80's Comedy Face-off - Round Four: Eddie Murphy

[Doc Holliday]

Here's one to light a firecracker up all those middle-class, white, suburban comedies - before Donkey, there was sooo much more. And what a choice to have to make:

TRADING PLACES is one of the all-time great comedy films ever made, to this very day. 48hrs was great fun - whilst for many people my age, BEVERLY HILLS COP was the film that put Murphy on the map in his own right.

DELIRIOUS and RAW (yes, I'm allowing them) were definitely the funniest stand-ups I saw in the whole damned decade - only last month I caught one of my mates singing "G.I. Joe is in the wa-ter" (NO, I wasn't in the bath before you all start - he was singing it in the pub).

But I'm going with COMING TO AMERICA - Arsenio Hall before he'd made it, James Earl Jones on top form (so you see, son, there is a very fine line between love and nausea) - hell, even miserable old Dr Benton cracks a smile, complete with perm and comedy hair-rinse product.

So, for your voting pleasure, I give you Fast-talkin' Eddie.....

[WinslowLeach]

I chose Harlem Nights. I consider that film to be the Black version of The Sting. Its really funny, well directed, great cast, music. Excellent work by Eddie.

My second choice would be Beverly Hills Cop, I consider that one of the very best films of the 80s.

I also love Coming To America. Really great.

"Just let your Souuuuuuuuul Glo baby, feelin oh so silky smooth, just let it shine throughhhh yeahhh."

[ThisIsTheGirl]

Wow -this is the toughest one yet!

But be honest: you like Coming to America for the whole McDowell's thing.

"They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick!"

Delirious and Raw was certainly my first taste of proper adult comedy, so even now it still has that air of "danger" around it.

Then again.....Trading Places is just soooooooo funny, even now, and 48 Hours and BHC still hold up as comedy/action/cop drama.

Fuck it - I choose The Golden Child.

[Doc Holliday]

I'd love to see HARLEM NIGHTS again - it got pretty much panned in the UK, as I remember - and the first time I saw it I didn't like it much. but that was only because I was quite young at the time and was expecting a completely different kind of a film. I was expecting something more....well, slapstick I guess - like, a joke-a-minute. It was a very different performance that Murphy gave in that film - and I saw it again only a couple of years later and remember thinking it was actually pretty good.

I'm almost tempted to say it was too sophisticated for my tastes the first time I saw it...I like the comparison you make with THE STING Winslow. Next time its on TV I'm definitely going to watch it.

[WinslowLeach]

"Fuck YOU, Fuck YOU and Fuck YOU...whos next?" - CTA

[Doc Holliday]

Wow -this is the toughest one yet!

But be honest: you like Coming to America for the whole McDowell's thing.

"They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick!"

I don't deny it was a factor!

[tapehead]

Tough coices this time around - I've sen Raw and Delirious countless times, but I'll have to count them out in order to make a decision. I like Winslow's appraisal of Harlem Nights too - So few people actually seem to have seen this movie. Trading Places is the early fave for me - for one thing I don't think there's a single poop or fart joke in it...

but I can't vote yet

[WinslowLeach]

Watch The Sting and Harlem Nights back to back, great double feature.

[HollywoodBabylon]

Murphy is the comedian Will Smith wishes he could be but never will be. And these movies prove that. This is the hardest to choose from out of all the candidates so far.

Still, I'm going with Trading Places, just above 48 hrs and BHC.
Murphy was so funny in that, all wide-eyed and full of attitude. Ackroyd, too, was never better IMHO.

[Seppuku]

I can't vote yet

I looked at that list and thought the exact same thing.

I was THIS close to clicking Harlem Nights, but then I thought of the Jamie Lee Curtis b00b@g3 in Trading Places and...

I came back afterwards and chose Raw.

[Doc Holliday]

Trading Places is the early fave for me - for one thing I don't think there's a single poop or fart joke in it...

...or even a Royal Penis is clean gag

As for The Golden Child, and on the same point in a way, I list that as a 'guilty pleasure' without a second thought. Murphy was a great physical comedian - and often times his funniest moments were the 'cleaner' jokes in the films. Although the whole film pretty much cracked me up, the one joke THE GOLDEN CHILD left me with above all others was the simple "Oh Look - a bed!" line

[WinslowLeach]

Sepper with the Onibaba AV/SIG...Nice! 8)

[Nachokoolaid]

I've laughed so much at those, but when I think of garbage-- eh, I mean Eddie Murphy, I think of Akeem. It's got to be COMING TO AMERICA.

[WinslowLeach]

"When you think of garbage, think of Akeem!"

[Seppuku]

Sepper with the Onibaba AV/SIG...Nice! 8)

I'll admit, I think Brock was the first one to get down with an Onibaba AV/Sig combo...but Brock also totally wants to anally ravage Nicole Richie, so it's not like I'm a complete Brock wannabe.

Although, thinking about, he's got a point...




So, erm anyone else seen Best Defence? I didn't hate it!




Phew, I think I handled that well.

[tapehead]

Trading Places is the early fave for me - for one thing I don't think there's a single poop or fart joke in it...

...or even a Royal Penis is clean gag

As for The Golden Child, and on the same point in a way, I list that as a 'guilty pleasure' without a second thought. Murphy was a great physical comedian - and often times his funniest moments were the 'cleaner' jokes in the films. Although the whole film pretty much cracked me up, the one joke THE GOLDEN CHILD left me with above all others was the simple "Oh Look - a bed!" line

Don't get me wrong - poop is hilarious, but I can't help but associate that line of humour as the 'rot' setting into Murphy's humour - that and his rubber latex personas. For some reason the same stuff that has me gasping with laughter in 'Raw' and 'Delirious' just leaves me cold when delivered from beneath pounds of make-up (see also The Nutty Professor and it's awful sequel, The Klumps). Having said that I never fail to get big big laughs from the jerry-curled frontman of Sexual Chocolate.

Sepp - Best Defense was about as good as you could hope a pairing between Dudly Moore and Murphy could be - a slightly innovative story editing technique and not many scenes together, as I recall (maybe none?) - which is probably a good thing, as their styles have very little in common.

[WinslowLeach]

"You may remember Randy from the 'Whats Goin Down' episode of Thats My Momma....Ladies N Gentlemen, give it up for Jackson Heights OWN RANDY WATSON!!"

(clap clap clap)

"Give it up for Revrend Brown, hes been my Revrend since I was a little boy..Reverend Brown! (kiss).

"Youre all so lovely, give yourself a round of applause"

(Clap cough)

I dont even remember Best Defense. Ill have to try to watch it sometime.

[Seppuku]

I dont even remember Best Defense. Ill have to try to watch it sometime.

Well, I'm not exactly recommending it, but I think it's safe to say it's probably better than Norbit.

But I was actually kind of misquoting the guy in the audience at the beginning of Raw who shouts out, "Hey, I even liked Best Defence".

[WinslowLeach]

HAHA! I could quote CTA all day long. I love that one.

(stomps) "SEXUAL CHOCOLATE!"

(clap, cough)

(waves, drops mic)

GIVE IT UP FOR RANDY WATSON!!

(clap, cough)

Old guy: That boy is good!

Old guy #2: You must be crazy.

[John-Locke]

In order to vote I have to take his Stand Up movies out of the equation, they are without a doubt funnier than any of his films but I don't think they should count.

Tapehead I hope you were joking when you said Trading places doesn't have any fart or poop jokes in it, what about the "when I was a kid if we wanted bubbles we had to fart in the tub" line?

Still it is my favourite of his films and gets my vote, so many great quotable line, the scene on the train where he plays the guy from the Cameroon institute being my favourite "Jerkied Beef?".

[Fried Gold]

I watched The Golden Child last week when it was on TV. It's not a bad film. I always get it mixed up with another film.

I voted for Trading Places.

[tapehead]

Tapehead I hope you were joking when you said Trading places doesn't have any fart or poop jokes in it, what about the "when I was a kid if we wanted bubbles we had to fart in the tub" line?

No Jokes, JL, I just forgot that fairly forgettable line - Trading Places gets my vote too.

[Nachokoolaid]

HAHA! I could quote CTA all day long. I love that one.

(stomps) "SEXUAL CHOCOLATE!"

(clap, cough)

(waves, drops mic)

GIVE IT UP FOR RANDY WATSON!!

(clap, cough)

Old guy: That boy is good!

Old guy #2: You must be crazy.

EDIT FOR ACCURACY:

Old guy: That boy is good!

Old Barber: Good and terrible!

Old guy: You must be crazy.

I always secretly wished that Murphy and Hall would make a sequel focused solely on the Barbershop guys. They tried to do it with BARBERSHOP, but Cedric the "Entertainer" isn't named too well.

[WinslowLeach]

"Man, you never met no Frank Sinatra"

[Vegeta]

I don't really consider 48 hrs and BHC to really be comedies, at least not in the purist sense... so they're out. That leaves... RAW! Watched it a couple of weeks ago and laughed my ass off all over again.

[MonkeyM666]

I was torn between RAW and Comming to America.... Raw won...

[Al Shut]

I watched The Golden Child last week when it was on TV. It's not a bad film. I always get it mixed up with another film.

Whenever I read the title of this film in the TV magazine I mistake it for an eastern I saw ages ago. I cry when I eralize the mistake.

I voted for Coming to America but I never saw no of his stand up.

[TheBaxter]

i voted for Trading Places. that is one of the only movies that is just as funny now as it was the first time i saw it... possibly even funnier.

my 2nd choice would've been CTA. of course, one of my favourite parts of CTA is the cameo by the duke bros. "Mortimer... We're back!"

[papalazeru]

I went for delirious - soooo many wrong comments in there. Theres no way he would get a stage with some of his comments - its a great tribute to comedy through the ages.

I know its not an 80's film but Bowfinger showed a fine performance by Eddie - he's still got comic timing, I just wish he'd stop doing stoopid kids films and get back to what he's good at - Visceral and gutteral comedy.

[thebostonlocksmith]

I voted for trading places, partially because it was the first time i had ever seen a pair of breasts and they belonged to Jaimie lee Curtis...

[Hollywood_Bob]

MUch like those before me I find that I cannot vote yet as I am re-living all of these great Eddie moments...

TP: "I can Walk! I can see!"

GC: "Can I have the knife...Pleeeeeeease" ( I still can't halp myself from saying this when I am eating sometimes)

[minstrel]

Trading Places all the way. It's the one I enjoy the most.

I like Beverly Hills Cop, but it seems more like an action movie with a couple of funny sequences rather than a comedy.

And I don't like the idea of including stand-up comedy movies in the choices. That's dangerous territory, because for some comedians, they are very different in character and quality from the other films. For example, I think Steve Martin is a genius standup comedian, one of the best ever, but in films he's usually mediocre. It's really hard to compare the two forms of entertainment.

[Doc Holliday]

And I don't like the idea of including stand-up comedy movies in the choices. That's dangerous territory, because for some comedians, they are very different in character and quality from the other films. For example, I think Steve Martin is a genius standup comedian, one of the best ever, but in films he's usually mediocre. It's really hard to compare the two forms of entertainment.

I deliberated for a long time about whether to include RAW and Delirious - but in the end I decided what I am polling are the comedy greats of the 80's, not finest comic actors. I don't know about anybody else's memory of the 80's - but back then - and with the exception of Richard Pryor - both of Murphy's stand-ups were the only ones I was aware of that were hugely anticipated before release on VHS and widely rented. These concerts were at least as keenly awaited as any film that was released that year - parties were arranged around their release in my neighbourhood.

These days anyone who has brushed the fringe of Edinburgh has a DVD out within months - but back then RAW and Delirious were quite exceptional, a definite comic event. So that, the definition of the thread title (or at least how I've decided to interpret it) plus the fact he did also make no small amount of iconic films as well, meant that I decided to include them.

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

I think Eddie Murphy's a gentleman. He sodded off quite obnoxiously, any talent he had going for him early in his career by simply swearing his head off and thinking that it equalled 'comedy'. To this day, he still thinks that fart and studly jokes are funny, and I heard that in real life, not only is he an arrogant and stuck up Wanker that thinks he's God's gift, but also that he is a racist.

This is one guy that is gonna find it very hard to convince me that he has any sincerity or dignity with his work. I haven't seen Dreamgirls yet, so I can't comment too much, but SO FAR - I am pissed off that he's been nominated for so many awards and I hope he gets well and truly fucked off by the Oscars when it comes to Best Supporting Actor. Then I hope HE fucks off.

Doc, I am shaking my wind at your barley right now in FAASST AND FUUUURRRIOOOUUUSSS ANGER, for you doing this thread.

Please delete.

[Doc Holliday]

Twat

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

See? Eddie Murphy and his 4 lettered words are rubbing off on you.

Bet you said 'Get the fuck outta here!!' to all your teachers at school after watching Beverly Hills Cop when you were a kid, didn't you? I'm ashamed of you for doing this thread, Doc. You know this guy is a Wanker and don't deserve it.

[thebostonlocksmith]

I think that's a little harsh... I thought we were talking about the films he made before he went down hill??

and look at the money he made from coming to America... it was a lot...

[Cpt Kirks 2pay]

Money isn't everything, Randolph!!!!

[MonkeyM666]

Try and tell that to Eddie now...

[thebostonlocksmith]

I quite enjoyed some of his earlier films because i was young and i thought that swearing was cool, i still enjoy them if i see some of them now...

I think there was a big thing about coming to America and the amount of money they had to pay him for that one... theyaudited the books on it after a complaint (not unlike the Peter Jackson thing) and he became one of the most expensive actors in Hollywood...

it was a lot of money for a little swearing... I think i'd cope with that...

not too sure what he's been playing at with that scary spice though..

[tapehead]

Moustache Spice?

Come one - the guy rocked purple and red tailor made leather suits for his two great comedy videos! Let him be a freak!

[thebostonlocksmith]

Moustache Spice?

afro carribean spice... or Mel B or C i think...

[tapehead]

Yuh - but when she's with Ed, she's "Moustache" Spice