Original American Pie Trilogy: Classic in its own way?

[Andrew]

I'm excluding the most recent straight-to-video movies in the series as I haven't seen them, they don't include the same principle cast and from what I've read they don't come close to the first three movies.

I watched those first three movies again recently and having not seen them for a while, I'd forgotten how good they were. The crude humour isn't for everyone and I would not call them classics in the same way that Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane and other such films are classics but I've often thought that because of their genre and some of the most well-known gags in the movies, they're a little underrated.

To say the movies have "heart" is a bit too corny and cliche but I don't think they get enough credit for having a good story on top of all the sex jokes and gross-out humour. It would have been easy to have a whole string of those jokes loosely tied together with a shabby plot that is secondary to everything else but the way the movies tell a story in a frank way that is punctuated by the infamous moments in the series.

They're not Shakespeare, they're not Casablanca, but I think they are classics in their own unique way. They weren't the first movies of their type and they won't be the last, but they're some of the few that stand up as great movies in my opinion, rather than just being "funny if you like that sort of humour".

[Oznogrd]

I think you're right on this. Comedy writers nowadays seem to only be able to write subtle comedies with plots (Be Kind Rewind) or all out farcical stupidity that makes me want to club baby seals (Meet the Spartans). To find the ones that have heart and tell a decent enough story about growing up (which is what I see those movies as truly about after the raunchy stuff) for example is awesome. for the original trilogy....

on american pie becoming like national lampoon and releasing pure shit on DVD

[benji]

or all out farcical stupidity that makes me want to club baby seals

Sounds like American Pie.

"Classic" modern comedy? Harold and Kumar, and pretty much nothing else. (Save, American Psycho, of course.) American Pie, not so much. I support this thesis by noting there are no funny lines in it, as evidenced by the lack of laughs in re-reading them.

The humor is "crude" because it's archaic and rough in execution.

[Oznogrd]

American Pie to me sounds like high schoolers. Sure its like all of them trying to one up each other with sex stories, but i at least knew every character in my high school. It did what so many movies are trying to do now (Superbad, Drillbit Taylor) of trying to capture the "hardships" of high school. High schools a shallow stupid place, as is the movies.

/agree on Harold and Kumar, it is the modern comedy with possibly the best balance of crudeness and intelligence. Dodgeball, Weddding Crashers and that ilk i understand why people would dislike and not find all that funny; most of the humor comes from the delivery of certain lines and many of the jokes (especially dodgeball) are pretty old.

[Fitzy]

i really liked the original american pie movies, i watched them when i was in my prime at about age 15-17, probably the age group the movies targeted at, and back then it was the shit

ive seen the newer ones, but i really dont like them. eugene levey is a has-been, its time for some fresh material if they want to keep the american pie tag line going

[shadowgrin]

I like watching Dodgeball for its "farcical stupidity", enjoyable.

As for Wedding Crashers, when I finally watched it, I don't understand why people were having comedic orgasms about it when it was released and I still don't get it. There were some decent jokes but it was too little, very little to be even enjoyable as Dodgeball.

About Harold and Kumar, what's taking them so long to release the sequel. Can't wait to see it.

[benji]

Because it is hard to physically fit so much awesome in a form of media that can contain it.

I agree on Wedding Crashers. Almost word for word.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_qZVJYaSMU[/youtube]

[Andrew]

Admittedly, to say that American Pie is classic modern comedy is highly subjective, though I think that in all fairness the memorable quotes do lose something when they're taken out of the context of the movies and are stripped of the actor's delivery. But I can't deny that the gags won't appeal to everyone, they're certainly not highbrow or the epitome of wit.

I was talking more about the whole package though. The genre opens itself up to a lot of movies that have their moments (if such movies appeal to you, that is) but don't have much of a story, the plot only existing to tie the jokes together. I think there is something more than the raunch/teen angst that the audience can identify with. For me, the themes of everything changing and the desire to recapture "old times" from the second movie are something I can relate to which is probably why it's my favourite of the trilogy.

I haven't seen Harold and Kumar so I can't make any comparisons.

[[Q]]

I remember when the third one was out and my mom was looking for a good date movie and she was like "oh this sounds like a good movie. "American Wedding." My eyes buldged and I repeated warned her that it wasn't the type of movie she would want to watch. she ignored my warnings

[Andrew]

What was her verdict?

[Fitzy]

she probably hasnt come out of hiding yet

[The X]

The third one really let down the series as a whole....whilst Stiffler's character was really funny in first 2 movies, he seemed overdone in the 3rd one & the jokes & the over-acting were just crap....

[benji]

That's my opinion of all of them...

But really, I'm secretly posting to demand you restart your "re-drafts" thread. Because if I do it, nobody is going to post after I make the OP.

[[Q]]

What was her verdict?

she said it was "ok" lol

[Patr1ck]

I remember when the third one was out and my mom was looking for a good date movie and she was like "oh this sounds like a good movie.

You went on a date with your mom?

[Fitzy]

hes been getting ideas from 60 minutes

[Andrew]

The third one really let down the series as a whole....whilst Stiffler's character was really funny in first 2 movies, he seemed overdone in the 3rd one & the jokes & the over-acting were just crap....

I didn't enjoy the third one as much as the first two either, they'd arguably gotten as much mileage out of the characters as they were going to get by that point so a third movie was pushing their luck a little. It was a decent wrap-up though.

[The X]

The third one really let down the series as a whole....whilst Stiffler's character was really funny in first 2 movies, he seemed overdone in the 3rd one & the jokes & the over-acting were just crap....

I didn't enjoy the third one as much as the first two either, they'd arguably gotten as much mileage out of the characters as they were going to get by that point so a third movie was pushing their luck a little. It was a decent wrap-up though.

I think the third movie would have been better as a wrap-up if Stiffler's character wasn't in the movie at all....he wasn't needed for it....and with Oz not in movie, it makes less sense since Oz was Stiffler's connection to the group....

EDIT: Talking about the Pie series, what is everybody's opinion on Nadia (Elizabeth Shannon) between 1st & 2nd movie....1st movie she was top notch, but by the time the 2nd one came around, she had lost all her shape & looked closer to anorexic than a desirable young woman....Jim had no choice but to go with the much hotter flute girl

[Sauru]

jim sucks, if he knew anything he would have stuck in to nadia and then went after band girl

[Andrew]

I think the third movie would have been better as a wrap-up if Stiffler's character wasn't in the movie at all....he wasn't needed for it....and with Oz not in movie, it makes less sense since Oz was Stiffler's connection to the group....

Maybe, but even putting aside Chris Klein being unavailable I'm not sure where else the Oz character could have gone after the first two movies. With Stifler being a less sympathetic character and one with more comedic potential in the form of mishaps and the character's brashness he was probably a better fit.

EDIT: Talking about the Pie series, what is everybody's opinion on Nadia (Elizabeth Shannon) between 1st & 2nd movie....1st movie she was top notch, but by the time the 2nd one came around, she had lost all her shape & looked closer to anorexic than a desirable young woman....Jim had no choice but to go with the much hotter flute girl

I don't think she looked that anorexic but her appearance in the first Pie was certainly more memorable.

[The X]

I think the third movie would have been better as a wrap-up if Stiffler's character wasn't in the movie at all....he wasn't needed for it....and with Oz not in movie, it makes less sense since Oz was Stiffler's connection to the group....

Maybe, but even putting aside Chris Klein being unavailable I'm not sure where else the Oz character could have gone after the first two movies. With Stifler being a less sympathetic character and one with more comedic potential in the form of mishaps and the character's brashness he was probably a better fit.

EDIT: Talking about the Pie series, what is everybody's opinion on Nadia (Elizabeth Shannon) between 1st & 2nd movie....1st movie she was top notch, but by the time the 2nd one came around, she had lost all her shape & looked closer to anorexic than a desirable young woman....Jim had no choice but to go with the much hotter flute girl

I don't think she looked that anorexic but her appearance in the first Pie was certainly more memorable.

anorexic was wrong word to use, but definitely not as "memorable" as you mentioned maybe it was just the bad fringe she had, rather than her body