Tom Arnold is stupid! You can support the show (and see videos before everyone else) on Patreon! / movienights Website: www.phelous.com Twitter: @Obscurus_Lupa Facebook: / movienightstheseries Tumblr: / www
Actually, the movie I was reminded of the most here was The Addams Family. A strange, quirky, but well-meaning family who live in a world where all the "normal" people simply don't understand their wildly specific values. The difference is, that movie had genuinely appealing characters and a plot that allows us to root for them, while this one wants nothing more than to give the audience a migraine. There were a lot of those during the mid-90's, weren't there?
I was thinking Ernest movies for their tone and logic, and It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World for being a road movie packed with over the top caricatures, convoluted intersecting storylines, wacky occurrences, and bizarre cameos.
The Addams Family is absolutely the trend this film was birthed from, it makes so much more sense in that context. It was just woefully incompetent by comparison.
Because he’s stupid Why are you asking why a character named ‘Stanley STUPID’ would keep doing something if they knew something like that would happen if they keep doing it.
Because that's not how stupidity works. Stupidity works by using poor reasoning to come to an incorrect conclusion. Stupidity DOES NOT MEAN do any damn thing, as some writer's tend to think. Never taking the trash out because you keep getting lost in the driveway is a good example of unfathomable stupidity. GOING OUT OF YOUR WAY TO PUT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO KEEP IN AN EASILY STEALABLE SPOT EVERY WEEK, AND THEN KEEP CONSISTENTLY DOING IT ISN'T AN EXAMPLE OF STUPIDITY. IT'S JUST BAD WRITING.
That's what I assumed was happening, too, until I got into the vid and saw that she actually happens to be sitting in front of some sort of toy rabbit and it wasn't Phelous doing it at all! What a fitting coincidence lmao
I remember seeing this with my family in theaters, and to this day all I ever remembered was the "I'm My Own Grandpa" song. Also, to this day, my Dad says this is one of the stupidest movies he's ever seen. I like to think back to him sitting next to me in the theater while I'm probably laughing like a doofus while he's just shaking his head in disbelief.
I'm sorry, but just what the hell was your father expecting when he went to the theater to see a movie called The Stupids? Did he think the movie was going to go PSYCHE and then spend 3 hours showing a debate on Intelligent Design Theory?
This movie is literally burned into the back of my brain - I watched it a couple times with my sisters when I was like 10 and I’ve never forgotten about it. Every so often I get “I’m My Own Grandpa” stuck in my head.
Agreed. The film's humor is rooted in deliberate, over-the-top defiance of real-world logic. It's _meant_ to be a ridiculous farce whose absurdity builds throughout. I realize that this doesn't appeal to everyone, but there seems to be a widespread misconception that the story is supposed to taken seriously in respects that it's begging its audience not to.
I definitely wasn't prepared for Frankie Faison to show up, as Our Lloyd in Heaven. Humble beginnings. Also, I like Phelan's shirt. Especially the Blackscreen Lodge effect. When I saw the title, I immediately typed "Max Landis' finest hour" but thankfully watched the entire video before posting.
Your hairdo in this video is really cute. And I saw your comment about where you got that top, I actually ordered one before commenting, because I love it so much.
Phelous wears a Black Lodge T-shirt. Tom Arnold's 1992-93 show, _The Jackie Thomas Show,_ had the highest American network prime time debut ratings since _Twin Peaks._ These days, all anyone remembers _Jackie Thomas_ for is Roseanne's faxing pissy letters to three critics after bad reviews. Also, it was in the Nielsen Top 20 because _Roseanne's_ lead-in power had that effect on shows.
Oh, no love for Barry BlueJeans? A million points to anyone who gets that reference. I havent seen this movie in forever but I'm not gonna lie I laughed super hard when you showed the scene in the car with Tom Arnold and he screams "Oh no the Drive B!". I don't know why but I just cracked up. I would say this movie is half funny, and just half well genuinely stupid. But I'd be lying if I said it didnt make laugh 😅
I saw a video essay that leaned toward this actually being a fairly biting piece of satire, if you look at it from the tropes of a traditional film and setting and how it subverts those somewhat subtly. This doesn't make it a GOOD movie, but it explains a lot about it. And in these trying times, I've started really taking solace in figuring out WHY or HOW things suck, even if it doesn't FIX that they suck.
Holy crap, through this, I was able to reconnect with my past. I'm my own grandpa, brought me to, You Can't do that on Television, which also made my remember Turkey TV. Which both shows are connected with a few performers of the first. Maybe the other way around, as I remember this song from Turkey Television. So by watching two groovy people talking about the Stupids, I was able to connect the dots, and find myself back to the past. This is awesome. Thank you so much, Allison and Phelan.
I remember reading 'The Stupid' books when I was a kid and thinking they were funny. The only thing I remember from the movie were the advertisements and the cat. And on your comment about 'What if everything the Stupids were paranoid about was real and it was a conspiracy!?' thing, they did do that. It's called Dan Vs.
I actually love this movie, as moronic and nonsensical as it is. Strangely, unlike 'The Master of Disguise', this isn't based off of nostalgia; I didn't see this movie until I was in high schoool. But your reactions to it are priceless, as was the Oscar clip.
I love you guys. Times are dark, in many ways, but you're both still here to put a smile on my face and take my mind off things. Thank you so so very much xxxx
I discovered that I am Allison. I can sit through the most garbage dreck in the world and still enjoy my viewing experience if the person I'm watching the garbage with is also miserable.
I don't hate this one as much as you two do, but I think a lot of this just comes down to Tom Arnold. I don't think he's brilliant by any stretch, but he just seems so... sincere? in this kind of role in a way where someone like a Rob Schneider or Kevin James wouldn't, if we're talking not terribly funny comedic actors. That, or I'm just thinking of how much worse McHale's Navy was to young me.
im mesmerized by the t shirt broadcast, and this is hard to sell me off of seeing the movie because for some reason the bush bit clip is so funny to me
I love how every single time one of you quoted the "What in the World??" line it sounded 10 times more believable than the actual delivery in the movie.
"The Stupids" sounds like a throw away gag in a Disney channel sitcom. Like if the main characters are watching TV or something. "Now back to The Stupids!"
This is a fun, dumb comedy. Its one of those movies where you just turn off your brain for 90 minutes and enjoy it. My favorite part is Stanley Stupid singing "I'm My Own Grandpa", still makes me crack up to this day!
Tom Arnold's sole reason for fame is that at some point, on at least one occasion, he made Rosanne Barr feel really, really good. That's literally the entirety of it.
In middle school way back in 1996, they showed us an anti-drug film that used current movies in a montage set to Gravity Kills' song Guilty. The Stupids was both utilized to promote the film AND make allusions to how people are stupid on drugs. Wrap your head around that one.
LilHanHan Yeah it had footage of ID4, Space Jam, and Seven (not sure why?) But watching Tom Arnold blow shit up while Gravity Kills blared on was oddly awesome. It was a DARE vid i believe, during the "extreme" 90's. If you find it, please link me
In the last Night Visions festival in Helsinki there was a showcase of John Landis movies. I even got the honor of getting his autograph. This movie was never mentioned. Gee I wonder why. ; D
Lydia Wood Because if one movie had it and that one succeeded then obviously any other film that’s in the same kind of genre is going to do it too. It still happens these days.
Wait, I am new here. Love you and phelan. I always thought phelans voice as part of his character. It’s actually how he sounds? Lol that’s awesome!!! I feel so stupid, it makes him even more awesome.
I love this movie, I was a little disappointed that you didn't, but it's definitely something that requires you to be in a certain mindset to enjoy. I think the scene in the Chinese restaurant is great and a nice little tribute to Leslie Nielsen/Airplane: "May I recommend the Cashew Chicken?" "You'll get your cash when we get our father back, and don't call me chicken!"
being a kid in the 90s who was named Stanley was a tough time because there was Stanley Ipkiss (The Mask), Stanley Stupid, and then Stuttering Stanley (from 6th Sense and I have always occasionally had a stutter when under stress). there may have been others but those stood out the most. But now I go by Sydney, abandoning that terrible past
Ironically all your points that you make about the movie is the point of the movie. It's meant to be crazy and over-the-top that's why it's so awesome.
It would have all been worth it if it there was a post credits scene: Sender: Well well well, it appears Mr Stupid has foiled my latest plan. oh, don't worry. I will have to deal with him myself. The war isn't over, Mr Stupid...far from it. (dramatic music sting)
I'm trying to imagine what the Addams Family movies would be like if, instead of reacting all confused and horrified, the citizens around the Addams just smiled and nodded at all the weird shit they did. Can confirm. Not as good.
As a child, we used to rent the children's books this movie is based off of. I remember the last time we rented one from the library. He get it home, open it up and... It stinks like shit, stinky smelly shit. And the entire book stinks like this while it's left open. We have no idea where the smell came from, there was no stains or doodoo on the pages. You could practically see the stink lines coming off this thing.
