After always hearing how great the 'classic' Duck Soup was, I tivo'd it on TCM and watched it. Well, I watched about an hour. No wonder it was a flop when it came out. It's not funny and just plain bad.

D

I thought it was funny and it didn't have songs and a romantic sub plot to bring the craziness of the Marx Brox to a complete stop.

It's been such a long time since I saw it at a revival house (probably 20 years) but I had a very similar reaction. I thought "so that's it, huh?" after reading about how highly regarded it seemed to be among critics. The best way to watch the Marx Brothers might be via a documentary or compilation that just highlights their best bits (which are great) and cuts out all of the dull stuff. Just my opinion of course.

I've never heard of this movie. Who's in it? Is it a new release?

Everyone hates it, so I'm assuming Michael Bay directed it.

man, i have fond memeories of this movie. my girlfriend and i ducked into a local revival theater to get out of the rain. we paid our five bucks and watched the last hour of duck soup. maybe we were just in the right mood, but every little thing had us laughing -- groucho mirroring "himself" in the doorway, and harpo grabbing people hands and hanging his leg in them is so stupid and ridiculous we had tears streaming down our faces. the audience was really into it as well, and i'm sure that communal experience couldn't be duplicated at home on a tivo.

That false mirror scene is one of the funniest scenes ever put on film.

While Duck Soup isn't my personal favorite of the Marx Brothers - that would either have to go to A Day at the Races or A Night at the Opera - Duck Soup is still incredibly hilarious.

My two cents: never watch a movie because "everyone says it's a classic." Odds are you'll hate it, for pretty much the same reason most people hate the books their teachers make them read in High School English. Nothing drains the fun out of something more than the suspicion that it's good for you.

Watch movies because you think you'll like them ... or because you want to try something new, in which case you will inevitably end up with some you don't like. It's not like you'll win a car if you watch every movie in the AFI's Top 100.

(For what it's worth Duck Soup is one of my all-time favorites. But then I had the good luck of seeing it before I knew it was supposed to be good for me.)

Seen it a few times now and I still am almost brought to tears at how funny it is. Groucho's one liners are just great

I still prefer A Night at the Opera as my all time favorite Marx Bros movie, but this one is a very close second.

That said, 75 year old movies aren't for everyone. You don't get it, you don't get it. I could personally watch Duck Soup 100 times and never get tired of it.

I've only seen it once, and got tired of it right away. I guess the Marx Brothers just aren't my cup of tea, although A Night At The Opera was (compared to Duck Soup) mildly amusing.

I suppose that may be true, but I got my younger brother who can't even sit through most television shows to watch Chaplin's Modern Times and The Gold Rush. I think what kind of mood you're in means a lot.

That's just crazy. Does the criteria for DVD Talk forum membership include a sanity clause?

Wait for it...

I don't believe so, no.

hmm, you must have thought Wedding Crasher's was funny then....

(to each his own)

I think it also helps if you can see these types of movies in the theatre setting - this summer and last, the AFI here in Silver Spring Maryland has shown Marx Brother's films, some classic Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd - and when you get a bunch of folk to enjoy the movie with you - the experience is heightened and appreciated. The family's that brought their kids to the Marx Brother's films had a great time.

I can't believe this thread exists... I had to read it just to be sure it wasn't a put on. The next thing you'll be telling me is that the Muppets are just dumb puppets.

You can't fool me - there ain't no sanity clause.

p.s. The Marx Bros. are pure cinematic crack for me.

I love the Marx Brothers, and Duck Soup is my favorite of their movies. It has me laughing nonstop (until that absurdist montage at the end, which never worked for me).

In a related story, my taste in music is different from many other people's.

Get a rope...

I found "Duck Soup" to be a hilarious film. Almost as funny as "A Night at the Opera."

... and about 70 years ago.

how are prints for these movies at that theater? i know the charles in baltimore city has a revitals series that plays old movies.

Generally, they are excellent prints - I have yet to see an revival film in bad print condition at the AFI

You can't a foola me, theresa no sucha thing as a sanity claus



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