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"The Cable Guy" ---A Comedy Classic that the Critics Hated
Self | December 25, 2008 | PJ-Comix

Posted on 12/25/2008 11:17:04 AM PST by PJ-Comix

One of the great injustices ever done to a movie was the lousy reviews many critics gave to one of the greatest comedy flicks ever---"The Cable Guy." Apparently the critics wanted another "Ace Ventura" and Jim Carrey gave them an incredible performance as a creepy cable guy. The dark humor of the movie frightened the critics and many of them panned the performance. Hey critics! It can't all be sweetness and light like the Ace Ventura movies. Carrey angered the critics by breaking out of the cookie cutter mold they wanted him to remain in.

Overall "The Cable Guy" is easily in one of the top ten comedies of all time. Almost every scene delivered comedy on the highest level from Carrey looking for the "sweet spot" in the wall to humming the Star Trek personal battle theme while fighting Steven Kovacs at the Medieval theme restaurant to doing Altamont karaoke singing performance to recreating "Midnight Express" by shoving his nipple against the glass at the jailhouse ("OH BILLY!!!"). Plus there were TONS more fantastic comedy scenes that always puts me into stitches whenever I watch that movie as I did recently several times over on cable.

How the critics could have rated that movie so low is beyond belief. I really think their low opinion of "The Cable Guy" kept Carrey from doing more dark humor. But "The Cable Guy," despite the idiotic critics, remains one of the great comedy movies of all time.


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: cableguy; jimcarrey
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To: PJ-Comix
Love The Cable Guy. It was actually the film that made me give Jim Carrey a second look. I hated the Ace Ventura/Mask slapstick stuff. Cable Guy was darker, edgier and made the audience palpably uncomfortable.

Right up there with my all-time favorite black comedy: Neighbors with Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi. Another film that was panned by critics and audiences, but still has developed a loyal cult following.

21 posted on 12/25/2008 11:41:41 AM PST by RepoGirl ("I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Sea beams glittering at the Tannhauser Gate.")
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To: EGPWS

Remember the bathroom fight done to the tune of Dizzy Gillespi bebop music?


22 posted on 12/25/2008 11:41:54 AM PST by PJ-Comix (The Tide Turned Just a Half Year After Pearl Harbor)
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To: PJ-Comix
Thats right - I forgot about the prologue.
23 posted on 12/25/2008 11:44:30 AM PST by skeeter
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To: aruanan

Even the sub-plot with the Menendez bros. type trial was hilarious. Plus it worked in perfect at the end.


24 posted on 12/25/2008 11:45:33 AM PST by PJ-Comix (The Tide Turned Just a Half Year After Pearl Harbor)
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To: Krankor

“You’ve got honey in your voice tonight, Raul”.


25 posted on 12/25/2008 11:45:39 AM PST by skeeter
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To: RabidBartender

I liked Matthew Broderick in Lion King and in LadyHawk (minus the cheesy ‘80s syntesizer music).


26 posted on 12/25/2008 11:48:27 AM PST by HungarianGypsy
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To: PJ-Comix
Remember the bathroom fight done to the tune of Dizzy Gillespi bebop music?

I don't recall.

I'll have to watch it again. : - D

27 posted on 12/25/2008 11:51:40 AM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, Question everyone else)
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To: RepoGirl
Here's the VIDEO of Jim Carrey performing "Somebody To Love." BEST karaoke performance ever!!!
28 posted on 12/25/2008 11:56:44 AM PST by PJ-Comix (The Tide Turned Just a Half Year After Pearl Harbor)
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To: PJ-Comix

“My lisp is gone”...


29 posted on 12/25/2008 11:58:21 AM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, Question everyone else)
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To: PJ-Comix

I loved it. Jim Carrey should have been nominated. He threw himself into that great role and I do not think I wll ever recover from watching the Kareoki night song.


30 posted on 12/25/2008 12:03:05 PM PST by Niuhuru (I'm A Racist and Proud Of It!)
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To: PJ-Comix

ZOMG. This is freakin’ GENIUS.


31 posted on 12/25/2008 12:05:50 PM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: Xenalyte
Ah Xenalyte! Have you seen "The Cable Guy?" I know you will LOVE the medieval restaurant fight scene done to the tune of Star Trek danger music. Watch the VIDEO.
32 posted on 12/25/2008 12:09:20 PM PST by PJ-Comix (The Tide Turned Just a Half Year After Pearl Harbor)
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To: PJ-Comix
"We need an amulance over by the scaaa-fol-diiing..."

The shots of the party guests are just genius. Love the old man throwing punches.

33 posted on 12/25/2008 12:09:23 PM PST by RepoGirl ("I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Sea beams glittering at the Tannhauser Gate.")
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To: PJ-Comix

This might have been a classic with a more subtle comedian like Michael Keaton. Carrey is over-the-top to the point of pain. Same goes for “Liar, Liar”.


34 posted on 12/25/2008 12:18:38 PM PST by Dionysius (Jingoism is no vice.)
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To: PJ-Comix

Never.

But it’s the VERY FIRST THING I will do on my week off, starting tomorrow.

Trust.


35 posted on 12/25/2008 12:20:38 PM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: PJ-Comix

I liked The Cable Guy.


36 posted on 12/25/2008 12:21:37 PM PST by racing fan
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To: olereporter

“expert,” voted “Dumb and Dumber” the funniest movie of all time. Can’t see it. I would have voted for “Airplane,” but what do I know? Movies are a personal taste and you like what you like.

________________

I would vote for Animal House or the military movie Andy Griffin and Don Knots played in.


37 posted on 12/25/2008 12:22:03 PM PST by Radl (rtr)
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To: Xenalyte
Check out this VIDEO which has several hilarious scenes from "The Cable Guy" concluding with the basketball scene. I just now laughed to tears watching the latter scene.

BTW, since you are into Renaissance festival stuff, I'm surprised you never saw this movie before since it has a great part in the medieval theme restaurant.

38 posted on 12/25/2008 12:24:44 PM PST by PJ-Comix (The Tide Turned Just a Half Year After Pearl Harbor)
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To: ovrtaxt

I agree about Raising Arizona. Its outrageous, over -the- top hilarity for most of it was also deftly anchored in a real and serious thesis on “baby love” and the desire of people to have children, which made the last few minutes, narrated by Nic Cage as he envisions the life he and Holly Hunter might have had, tremendously moving. Just sublime. By far the best few minutes the Coen brothers ever committed to film. But of course, only to be undercut by the VERY last moment of the film, where he says.....”but maybe it was Utah”.


39 posted on 12/25/2008 12:28:37 PM PST by supremedoctrine ("One was drawing funny faces, but his own was grave"--Richard Hughes, A High Wind in Jamaica)
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To: PJ-Comix
I have never seen the movie but loved that clip.
40 posted on 12/25/2008 1:12:35 PM PST by wally_bert (Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair! Star Wreck In The Pirkinning......)
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