The next movie on the AFI is going to require a little bit of audience participation. According to my numbers (even adjusting for bots), there are thousands of people who see these reviews and I need some help. Neither I nor my family are fans of screwball comedies and we were not alive to know the effect of the Marx Brothers. We are trying to enjoy this movie on an individual level, so I would like some pointers for things to look for. This film is listed higher than some of my favorites like Sophie’s Choice or the Sixth Sense and I would like help figuring out why. This is my second run through the Top 100, so I have seen it before, but I would like to see it with fresh eyes and give it a full chance. Besides being inducted by the National Film Board, the film received no awards or even a nomination for an award. It is on no other top list from any other group. It did make the AFI 100 Laughs list at #12, so is there just a small group of jurors for this list that are die-hard Marx Brothers fans? I have nothing against this movie or this brand of humor, it just generally isn’t for me. So I want to take an objective eye to the film. I did enjoy the cabin scene and I like when the brothers play their instruments, but I was otherwise bored on previous viewing. So tell me some things to look for, please. It is on YouTube with a dozen ads if you are patient, or you can rent it on Amazon. I think a lot of people who like this film will have it available to them already. Anyway, join me and let’s check out this piece of history and what is described as “whacky Vaudevillian genius.”
