Bringin' Da Funny

I read and watch a lot of things considered comedic, humorous, funny, etc. but it's not often that I'll find something that his worth more than a handful of laughs--recently, I've stumbled onto a few things that are laugh out loud funny from beginning to end. Been meaning to talk about them for awhile, might as well get to it now, 3 books and 3 movies that I still laugh at weeks after finishing

Books:

• The Rabbit Factory by Marshall Karp - This is the first installment of what I hope is many in the adventures of two LA Homicide Detectives, Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs. The detective story is solid--a serial killer(killers?) is attacking people associated with a Disney-like company (complete with theme park), leading the detectives through both the messy world of the animation industry and its even messier history. At the same time, Lomax is dealing with the recent death of his wife and some other family issues. BUT the story is told with flair, heart and a lot of laughs. This isn't one of those books where the serious or violent aspects of the events are played for laughs. It's like Harry Bosch having a great day ('tho I don't know if Harry could handle such an eventuality). Better yet, it's like those 'comic relief' episodes of The Closer where Detectives Flynn and Provenza get themselves in the middle of some silly situation (like "To Protect & To Serve" or "Saving Face")--the murder stuff is serious, but everything around it is hilarious. It was touching, it was hysterically funny, with a dead-on mystery. Probably the best book I've read this year.


• Bloodthirsty by Marshall Karp Naturally, after The Rabbit Factory I rushed out to get the next Lomax and Biggs case. Thankfully, it was almost as good as the first. The humor still crackled, the insider's view of Hollywood again felt genuine, the crimes...well, they were more violent, more gruesome. Sadly, I could see the solution to the mystery a few miles away, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment watching the heroes get there themselves. Honestly, I can't really see the events of the first book happening in the real world--but this one? I'm surprised we don't hear about that kind of thing every day. A solid sequel that leaves you wanting more, I can't wait for the next thing Karp brings out.


• I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle Take the ultimate Teen Movie in the vein of Better Off Dead, Say Anything, or Can't Buy Me Love, make it funnier yet more heartfelt, and then commit it to print rather than film, and you've got this novel. Denis Cooverman, alpha-geek, uses his valedictorian speech at graduation to announce to the world--including Beth Cooper--his love for the titular character, the requisite gorgeous, rich, blonde cheerleader. There are a few problems with this...1. Beth is barely aware Denis exists; 2. Beth has a boyfriend with a nasty jealous streak; 3. Boyfriend is an Army soldier--with Special Forces training--on leave. Hilarity ensues. The novel is a chronicle of the day that follows graduation, that one last night of revelry. Well, revelry, violence, and young love. I wasn't reading it long before Samwise started saying, "you're about to start laughing" when I'd pick up the book (he was right).

Movies:

• Shaun of the Dead I finally gave into all the buzz I've heard over this and was delighted. This zombie flick had my coworker and I in stitches. Simon Pegg was fantastic as a beta male trying to win back his girlfriend (Studio 60's Lucy Davis) while trying to save her, his friends and mother (Penelope Wilton, Doctor Who's Harriet Jones) while the undead are conquering England. Sure, it's a story we've all seen a million times, but this time it was special. :)


• Hot Fuzz Simon Pegg does it again--and better! His character is 180 degrees different from Shaun, Type A over-achiever all the way, but just as funny--scratch that, even more laugh-inducing. This time out, Pegg's London's top cop (think Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop II), transferred to a small town. The culture-clash is a great setup and somehow doesn't become battle of the cliches. This was simply a perfect comedy. Again, my coworker and I were on the floor, and were afraid we were going to wake the clients.


• Death at a FuneralA dutiful son and his wife conduct a dignified funeral for his father, hosting many relatives (including other son, the celebrity author just flown in from the States), friends, and coworkers. And the laughs start coming. Typical comedic fare, right? This is an ensemble comedy, I only recognized two of the actors--Alan Tudyk (Wash!) and Peter Dinklage. It starts off pretty slow...set-up/punchline, set-up/punchline, and so on, slowly building up steam and then ka-pow! it takes off and you barely get a chance to catch your breath between punchlines. I can't really say more without giving away some of the plot, just trust me...you'll laugh a lot. This time at work, we didn't care if we woke anyone up--we just had to laugh--we had tears in our eyes. I watched this two times back-to-back and was in stitches both times. Can't say enough about this one.