edited by Jonathan Doyle

Mafioso (The Criterion Collection, 3.18.2008) Nino Badalamenti is a supervisor in a car manufacturing plant who hasn't taken a vacation in over two years. On his way out the door to visit his beloved childhood hometown of Sicily -- with his blonde wife and daughters -- Nino is handed a package by his boss and asked to deliver it to a powerful and influential Sicilian gangster named Don Vincenzo. Once in Sicily, Nino has a hoot seeing friends and family, but his wife has trouble fitting in and is unfairly dismissed as a snob by Nino's family. Even more worrisome, Nino finds himself entangled in an intricate web of secret mafioso dealings and is eventually sent on an unexpectedly... elaborate errand. (continued)

Upcoming

July 2

Hancock

July 3

The Whackness

July 4

Diminished Capacity

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

Holding Trevor

Kabluey

We are Together

July 9

Full Battle Rattle

July 11

A Man Named Pearl

August

Eight Miles High

Garden Party

Harold

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Meet Dave

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

The Stone Angel

July 18

A Very British Gangster

Before I Forget

The Dark Knight

The Doorman

Felon

Lou Reed's Berlin

Transsiberian

July 22

Two Tickets to Paradise

July 23

Boy A

Remembering O'Donoghue

email this story
read comments (14)
post a comment

"[Simply] making people laugh is the lowest form of humor." -- the late humorist Michael O'Donoghue.

Ressner reporting for Politico<< previous | next >>Damianos

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 31, 2007 at 08:25 PM

comment #1

The Hoyk says ...

A lesson too long forgotten from a truly twisted genius.

I can only fathom the irreverent revelry he and Terry Southern are engaged in wherever that spiritual plain may be.

Posted by The Hoyk at October 31, 2007 08:30 PM

comment #2

Matthew Lucas says ...

No...fart jokes are the lowest form of humor. Just below crotch hits.

But yes, I get your point.

Posted by Matthew Lucas at October 31, 2007 08:32 PM

comment #3

R. Hunt says ...

O'Donoghue was a genius, and one who I suspect is largely unknown to anyone under the age of 40. Check out the "Mr.Mike" biography. And remember his other great quote that tv was just a lava lamp with slightly better sound quality.

Posted by R. Hunt at October 31, 2007 09:39 PM

comment #4

Sax says ...

Does anyone else remember his little treatise in National Lampoon, "Michael O'Donoghue's How To Write Good"? His all purpose ending: "Suddenly, everyone was run over by a truck" (English aspiring authors can substitute,'lorry'). The best part was the cheesy little cartoon, advertising the lessons. In the first few panels, hapless writer Dave suffers rejection after rejection. Even his wife thinks he should give up Then he reads Michael O'Donoghue's "How To Write Good". He submits a story and then ... two weeks later, he makes his first sale! ... There's a classic panel where the beaming editor is saying "Great story, Dave! I especially liked the part where everyone got run over by a truck!"
Mr. Mike lives up to his own credo here. It's silly and it makes me laugh just typing it out, but he also makes his point about mail order con-jobs and the whole culture of American smarmy salesmen from P.T.Barnum to Cialis ads on TV ... not to mention the delusional pathos of most would-be writers. Mean spirited? Yes. That's what makes it so funny.

Posted by Sax at November 1, 2007 03:36 AM

comment #5

carla kolchak says ...

I pause to mourn SNL's long and sad decline: from the sublime "Least-Loved Bedtime Stories" to the ridiculous "Dick in a Box".
*sigh*

Posted by carla kolchak at November 1, 2007 06:14 AM

comment #6

GeorgePrager says ...

Dick in a Box was hilarious. When did humorless nuns start posting on HE?

This is funny SNL:

Fly High Duluth

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4_QMCrqi4ds

Posted by GeorgePrager at November 1, 2007 06:30 AM

comment #7

carla kolchak says ...

So if you don't find "Dick in a Box" funny you are automatically a nun? Guess that's better than being a dick. In a box or otherwise.

Posted by carla kolchak at November 1, 2007 06:55 AM

comment #8

christian says ...

I love "How To Write Good." I reference it all the time to unknowing friends.

But suddenly, I am run over by a truck.

Posted by christian at November 1, 2007 09:48 AM

comment #9

GeorgePrager says ...

I wanted to know what kind of person doesn't think "Dick in a Box is funny, so I looked at sister carla's charmless, unsexy blog. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I'd rather be a dick .

Posted by GeorgePrager at November 1, 2007 10:19 AM

comment #10