Disaster Movie: Hilarious Moments in Hilariously Bad Films
By Daniel Sumpton | Misfit Media Columnist
Suggesting that there are hilarious parts in the string of parody films directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer in the mid to late 2000’s may be absurd to some. It is hard to believe, but there are actually parts in those films, although very rare, that are worthy of a laugh. Starting with Disaster Movie, here are some handpicked scenes that are actually hilarious.
Kim Kardashian’s Demise
Disaster Movie may have slipped into obscurity if not for having a scene that went viral for all the right reasons. The part of the film I am referring to is where you get to watch Kim Kardashian be hit by a giant meteor. A scene that is so laugh worthy that the journalistic platform HelloGiggles, created by Zooey Deschanel, referred to the scene in an article as “hilarious” and “in the name of good fun.” Obviously, you don’t watch Kim Kardashian herself literally die, but instead her character Lisa, which is why the scene is so amazing. It’s almost worth replaying more than when Kim Kardashian sexually wrestles Carmen Electra at the beginning of the film… almost.
The Juno Diss
Juno is a critically acclaimed film that has received multiple awards and ended up on many top ten lists for best films of 2007. The film was also notable enough to be parodied mercilessly in Disaster Movie. Most films that are parodied in a Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer film are juvenile and shallow, but not in this case. The parody film directors went out of their way to dish out some powerful blows in regard to the quality of Juno’s scriptwriting. It is always impressive when a film with such resound praise receives valid criticism from a brave contrarian. It is baffling though, that such a critique would come packed within a one liner from an actress parodying Juno Macguff as “Juney” in Disaster Movie.
When Juney is confronted about the fact that she is confusing a character with her baffling, she responds with some interesting and hilarious self-criticism.
“That’s because I speak in overly written clever-for-clever’s-sake quips.”
With one line, Friedberg and Seltzer summarize a glaring flaw in Juno that most critics omit when reviewing one of their favourite films. It’s funny because it’s true.
Tragedy at the Museum
It turns out that sometimes prop comedy can be funny. In the middle of natural disaster mayhem, the protagonist of Disaster Movie named Will calls his love interest Amy to check if she is okay. Amy picks up to explain that an Egyptian statue has fallen on her during the earthquake and that she can’t get up. When you get a shot of Amy and the entire statue though, it is only the tip of the spear of a statue that is gently pressed onto her shoulder. This brief clip reveals that Friedberg and Seltzer are actually able to sprinkle nuance in their comedy films, even if it’s rarely.
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