It’s not every day that an ensemble cast of some of the most eminent comedic actors around and starring in a movie like Excuse Me For Living, seemingly jump off the screen and join you at your table for lunch at the Friars Club in New York City. But that’s exactly what happened just prior to the opening of their literally insane nuthouse comedy, Excuse Me For Living.
The occasion for the convening of the film’s stars – Christopher Lloyd, Robert Vaughn and Jerry Stiller on October 9th, was the Friars Club presentation of awards for the veteran funnymen. And in recognition as Best Ensemble Cast Of Yesterday And Today.
The raucous proceedings – the Ric Klass directed movie, not the ceremony – for which the talkative trio congregated for some mischief on camera – hatches as a zany plot over at an upscale, country club-ish mental health care hideaway in a sequestered Big Apple burb. And where, without giving too much away, Vaughn plays a tough love in-house shrink currently taming an out of control young suicidal addict (Dan Topler). But with enough issues on his own plate, leading the rather despondent doc to attend senior guy group therapy on his down time, along with a disgruntled divorcee, played by Stiller.
And exactly what Christopher Lloyd is up to in Excuse Me For Living is somewhat of a mystery, and for maximum therapeutic laughs should remain so here. But let’s just say that what transpires concerning devilish duo Stiller and Lloyd in the wildly offbeat romantic comedy, has a great deal to do with condoms and bunny slippers.
Back at our table at the Friars Club, dining variously over oysters, burgers, seafood bisque and vanilla ice cream with wafers, heaping portions of humor were in abundance as well. Where Lloyd dropped hints that his character in the movie may in fact have maniacal tendencies. While he enthusiastically agreed with me that it would not be a stretch to play peculiar, in an outdoor asylum like Hollywood.
Joining us at the table later on was comic Stewie Stone – at a gathering place like the Friars Club where stylishly goofy gents seem to roam about freely – and he had plenty to deliriously dish about. In particular satirical musings concerning Engelbert Humperdinck, and something to do with Ginger Rogers’ secretive neck scarf.
And when I brought up the topic at the table of that newfangled comedic style known as grossout, and what these seasoned punchline pros might have to say on that subject, Stone remarked making reference to Alan King. In other words, that if you need an obscenity at the end of a joke, then it’s not funny. While Stiller agreed with Stone that the funniest guys in the whole world ever, have got to be Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor.
Excuse Me For Living opens in theaters this week. This movie is being distributed by Dada Films.
