The Comedy of Community Film
Comedy is often associated most strongly with laughter, with those 'laugh out loud' moments. However, comedy also often includes elements of sentimentality and anguish. On the darker side, the underbelly of comedy is a response to cruelty and dehumanization. Accordingly, how a comic production is to be classified or placed along a spectrum is a difficult task, not least because tastes vary with different people. Brigsby Bear (2017) provides an intriguing case study. In this blog, the film also provides an opportunity to discuss the role of community film making that is depicted in this poignant and sometimes absurd story. At the outset, geeky James Pope (Kyle Mooney) is leading an infantilized life that is safely insulated from the outside world. His obsession is a children's show called Brigsby Bear , hundreds of episodes of which he has watched on VHS tapes. However, [SPOILER ALERT] his 'parents' are actually his kidnappers; they had snatched...