Self Indulgent Comedies

I have become fascinated with what I deem to be awful "self-indulgent" comedy movies. I was trying to gather enough for a top ten list. The criteria I set for this experiment must have been too high, so I need to research further. My criteria for the awful "self-indulgent" comedy is it must feature a comedian or comic actor who has been handed the creative reigns in an effort to capitalize on their act or popularity. So this means, the star must have written or directed the movie. This disqualifies movies like Chairman of the Board, the Carrot Top vehicle, because he isn't credited for writing it. The same goes for a few Will Ferrell movies and so on.

So my list is short, while I research further, but if you can think of any, please let me know.

1. The Pest (1997) Writer / Star: John Leguizamo, IMDb Rating: 4.3/10

Worst IMDb User Comment:

WOW who is on crack here? this was one of the worst movies i have ever seen i forced myself to watch 40 or so minutes of it because of a friend but i just coulnt do it, i lasted through the vulgar poop jokes but as pukeing on each others faces began i knew i would rather trade places with john leguizamo and be the one shot and killed then watch this horror of a DVD...

Best IMDb User Comment:

This is a comedy spoof of Van Damme's 'Hard Target' and Ice-T's 'Surviving The Game'. It takes an ethnic con-artist and gives him a chance to win $50,000 if he makes it to the end of the race.

Using John Leguizamo as the main character offers a bit of crude slapstick comedy that does present very funny episodes during the movie. For some the plot slows down and the rugged humor is a little too childish. What would you expect from a spoof? We're not trying to recreate a cinematic masterpiece in all seriousness, but the point is well argued that there could have been more development in the script and screenplay.

2. Freddy Got Fingered (2001) Director / Writer / Star: Tom Green, IMDb Rating: 3.8/10

Worst IMDb User Comment:

Wow. Now I've seen my share of atrocious movies, including a test screening of the Brothers Solomon, but this is by far the worst piece of Elephant Semen, I've ever seen. Tom Green has made a career out of embarrassing himself. Embarrassing himself! Not to mention repeating himself over and over. This movie could've been 30 minutes long if he didn't repeat the same dialogue over and over. I seriously feel sorry for Marisa Coughlan who did not work much after that role. The things some people will do for a buck. Porn would have been less degrading to her family.

Best IMDb User Comment:

This movie, although not solid in plot, is that of comical genius. People are too easily offended by the actions of Tom Green, not able to see the comical genius this movie has. Breaking barriers is comedy, and that is exactly what Tom Green does in this film. The things he does, from jerking off a horse, to pretending to be a deep sea diver are all great ways to get the point across, this movie is something different. People who have any sense of moral value or a tendency to vomit should stay away, but who has moral values anymore?

3. Master of Disguise (1997) Writer / Star: Dana Carvey, IMDb Rating: 2.9/10

Worst IMDb User Comment:

Oh my....was this a stinker.

I tired to give it as much of a chance as possible because..you cannot believe everything you read from critics..and you cannot believe everything you hear.

With "the Master of Disguise", you can. This was awful. I don't really think they meant it to be awful, I mean the story sounded good, I'm sure...on paper..to a bunch of film executives who were drunk at the time they heard it.

Best IMDb User Comment:

What can I say? Sometimes you just can't rely on critics. I can't wait to see Malibu's Most Wanted. I know it too got some harsh reviews but I don't care. I've seen the trailer and it looks good to me. I'm going. Even if it doesn't open in the Danish theaters.

4. Little Nicky (1997) Writer / Star: Adam Sandler, IMDb Rating: 4.9/10

Worst IMDb User Comment:

Because that's the only possible reason that this film exists. The movie is imaginative, I'll give you that, but it's a smack in the face to anyone who believes that hell is a terrible place, or that heaven isn't populated by bimbo angels. Every scene in this movie falls flat. Satan puts women's breasts on a man's head. How is this even remotely humorous? When you have a sight gag, it is usually in context, Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin both knew this and they made movies decades before the people who made this movie were even born. This film is filled with bizarre images and weird sight gags that are too strange to be funny. A blind man with weird eyes stumbles through the streets of NYC, ranting and raving. Is this supposed to be funny? The devil's son introduces Henry Winkler in Central Park and the crowd cheers. Come on...Henry Winkler, for god's sake? Can you imagine any group of people in this day and age actually cheering for Henry Winkler? Then for some strange reason he covers Henry Winkler in bees.

Best IMDb User Comment:

Geeze, this movie got the shaft! I thought it was a lot of fun and pretty funny. The Ozzy Osbourne line, 'Here, kill him with theeees' cracks me up every time. I don't know why this is disdained so much. Sure, it's no "Rushmore", but it has its place and I enjoy it for what it is--a kind-hearted, dumb, funny comedy in the vein of "Dumb & Dumber" or "Tommy Boy"--both classic movies in and of themselves. In that category, I give "Little Nicky" a 10! Blow-hards and elitists need not apply....

5. The Love Guru (2008) Writer / Star: Mike Myers, IMDb Rating: 3.8/10

Worst IMDb User Comment:

People may think I am exaggerating how jaw droppingly awful this movie is, but I'm really not. This movie has earned it's place in the Bottom 100.

It's extremely stupid and the screenwriter clearly has no wit whatsoever. I noticed a lot of recylced jokes from early Mike Myers movies, but no one will notice because they too busy staring at Justin Timberlake's fake bulge.

Best IMDb User Comment:

The movie was genius. I laughed like mad all movie. I am sorry but he didn't lose it from Austin Powers. He moved beyond all that. I really don't know how this movie got such a low mark. Shows that the ratings here cannot be easily trusted. This is a first for me to write a comment about a movie. I just wanted to make sure at least one real comment exists about the movie. He passes through quite a few simple ideas that most grown ups have forgotten a fairly long while ago - in an original way.

The only film on this list I haven't seen at least some of is The Love Guru which I doubt I'll see. I think there have got to be more examples of movies that are handed over to comedians and fail miserably.

Why I love Superheroes

The greatest creator of superheroes, in my opinion, is Stan Lee. That is actually a lot of people's opinion. Mainly, Stan Lee's strength is his writing. If you compare Superman's early stories to The Hulk or Spider-Man, you will find them to be less interesting and less dense. Superman is a great character with great value, but Stan Lee really understood what would set apart Marvel superheroes.

Most of Lee's creations have a similar pattern. A misunderstood genius who, because of an accident, is given amazing powers. Instead of being embraced by society, like Superman, the public or government they are feared and sometimes hunted. It's a brilliant angle. Most kids idolize Superman, but what would it really be like to be him? Would it go perfectly? Or would you be unable to ever have human contact again? Would you answer the call to save the very people who fear and ridicule you?

This is perfectly illustrated in many of Stan Lee's stories, but the best to me is his run of Silver Surfer stories. The first issue he wrote in 1968 stands as one of my favorite comic books of all time. Silver Surfer, bound to Earth, separated from his love who is on his homeworld light years away. He has the power to do anything he wants, except escape the vicinity of Earth. The inhabitants of Earth, because of his appearance don't understand him and fear him. Mainly, the 17 issue run was a study of human behavior and serves as an example of Stan Lee's best writing.

It's no secret to anyone that the Marvel movies have been big hits and big misses. The first two Spider-Man and X-Men movies, are the best examples, and failures like Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, and X-Men 3 show the worst that can be possible. Success hinges on taking the lessons Stan Lee taught us about how to connect the audience to a superhero.

The filmmakers who created Iron Man (a bunch of writers with director John Favreau) completely understood what it takes to make that connection. Stan Lee already created a great story with a great character, and they obviously paid close attention to what made the first Spider-Man movie work so well. Iron Man is not just a guy in a suit, flying around, and blowing stuff up. Inside is a flawed man with a mortal wound. Not only do they stay true to the character and make the geeks happy, the movie is so well made that even non-comic book fan can enjoy it.

Great action, great acting, and a great story. I am very inspired by the first movie to kick-off the summer blockbuster season. A summer that will give us The Incredible Hulk, The Dark Knight, Speed Racer, X-Files: I Want to Believe, and more. This is going to be an expensive summer.