How about Jim Carrey? His standup was never hugely popular but it was very funny and is how he got into showbusiness (here are a few links to some stuff on youtube -> http://www.youtube.com/results?q=jim+carrey+standup&search_type= ). He was, for a time, the absolute biggest name and highest paid comedic actor. I think things really started to go down fast for him after Me, Myself, and Irene. I didn’t see Horton Hears a Who, but with the exception of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I don’t think he has made anything watchable in a long, long time.
Hmmm… all this beard stroking and pontificating back and forth about Eddie Murphy’s merits, and one of his most nuanced and brilliant performances gets exactly one mention.
The “Donkey” character voice characterization in the original Shrek was one of the most brilliant examples of voice work I have ever seen. His timing was impeccable and he absolutely made the character come alive, and IMO made the film worth watching. Everyone whining about what a hack he has become and why they are so puzzled he still gets work needs to remember that performance. It was distilled genius and not one actor in a million could have done it as well.
[QUOTE=astro]
Hmmm… all this beard stroking and pontificating back and forth about Eddie Murphy’s merits, and one of his most nuanced and brilliant performances gets exactly one mention.
The “Donkey” character voice characterization in the original Shrek was one of the most brilliant examples of voice work I have ever seen. His timing was impeccable and he absolutely made the character come alive, and IMO made the film worth watching. Everyone whining about what a hack he has become and why they are so puzzled he still gets work needs to remember that performance. It was distilled genius and not one actor in a million could have done it as well.
[/QUOTE]
His, or the film’s voice talent coach/coordinator? Films are not one-man deals.
[QUOTE=Neidhart]
Was Tim Allen ever any good? All he seems to do nowadays is grade-D kiddie krap.
[/QUOTE]
Frickin’ hilarious stand-up led to his run on “Home Improvement”. HI was good, solid TV comedy, mainly because Tim had great folks working with him (especially Patricia Richardson). The Santa Claus movies have been good.
Since then, not so much.
[QUOTE=Jiminator]
How about Jim Carrey? His standup was never hugely popular but it was very funny and is how he got into showbusiness (here are a few links to some stuff on youtube -> http://www.youtube.com/results?q=jim+carrey+standup&search_type= ). He was, for a time, the absolute biggest name and highest paid comedic actor. I think things really started to go down fast for him after Me, Myself, and Irene. I didn’t see Horton Hears a Who, but with the exception of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I don’t think he has made anything watchable in a long, long time.
[/QUOTE]
I agree.
That act I believe was on HBO (the one with the awful parker Lewis-inspired multi-color shirt) and there are some great moments in that.
Jimmy Stewart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7q6tI9gohM&feature=related
Holy Men: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QI-dnOkmk&feature=related
On guns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z-6wnJ2uvc&feature=related
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim]
Rate what? Contempt? I HATE Ferrell and Sandler!
But you missing lots of other. Mike Meyers, Chris Farley (ok, he was terrible, but still popular until he died), Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey (who just did an hour-long HBO special – which mostly sucked), Dan Ackroyd, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Janine Garafalo, Christopher Guest, Norm McDonald, Michael McKean, Chris Rock, Sara Silverman, Harry Shearer, David Spade, Martin Short.
That’s just off the top of my head, and they all went on to more success after SNL.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I like them, and I agree that many others have gone on to success, like those on your list.
BTW, SNL is just unwatchable anymore. What happened, no more free cocaine backstage?
Steve Martin is amazing. If we’re talking Roxanne-era, you have to give him props for All of Me.
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil]
Well, I like them, and I agree that many others have gone on to success, like those on your list.
BTW, SNL is just unwatchable anymore. What happened, no more free cocaine backstage?
[/QUOTE]
I like to think of SNL as a petrie dish. Mostly it just grows worthless mold that’s about exciting to watch as, well, growing mold. But every 5 or years ir so, something grows in it worth keeping and cultivating.
It’s overdue.
Well Murphy went from blue to PG right around the time that he got caught with a prostitute right? He was getting older, he had kids and I’ll bet that he didn’t want his kids growing up thinking that Dad is a filthy whoremonger or something. Maybe after they’re grown he’ll go back to doing something else.
[QUOTE=cmkeller]
Steve Martin is amazing. If we’re talking Roxanne-era, you have to give him props for All of Me.
[/QUOTE]
For my money, The Jerk, The Man With 2 Brains, Roxanne, All Of Me, LA Story, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Bowfinger (the only late-era Martin and Eddie Murphy movie I can stand) are comedy classics.
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim]
I like to think of SNL as a petrie dish. Mostly it just grows worthless mold that’s about exciting to watch as, well, growing mold. But every 5 or years ir so, something grows in it worth keeping and cultivating.
It’s overdue.
[/QUOTE]
Tina Fey.
[QUOTE=Jiminator]
How about Jim Carrey? His standup was never hugely popular but it was very funny and is how he got into showbusiness (here are a few links to some stuff on youtube -> http://www.youtube.com/results?q=jim+carrey+standup&search_type= ). He was, for a time, the absolute biggest name and highest paid comedic actor. I think things really started to go down fast for him after Me, Myself, and Irene. I didn’t see Horton Hears a Who, but with the exception of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I don’t think he has made anything watchable in a long, long time.
[/QUOTE]
Carrey was perfect on “In Living Color”. He stole the show from the talented Wayans. He has never done anything close to that level again.
[QUOTE=Suse]
Doesn’t he do poems on the Bob and Tom Show on the radio?
[/QUOTE]
No idea–what radio station is that?
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly]
Obviously there is a lot of YMMV here, but I would say that Eddie Murphy has come out pretty well for an ex SNL actor. I agree that his current crop of movies aren’t at all to my taste, but many are pretty good family freindly fun. Delerious, Raw, and most of his SNL stuff was not at all family freindly. Trading places was a bit complicated, but I found Coming to America to be pretty much equivalent to the stuff he is doing now. I thought The Nutty Professor was fine. The sequel was just cashing in. He definitely did have a spat of really bad stuff for a while, but I think he has more or less recovered into the family freindly humor genre. Comedians are almost always pretty short lived, so the fact that he’s found a consistent little niche is really a testament to how good he is.
[/QUOTE]
Agreed. My wife and I were talking about this tonight.
She says, and I agree, that it seems Eddie wanted to make films that his kids could watch. Considering all the violence, sensationalization of drug use, and otherwise focusing on bad things, Eddie actually makes great movies these days. He’s managed to successfully transform his schtick and be entertaining.
Ben Elton.
[QUOTE=Lakai]
…I’ve never seen Steve Martin do anything funny.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Hodge]
For my money, The Jerk, The Man With 2 Brains, Roxanne, All Of Me, LA Story, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Bowfinger (the only late-era Martin and Eddie Murphy movie I can stand) are comedy classics…
[/QUOTE]
Two of my all time favorite comedy movies are The Jerk and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. If those two movies don’t make you laugh, your funny bone is broken. IMHO of course.
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi]
Roxanne.
Why do people forget that movie? Wonderful.
[/QUOTE]
Parenthood too. Very, very good movie.
[QUOTE=flurb]
Hell, is there anybody who got their big break on SNL who doesn’t fit this pattern? It seems like every breakout star from the show is hilarious for a few seasons on SNL, then jumps into moves that become increasingly dreck. In addition to the already mentioned Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and Steve Martin, I’d add Dan Akroyd, Joe Piscopo, Dana Carvey, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and Will Ferrell.
[/QUOTE]
(bolding mine)
While I have nothing to add to the Steve Martin argument, I do have one little nitpick, as I have often seen comments like this on the boards. Even though it seems like Steve Martin was on SNL just about every week back in the late 70’s, he was never actually a cast member.
Steve Martin’s performance in All of Me should have won an Oscar. I actually started wondering how they got Lily Tomlin into Steve Martin (no jokes, please). He didn’t act like her–he became her.
I’m not sure. I think after Beverly Hills Cop III Murphy was about tapped out and needed a new genre. If he could of, he would of kept doing the adult themed comedies/action flicks.
[QUOTE=commasense]
The real nadir of his career was his 1993 late-night talk show. It only ran for 14 episodes in the fall of 1993, and was appallingly bad. I watched almost every episode because I couldn’t believe how awful it was. It was like watching a car wreck: I just couldn’t look away. There was a large fish tank on the set behind him, and most of the time the fish were more interesting than what was going on in front of them.
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I went to his talk show. Booorrrring. Even I could find straight lines he was passing up. It really isn’t his talent. You have to have a quick wit, and it helps IMO to be able to be absurdest with it.
Phil Hartman: What do you think is on the back of this jacket?
David Letterman: Oh, a diagram of the Heimlich Maneuver?
Hartman has to pause to laugh.