Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine, 90, makes rare outing in Malibu

NY Post ^ | 07/22/2024 | Eric Todisco

[Albion Wilde]

I don’t like that in a movie. Be a drama. Or be a comedy. But don’t be both.

As far as movies go, you may be more right than wrong about that, and sounds like you and the Mrs were greatly disappointed in a badly done shift of gears in Love & Other Drugs; but in some cases it depends on personal taste and the art of the filmmaker. Fellini, for example, was a master at sifting his childhood pain through his plots and making it hilarious, or tenderly touching, in hindsight — I'm thinking of Amarcord in particular.

IMHO, the TV series The Sopranos combined drama and comedy exceptionally well, although the funny stuff was sarcastic cracks and surreal setups rather than slapstick. But when the same writer, David Chase, created a Sopranos prequel movie, it was awful. There was plenty of “thug porn”, but little of the ludicrous humor that had undercut the vain pretentions of the mob in the TV version.

Then again, I'm a person who loves ludicrous humor, anywhere, any time—especially when it comes out of left field. I'm reminded of the Irish wit Oscar Wilde's reputed last words: “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or other of us has got to go.”