Heather Barton

There are some things you own because you just love them.  And everyone has favorites.  But the most joyous thing in the world is to share your favorite with others and watch them either say, “Wow!”  or “I KNOW… I love that too!”

So in the interest of communal bonding over favorites, here are mine.

Top of the list of movies I will re-watch over and over again in glee is GalaxyQuest.   As a science fiction fan, who not only watched the Star Trek originals as a child and all its followings spin offs, this in the best genre parady I’ve ever seen.  (I’m watching it right now as I write this!  And laughing my ass off.)

I was never a “Trekkie” and I didn’t go to conventions until I was in my 40’s but I’ve always love the “if it was real and we got there” scenarios.    The shock of their arrival and seeing all the good guys and tentacled monsters with probing tools!  OMG and when Tony Shaloub arrives, stoned and unaffected, while the others scream in shock!  

The writing is excellent and the acting is suberb.  Add to it the comic timing and ocasional pratfall and this is a movie for popcorn, alcohol and adults!  I really love it most when the conventions show it in the movie rooms.   In a whole room of fans, priceless!

Best movie on religion… Dogma hands down.  Again with Alan Rickman and OMG is he funny in this film.  I adore the writing of Kevin Smith (although you have to adjust to his over use of cuss words.)  And with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Salma Hayak and Chris Rock it is wonderful to watch.  It hits you right of with George Carlin as a Catholic Priest pitching the new, hip image of Jesus… Buddy Christ!   I have a Buddy Christ figure it was sooo funny. 

Favorite musical (and I don’t really like musicals but I love this film and it needs a category) is Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.   Joss Whedon’s project during the writer’s strike is a short little hysterical film about a good guy becoming an evil genius to join the Evil League of Evil.  It’s incredibly crafted, amazingly sung and outright funny!  It might still be on the internet but I know the DVD is available.

I’ll recommend a kids movie with the best message ever.  Meet the Robinsons is a typical Disney flick but the message is unique.  It celebrates the glory of mistakes.  Because mistakes mean you tried and now you have something to learn from.   I try to get the kids to watch it once a year.

I will recommend my favorite Christmas film.  The Santa Clause (sense the theme, Tim Allen & Alan Rickman).  Again the lovely sentiment that somehow it’s real.   Nice slapstick, funny lines and I love the way he “grows” into Santa Clause.  I really wanted to see the second movie have his girlfriend “grow” into Mrs. Clause, but they botched it.

So those are the ones I love to share.    Aah but those are just the movies!  Next will be television series!

I love Comedy Central.  Yes, there’s a lot of silly crap on it but THAT is the place to go when your in the mood to laugh.  And in today’s world of recordable TV cable (and I’m not talking VCRs here) it is easy to weed out what you don’t want to watch.

And comedians work hard at their craft.  When you watch them, be aware they tested this joke out.  Delivered it a hundred different ways to maximize the humor and still get the point across.  Chosen their slang, their nuance, their words and practiced it until it was so well known to them it was a “routine.”  Well, except for the ones who do their routines drunk!  

Most are story tellers more than actual jokesters.  Few are telling “A man walks into the bar…” jokes anymore as in the bygone days of Vaudeville.  Today’s comedian is connecting with the audience by making fun of themselves or all of us along with him.   It’s their oddball view of the world they share with us in a way that makes us laugh.  What greater gift to the masses than that.

Its what used to piss me off about Shakespeare.  THAT was his idea of comedy?  Don’t get me started on his idea of Romance!  (Romeo: Yes darling I love you so much let’s die.  My Juliet:  excuse me what did you say!)  And I’m aware seeing Shakespeare being performed, if you’ve been COMPLETELY educated on what the hell that old English word actually meant, can be a very different experience than when I was forced to read his shitty plays in English class.

Crap… I got sidetracked.

The point being, comedy at its best moves your mind into thinking beyond the joke to the next level.  At least for me that’s when its best.  When their humor spawns humor from me.  As happened today…

The comedian was complaining about the fact once he got married he seemed to have started a new business in “shipping.”  It was, get this… take this here… haul this FROM the car, TO the car, over to the neighbors.  He complained and mumbled about how he was going to have to talk to his Union Rep about this.

And I could just envision it.  The Husband’s Union.   The Union meetings would most likely be held in a bar, and always just before or after the game to have a reason to be in the bar during the game but not actually disturb the game.   Dues =  food at the meetings.

Oh the delicate negotiations with Management!  Legal breaks, lunch hours… overtime!!!   Of course Management has an edge.  We own the keys to the Company bedroom.  And if you go on strike what are you going to do.  NOT take out the trash?  Your not doing that anyway!

Sometimes I think that’s the subconscious reason to have children.  They’re Management’s Scabs*

*slang term for replacement workers who cross the picket lines.