# Death At A Funeral: Preview For Film We Just Saw On Cable! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421 "2010-01-02T19:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/1 "2010-01-02T19:19:25Z")
We went to see a movie yesterday and one of the previews of a film opening soon is a (pretty much) all black cast of [Death At A Funeral](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321509/) - with Chris Rock, Danny Glover, Tracy Morgan and others. The odd thing is we just watched the British version of this [same exact film](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795368/), last week on On Demand. The guy who plays the “little person with a big secret” is playing the same exact part in both films. The original, British film from 2007 was mildly amusing and worth watching for free on On Demand, but why would they possibly make a remake of a film that is only 3 years old, was decent and in easy-to-understand English? At any rate, if you want to save a few bucks, go to On Demand and search for Death At A Funeral and watch it - it was a decent, quirky British film. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/2 "2010-01-02T20:56:16Z")
I saw that preview too, and thought, WTF? I just saw that movie, but with all Limeys. Guess the remake cycle is getting shorter all the time. Remember the two _Hulks_? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/3 "2010-01-02T21:14:05Z")
What? They remade a movie from a few years ago? But Alan Tudyk was in it and he can’t be beat! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/4 "2010-01-02T21:14:21Z")
You mean Peter Dinklage plays the same role? That was the only reason we rented it in the first place. It was pretty dull. I won’t bother to see it again. Until it comes to cable. I love Peter Dinklage, but he can do better. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/5 "2010-01-02T21:26:04Z")
I saw that same preview & thought I was going NUTS, especially seeing Peter Dinklage in the same part. My guess is that the English film was in limited release, therefore reached a limited audience. The remake is a mostly black cast, so they’re aiming for that market. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/6 "2010-01-02T21:31:54Z")
It seems like they even used an almost identical script. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/7 "2010-01-02T21:40:52Z")
The original was enormously popular here in Australia. Personally I thought it was rubbish the whole story consisting of jokes about faeces, mistaken identity, old folks swearing and accidental ingestion of drugs. Very lame. The remake will be huge. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/8 "2010-01-02T22:03:29Z")
I saw the original in the theater and immediately recognized the story when I saw the preview for the new one, thought WTF?? My mind was boggled even more when I saw that it was a **Neil LaBute** film! Neil ( **In the Company of Men, Your Friends And Neighbors, Nurse Betty, The Shape of Things, The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace** ) LaBute!! I am so there. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/9 "2010-01-02T22:13:45Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Guess the remake cycle is getting shorter all the time. Remember the two _Hulks_? That was no remake, that was a re-quel (half reboot/half sequel). ---
**Author:** ![bettyporkta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@bettyporkta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bettyporkta)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/10 "2010-01-02T22:16:09Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > The original was enormously popular here in Australia. Personally I thought it was rubbish the whole story consisting of jokes about faeces, mistaken identity, old folks swearing and accidental ingestion of drugs. Very lame. The remake will be huge. i agree, some friends and rellies of mine thought it was hilarious, while i thought it was just average…!😛 ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/11 "2010-01-02T22:37:48Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > You mean Peter Dinklage plays the same role? That was the only reason we rented it in the first place. It was pretty dull. I won’t bother to see it again. Until it comes to cable. I love Peter Dinklage, but he can do better. That movie had such a great cast, and was such a disappointment. Almost completely unfunny. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/12 "2010-01-02T23:35:19Z")
I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who didn’t find the original movie very funny. As for the remake, I’m not a member of the target market, but I’ll be curious to see if it’s any funnier with African-American people instead of English ones. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/13 "2010-01-02T23:46:04Z")
Wow, Peter Dinklage is in the same role! Weird. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/14 "2010-01-03T01:40:42Z")
I saw the original in the theater at a preview and found it howlingly funny. Mileage does indeed vary. I will see the re-make as well. Interested to see if Dinklage plays the role any differently. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/15 "2010-01-03T08:42:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Wow, Peter Dinklage is in the same role! > > Weird. Well, he’ll certainly know his lines! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/16 "2010-01-03T17:52:41Z")
Mmm, must be all alone in finding the original funny as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/17 "2010-01-04T02:44:27Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Mmm, must be all alone in finding the original funny as hell. Uh, not even alone in this thread. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/18 "2010-01-04T06:12:44Z")
Yeah, didn’t see **gaffa** ’s post. I meant “alone _here_”. You only mentioned Tudyk, did you find the film funny overall? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/19 "2010-02-01T18:06:15Z")
I saw the original on DVD. Thought it was very funny. Very typical British humor. I don’t think it will translate into a success with an African-American audience. But I may be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421/20 "2010-02-01T19:42:47Z")
I liked the original (I like Frank Oz), but it was more amusing than an laff riot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-at-a-funeral-preview-for-film-we-just-saw-on-cable/523421.md?page=2)