There may not be any literal baton passing going on in the marathon-set screwball comedy Run, Fatboy, Run, but the movie, which was directed by Friends star David Schwimmer, is noteworthy for its hand-offs. The first has to do with the writing of the film, which began as an original screenplay by American actor/comedian/writer Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer) and was later reworked by British actor/comedian/writer Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead). Despite the screenplay credit confusingly indicating the two writers collaborated, it is more a matter of one taking over from the other and going the distance with it.

The second pass relates to the actors. Although Run, Fatboy, Run is sold as a Simon Pegg comedy, the true stand-out is lesser-known Dylan Moran, who supports as Pegg’s character’s best friend. Familiar to most Brits as the star of the Channel 4 series Black Books (which I keep meaning to finally rent), Moran has also appeared in minor roles in the movies Shaun of the Dead, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story and Notting Hill, none of which really showcased his talent the way Run, Fatboy, Run does. Because it was probably not intentional for Moran to upstage Pegg, though, it has to be said that rather than a hand-off of the spotlight, this is more a stealing of the show. And boy does Moran make a great getaway towards the finish line.
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Edgar Wright has been linked to an adaptation of the Marvel superhero Ant Man since before even Shaun of the Dead was made. Surprisingly, he’s still attached to the project, a feat that is rare in Hollywood. But since Ant Man is a lesser character in the Marvel Universe, there seems to be less of a rush to get him up on the big screen. However, last week Wright told Empire that he has at least completed a screenplay after all these years, and he is taking a meeting (undoubtedly with someone from either Marvel Studios or Paramount) about the movie this week. The writer-director, who last gave us Hot Fuzz, is still unsure what his next gig will be, though he seems to have it narrowed down to Ant Man and another comic adaptation titled Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, the plot of which sounds more in line with Wright’s penchant for comedic gore.

While I eagerly anticipate anything that Wright serves up, I’m especially interested in the Ant Man adaptation. In an interview with Moviehole last year, Wright mentioned that part of the project’s original appeal was the obscurity of the character. And I would have to agree that certainly it would be less stressful and more fun to adapt a comic without the same kind of fanbase as a Batman or X-Men. You could pretty much have free reign as far as what to do with him. It’s pretty much the opposite of Ang Lee trying to do something interesting with the Hulk, a comic book character that everyone is familiar with. Sure, there are times when you may have a popular property and an inventive filmmaker and it can work, as it did with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. But that was like a miracle. I’d hate for Edgar Wright to adapt a property that is on its own highly anticipated, because if it failed, it would be doubly disappointing. So, all I can do is hope that this supposed meeting goes well.

I really enjoyed this piece about film framing and humor on David Bordwell’s website on cinema. The pictures alone are worth a look, even if you don’t have time to read the article. (You’ll relive many great Coen Brothers moments.)

Much of the perspective in the article comes from Barry Sonnenfeld, who has worked extensively with the Coen Brothers. Some of the techniques covered include the use of extremely wide angle lenses, geometrical and symmentrical tableaus, forward tracking, and other camera position techniques. The makers of silent films were masters of this, using framing to build up to a gag, creating comedic suspense long before the gag actually happens.

Bordwell also references Jacques Tati and the more recent movies Shaun of the Dead and Crank. He wraps things up with this:

I think that aspiring filmmakers can learn a lot from this tradition. Our films need more pictorial creativity, which often doesn\’t require fancy CGI. Stylistic handling can add fresh layers to a basic story situation, and astute filmmakers can be alert to the possibilities of comic compositions and funny framings.