Do you have any good examples? Stand-up, movies, shows, interviews, etc… ?
As much as I love to laugh, I usually need it mainlined via stand-up comedy, Bill Hicks, George Carlin… Mort Sahl might be my funniest, but he doesn’t show his anger much during stand-up, although he does in interviews, many which are very funny.
The only show I can think of that has some funny writing is “The Larry Sanders Show” and although Garry Shandling is the star, creator, and sometimes writer of the show, to me it’s Rip Torn’s anger that makes me laugh. Even in the first one, “I killed a man like you in Korea!” over and over.
Joe Pesci is a guy who is usually funny, again, when he’s angry… I’m thinking specifically of the scene in Casino, the “Charley M” scene.
Some examples of movies.
La Strada - When Zampano is trying to teach Gelsomina how to introduce him, he tells her to say, “Here he is…… ZAMPANO!” and she’s not in the mood, bring thrusted into this life only because her sister died, and because her family needs the money, she barely musters enough energy and says without any energy.
“Zampano is here” — very funny, great turn of a phrase.
-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Lots of little interesting things, mostly Jack Nicholson, even though Danny Devitto is usually funny (in the show, “It’s Always Sunny…” and also in “Twins”)…. My favorite humor scene is when Jack is being analyzed by a handful of psychiatrists, and is asked by the man with the glasses and red-brown mustache "What do you think the phrase ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss’’ he answers it, and then throws the analogy, "Well, its kinda like the phrase “Don’t do your dirty laundry in public”, and then the analyst looks confused and says, “I don’t think I understand”… Then Jack looks at the Indian doctor and says, “See, I’m smarter than he is!” (funny how he deduces that)
-Buffalo '66 – The time with his parents is funny… After they leave, he (Vincent Gallo) tells Christina Ricci (mocking her voice) “He works at the CIA. Everyone loves him. The president loves him”….
“Do you think my father believed that for one minute?” he tells her angrily.
-A Woman Under the Influence – to me, the funniest woman I’ve ever seen on the big screen wasn’t even an actress - it was John Cassavetes’ mom! I always smile when they have the coming home party for Muriel, and at one point she asks/laments “Coca-Cola?” and probably repeats it again with more words….
-Minnie and Moskowitz – again, its Katherine Cassavetes who is funny. Especially how she degrades her son, Seymour Cassell.
