Jim Carrey & Robin Williams etc. Funny?

I don't find Jim or Robin in the least bit funny, but suspect that I may be in a minority on here.

My views are formed mostly from their chat show appearances. I did like Williams in Dead Poets Society (not comedy) but that's about the top and bottom of it really.

I start to watch their films but invariably give up after about five minutes as I don't get all the adulation heaped upon them.

What are the elements of their comic genius that I'm not getting? Both seem, IMO, to confuse funny with loud faux wackiness and stupid gurning.

The Emperor's new clothes spring to mind here.

Never really had much time for Jim Carrey, apart from Cable Guy, but if you want to see how funny Robin Williams can be/could be/was/is then you should hunt out copies of An Evening with Robin Williams(1982), Robin Williams: Live at the Met(1986) and Good Morning Vietnam

Best performances by Robin Williams, One Hour Photo (you'll never take your photos in to be developed ever again.) followed very closley by Insomnia

kjs

I saw Williams do standup in San Francisco shortly after 9/11, trying out material for an HBO special. He was absolutely hilarious. Went on for about four hours, the last two basically him just riffing off whatever the audience threw at him. Guy's talented. And he donated his fee to charity. Nice guy.

They are funny sometimes.
Not mind blowingly hilarious.

Although, saying that, I did find Ace Ventura hilarious when it first came out.

I hate (fill in space). It tastes too horrible. Something about it tastes unlike anything else. It tastes awful. I can't stand it but suspect that I may be in a minority on here.

Hey, and don't get me started on (fill in space)!!!!

Surely that should be "Phil in Space" Morrace.

I've never seen it though. Who's in it? Jim? Robin? Is it a sci-fi epic?

Quote: Blenkinsop @ January 7 2010, 5:52 PM GMT

"Phil in Space"

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Very clever, Blenks. Nice one!

They're both funny sometimes, yeah. With Williams it tends not to be his films though, really. I prefer Jim Carrey out of the two; films like Ace Ventura, Cable Guy and Dumb And Dumber are really rather good; as are some of his non-comedies, like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.

Both are brilliant, sometimes, but are perhaps best known for their more commercial work.

Quote: Morrace @ January 7 2010, 5:54 PM GMT

Very clever, Blenks. Nice one!

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I haven't seen much Robin Williams stand-up but IMHO Jim Carrey is unquestionably a comedy genius. I'd like to see him and Will Ferrell in a movie together. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

They've all been in some pretty turdy movies as of late. I don't know what would happen if a combination of any of the 3 (Williams, Ferrell, or Carrey) ended up in a film. Probably some space-time continuum thingee, or swarms of locusts.

I find very loud, hyper-active people very irritating.

Though I prefered Robin Williams in Take That.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 7 2010, 7:24 PM GMT

Though I prefered Robin Williams in Take That.

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I don't know about Take That but he was Bono's stunt double on a couple of U2 tours.

Quote: KJSmyling @ January 7 2010, 7:38 PM GMT

I don't know about Take That but he was Bono's stunt double on a couple of U2 tours.

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Those specs look painful.