After a week off to refresh the batteries, I am back to blogging and revealing my #8 and # 7 movies. I will still do them in separate posts even though I will reveal them in the same week. I left you with the tease that the #8 movie was the only one added to my top ten since I created the same list back in 2008. Well, I hope you've got your guesses in because time has run out.
#8 The Hangover (2009)Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha
Directed by Todd Phillips
So you wanna have a bachelor party? What better place to go than Vegas! But what if it was so crazy that you literally couldn't remember one thing from the previous night? And there's your simple but genius premise behind one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.
When I saw the promos for this movie, I was intrigued but with my hate for how much movies cost these days, wasn't really rushing to the theater to see it. That is, until literally every one of my friends asked me "Have you seen The Hangover?" I said no and they all told me to immediately go see it. After about 15-20 people saying this in a span of about a week, I scrounged up enough coins and saw it. And well, needless to say, I was not disappointed.
There are lots of reasons to not like, but love this movie. First off is the way it unfolds. I've said this tons of time throughout this countdown but I am a big fan of movies that don't necessarily go in order OR take place in a short time frame. This movie does both. The movie is only over a span of 2 days and it starts near the end. Genius. This way, we already know where the movie is going but by no means do we know how it got there. And the uncovering of the facts is what makes this movie so hilarious.
Now if you're going to make a movie like this, it can't be predictable. If so, it wouldn't be funny. Director Todd Phillips and the writers had to think of just about any drunk escapade they have been on and multiply it by 100. If it seemed too far, then it probably wasn't for this movie. Among the things in their hotel room when they wake up are a baby, a chicken, a tiger, stolen statues, burned chairs, and more. Yeah, try connecting those dots.
SEE WAKING UP VIDEO HERE
From there things only get better as they try to piece their night together. With every twist and turn comes another hilarious discovery. Whether it be their trip to the hospital, the chapel, Mike Tyson's house or stealing the cop car, you can't help but laugh at how this night unfolded. Yes, it's extreme but that is what makes it so great. These 4 guys (who were drugged as we later find out) did Vegas right, which is 100%. What happened in Vegas was going to stay there, just as any good bachelor party should be.
I can point out numerous scenes too that literally have you laugh out loud. Things like "Black Doug", Mike Tyson singing "In The Air Tonight", the guys getting tased to avoid jail time, and Mr. Chow jumping out of the trunk of their car completely naked. Right when you think things may be getting back to normal, the movie find another way to make you crack up. That's the mark of a great comedy. Never let up with the jokes. Sometimes it was great one-liners. Other times, it was physical comedy. It didn't matter. The funny never stopped...even in the stuff that didn't make the movie.
But what I think really puts this movie over the top is the relationship between the 3 guys. Going into the movie, this isn't your typical buddy comedy. For one thing, Alan is not really friends with either Stu or Phil. He's just the socially-challenged brother of the bride. But no doubt, Alan becomes the star of this movie. Don't get me wrong. This movie needs Bradley Cooper's Phil as the confident and cool one who keeps them on the right track despite not knowing what that track is. It also needs Ed Helms' Stu, very intelligent and practical but also one to freak out very easily in weird situations. Oh and his great singing voice.
But again, the star of this movie is Zach Galifianakis' Alan character. I had never even heard of Galifianakis before this movie so I had no idea what kind of comedy style he had. I'm glad I didn't though because I think that made the movie that much better for me. You could not have a better person play this character. Someone who means well but doesn't know much. Someone who lacks common sense and is just not normal. Someone who is so lovable that is hard to hate. Throughout the movie, Alan not only has the best lines, but the best scenes in general. Safe to say without his comedy in this movie, it doesn't crack the top 10.
WATCH BEST OF ALAN HERE
But it's not just me who loves this movie. It is the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time (the sequel is second on that list). It also won the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical in 2009, a shocking result considering movies like this one don;t normally even get nominated. But even 65-70 old men and women could understand the comedic genius in this film. The backdrop of Vegas combined with a bachelor party and a group of drugged guys who can do no right makes for a crazy adventure when written and acted well. And that's exactly what happened here.
FUN FACTS
Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis's songs ("Stu's Song" and "Three Best Friends", respectively) were improvised.
No effects or prosthetics were created for Stu's missing tooth. Actor Ed Helms never had an adult incisor grow, and his fake incisor was taken out for the parts of filming where Stu's tooth is missing.
In real life, Mike Tyson owns seven tigers.
MEMORABLE QUOTES
Alan Garner: I'm not supposed to be within two hundred feet of a school... or a Chuck E. Cheese.
Sid Garner: Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That shit'll come back with you.
Alan Garner: The Doug we're looking for is a white.
TEASE for movie #7: The director of this film not only deserved his Oscar for it, but had been waiting for it for a long, long time.
Hakuna Matata
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