Using bonus footage from the 'Stan & Ollie' DVD, I cut together an exact shot by shot comparison with the original "At the Ball, That's All" dance in 'Way Out West'.
Atoll K (Utopia) was Laurel & Hardy's final film production made in 1951. While not considered to be their best work, I find some of the boys' solo scenes in the films to be some of the better ones in their post Hal Roach career. I wanted to highlight this so I included some of Leroy Shield's original music score that was used in their earlier comedies at Hal Roach Studios.
Gene Wilder—one of cinema's greatest actors. This documentary short explores his incredible ability to react naturally as a performer. From his famous roles in Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, to his great chemistry with Richard Pryor, we take a look at what made his reactions and performances so great.
The Three Stooges—one of cinema's most beloved acts. But did you know there were actually technically eight Stooges? This documentary short explores all of the Stooges members, while highlighting their most underrated third player: Shemp Howard. From their beginnings in vaudeville to their end in the '70s, see how Shemp was essential to The Three Stooges act.
Jim Varney—most commonly known for portraying Ernest P. Worrell in a series of films, commercials and shorts, was the world's first viral star. His versatile characters and talent for mimicry made each of his performances memorable. This documentary short explores his amazing climb to success, going from a down on his luck stand-up comedian to a national sensation and pop-culture icon.
John Candy—one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. In a career spanning over two decades, he found his way into some of the films that would go on to define a generation. From his days in the cult sketch comedy series SCTV, to his great collaborations with John Hughes, this documentary tribute short explores why we should never stop talking about John Candy and why he will never stop being missed.
Walter Matthau & Jack Lemmon—one of the great movie duos of all time. They would become most famously known as the original “Odd Couple”, but these two weren't so different after all, and were actually very much in sync. Their comedy partnership spanned close to four decades, making them one of the longest tenured comedy acts of all time. We take a look at what made them such a durable act and why their partnership was so great.
Leslie Nielsen—one of the most inspiring success stories in film history. Although he had early ambitions to be a dramatic leading man, he would end up settling for smaller character parts in film and TV for most of his career. He was then cast in a comedy film at age 54 that would reinvent him as a performer and lead to him becoming one of the biggest film stars of the decade. We explore his rise to fame, amazing gift for comedy timing, and why he’ll always be a cult icon.
Clifford (1994). There is no other movie quite like it. This surreal comedy stars Martin Short as a ten year old boy and Charles Grodin as his uncle, who's tasked with babysitting him. I take a look at what makes this film so unique and why it's worth watching close to three decades since its release.
Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy—the greatest screen duo of all time. This documentary short, the first of three, explores their initial formation as a team, as well as their incredible adaptation from silent films to sound.
I find myself talking about a lot of movies on this channel that seem to be remembered fondly, yet they’ve somehow narrowly escaped full blown cult-classic status. Some of these are films I’ve mentioned briefly in other videos, some I’ve avoided mentioning specifically so I can talk about them more extensively in this new series: (Almost) Cult Classics. Next up is Houseguest (1995) a family comedy that pairs Sinbad with the late, great Phil Hartman.
The Chevy Chase Show was a late-night talk show that aired on Fox for less than a month in 1993, with its inception and failure making for an interesting tale. Join me as I dive into the strange first episodes of this stunningly bizarre show.
The Honeymooners was a definitive American sitcom that paved the way for the medium today. Created by and starring Jackie Gleason, it represented many real life frustrations by Americans at that time. I take a look at what make the show and its star still so special.
Uncle Buck is one of my favorite films of all time. Because it was a smash hit, CBS rushed to capitalize on it by adapting it into a sitcom.
On this episode of Forgotten Failures, I take a look back the failed 1999 reboot of Laurel & Hardy.
On this episode of Forgotten Failures, I take a look back the failed 1973 "remake" of Gilligan's Island that was the same show in a different setting.
Chris Farley—a true titan of comedy performance. In a short screen career of just seven years, he managed to make an impact on comedy that would take others decades. This documentary short explores his quick rise to fame, popularity in films, and tragic demise. It’s a story about an incredible entertainer who left such a lasting impression on the world.
On this episode of (Almost) Cult Classics I talk about the little known sequel to A Christmas Story—1994's My Summer Story.
First episode of a new series where I talk about some of my favorite film characters instead, of entire films and careers. First up is one of my all-time favorites: Dennis Nedry as portrayed by Wayne Knight in Jurassic Park (1993).
After diving into the 1999 Laurel & Hardy reboot last month, I wanted to take a stab at reviewing another similar slapstick comedy reboot - The Three Stooges from 2012. Not nearly as shameless as you may think, it's actually a decent love letter that was plagued with bad studio decisions behind the scenes.
A very brief tribute to one of my favorite actors—Sir Ian Holm.
After getting numerous requests, I finally decided to take a look back at the Marx Brothers tribute film from 1992—Brain Donors!
If you were a casual TV viewer in the mid-2000s, odds are you remember the neanderthal-themed Geico commercials which promoted their new website as being "So easy a Caveman can do it!". These ads were so popular that they led to ABC developing a sitcom based on the premise. Join me as I take a look back at this forgotten failure.
Gene Wilder—one of cinema's greatest actors. This remastered documentary short explores his incredible ability to react naturally as a performer. From his famous roles in Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, to his great chemistry with Richard Pryor, we take a look at what made his reactions and performances so great. Originally listed as 'Gene Wilder: Nowhere Special'.
Join me as I discuss another one of my favorite film characters—the incredible Jack Burton as played by Kurt Russell in John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
A profile of one of my favorite film comedians—the great W.C. Fields.
Hopefully everyone has been able to get away this summer! If you haven't, here's a film that will help you feel like you did—1985's Summer Rental, starring John Candy, Rip Torn, Richard Crenna. Directed by Carl Reiner.
Here's a little short about James Gandolfini. I wanted to talk about just a few film roles that he had outside of his masterful work on The Sopranos.
On this episode of Forgotten Failures, I take a look back at the Bill & Ted live-action sitcom from 1991, as well as the animated series of the same name.
Now that it's back to school season let's take a look by re-watching my favorite Dangerfield film...Back to School!
With October right around the corner, I figured it'd be a good time to take a look back at the forgotten failure that is the direct-to-video Addams Family Reunion (1998). This bizarre take on the franchise is even more bizarre than the Addams Family themselves.
I've got many requests to cover the work of Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, so with October upon us, I decided to start by looking back at their collaborations with the Universal Monsters!
After looking at a forgotten chapter of the Addams Family earlier this month, I decided to take a look back at all the failed attempts to reboot The Munsters—mainly focusing on the forgotten 1995 TV movie "Here Come the Munsters".
Part Laurel & Hardy, part satire, full WTF. This parody movie has been locked away since its release in 1972. Written and directed by the great Bob Einstein, this film ruffled the feathers of Nixon himself. Here's the full story how.
John Hughes created arguably the best Thanksgiving film in 1987 with "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". But what you might not know is that he authored another Thanksgiving road trip comedy just 4 years later called "Dutch" -and it's worth a second look.
'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' is rightfully established as a Thanksgiving classic, but did you know the first cut of the film came in at 3 hours and 40 minutes? In this video I use the shooting script, images, unused footage and other resources to present some of this missing material, as well as offer a plea in the hopes that we can someday see John Hughes' original vision restored.
He mentored Charlie Chaplin, discovered Buster Keaton, and changed film comedy forever—before a scandal destroyed his career. His name was Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Though you may recognize his name or face, few know the heartbreaking story of his life. This short takes a look back at his controversial life & career to highlight what an instrumental figure he was in the evolution of cinema and why he should be more remembered today.
As promised, a look back at the direct-to-video Christmas Story sequel from Warner Premiere, as well as the history of the franchise and work of author Jean Shepherd.
Humbug! We all have a favorite film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novella 'A Christmas Carol'. But what about those adaptations that aren't that fondly remembered? Let's take a look back at Christmas Carols Past for three adaptations that don't really get talked about... maybe for good purpose.
I'm back with another #ReleaseTheHughesCut deep dive into the lost 3 hour version of Uncle Buck!
This rare, never before seen footage was sent to me after my video exploring the lost rough cut of the film. The scene has not been edited fully, resulting in several inconsistencies in video and audio. The content has also not been refined, resulting in an overabundance of what I assume is improvised material, stretching the scene over 10 minutes in length. This sequence appears to center around Buck (John Candy) who has started up a gambling operation within his brother’s house with several local repairmen. I decided to release this footage because it’s 10 minutes of John Candy that the world has not seen. Enjoy!
Stoogemania is a 1986 comedy "movie" starring Josh Mostel, directed by Chuck Workman, that centers around a man suffering from an addiction to The Three Stooges. Unable to secure the rights to any Three Stooges footage, the filmmakers were forced to use four public domain Stooges shorts (Brideless Groom, Sing a Song of Sixpants, Malice in the Palace, and Disorder in the Court) around which to craft a loose narrative.
Without a Clue is a 1988 British comedy film directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley. It is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters from the Sherlock Holmes stories but in this version Sherlock Holmes is an actor hired by Doctor Watson to play the part of the brilliant detective, so that Watson can maintain his reputation as a doctor.
Mr. Bean is a British sitcom created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, with Robin Driscoll. Two theatrical feature-length films featuring Mr. Bean have also been released. The first film, Bean, was directed by Mel Smith, released in 1997 and followed the misadventures of Mr. Bean as he oversaw the transfer of Whistler's Mother to a Los Angeles art gallery. The second film, Mr. Bean's Holiday, was directed by Steve Bendelack, released in 2007 and followed Bean on an eventful journey across France for a holiday in the French Riviera to which, after a number of mishaps, culminates in an unscheduled screening of his video diary at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. There has also been an animated TV series, spinoffs, live sketches, and commercials featuring the character. This video explores the creation of the character and traces his evolution to present day.
The Michael Richards Show was an American sitcom created by Spike Feresten, Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin and Richards, that debuted on NBC from October 24 to December 19, 2000.
How does one screw up casting Don Rickles as Mr. Wilson? Well, this direct-to-video sequel found a way.
With a sequel approaching, let's take a look back at this lost chapter of Zamunda with Akeem's younger brother and his short lived adventure in Queens.
Prior to the launch of this channel, I had been working on a side project that involved Laurel & Hardy's final film—Atoll K (1951). The movie, which was a French-Italian co-production, never had its copyright filed in the United States—resulting in poorly duplicated copies to flood the home video & streaming market in the years that followed. The movie was plagued with production problems from the very start, compounded by communication issues between Stan & Ollie and the film's foreign speaking cast & crew. Despite their own declining health at the time, Laurel & Hardy worked tirelessly to better their scenes in the movie - reinventing some of their old gags and coming up with completely new ones as well.
I launched this channel a year ago with a video essay on one of my favorite humans, Gene Wilder. To commemorate the occasion I decided to present an in-depth look at his life and career. I thought it only fitting that he narrate the story himself—using voice clips I collected. This is the story of Gene Wilder—in his own words.
Two packs of Marlboro's, some snowballs, and a jumbo coke.
Sinbad in a Western comedy? Is this real life?
Join me in saluting the reserved genius of Larry Fine—the Stooge in the middle.
It's been awhile since I made a video exploring one of my favorite film characters. After rewatching Galaxy Quest (1999) recently, I figured it was time to bring this series back to talk about Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus as played by Alan Rickman.
A look back at the feature films of Laurel and Hardy. This is Part 2 of a planned 3 mini-docs, following Laurel & Hardy: The Sound of Silents (s2020e07). I originally had put a version of this video out over the summer, but I felt I missed a few important details that are well worth mentioning. Enjoy!
This video explores the origin and history of The Pink Panther film series—covering the entries made while Peter Sellers was still alive. It includes overviews of The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Inspector Clouseau (1968), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978).
This video explores The Pink Panther films made after Peter Sellers' death. It includes overviews of Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Son of the Pink Panther (1993), The Pink Panther (2006), and The Pink Panther 2 (2009).
What if GoodFellas had been a comedy? My Blue Heaven answers that.
Bob Patterson was an American television sitcom starring Jason Alexander. The series premiered on ABC on October 2, 2001, and the final episode aired on October 31 of that year.
You either love it or hate it, but I guarantee part of it has also stayed with you. Here's why 'Nothing But Trouble' deserves to be remembered.
Let's look back at Mel Gibson's Three Stooges biopic from 2000.
It's a good thing the Blazing Saddles sitcom never made it to air, especially if Spaceballs: The Animated series is any representation of its quality.
A small tribute to a man who was a huge part of so many movies that I love.
Remember the days when every remotely popular franchise got its own video game? Here's a look back at one such game.
Camp Candy was John Candy's Saturday Morning Kids Show that aired from 1989–1992. This is a look back at this seemingly forgotten, yet wonderful little show.
Part Laurel & Hardy, part buddy cop action stars. Terence Hill & Bud Spencer have been global superstars for decades now—except in America. This video is an introduction to their work and a tribute to their partnership.
We all know and love the original shorts and the 1994 Little Rascals movie, but were you aware of the 2014 direct-to-video follow-up? No? Well, I envy you.
Critically reviled, but adored by a select few, Cabin Boy (1994) is said to be one of the worst films of all time. But does it really deserve that moniker? Here's a look back at a movie that truly is not that bad.
This video is a re-upload of an original edit that contained a technical error. This project was not commissioned by Harold Lloyd Entertainment Inc. and was made purely as a fan tribute.
A look back at one of comedy's biggest disappointments that also became the final film of the great Harold Ramis.
Years before Pirates of the Caribbean & Jungle Cruise were made into giant blockbusters, Disney produced a small TV movie based on one of their most popular rides - Tower of Terror. The now seemingly forgotten film, which was a pilot for movies based on Disney attractions, aired in 1997. This video is a look back at its history, as well as the history of the amazing ride that inspired it.
Escaped Gorillas? A dancing Octopus? An inflatable Data? Let's look at how The Goonies was almost a much different film.
A short tribute to one of the greats. Farewell, Norm.
Why aren't more people talking about this movie?!
Peter Vincent from Fright Night (1985) and its subsequent sequels.
Here's the story behind the scariest kids movie ever made!
October 31, 2021 would have been John Candy’s 71st birthday. Last year, the Mayor of Toronto declared it to be John Candy Day. Even though I’m American, I will celebrate the day accordingly. Here’s a short tribute I cooked up to a man who continues to brighten the lives of so many. Happy Birthday, John. #JohnCandy #JohnCandyDay #HappyJohnCandyDay
Let's check out the '90s Harry and the Hendersons sitcom!
1956–2022
Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford team up in this forgotten 1979 comedy western!
RIP Gilbert, thanks for the decades of laughs.
This video is a re-upload to correct some audio issues in the original version.
I'm pleased to launch a brand new video series that will be used to showcase more classic films! First up is My Little Chickadee, a Western farce from 1940 that pairs two of the biggest stars of the era—Mae West & W.C. Fields!
Written, Presented & Compiled by Joe Ramoni
Leslie Nielsen often brought a fart machine to interviews and press junkets. This is a collection of his greatest "hits".
Come with me as I try to track down the elusive train station from the end of my favorite movie!
Happy Halloween! Here's a look back at a mostly forgotten horror anthology from the king of the genre!
We take a look at ‘Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss’
Here's a special look at the recently discovered deleted scenes courtesy of the Hughes family and Paramount. The new BluRay including them is out on 11/22/2022!
Not every movie needs a sequel!
Build a team of your favorite characters and explore Middle-earth like never before!
It's not that good but it's also not that bad. Let's look back at how the divisive 4th Indiana Jones film came to be.
This video was a passion project for me for a long time. If you watch my content regularly, you'll know how important John Hughes was to me growing up. I wanted to present a definitive look at his life and career—showing the person he was through the characters he created, and stories that he told.
A short tribute to the man behind Pee-wee Herman. Thanks for the laughs.
Life doesn't move fast enough….
This video was made in response to an article printed in Spy Magazine in November 1993 by John Connolly, titled 'I'm Gonna Git You Zuckers', which alleged the Naked Gun movies lifted jokes from earlier sources. This video does not exist to accuse anyone of plagiarism, but rather explore the claims made in that article. I'm a big fan of The Naked Gun movies, so I wanted to present a fair look at how those claims originated, and if there is any weight to them.
Because nothing says Christmas like Larry the Cable Guy.
Correction: I incorrectly said Steven de Souza wrote 'Beverly Hills Cop II' when I meant to say 'Beverly Hills Cop III'
Correction: In this video I state that Carlos Grangel designed Miguel & Tulio. It has since been brought to my attention that Nicolas Marlet was also instrumental in their design.
Note: In the intro I incorrectly state that Home Alone was released in 1991 instead of the correct year 1990.