Lists: BDM Laugh Lines (Spoilers)

POSTED BY: DonCoat
UPDATED: Monday, October 17, 2005 22:38
VIEWED: 9387
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DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 11:13 AM

Based on four viewings with good-sized crowds, I find that the following lines are consistent, big laugh hits. These are the punch lines only (no setups).

Guard: "... Okay!"

Jayne: "Well don't kill me first!"

River: "I swallowed a bug."

Kaylee: "...twixt my nethers..."

Jayne: "I could stand to hear a little more."

Inara: "Please... spend an hour with him."

Mal: "Or... we could talk some more."

Jayne: "Well I might..."

Kaylee: "Hell with this! I'm gonna live!"

Other, smaller laugh lines to be listed in a later post.

NICOLACLARKE

Sunday, October 16, 2005 11:27 AM

Also, without a doubt (big laughs in cinema and singled out in various UK reviews):

"You wanna run this ship?"
"Yes."
"Well... you can't."

DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 11:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by NicolaClarke:
Also, without a doubt (big laughs in cinema and singled out in various UK reviews):

"You wanna run this ship?"
"Yes."
"Well... you can't."

You're right. I left that off because in the US trailers (ads) that was a featured line. I get the feeling sometimes that people laugh at those lines because they think they're expected to. But it usually does get a big response.

DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 11:47 AM

Second-tier laugh lines from the BDM (not as big or consistent as the top list):

Boy in class: "...rape them for hours and hours..."

Wash: "'Oh god oh god, we're all gonna die?'"

Mal: "...and... explode."

Jayne: "...ain't ever exactly been similar."

Simon: "It's okay to leave them to die."

Jayne: "Let's be bad guys."

River: (expression when clueing in Zoe)

Mal: "Every heist, he's gotta start yelling my name..."

Jayne: "... sure would be nice if we had some GRENADES..."

Mal: "Is HE okay?"

Wash: "... hello?"

Jayne: "... or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight..."

Kaylee: " ...they fall right out of the sky!"

Mal: "I really don't."

Jayne: (Face when trying to control triggered River)

Jayne: "Didn't we have a intricate plan..."

Mr. Universe: "... the very best violence."

River: (expression when Simon asks if she's Miranda)

Crew: (reaction to Mal/Inara "Kaylee's missing you" repartee)

Wash: "Remember the part where it's a trap?"

Mal: "You come and you rescue me."

Zoe: "What? And risk my ship?"

Mal: "Dear Buddha, please send me a pony..."

Mal: "Makes you kind of a tease..."

The Operative: "... pulse beacon."

Ensign: "...we've found seven."

Wash: "Nobody besides Jayne is saying that."

Simon (whispering): "You could've asked."

Book: "That crossed my mind."

Book: "Coming from you, that means... almost nothing."

The Operative: "I do [murder children]." I find this strange; I doubt if it was intended as a laugh line. Tension breaker, maybe?

Jayne: "...damaging my calm."

Wash: "I am a leaf on the wind..." (third time) -- Joss, you bastard...

Mal: "Tell me you brought 'em this time."

Mal: "Hard to get to???"

Mal: (sword vs. screwdriver confrontation)

Mal: "... have to go with wrath."

Mal: "I'm known for that."

River: (curious face popping out above Kaylee and Simon)

Mal: "...clearly some... aptitude..."

Mal: "What was that?"

Here's one that I think was intended as a laugh line, but never gets one:
The Operative: "Define 'disappeared'."

DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 12:05 PM

So, some overall observations:

For a 2-hour action/adventure/SF/drama, that's a lot of laughs.

And they don't seem to require any prior familiarity with the characters. Some of the biggest laughs come from character moments (especially Jayne's and Kaylee's), but you don't need to have watched the series to get them. Great job, Joss.

Some of the bigger laughs are from expressions and reactions rather than dialog -- that's especially true for River.

The laughs are never from somebody telling a joke or acting the clown. They're situational.

Many of the laughs serve as tension breakers. Others seem to actually increase the tension ("Hard to get to???") -- very nifty trick if you can pull it off. Again, Kudos to Joss.

There don't seem to be many examples where Joss goes for a laugh and doesn't get one.

Several of the bigger laughs are "double hitters" -- as in the "twixt my nethers" line and followups.

Some of the laughs are used as foreshadowing: Jayne's questioning of the common explanation for Reavers is an example ("just... more space.")

And, finally: the more you watch and/or read a Joss Whedon script, the more you see to appreciate. I'm not a Whedon worshipper overall (Buffy and Angel aren't my thing), but his writing works on a lot of levels. Note to self: if you ever want to write screenplays, emulate Joss.

BENDY

Sunday, October 16, 2005 2:16 PM

The one that gets me takes a little work. It didn't strike me as funny until my second viewing and it's more ironic than laugh-out-loud funny.

In the Maidenhead (the bar on Beaumonde and I'll pass on any "broken maidenhead" jokes) when River's gone Fruity Oaty, Jayne grabs her from behind and yells:

"Gorramit, girl. It's me."

...because the caring voice of her good friend Jayne will no doubt snap River right back to sanity (or whatever she is when she's not a killer woman) and stop her little berserker ballet.

我瞄准为他的头。

ARCPLAYER

Sunday, October 16, 2005 3:10 PM

Wash: "That part 'll happen pretty definately."

Wash,Zoe,Jayne,Kaylee: the groan and popcorn thrown at the viewscreen when Mal wimps out and says Kaylee misses Inara.

DREAMTROVE

Sunday, October 16, 2005 3:21 PM

Doncoat

I agree on all points btw. I think he intentionally stacks the laughs in autofire because a) that way it's less likely to fall flat, one of the three will get you, and b) it becomes funnier when it's rapidfire. But then of course the laughs have to get out of the way. I like how he sets up a funny situation and then bam

Select to view spoiler:

Have you ever seen those little pointy things they use to pick up leaves?

Select to view spoiler:

I think you should give Buffy a chance. It was very not my sort of thing either, so it took me a long time to get into it. I'm not a fan of either pseudo-religious vampire stories of teen 90210 drama, but it's so very excellent. Condemn yourself to an entire season, pick up a DVD set and watch it, you'll become addicted. The plus side has much more content.

I also usually give Kudos to the Joss team, but I don't see them here anywhere. Does anyone know if Jane Espenson and co were working on this one? Maybe it's a Joss Solo effort. If so double Kudos,.

PS. Even so, don't ditch the team, Joss. (I remember my disappointment in later Ridley Scott efforts, minus the original team, GI Jane, Gladiator, just not the same as Alien, Bladerunner.)

He looks better in red.

DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 3:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by arcplayer:
Wash: "That part 'll happen pretty definately."

Oh, good one. That should be in my "second-teir" list for sure. It's sometimes hard to hear, though, since it's O.C. and there's a lot of background noise.

Quote:
Wash,Zoe,Jayne,Kaylee: the groan and popcorn thrown at the viewscreen when Mal wimps out and says Kaylee misses Inara.

That's already in there, as "Crew: (reaction to Mal/Inara repartee)". Maybe wasn't described well enough.

DONCOAT

Sunday, October 16, 2005 3:52 PM

Please see comments embedded in spoiler areas...

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
Doncoat

I agree on all points btw. I think he intentionally stacks the laughs in autofire because a) that way it's less likely to fall flat, one of the three will get you, and b) it becomes funnier when it's rapidfire. But then of course the laughs have to get out of the way. I like how he sets up a funny situation and then bam
Select to view spoiler:

Have you ever seen those little pointy things they use to pick up leaves?

>> Yes, but never stuck through a torso.
Select to view spoiler:
I also usually give Kudos to the Joss team, but I don't see them here anywhere. Does anyone know if Jane Espenson and co were working on this one? Maybe it's a Joss Solo effort. If so double Kudos,.

PS. Even so, don't ditch the team, Joss. (I remember my disappointment in later Ridley Scott efforts, minus the original team, GI Jane, Gladiator, just not the same as Alien, Bladerunner.)

>> AFAIK, Joss has the only writing credit on the Serenity script. If anyone else contributed it was informal.

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Lists: BDM Laugh Lines (*Spoilers*)

Lists: BDM Laugh Lines (Spoilers)