The Death Of Dark Comedy

I just got done watching “2 Days In The Valley.” A movie I’d seen a LONG time ago. I mean, I was 21 years old when it came out, just finishing up undergraduate. That was a lifetime ago. Anyway, I didn’t know what “…in the Valley” meant, but knew it was in Los Angeles. Now that I’ve lived in the Valley for the majority of my life in Los Angeles, it’s interesting to see what’s changed. In terms of the geographical layout. And the street name dropping.

“Pick me up at Ventura and Woodman”…I now chuckle at that line, because I live off Woodman Street now. I know exactly where they are. In Cincinnati, there is no way in Hell you could say something like, meet me at St. Charles and Main and anyone would have a clue as to where you are. In Los Angeles, it’s built on a grid and so freeway adjacent, so you could name any cross and people could find you. Crazy how that works.

“2 Days In The Valley” is a very dark movie. But it’s also a comedy. For whatever reason, movies like this, never makes box office hay. I think the reason why is that...in order to be dark, it has to go really mean spirited. Most people don’t like watching despicable people get away from being despicable. They require comeuppance. Which, in a dark comedy, the most irritating person usually sidesteps their just desserts. Also, it is specific to some pain. Pain such as being set on fire and someone lighting their cigarette with their burning corpse. This is not “kid friendly.” Most dark comedies lose that audience, since there is a certain age that doesn’t understand how to process it.

If you think about it…cartoons are one big dark comedy. “Tom & Jerry” in particular. Consider the violence they inflict on one another only to bounce back and go at it again. Same with “The Three Stooges.” Our primal minds….men and women, understand this to be part of life, but don’t agree on the silliness. For guys, more often, we can go along with…say a movie like “Throw Mama From The Train.” Women tend to roll their eyes at the stupid behavior. Women tend to expect an emotional adhesive to a screen counterpart. But if you see someone physically assault someone else, they usually tune out. Sarcastic humor as well. One-liners, in general, draw groans from females. Because they can’t imagine a world where someone would be so glib after skewering someone on a fence post (“Guess he got the point”).

I’m not quite sure if there is a modern day dark comedy that’s been greenlit. It seems it’s near impossible to market. Remember “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?” That was the last dark comedy that failed miserably, but got a ton of heat during production. I’m not sure what execs are thinking when they try to make these types of movies anymore. For the most part, I feel they try to bury it under…a slapstick comedy (like the Farrelly Bros. do) or just go cerebral (as the Coen Bros. or Wes Anderson do).

Hopefully we can go back to laughing at the grim reaper again.