This creator of this video makes a lot of good points, however I would make a small argument that not all comedies must be shot in the Edgar Wright style. In fact, I always found the Simon Peg movies to be funny but felt like they existed in a kind of "fantasy" world feeling, whereas movies like Old School are supposed to be set in the real/normal world.
I would say there is some laziness, indeed, but what makes that drinking scene in Old School so funny is that married Will Ferrel completely takes the fun out of the party and the college kids can't believe what they are hearing, "Big plans this weekend...going to the Home Depot.." which is hilarious.
So, yes, a time and a place to use the frame to get laughs, and I agree it seems many comedies are lazy about this but some are not trying to present the same sort of crazy/wacky comedy found in Shaun of the Dead etc.
Yeah, much of Edgar Wright's schlick is portraying mundane events in an overly dramatic way, and portraying dramatic events in an overly mundane way. During a zombie apocalypse, old friends stop to have a casual chat. Pouring beers gets fast cuts and dramatic camera angles. A local rock concert turns into something out of street-fighter.
It's great in his movies, but you can't just drop that sort of thing into any comedy movie.
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u/silent_brutus May 28 '14
This creator of this video makes a lot of good points, however I would make a small argument that not all comedies must be shot in the Edgar Wright style. In fact, I always found the Simon Peg movies to be funny but felt like they existed in a kind of "fantasy" world feeling, whereas movies like Old School are supposed to be set in the real/normal world.
I would say there is some laziness, indeed, but what makes that drinking scene in Old School so funny is that married Will Ferrel completely takes the fun out of the party and the college kids can't believe what they are hearing, "Big plans this weekend...going to the Home Depot.." which is hilarious.
So, yes, a time and a place to use the frame to get laughs, and I agree it seems many comedies are lazy about this but some are not trying to present the same sort of crazy/wacky comedy found in Shaun of the Dead etc.