"Serious" Movies You Can't Take Seriously Now Due to Parody Movies

[kentauros]

After partly watching/listening to "Young Frankenstein" this evening, I am reminded of how I have tried to watch "Bride of Frankenstein." Well, I can't take it seriously at all. I'm thinking of scenes from YF constantly

Same for "Zero Hour!" with Dana Andrews, the film that gave us "Airplane!" (even the exclamation point!)


So, what else has been "ruined" by brilliant parody films?

[Initech]

1. "Walk The Line" which spawned "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"

Walk Hard skewered the musical biopic genre so badly that it's near impossible to take any of them seriously anymore. Here's a clip:

[kentauros]

2. I'm not familiar with either of them,

but I think I'd watch "Walk Hard" without knowing the other one. It looks hilarious!

And I'd add that "This Is Spinal Tap" also ruined any of the previous rock-biopics, such as "A Hard Day's Night"

[Initech]

4. Walk The Line is about Johnny Cash.

It helps to see at least Walk The Line or even Ray before seeing Walk Hard, because Walk Hard borrows heavily from Walk The Line.

[kentauros]

6. I watched "Ray" a couple of weeks ago,

so I'd probably do well with "Walk Hard." Plus, I like the actor playing Dewey

But, I do like Johnny Cash, so will probably see that biopic, too.

[Initech]

9. John C. Reilly is absolutely hilarious in this movie.

And it's easily the best thing he's ever done. Maybe Stepbrothers is a close second, but Walk Hard is such an awesome parody. It's practically a scene for scene remake of Walk The Line. Tim Meadows and Jack Black are also pretty damn funny in this movie.

[kentauros]

10. Okay, I'm going to write those down,

and put 'em on Netflix

Reilly had a small part in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and he was funny in it, too. I haven't seen everything he's done, but have always enjoyed his roles.

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. Hunt down "Hard Eight"

He's really good in it and the film is great.

[kentauros]

12. Another "Hard" movie!

I wonder if he has something in his contracts to make sure he's in "hard" movies

[PoliticAverse]

3. I wonder if there are more movies ruined by sequels than parodies.

And I always thought Airplane was the parody of the Airport series of movies.

[kentauros]

5. Perhaps.

But I'm thinking of serious movies directly ruined by parodies, not badly-produced/directed sequels

"Airplane!" was a direct parody of "Zero Hour!" due to the fact that the producers bought the rights to the movie so that they could pattern "Airplane!" almost scene for scene. The "Airport" movies are just a happy accident in parody-similarity

[PoliticAverse]

7. Oh interesting, I'll have to find and watch "Zero Hour!" then.

There are some original movies that I find hard to watch after a bad sequel ruined the original story.
Sometimes a happy or ambiguous ending in the original is tainted by the sequel's version of subsequent events.

It could be argued that some sequels are effectively parodies of the original.

[kentauros]

8. Yeah, it's rare that sequels are even as good as the original,

though there are always exceptions to that (like "The Empire Strikes Back".) Others have just gone on too long as sequels that there's no relationship to the original other than the central figure (horror series, for example.) Everything else has gone to pot.

One good example of a sequel being a parody of the original is the late-70s "Dawn of the Dead." Midnight-movie-madness and camp-city!

[47of74]

13. The producers of Airplane were able to use most of the Zero Hour script

Since Paramount owned Zero Hour the producers were able to take most of the Zero Hour script and adapt it for their ends. They made some adjustments but otherwise the basic premise of the story was the same.

[PoliticAverse]

14. You weren't kidding about the "direct parody", someone with a lot of time on their hands made this..

[kentauros]

15. See what I mean?

And that person also had to have the stamina to keep from laughing too much to get it done

[trof]

17. Fantastic. Thanks.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

18. That made my day.

Thanks!

[mackerel]

21. Brilliant!

[Tab]

24. It's a great comparison

and took a lot of time, but you have to recognize that the same person wrote both films. Basically Airplane was a 20-year-later rewrite of Zero Hour.

[sarge43]

16. No movies, but "What's Opera, Doc?" ruined any Wagner opera.

Galaxy Quest: A lot of Trek

[kentauros]

28. What about "The Rabbit of Seville" and Rossini?

[sarge43]

29. Always delightful, but

given Wagner's pomposity, a target rich environment perfect for Jones' genius. The horse as substitute for the standard Wagnerian diva.

[kentauros]

30. Jones did seem to do well adapting operas.

And for classical music that will be forever associated with something animated for me, is Beethoven's 6th Symphony "The Pastoral" and the same section in "Fantasia." But it's not really ruined for me. I just consider it another work of art using a masterpiece of music. Even before seeing Fantasia, I still felt the same swells of emotion in the same places as accompanied in the movie. I'm happy with that likely permanent association

[sarge43]

31. Great minds

The 6th is my favorite, too. The pegasi sweeping over the landscape still dazzles me. The other thing about the 6th; Beethoven had just lost most of his hearing, yet he could still write that joyous music.

Jones was the Mark Twain of animators

[kentauros]

32. "Jones was the Mark Twain of animators"

I like that!

I will also admit that I can't remember my reaction to "Dance of the Hours" before I ever saw "Fantasia." It may have just been, "That's a light and happy piece." Now it's, "Dancing hippos! Dancing ostriches! Dancing crocodiles!" and it makes me smile

[sarge43]

33. Thanks. Sacred cows? Nail 'em all.

My Dance of the Hours moment was the hippo's running leap at the alligator and the gator's expression. The Mouse could bring the funny once in awhile.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

19. How about a commercial that ruined Pagliacci?

[TuxedoKat]

22. OMG! That was great!

I remember that from years ago. Too funny!

[Tab]

25. That was a hoot!

I don't think I had seen it before - thanks!

[Initech]

34. Seinfeld also ruined Pagliacci.

[Populist_Prole]

20. 'Downfall' is a great movie but the parodies of a scene in it are getting old

You know the scene, it's a re-edited version when Hitler finally comes unglued with the reality of the third reich's hopeless situation as he maniacally blames his staff. The substitles are changed to refect whatever funny meme they want to push; politics, video games, pop-culture...whatever.

Fun is fun, but all but very few who tell me about "a funny video you have to watch" or send me links ever heard of the original film. Most of them are rubes that stay away from anything that's not some big-time action blockbuster, or shy away from foreign language films.

Sucks to see such a good film "cheapened".

[kentauros]

27. I do want to see Downfall

even though I've seen that clip of his meltdown re-titled so often like you mentioned. Because I love the actor that plays Hitler, Bruno Ganz. It's interesting that he took the role, considering he's mostly known in this country for his role as the angel Damiel in the Wim Wenders film "Der Himmel Uber Berlin" (renamed in the US as "Wings of Desire".)

I've read that his portrayal of Hitler was the most authentic version ever. I think I can ignore the "Hitler Rant" videos enough to still enjoy his performance, once I rent it

[Tab]

23. The Republican debates?

Oh, wait. That's not parody. That's reality.

[El Supremo]

26. Zorro, The gay Blade

[Mendocino]

35. James Bond films

after the Austin Powers franchise. Even Daniel Craig can't save these turkeys anymore.