more towards the overall situations and timing.  For instance, the football game, you think that the M*A*S* team is going to get killed because they no nothing about football and the general's team actually plays.  But M*A*S*H recruits a medic who used to play professionally.  Also, during the game they drug the other teams best player.  We probably would have found if funny if the generals team just smashed the medics but actually the medics outsmart the general's team in every aspect, including the trick play to win the game. 
The two main characters Hawkeye and Duke don't have to make us laugh using their voices and words.  They do a very great job through their outrageous personalities making us laugh.  Hot Lips, on the other hand is only worried about army protocol, that is why I think she is the butt of the jokes most of the time.  One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the Dentist Painless wants to commit suicide because he is homosexual and doesn't want to explain it to his three wives.  The night he is going to kill himself, the scene satirizes the "Last Supper"  in Jesus time.  Then the next day after Painless takes the supposedly lethal pill he is fine and dandy, back to fixing jaws an teeth. 
This movie addresses touchy topics like suicide and war in a comical manner.  You see this type of mechanic in many of the other films we have watched.  You take a touchy subject and express it through humor and it is not so bad in that moment.
I really enjoyed this movie, at first I didn't think I was going to like it, but overall I would recommend it to anyone.  It is not roll on the ground humor, but there is enough humor in the movie to keep it interesting and fun to watch.    

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove, well I can honestly say that it left me thinking in depth after I watched it.  I really wanted to see it again, but due to time constraints I couldn't.  I had to think for a while what was the overall theme to this movie.  I read a few articles and summaries of Dr. Strangelove to see what other people had to say.  I finally narrowed it down, and it satirizes nuclear warfare, war in general, and miscommunication.
In my opinion, Kubrick made an excellent satire of what could happen if the wrong group of people had to make some costly decisions in war.  Just like a lot of the other movies we have viewed this semester the director of this film used humor and satire to address a pretty serious topic.  Major T.J. King Kong receives word to commence "Wing Attack Plan R" which is actually dropping a nuclear bomb.  But at the Air Force no one knows of any news of America being at war.  Some of the men see this as an opportunity to face Communism head on. This is crazy on all levels, I found this as amusingly funny dark humor.  All and all this whole film was basically dark humor.  The Russians on the other hand get word of this attack.  And apparently have this new technology called the "Doomsday Machine" where it could destroy the entire world if the Soviet Union was attacked out of no where.  I think this represents how human beings have the decision do rid our earth for good.  Like, does anyone else get the notion that a single human being could end our world tomorrow with the right amount of nuclear weapons?  This movie does a superb job of portraying this idea.  With the right technology in the wrong hands, geez that could be the day.  This film was made the same year of the Cuban Missile Crisis. So with bombs and missiles fresh in people's mind Kubrick to a shot in the dark making this movie. But by using humor and satire I think this was a very well done film on all levels.
Gender roles are also represented in Dr. Strangelove, you see a military in this movie and it is run by males.  Even the doctor is male. You also see that one lady sleep with her boss.  You also see a theme of technology presented.  The American and Russian societies have different types of new technology, which is still happening to this day.        
 

The Gods Must Be Crazy

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) was one of my favorite movies by far this semester.  I think they're are three main plots that all tie into the end.  The first one is the "evidence of gods" and also a critique of modern society.  They find the coca cola bottle in the middle of the desert.  It is like a revelation to Xi who basically knows nothing about life outside his family.  But the only thing the coke bottle does is bring turmoil to the tribe.  I think this is a great critique of modern society, everyone has unlimited wants, but there is only limited resources.  We all want the latest and greatest gadgets and items but in reality we can't have everything we want.  One of my favorite parts is when Xi meets Kate and Andrew for the first time.  He assumes they are gods because he has never seen white people, jeeps, or the clothes they were wearing.  One of the other plots is a political uprising which is needless to say crazy.  I think the underlying themes in The Gods Must Be Crazy is the turmoil of modern civilization.  It all comes down to the beginning of the move with the coke bottle.  The Bushmen were living in harmony until this unusual even took place.  Even with a simple coca cola bottle from modern society comes into a outcast tribe it has its effects on them.  They want Xi to throw it off the edge of the earth.  In my opinion when you even have a hint of modern ways come into your group I think it can either go two ways, good or bad.  This movie just kept on unraveling and presents modern civilization's strange aspects of life and living.  I like how they assume that everything happens in the sky have to be the gods.  Like if there is a thundering sound but no clouds they think gods have just eaten. 
All and all I really enjoyed this movie, in my opinion I think there are tribes even today who don't know about the modern world and would act the same way as depicted in this movie. 

The Importance of Being Earnest

You know, I didn't find this film incredibly funny, but I really enjoyed it in general.  I really liked the big picture and the plot of The Importance of Being Earnest.  To be honest, I wish I could be like Ernest (Jack until the end of the movie) and make up an imaginary family member who was in need of my presence, and leave town for however long I wanted.  Algernon, his actual brother calls people who live a double life a "Bunburyist."  Algernon feels kind of envious of Earnest so he decides to live a double life too.  I guess it all worked out because Cecily had been thinking about Earnest's brother even before she had met him.  She supposedly, even got engaged to him, I found that quite amusing,  because Algernon, acting as Ernest's brother just goes with it.  I think the main theme is this movie is the satire of the upper class and high end living.  I was actually reading a summary after viewing the film and the author of the summary brought up a great point.  He said none of the characters have a real description of depth in character, which is conveying the upper class one dimensional lifestyle.  I agree completely with this.  An example, could be when Gwendolen's mother is "interrogating" Ernest and once he has one flaw she immediately forbids the engagement.  Whereas, I believe a normal person would hear everything someone has to say about the love for their kids and then make a decision then.  In the end, everyone's secret came out and actually no ones feelings were hurt and Ernest found out that Lady Bracknell was actually his aunt.  Another theme I seemed to see was satire of marriage, I think Wilde portrayed this throughout the movie with marriage beings so lightly played with.  While marriage is a serious bond, this movie uses marriage as it is nothing important.  I liked when Algernon said, "the essence of romance is uncertainty."  I feel like that quote summed up the whole romance in this film.
Overall, The Importance of Being Earnest was a great film.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I think this is one of Oscar Wilde's best films, with a very interesting a fun plot but with enough satire to keep the audience entertained.  Honestly, I was very eager to see how the movie ended, and in my opinion the end was the best part.         

Monty Python's Life of Brian

This movie was quite funny to say the least, not to mention also hit some very touchy subjects using satire and humor.  One of my favorite parts, probably a lot of peoples favorite part, was when the Roman soldier was giving Brian grammar lessons when he was painting the walls of the ROMAN temple.  This film completely mocked the beliefs and teachings of Jesus Christ.  I knew what this movie was referencing the entire time because I grew up in a Catholic family.  I didn't take any of these jokes to hear, don't worry.  I have seen plenty of Monty Python movies in the past, and I know his type of humor.  One of the parts I didn't understand was when they were breaking into the Roman fortress and they were in the sewer and called it "Caesar's Memorial Sewer."  I'm not sure what this theme was.  My best guess is "over-bureaucratization" the Romans thought they were superior towards everyone else, an the most superior men in the world.  I think this was referring to an over-bureaucratization nation we lived in, and still live in.  Bureaus and institutions think they are so superior in this life.  That is just my guess on that part of the movie though.  One of my other favorite parts was when the man on the rock was preaching what is called the Beatitudes and the people all the way in the back couldn't really hear and were just guessing what he was saying.  They misheard and thought he said, "blessed are the cheese makers..."  I got a chuckle out of that.

Life of Brian wasn't my favorite Monty Python movie but I still enjoyed watching it.  Yes, this took a stab at my religion, but like I said previously its all in good fun and jokes. I do recommend it to people who want a good laugh and to see satire being used in religion.  

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter

This film was awesome, it was clever and very well-done.  Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter by and starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall was not overly dramatized and hit aspects that our still present to this day.  Rita Marlowe is a typical Hollywood star arrogant and egotistical.  Rockwell Hunter is a middle class worker who dreams of stardom and being very successful.  Rita's relationship is going array South, just like every other Hollywood relationship so she uses a scapegoat through Rock to make her jealous.  Rock starts getting his shot in the limelight, although he doesn't realize that Rita has no concern or care for Rock whatsoever.  No care at all that Rock has a fiancee--Jenny.  Rock constantly finds himself in messy situations, and Rita always keeps her Hollywood glamor presence in every situation.

This film was very interesting to watch.  I am really glad I got the chance to view this film.  It has a lot of satire an criticism.  A lot like the first movie, we saw last week, many of the criticisms in this film are still relative to time today.  Hollywood stars think they are the superior person in any situation and can run over anyone in their paths.  This film is constructed very simply but still hits different criticisms.  For example, Rock Hunter's niece is so overly indulged in every move Rita Marlowe makes.  To this day, people in this world strive to be so much like celebrities and they just get hurt along the way.  I love the metaphor of "happiness" in this film.  In Rock's case he finds happiness and what he has been yearning for within a day.  I believe happiness isn't being the most wealthy, I believe happiness comes from working hard and loving your friends and family.  If Rock strove to become a better worker at his company maybe he would have been more happy.  In Rita's case she is unhappy with the relationship she is in and she tries to be happy by making her boyfriend jealous.  If only happiness can be that easy...but I believe true happiness can be easy to find.

All in all this film was totally worth the time, and I am looking forward to viewing more old films that still have an relative meaning on our lives today.

Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin (1936)

Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin (1936) was nuts to say the least.  I never knew a movie from that long ago could make me laugh out loud as much as I did.  This film was the first movie that I have ever seen that was mostly non-dialectic.  One of the main reasons I was laughing so much was because Chaplin's character reminded me of one of my friends, and all the funny little things they do.
I was very eager to view this film when we got our syllabus.  The oldest movie I have seen is probably from the 1980's.  So I was really pumped to see what films were like back then.  The opening seen with the sheep herd kind of depicted the whole movie.  The sheep represented the working life back then how herds of people would go work in factories.  One of the other factors of the film that was very intriguing was the presented issues of the film.  This issues portrayed in this 1936 film are still present to this day.  One of my favorite parts of the movie was towards the beginning when Chaplin was on the assembly line and things kept bothering him while he was working such like the bee.  He couldn't lose focus for a second because the conveyor belt was moving so fast.  Also, when his replacement relived him he was still doing the motion of the job.  It amazed me how such little talking and mostly humorous actions could make me laugh so hard.  That just goes to show that humor isn't just telling a joke or a funny comment.  Humor can be acted through little actions that most will find funny.

All in all, I really enjoyed Modern Times.  I got a good laugh for about 80 min.  I even watched it a second time with my friend and mom.  They both enjoyed it very much so.  I really hope the films are as funny as this one was, if not funnier.  I am really looking forward to viewing the rest of the chosen films.