What Is Funny?

Rating: Null/10 (2 March 2004)

This movie really points up how widely people's conceptions of humor can vary. I've heard of this movie for years, and have always heard that it was very funny.
What finally got me to watch it was William Goldman's commentary on the DVD for "The Princess Bride". That has always been one of my favorite movies -- very funny. But if you see and hear Goldman talk, you'd think he'd never so much as cracked a smile in his life. It amazed me that someone who looks and sounds so gloomy could do something so light and funny as Princess Bride.
In describing how he managed to get together with Rob Reiner, Goldman said he'd seen "Spinal Tap" and had never laughed so hard in his life, and had tears rolling down his face. I thought, "If it could make *him* laugh, it must really be funny." So I watched it.
I think I chuckled once or twice.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm not criticizing those who do find it funny. Like I say, it just points out what amazingly wide variation there is in what people consider funny.
Beyond not being very funny (to me), the movie was in fact moderately interesting just as a documentary of a rock band. I fast-forwarded a couple of times, but sat through most of it.