"The Comics" (1990) - Slapstick Mayhem and Some Surprisingly Cool Sound Effects

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "The Comics" (1990). I'd heard some rumblings about it being a fun, if somewhat obscure, flick. And yeah, it pretty much delivers on that. The premise is simple: two silent movie characters bust out of their film and into the real world. Hilarity ensues, naturally. There are some definite pacing issues in the middle act, but the slapstick is on point. The physical comedy from those two actors is seriously impressive. The set pieces are well-done, too, though somewhat repetitive after a while, I must say. As a tech guy, I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by the sound design. For a movie so centered around silent film tropes, the sound effects used to emphasize the characters' exaggerated actions were really clever. Specifically, the scene where they're trying to "eat" a painting is comedy gold, the foley artists must have had a blast with that sequence. The way they made those actions sound like they were happening in reality, not a cartoon, was a cool effect. Also, the way they subtly amplified the sounds of everyday objects to emphasize how out of place the characters were was a great choice. It's subtle, but it adds a lot to the overall atmosphere. Visually, it's nothing groundbreaking, but the film-within-a-film sequences are well-shot. The contrast between the grainy, high-contrast black and white of their original movie and the…well, relatively normal look of the "real" world scenes is effective. It's a neat visual cue that really sells how they're fish out of water. It's not a film that will change your life, but, if you're looking for something silly and different, "The Comics" is worth checking out. Just dont expect Scorsese-level direction. One lingering thought...I wonder if the special effects team had to work overtime to make those falling pianos look so...convincing? Seriously, there are SO many pianos falling near those guys. And how did they sync the sounds with each fall? Some things just make you wonder!