Lenny (1974)
Title: 'Lenny' (1974)
Genre: Biography/Homage
Rating 7.75/10
Dustin Hoffman drives this movie like Steve McQueen in a '74 Corolla station wagon.
Like he's pulling off some shit that you couldn't even touch with a Porsche, and, as whole city leans out of their windows to watch, they all let out a collective, 'How in the holy fuck?!?'. And you can hear this revelation clear across the bay, where the Berkeley locals kinda give each other a nod, like, 'hey, sounds like they're making some progress over there'.
This movie ain't so hot. The direction is a little wonky, the cinematography looks a little amateur, and the script causes uncomfortable chaffing. But, Hoffman as Lenny Bruce is straight-up amazing. Like when you go to a magic show and somehow the dude on stage is holding your belt and watch.
What went wrong with Dustin? Now he's all froofy. He didn't age well, I guess. Pacino still rocks like the Ramones, DeNiro can still get up in your grill when he wants too, but he's totally second fiddle to Pacino. For one thing, there's that scene from 'Heat' (1995) where DeNiro is like, 'I'm really trying, look how hard I'm acting right now, I'm totally working it like a pack of fucking Huskie dogs'. And Pacino is rolling with it, 'Hey jackoff, friggin' relax already, I'm just sitting here chewing your face apart and you're, like, starting to bug out, man'.
Plus, DeNiro is in self-Destruct mode along with Hoffman. 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' (2000), 'Flawless' (1999), 'Meet the Fockers' (2004), 'I Heart Huckabees' (2004)? What are they doing? It's like watching an Elvis Presley biography. The decline of western civilization on celluloid. To me, Pacino, DeNiro and Hoffman have always been the trifecta of the 60's-70's all-stars. Back when things were really going down. But now the latter two hurt my feelings. Fer shame o' Shamus.
Anyways, Lenny Bruce was pretty funny. But, he should really be remembered for fighting censorship and opening the door for other comics. There'd be no Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Patton Oswald, Dennis Leary... They owe it all to Lenny Bruce.
Howard Stern rips him off just about every day. He's not allowed to mention his move to satellite on his show, so he dodges the rules by saying, 'I can't wait till we move to eh-eh-eh'.
The day after Bruce Lenny was arrested on obscenity charges for saying 'cocksucker', his whole act was dedicated to 'blah-blah-blah'. 'Sir, have you ever had your 'blah, blahed?', 'Maam, how often do you blah your husbands blah?', etc.
Hoffman at his best, and some insight into one of our heroes. (that last sentence is the cheese)
Genre: Biography/Homage
Rating 7.75/10
Dustin Hoffman drives this movie like Steve McQueen in a '74 Corolla station wagon.
Like he's pulling off some shit that you couldn't even touch with a Porsche, and, as whole city leans out of their windows to watch, they all let out a collective, 'How in the holy fuck?!?'. And you can hear this revelation clear across the bay, where the Berkeley locals kinda give each other a nod, like, 'hey, sounds like they're making some progress over there'. This movie ain't so hot. The direction is a little wonky, the cinematography looks a little amateur, and the script causes uncomfortable chaffing. But, Hoffman as Lenny Bruce is straight-up amazing. Like when you go to a magic show and somehow the dude on stage is holding your belt and watch.
What went wrong with Dustin? Now he's all froofy. He didn't age well, I guess. Pacino still rocks like the Ramones, DeNiro can still get up in your grill when he wants too, but he's totally second fiddle to Pacino. For one thing, there's that scene from 'Heat' (1995) where DeNiro is like, 'I'm really trying, look how hard I'm acting right now, I'm totally working it like a pack of fucking Huskie dogs'. And Pacino is rolling with it, 'Hey jackoff, friggin' relax already, I'm just sitting here chewing your face apart and you're, like, starting to bug out, man'.
Plus, DeNiro is in self-Destruct mode along with Hoffman. 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' (2000), 'Flawless' (1999), 'Meet the Fockers' (2004), 'I Heart Huckabees' (2004)? What are they doing? It's like watching an Elvis Presley biography. The decline of western civilization on celluloid. To me, Pacino, DeNiro and Hoffman have always been the trifecta of the 60's-70's all-stars. Back when things were really going down. But now the latter two hurt my feelings. Fer shame o' Shamus.
Anyways, Lenny Bruce was pretty funny. But, he should really be remembered for fighting censorship and opening the door for other comics. There'd be no Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Patton Oswald, Dennis Leary... They owe it all to Lenny Bruce.
Howard Stern rips him off just about every day. He's not allowed to mention his move to satellite on his show, so he dodges the rules by saying, 'I can't wait till we move to eh-eh-eh'.
The day after Bruce Lenny was arrested on obscenity charges for saying 'cocksucker', his whole act was dedicated to 'blah-blah-blah'. 'Sir, have you ever had your 'blah, blahed?', 'Maam, how often do you blah your husbands blah?', etc.
Hoffman at his best, and some insight into one of our heroes. (that last sentence is the cheese)
posted by Kong at
10:14 AM
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