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Was the ear scene in Reservoir Dogs supposed to be funny?

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Was the ear scene in Reservoir Dogs supposed to be funny?

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Old 10-12-03, 10:49 PM
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Was the ear scene in Reservoir Dogs supposed to be funny?

I was telling someone this weekend about how I hate the movie Reservoir Dogs, especially the ear scene. It makes me sick. And when I first watched it, everyone else there was laughing and laughing at the ear scene. That disturbed me even more.

The person I was talking to this weekend said she didn't think it was supposed to be funny. She thought you were supposed to get sick watching it.

So? Is it supposed to make you laugh or vomit?
Old 10-12-03, 11:01 PM
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It was not supposed to be comical at all. How old were the people laughing? Under 18?
Old 10-12-03, 11:04 PM
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It's not supposed to be funny, but I find that modern teenagers find it "hip" to laugh and violence and suffering.
Old 10-12-03, 11:06 PM
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Jesus, I hope not. I fear for the mental sanity of anyone that can watch that scene and not shiver a little bit deep down.
Old 10-12-03, 11:11 PM
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We were all probably 17 at the time. This is fascinating. For all these years, I thought this was intended as a dark, comical scene. Now I find that my reaction to it was what was intended.
Old 10-12-03, 11:13 PM
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I know my friend went and saw Evil Dead playing at the movies and all the teens in the audience clapped when the
tree raped the girl
, so laughing at an ear getting cut off when Stuck in the Middle is playing isn't hard to understand.
Old 10-12-03, 11:20 PM
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Yeah but that part in Evil Dead WAS funny
Old 10-12-03, 11:28 PM
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I first watched it about a year ago (So, I was about... 14) and I didn't laugh.

I don't really see how anyone would find that scene funny.
Old 10-12-03, 11:32 PM
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Originally posted by Groucho
It's not supposed to be funny, but I find that modern teenagers find it "hip" to laugh and violence and suffering.
I think everyone finds the suffering of others funny groucho. tell me you never laughed at america's funniest home video when someone took one in the go nads.
Old 10-13-03, 12:36 AM
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i think it was to be both. the scene isn't funny, but with the song playing and the way mr. blonde dances beforehand it can be found amusing.

this question reminds me when i saw jackie brown with a girl i was friends with. nearly everyone in the theater laughed when fonda's character was shot abruptly. after the movie and on the way to the car she mentioned this and wondered why it was funny. it may not of helped that she was blonde, a pothead, and in a few ways similar to fonda's character.
Old 10-13-03, 12:38 AM
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Just dont see the Exorcist with any teenagers.
Old 10-13-03, 01:01 AM
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Kids f.ucking laugh at Schindler's List. It just means they should rot in hell.
Old 10-13-03, 01:17 AM
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It's all about setting.

You see a guy's ear get cut off while the song "stuck in the middle with you" is playing and it's a sort of reaction to it.

Just like you get a reaction when there is a Rape going on to Singing in the rain.

Kids laughing at Schindler's list on the other hand is just wrong.
Old 10-13-03, 02:54 AM
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Originally posted by Jackskeleton

Kids laughing at Schindler's list on the other hand is just wrong.

This is the sort of thing I've encountered a lot in theaters. Most of the time I think it's because the people have no way or handeling what it is they are seeing. During Platoon, the scene where the guy gets his head smashed in with the gun butt, a lot of people laughed. But it was the weirdest laugh I've every heard. It went for about two seconds, and then everyone sealed it up abruptly. A lot of stuff in Schindler's List is terrible brutal and shocking, and for some people when they are made that uncomfortable laughing is just an invulentary reaction.
Old 10-13-03, 03:05 AM
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Yeah, I laugh at horror movies all the time.

Sometimes they become so rediculous ("got your nose!") that you have to laugh.
Old 10-13-03, 06:18 AM
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Originally posted by RyoHazuki7
Just dont see the Exorcist with any teenagers.
The mistake I made. Couldn't enjoy the film.




Ear scene = not comical.
Old 10-13-03, 06:21 AM
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Originally posted by Crocker Jarmen
A lot of stuff in Schindler's List is terrible brutal and shocking, and for some people when they are made that uncomfortable laughing is just an invulentary reaction.
The one and only scene in Schindler's List that I can remember eliciting humor is when the Nazis are interrogating the prisoner on who stole a chicken. No one knows. The Nazi, angered, shoots one at random and asks again. One boy points at the guy he already shot, saving a couple more lives.

That scene elicited a chuckle of relief from me in the theatre, along with a few other people, but it wasn't "hilarious"...
Old 10-13-03, 07:14 AM
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Originally posted by Venom
i think it was to be both. the scene isn't funny, but with the song playing and the way mr. blonde dances beforehand it can be found amusing.

this question reminds me when i saw jackie brown with a girl i was friends with. nearly everyone in the theater laughed when fonda's character was shot abruptly. after the movie and on the way to the car she mentioned this and wondered why it was funny. it may not of helped that she was blonde, a pothead, and in a few ways similar to fonda's character.
spoilers anyone?
Old 10-13-03, 01:34 PM
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Originally posted by theneobez
Yeah but that part in Evil Dead WAS funny
Not to me, to me it was pretty harsh. Still is. Any rape, however it's presented, I don't find funny (not sure why, since sometimes, I think killing in movies can be funny, but rape doesn't work that way for me, I just always find it really harsh).

As far as Reservoir Dogs, the scene is brutal, but not without humor (for one thing, it's funny to Mr. Blonde). I wouldn't laugh at it, but I could understand nervous laughter, due to the combination of brutality and humor.

Last edited by Ginwen; 10-13-03 at 01:39 PM.
Old 10-13-03, 01:54 PM
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Did you notice that in Kill Bill
Spoiler:
that when Uma rips out the rapists tounge in the coma ward that it panned over to the wall, just like in Reservoir Dogs when he sat on Marvin and started to hack off the ear?


Thought I'd throw that in there.
Old 10-13-03, 03:22 PM
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Are you guys kidding me? The ear scene is Hilarious! I's funny because after he cuts the ear off he talks to it "Hey can ya hear that?" It's also funny because he does a little dance to music before he cuts it off. It's also funny when he pours the gasoline on him.

Last edited by highlinder; 10-13-03 at 03:25 PM.
Old 10-13-03, 03:27 PM
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I know it was just a movie, but man I felt so bad for that cop.
Old 10-13-03, 03:31 PM
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but movies are not real life otherwise it would not be so funny.
Old 10-13-03, 04:50 PM
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Originally posted by highlinder
Are you guys kidding me? The ear scene is Hilarious! I's funny because after he cuts the ear off he talks to it "Hey can ya hear that?" It's also funny because he does a little dance to music before he cuts it off. It's also funny when he pours the gasoline on him.
At least he doesn't light him on fire... because he would then be SMOKING... and SMOKING IS GROSS!
Old 10-13-03, 06:10 PM
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It wasn't laugh out loud funny, but like people have said, based on what Madsen does in relation with the whole scene makes it somewhat comical.

As for Exorcist... i wish it made me laugh, because i sure as hell wasn't scared. But that's another story


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