What Could Have Been: The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock

In 1928, after falling under some financial pressure, Buster Keaton moved away from his own independent productions and merged things with MGM... a most profitable decision, yet a choice that he later called the, “ worst mistake of his career”. Going from the creative genius behind his own projects to a cog in the studio system with limited creative control over his projects, it went well enough on their first feature, The Cameraman (reviewed here on Filmizon), but with their next effort, Spite Marriage (1929), sadly that freedom was mostly gone. Directed by Edward Sedgwick, with a star like Keaton there is still some magic here, though that feeling of spontaneity, charm, and warmth feels confined within the structured, more efficient MGM production.

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas comedy Just Friends (2005), directed by Roger Kumble, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary already this year. Not a big success at the box office at the time (only earning 50.9 million), it has slowly built a bit of a cult status over the last two decades. Though not received particularly well by critics at the time either, its joyous comedy, romantic elements, and Ryan Reynolds centred ensemble cast make for a most entertaining watch each and every holiday season.

Leaning heavily into some outrageous sight gags best described as over the top slapstick, co-writer and director Blake Edwards reunited with star Peter Sellers for this, the fifth feature of their illustrious comedy franchise, titled Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). As always, Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Sellers – Being There) continues to be a thorn in the side of the criminal underworld – despite his klutzy ways. Infuriating Philippe Douvier (Robert Webber – 12 Angry Men), a French businessman as well as the secret head of the largest drug conglomerate in the country, as the New York Mafia feels like their Parisian counterparts aren’t pulling their weight, he decides to okay the assassination of Clouseau.

Upon hearing that The Naked Gun: from the Files of Police Squad (1988) and its sequels The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) were getting their own reworking of a sequel all these years later, simply titled The Naked Gun (2025), dare I say, it was a tad worrisome. The last decade has been kind to the action and horror genres, but not so for much else... with the last comedies I can remember being either liked or successful ranging all the way back to the buddy cop action comedy The Nice Guys (2016), Game Night and Tag (both 2018), and Good Boys (2019) – of course, there are a few rom/coms and other such things strewn in there, but it hasn’t been a solid stretch for the laugh factory out of Hollywood. Yet, somehow this one has dodged the current comedy killer bullet and survived the dreaded thirty plus year remake/reboot sequel.