FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: COMIC DUOS

The spring is turning out to be a busy time for the Freedom Film Series. The Mel Brooks Freedom Film Series wrapped up just last night after an April run and it is time to turn our sights on the next series which will run throughout the month of May.

In May, the Freedom Film Series will remain in the comedy genre as we take a look at some of the more successful comedic duos in film. When the idea for this theme came to me, I spent a lot of time trying to decide which duos to feature in a four week series. There have been numerous comedic teams throughout the history of film that have made an indelible impact on today's cinema. So instead of just trying to pick and choose the duos randomly, I decided to create a structure for the series and use that as a guide in my choosing. I thought the best course was to go for the broadest appeal possible. So, I decided to take a comic duo from four different time periods in film history. I have chosen a comic duo from the earlier days of film ('30s-'40s), a duo from the '70s-'80s, a duo from the early to mid-'90s, and a recent comic duo.

The comic duos that will be highlighted in this series are: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Chris Farley and David Spade, and Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The first three duos more or less fit the classic definition of a comic duo that I initially had in mind. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are more of an action/comedy duo, but they are one of the better examples from the more recent cinema of today. Abbott and Costello helped to define what a great comedic duo is and there routines are stuff of legend. Pryor and Wilder equaled comedy gold during the '70s, '80's, and even into the early '90s. Even though Chris Farley and David Spade only head-lined two movies together in the mid-'90s, one cannot think of one without the other. The two movies they made, Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, have become huge cultural phenomenons and have allowed both men to leave significant marks on the comedy genre. And everyone knows the kind of success Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker have experienced with their three Rush Hour films.

Each screening in the Comic Duos Freedom Film Series is be on each Wednesday night in the month of May. All screenings will begin at 6:00pm in the Community Room of the Freedom Regional Public Library. Free popcorn is served at every screening to those who attend. Hope to see you there!


Freedom Film Series Presents: Comic Duos

May 6: Who Done It?

May 13: Stir Crazy, R

May 20: Tommy Boy, PG-13

May 27: Rush Hour, PG-13


**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend an R-rated film.**



Until next time....