Thursday, December 05, 2013

Next Stooge: Hot Dogs 'n Stuff

Another one I don't need to review.  I think I know it by heart, but there's probably some nuance to it that I don't remember.
Now, for some reason, the high-brow types in Stooge films are always trying to figure out if it's heredity or environment that makes the Stooges the way they are.  For some reason, they prudently never used the phrase "eugenics."  Lesser comedy duos or trios of the time used it at their peril.  Like those Wheeler and Woolsey douchebags, I betcha.  In the instant case, we narrow our study to the influence of money on behaviour as it's happening in real time.  Having to deal with income taxes just throws gasoline on the fire.  Larry is pushed to his absolute limits in dealing with Moe.  Not only does Larry not accept Moe's half-assed apology, he fires off a round of instant glue at Moe.  Moe catches it with the palm of his hand.  A perfect opportunity to do the arm 360 and smash some heads.  But with Moe's gluey hand, he chooses not to make a fist.  Larry slaps Moe's hand, and you can tell by the look in Moe's eyes that, by the time his arm does the 360, or 270 give or take, his hand will definitely hit the target: Larry's head.  See, sometimes they miss their target and hit themselves in the head instead.  But Moe can't miss this time, for he has to stick his glue hand in Larry's hair, so he can rip some of Larry's hair out.
In lieu of the usual three act structure, Income Tax Sappy is more like a two-act play.  The first act deals with the impoverished times before the Stooges learn to manipulate their income taxes to become rich.  Well, can't argue with results, because by the Second Act, they're sipping champagne and tossing away fifty dollar bills in a giant house!  Those must've been the days when $15 here and there led to serious wealth.  Alas, the Stooges are new money and they didn't vet their party guests properly... well, I hate to spoil the surprise.  Needles to say, the classic Income Tax Sappy ends much like Goof on the Roof does, with the three knuckleheads nursing their simultaneously injured asses.  This was one of those ones we used to watch on old VCR tapes, so I'm clearly the wrong person to properly review this one.  Another Shemp classic.  Of course, what's his face steals the show as Mr. Cash.
p.s. These aren't actually letterboxed, they just have the top and bottom truncated.  It's what the old films have to do to survive in the HDTV age.

****
-so sayeth The Movie Hooligan

No comments: