Eric André names his favourite comedy movies
When it comes to modern comedians, Eric André is easily one of the most celebrated figures working today. Not only is he known for his stellar stand-up comedy, but he is equally as skilled as a writer and actor, creating The Eric André Show to great acclaim in 2012.
From starring in sketch shows to voicing adult animated sitcoms, André has established himself as a vital talent in the industry. With The Eric André Show, his parody of late-night television in all of its questionable glory allowed the comedian to stand out against his peers. By using dark, shocking humour, often veering into absurdist territory, André amassed a dedicated following despite each episode being a mere ten minutes long.
To become so successful, André has looked at the work of other comedians, taking inspiration from offbeat and unusual styles of humour. One of his favourite comedies is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, released in 2006. The movie is incredibly well-loved, with Sacha Baron Cohen embodying the title role a little too well. He plays a Kazakhstani journalist who interviews real American citizens, with many unaware that he is an actor.
The film earned Baron Cohen a Golden Globe and was highly acclaimed. For André, watching Borat for the first time when he was 22 was (via Rotten Tomatoes) “the hardest I ever laughed in a movie theatre.”
He added, “Hardest ever. That and Jackass, all of the Jackass movies. That was like, primal, caveman laughter.”
It is easy to see why André loves the film so much – its parodic mockumentary style is more than apparent in The Eric André Show, which also revels in shocking humour. In both, those being interviewed are often purposefully made to feel uncomfortable, creating a bizarre set-up between the interviewer and interviewee, much to the delight of many audience members.
André’s other favourite comedy is UHF, which he called “the first, like, screwball comedy I ever saw in a theatre when I was five years old.” Released in 1989 and featuring “Weird Al” Yankovic, the movie sees the actor/musician/comedian/oddball play George, who finds unexpected success after he begins managing a low-budget television station known as Channel 62. Again, it is understandable why André loves the bizarre film, which undoubtedly inspired his own approach to making a show based on television itself.
He called screwball comedy “one of my favourite genres,” adding, “It’s a lost art.”
André continued, “They don’t do it anymore. Those movies always got really harsh criticism. But if you go back and watch Airplane! one and two, Naked Gun one through three, and Hot Shots! — if you go back and watch those movies from a filmmaking perspective, they’re like works of art.”
André believes that comedy is often looked down upon by critics and unfairly criticised for focusing too heavily on making the audience laugh – even though that is the point of the genre. He explained, in reference to UHF, “Every single shot is a gag. To have that many jokes per square inch is a feat. I think those movies were always thrown under the bus by critics unfairly, I think. They age like a fine wine.”
Eric André’s favourite comedies:
- Borat (Larry Charles, 2006)
- UHF (Jay Levey, 1989)
