Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Curly
David Manning
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Curly," depicts Jerome "Curly"
Howard's final 12 hours on earth and, by Gibson's own admission,
includes several hours' worth of extremely graphic and violent images
of Curly being repeatedly slapped, poked in the eye, conked on the
head, and other forms of torture at the hands of fellow Stooges, Moe
and Larry.
Industry insiders have predicted an opening week take of up to 30
million dollars. Those figures are all the more extraordinary given
that just one year ago Gibson was struggling to find a distributor for
a film that boasts no big-name stars and dialogue lifted entirely from
1930s Columbia two-reelers. And, in what appears to be an omen, the
lead actor was struck by a pie during filming.
Controversy has focused on charges, mostly levelled by Shemp fan clubs
and strongly denied by Gibson, that the movie somehow blames Shemp for
Curly's death and will fuel anti-Shemp sentiment.
Those accusations have to an extent been buttressed by unguarded
comments from Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, claiming that the
success of Shemp's career as a character actor independent of the
Three Stooges is greatly exaggerated and that there is a conspiracy
aimed at proving that Shemp was really a more talented, funnier Stooge
than the others.
Gibson and his father are both Traditionalists, who have never
accepted the various reforms which, among other things, led to Shemp,
Joe Besser and "Curly" Joe DeRita being named Stooges.
Gibson has staunchly defended himself and the film against the
charges, insisting that he had never intended to trigger a "blame
game" over responsibility for Curly's death. "Curly was beaten for
our enjoyment," Gibson said. "He was wounded for our laughter and by
laughing at his wounds we are comforted and healed. That's the point
of the film. It's not about pointing fingers -- except, of course, to
poke out Curly's eyes." Gibson then added, "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Woo woo
woo woo! Why, soytenly!" and barked like a dog before slapping himself
in the face several times.
Some pro-Shemp groups, notably the influential Amalgamated Morons
League ("We're not just morons -- we're organized!"), have argued that
while Gibson may not be anti-Shemp, his film is capable of arousing
hatred against Shemp and other later, lesser Stooges.
Song of Joy
"David Manning" <quote...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e57e1dc8.04022...@posting.google.com...
: NEW YORK (AFP) - One of the most talked about films of recent years,
Thanks for a great way to start my morning - with a big laugh out
loud laugh!
I'm still laughing... I may laugh all day from this.
(If you're the author, may I repost this on my website and credit it to
you? The RaDaLa page has funny stuff from around the web and
I'd love to include this. Thanks.)
--
*Carol* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Please visit my humor & parody website at
http://www.rainy-day-laughter.com. Home of Happy Liederhosen's
Hollywood, The Codfather's Punny Movies, Your Weekly Rainyscope
& much more yet . All new columns every Friday.
Lincoln Spector
"David Manning" <quote...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e57e1dc8.04022...@posting.google.com...
W. Lydecker
Lincoln Spector
"W. Lydecker" <janu...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:9474-403...@storefull-3116.bay.webtv.net...
> Why you...!
Huh? Are you asking me why I, in particular, found this funny?
Lincoln
David Manning
>
> Thanks for a great way to start my morning - with a big laugh out
> loud laugh!
>
> I'm still laughing... I may laugh all day from this.
>
> (If you're the author, may I repost this on my website and credit it to
> you? The RaDaLa page has funny stuff from around the web and
> I'd love to include this. Thanks.)
Glad you liked it. I don't know if I ought to be credited as sole
author, though, because some of the text is lifted straight from a
wire story with only minor changes by me. As far as I'm concerned, you
can do whatever you like with it. No need to credit me.
A Tsar Is Born
I don't know how, but I ended up on Gibson's list of insiders invited to
preview the film. All I can say is that I will never look at a Stooges film
the same again. Gibson has given us new eyes to interpret some familiar
passages like the plumbing scene where they arrange to have water come out
of the electrical outlets.
Anyone who thinks it will fuel anti-Shempism is ignoring the depth of
Gibson's sincerity in his traditional approach. I think anti-Shempism is
pretty much a dead letter in these enlightened times anyway. The original
texts which inspired Gibson may be ambiguous but Mel is not.
I have sold my car to buy out a screening of the film, so that my
friends can be brought to the same spiritual point that caused many
spit-takes and wet underpants in the screening that I had the privilege of
sharing.
I'm convicted that my sky-god shares my heart's knowings in this.
Nyuk,
Doug
dobe...@deletesocal.rr.com
>Glad you liked it. I don't know if I ought to be credited as sole
>author, though, because some of the text is lifted straight from a
>wire story with only minor changes by me. As far as I'm concerned, you
>can do whatever you like with it. No need to credit me.
Cool, because I just passed it on to friends, family & co-workers as
my own!
--
Clearly, he said, we are concerned with that part of
geometry that relates to war.
-- The Republic, Book VII
Jim Beaver
"A Tsar Is Born" <Atsarisb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:_XP%b.2048$TF2....@nwrdny02.gnilink.net...
> A dear friend to whom I forwarded this ripostes:
>
> I don't know how, but I ended up on Gibson's list of insiders invited to
>
> preview the film. All I can say is that I will never look at a Stooges
film
>
> the same again. Gibson has given us new eyes to interpret some familiar
>
> passages like the plumbing scene where they arrange to have water come out
>
> of the electrical outlets.
>
> Anyone who thinks it will fuel anti-Shempism is ignoring the depth of
>
> Gibson's sincerity in his traditional approach. I think anti-Shempism is
>
> pretty much a dead letter in these enlightened times anyway.
I thought it was "anti-shempitism." And I don't think Gibson is an
anti-shempite.
Jim "Some of my best friends are Stooges" Beaver
G. M. Watson
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
rufie
dobe...@DELETEsocal.rr.com wrote:
> quote...@yahoo.com (David Manning) wrote:
>
> >Glad you liked it. I don't know if I ought to be credited as sole
> >author, though, because some of the text is lifted straight from a
> >wire story with only minor changes by me. As far as I'm concerned, you
> >can do whatever you like with it. No need to credit me.
>
> Cool, because I just passed it on to friends, family & co-workers as
> my own!
>
I passed it on to just about everyone and credited "someone on the net".
Stephen Cooke
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004, G. M. Watson wrote:
>
>
> Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
Verily, didn't he say that thou wouldst "nyuk" three times before the
cuckoo crowed?
swac
Song of Joy
"Stephen Cooke" <am...@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.104...@halifax.chebucto.ns.ca...
:
Judas, why must you betray me with an eye-poke?
But seriously, the disciples always seemed more Bowery Boyish
than Stoogeish to me.
Vince Macek
usually bark like a dog, waggle my hand in someone's face and scoot
off singing 'la la LEEEEE' and things are much clearer.
VMacek