This week sees the release of the eagerly-anticipated The World’s End, the final installment in the Cornetto Trilogy (along with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), a series of films straight out of the brain heads of director Edgar Wright and comedy best buds Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
To celebrate the winning combination of Pegg and Frost, JOE takes a look at some of the best onscreen comedy duos that Hollywood has to offer.
Lloyd and Harry – Dumb and Dumber (1994)
First up, it’s Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels). To be quite honest, JOE could write a dissertation on what makes these two bumbling idiots the best of the bunch but as Sweet Brown says, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
The best bit of news that we’ve heard in a long time is that the long-rumored sequel has now finally been confirmed, and Dumb and Dumber To is due to be released in Summer 2014, exactly two decades after the first film.
Sweet Jeebus we’re old.
We have to run on now though because “OUR PETS’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!!”
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson – Zoolander/The Royal Tennenbaums/Starsky and Hutch
Two members of the Frat Pack, a group of comedy co-horts that also includes Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughan and Jack Black, Stiller and Wilson have appeared in some of the best comedies of the past 15 years. One of their finest moments, however, has to be their first mano-a-mano when the really, really, ridiculously good looking Derek Zoolander comes face to face with Hansel “He’s so hot right now” McDonald.
Abbot and Costello – The Kate Smith Hour (1938)
These two guys weren’t just pioneers of film comedy duos, but also mastered the medium of television and radio too. Goddamn all-round funny ba*stards. They’ll probably be best remembered for their incredibly brilliant “Who’s on First?” Just sit back and marvel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg
Laurel and Hardy – 1920s – 40s
It would be sacrilege to leave these two geniuses of slapstick out as so many subsequent comedy duos have taken their inspiration from Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Famous for starring in over 100 films together from the 1920s to the 1940s, the two men were reknowned for their unique mannerisms, brilliant slapstick routines and the nice messes they would get each other in to.
And no, just for the record, Stan Laurel is NOT Clint Eastwood’s dad. That’s just a silly Hollywood rumour.
Anyway, JOE’s his real dad and we’re real proud of him.
Here’s a montage of some of Laurel and Hardy’s finest moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfvA-tnSwQI
Statler and Waldorf – The Muppets
What do you mean they’re not real and they’re only puppets!? You take that back. YOU TAKE THAT BACK.
The two original grumpy old men had some of the best one-liners in the business and saved most of them when trashing the comedy routines of poor Fozzie bear.
It didn’t matter how mean they ever were though, we still love those two old feckers.
