Conor’s Cinematic Contemplation: Comfort Films Part I

It’s a ridiculously sunny summer over here in one of the most inconsistent weather-ridden countries in the world, and I’m absolutely loving it. This UK weather had me contemplating perfect summer movies, but as I struggled to think of some that resonated with me, my mind instead chose to focus on that natural warmth and coziness that comes with the season. This article focuses on the films that I will often rush to if I want something familiar and easily enjoyable. While I can be a cynical sort, there are plenty of films that I’ll put on for mindless enjoyment. I wanted to stay away from the really obvious blockbusters and superhero affairs, as these could easily fill up articles of their own, but still focusing on ones that most have seen. Without much haste:

Nymphomaniac (2013)

Certainly not…

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

I was tempted to run with the joke of every film being this seriously psychotic list of dark, depressing films, but I don’t want people thinking I’m some sort of masochist…you can always read my article on depressing films for that.

I wanted to start with a film that completely shocked me the first time: Singin’ in the Rain. I’ve had a mixed relationship with musicals in the past. While I don’t dislike the genre, the overly camp, sentimental feeling of most of these films can make irrationally irritated. When I sat down and watched this iconic film, I was shocked to see how much I enjoyed it.

If there’s one type of musical I usually can’t stand, it’s the classic era below the 50’s. But to say that Singin’ in the Rain isn’t anything short of ingenious would make me overly cynical; it’s simple, pure fun. Aside from the music keeping this upbeat, optimistic tone throughout, the dance sequences (performed by all of the actors on screen) are hypnotic to watch. The story, while very biased towards the glamour of Hollywood, works great as this exaggerated view of the transition from silent film to that of the Talkie.

I’ve gradually exposed myself to more of this classic era of musical since watching the film. Having recently bought a boxset of said musicals, I’m starting to understand the full scope of why people still love these films even today…even if I haven’t been able to match that excitement of Singin’ in the Rain. Simple, unequivocal joy, this film is always one that brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.

Help! (1965)

Have I just found another excuse to talk about The Beatles again? You better believe it. Many who know me will have gathered that I have a great affinity towards the Fab Four. With reviews of a few Beatles related films (including Yellow Submarine) and a ranked list of all the songs on the white album, there is no band that has managed to grab me the way this infamous band has. So it became a question of which of the four narrative Beatles films would make the list. I obviously had to go with A Hard Da…wait a minute.

The reason I chose Help! over the far stronger A Hard Day’s Night largely came down to the pure insanity of the film. With the Beatles returning to play parody versions of themselves, they are forced into a giant chase from a mad cult that is looking to sacrifice Ringo to their god, due to a legendary ring that remains stuck to his hand. The four of them run across the globe as they are chased down by this mad cult, all the while, we get some of that sweet, sweet Beatles music goodness. Nonsensical and hilarious all the same, I think you can understand why I prioritized this one.

I will say that I do prefer A Hard Day’s Night. It has a far better structure and the jokes almost always hit their marks. Help! is just too bizarre not to include. The insanity is infectious, knowing full well what it is. The Beatles feel more honed in on their acting abilities here, making the humor work wonders, even if it’s not as strong as the previous film. All this insanity, mixed with the higher budget for more locations and props make for a memorable experience. The music is brilliant. I’m usually not too partial towards the early, pre-drug era of The Beatles, but Help! feels like a transitional period, with many songs (not the least of which is the titular song) being perfection.

I do feel as though this film is tailored more for the Beatles fanatic, but there is a sense of attempt to generalize the band for even the most oblivious of non-fan. I can see why this has been subject to more criticism than A Hard Day’s Night, but I enjoy it far too much to care. Sometimes I need just a bit of mindless insanity to keep me going. Making this entire film even better is the knowledge that the four lads were on copious amounts of LSD. Look upon John’s severely stoned face!

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

No doubt you’ve seen this film countless times. I thought hard about whether to put this film on the list or a certain other Gene Wilder film that debuted around the same time, Wonka had to make it. As a kid, I was obsessed with the books written by Roald Dahl and, of course, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorites. Long before Tim Burton gave us that awful, but more faithful, adaptation, we were blessed with one of the most enjoyable, timeless reinterpretation of that infamous story, and I loved every moment of it.

I feel it’s pointless to talk about the story, considering how there are very few people who haven’t seen this, but for the sake of consistency I will. Young Charlie Bucket is given a once in a lifetime opportunity that every kid dreams of: the chance to visit a mysterious chocolate factory, run by an even more mysterious chocolate maker. Charlie and four other children are introduced to an otherworldly factory full of oddities, including a field made of candy, a size-changing laboratory, golden egg-laying geese and a race of strange creatures known as Oompa Loompas, amongst other things.

What makes this film work above anything else is Gene Wilder as the eponymous chocolate maker. Wilder only agreed to do the film as long as he got to perform that opening bit where he falls forward after his cane is stuck in the ground. Unpredictable and not always tethered to reality, his performance embodies so much of the wildness that makes up this factory.

As a kid, I was always fascinated by how wondrous everything felt. That moment when everyone walks into the factory for the first time is a whimsical experience, topped with a brilliant score. The whole film plays greatly into the natural wonder that children have, soaking in every bit of strangeness that comes from such an experience. The musical numbers only matched this tone, mixing otherworldly Oompa Loompa songs with sentimental childlike wonder. I think that’s what makes this film so timeless: the unpredictability. You never know what’s around the corner, and it’s full of that surrealist experimental tone that was prevalent during the 70’s.

There’s always a part of me that holds onto that obsession with literature that I had as a kid. Though I’ve strayed away from casual reading in favor of watching more movies, the memories of all the books I read are still there. I read through the entire library of Roald Dahl, and whenever an adaptation of his works manifests, it brings me back to a simple time. No film has done this better than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, even if it does veer away from much of that book.

When I was younger, I remember my grandad driving me up to Roald Dahl’s original house; I don’t think I’ve ever felt that same excitement since.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

So, I told a little fib. I genuinely was battling with myself over which Gene Wilder-led film to include in this list, but I couldn’t decide which one to leave out, so I included both. I also realized that I’ve spoken about nothing but musicals up to this point, despite my earlier statement about not caring too much about the genre.

I have a great appreciation for Mel Brooks. One of the first real reviews I ever did was of his controversial “could never do this today” comedy, Blazing Saddles. It almost made the list, but I look at that one as something that bares analyzing more than just a simple form of comfort food. This is where Young Frankenstein comes in. Quite frankly, this is the definitive Mel Brooks experience.

Brooks pays tribute to the horror films of old in this loose adaptation of three different Frankenstein stories. Gene Wilder plays the grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, who reanimated a corpse that caused havoc. Though the young scientist detests his grandfather, he manages to recreate the very thing his grandfather once did. With the help of a crew of bizarre assistants, Dr. Frankenstein brings to life a terrifying, but misunderstood monster.

Brooks’s comedy has become very dated and I can fully understand why many today don’t feel that same comfortable resonance that was once there. As somebody who appreciates silly slapstick (as long as it’s done right) just as much as the subtler humor, Mel Brooks has always managed to get a good laugh out of me (Life Stinks aside.) Young Frankenstein is so dependent on the melding of both Brooks’s style and Wilder’s performance that it couldn’t be done otherwise. I crack up at so many moments, and much of it comes from Wilder’s absolute dedication to the humor. Only Wilder can manage to deliver a line like: “my grandfather’s work was doo-doo” with such insane seriousness. Even aside from the humor, it works as a genuine follow-up to those classic Universal Frankenstein films, just as long as you accept the tonal shift.

While I still think Blazing Saddles is Brooks’s strongest film, Young Frankenstein is one I like coming back to moreso. It’s just flat-out hilarious. Being both incredibly stupid, while also embracing that stupidity so much that it becomes ingenious. That’s what made Brooks’s film so enjoyable to everyone. Like all comedy of the time, his style feels outdated, but I love it. Real brainless fun.

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Two things are certain when getting to know me: I almost only ever listen to The Beatles and I can’t stop awing over Kermit the Frog. Y’hear that ladies? To stop mocking myself for a moment, I’ve always had a great admiration for the works of Jim Henson as a whole. Through frequent exposure from his movies as a child, I naturally found myself attached to the Muppets. I actually didn’t grow up with the original Muppet movie, but upon seeing it nearly two decades later, I was sure this would be one that deserved to be heralded as one of my comfort films.

Acting as a prequel to the original Muppet show, we mainly follow Kermit and his journey from his swampy homeland to the glamour of Hollywood. Along the way, we see him meet his soon-to-be friends like Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and many others, learning of their humble origins. During all this, a money-hungry businessman is trying to kidnap Kermit in an effort to force him to promote his deep-fried frog legs. A roadtrip movie doubling as a chase movie, all the while, we get some good Muppety action.

I’ve wanted to speak about the Muppets for so long. I’ve been sitting on a recap article about all the Muppet movies since before I introduced this segment, but I’ve struggled to find an angle for it. Here is the perfect time to talk about why I love this film so much.

As childish as it sounds for a 27 year-old to rave about the Muppets, I do believe there is an all-encompassing atmosphere that Henson always wanted with these characters. Just watching these characters run into each other, putting on display their talents and how passionately they believe in them is very palpable. You quickly forget they’re puppets due to how human they come across. Aside from this, the comedy is far smarter than you would expect. Sly adult jokes accompanied by well-thought out fourth wall-breaking humor outs this a step above other family films. The musical numbers (it’s a running theme with this article apparently) are all so memorable. Rainbow Connection so perfectly encapsulates that avid dreamer in all of us and has spoken to my own dreams as well.

There are large mix of Muppet films I could talk about. Many would put Muppet Christmas Carol in this position, and I certainly love that film as well, having more nostalgia towards that one, but this first movie is so perfect, as a Muppet movie of course. It’s another one that I can go back to on several occasions and never get tired of. Every Muppet film that has come after it has never quite reached that level of quality for me. There’s a lot more I could talk about, but I’m still determined to get that Muppet article finished. For now, I think this’ll do/

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Is only as I’ve been writing this article that I am now realizing how many musicals have made this list. If I removed Young Frankenstein, this could easily pass as a Musicals Contemplation.

Way back in the distant year of 2015, I had a crack at the whole film review thing with this film right here; it was absolutely awful. I had no confidence in what I was writing, so I avoided writing any more reviews for another four years. Five years after that first review, I went back and did again, with a much more honed skill at writing. There’s always been a good reason this film has managed to remain on my mind for so long and so frequently: it’s my definitive comfort film.

Spun-off from an SNL sketch, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd step into the roles of the titular brothers who, after Belushi’s Jake has been released from jail, decide to reunite their former band in an effort to raise money for the orphanage they grew up in, which is in danger of being demolished. Through slimy tactics and criminal acts, the brothers gather their bandmates together for one final show, all with the justification that their on a mission from God.

I’ve spoken endlessly about this film outside of those two reviews to other people, trying to convince others just how insanely fun this is. There’s an endless amount of 80’s films that very may make up the second part of this list, but for now, The Blues Brothers will cap off this part. It’s just so brilliant. There’s a silly, almost surreal tone to the atmosphere of the film. Full credit goes to John Landis, who’s directing style has always managed to remain that consistently insane. The jokes are wonderfully outlandish, and continue build upon one another with a seamless ease. Belushi and Aykroyd are the catalysts for this insanity, performing so straight-faced in the eye of continuous destruction. The cameos from so many iconic musicians and the songs they bring with them are so expertly integrated and entertaining that it guarantees a great time.

This is definitely one of those iconic comedies of the 80’s, but I don’t feel like it’s stayed around in pop culture the way other films from this decade have. I, myself, didn’t watch until my years in college, back in 2011. I remember being hesitant to watch it, feeling like I was going to dislike it for some reason; I fell in love with it on that first watch. This film sits amongst some of my favorite films of all time. It’s not to the same caliber as my other favorites like Adaptation or The Shining, but it’s so perfectly comfy that I had to include it with them. It’s the one film that never gets boring, no matter how many times I’ve watched it, and I’ve always enjoyed showing it to other people. Brilliant in every way.

Part II will arrive.

I wanted this article to be a single piece, but I couldn’t just pick a handful of films, there’s just so many that I can go on and on about. The second part will be dedicated solely to the 80’s, an separate article that I planned to do long before this one. Til then, I encourage you to sit down and watch these for a nice comfortable watch. Not in this weather, however, get the hell out there and enjoy this hot British weather. Why are you reading this?

Written by Conor Johnson.