Continuing my earlier post regarding the Five Degrees of Jokes, here now is a brief discussion of second degree jokes. Second degree jokes juxtapose the sacred with the profane. This is fairly easy to explain because it can be shocking, and the shock to the system is what raises tension and elicits laughter. If the [...]
Dying Is Easy. Comedy Is Hard.
Being funny in books, on the big screen, and on the little screens too.Browsing Posts published in December, 2010
The NYC Midnight Madness screenwriting contest (nycmidnight.com) challenges contestants to write a five page script in 48 hours of an assigned genre using an assigned location. I really get a charge out of this format because I imagine that professional writing assignments would be in the same vein. What helped me for the most recent [...]
I saw “Due Date” and I knew going in that it was basically like “Plane, Trains, and Automobiles” or “Midnight Run.” Those movies I love. I didn’t love “Due Date” but I can see how you might. I laugh at everything that John Candy does, and I would have Deniro’s children if I could. So [...]
