140-663: Death Becomes Her is a 1992 American satirical surrealistic black comedy fantasy film directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis and written by David Koepp and Martin Donovan . The film stars Meryl Streep , Goldie Hawn , Bruce Willis , and Isabella Rossellini . Its plot follows two women fighting for the affections of the same man; they drink a magic potion that promises eternal youth, with surprising consequences. Filming began in December 1991 and concluded in April 1992; it
280-564: A military family . Willis has donated Girl Scout cookies to the United States armed forces. In 2002, Willis's then 8-year-old daughter, Tallulah, suggested that he purchase Girl Scout cookies to send to troops. Willis purchased 12,000 boxes of cookies, and they were distributed to sailors aboard USS John F. Kennedy and other troops stationed throughout the Middle East at the time. In 2003, Willis visited Iraq as part of
420-664: A narcissistic fading actress Madeline Ashton performs in a Broadway musical. She invites long-time frenemy , the meek aspiring writer Helen Sharp, backstage along with Helen's fiancé, famed plastic surgeon Ernest Menville. Smitten with Madeline, Ernest breaks off his engagement with Helen to marry Madeline. Seven years later, a lonely, obese, depressed, and destitute Helen is committed to a psychiatric hospital where she obsesses over taking revenge against Madeline. Another seven years later, Madeline and Ernest live an opulent but miserable life in Beverly Hills: Madeline
560-706: A Comedy Series for his work on Friends (in which he played the father of Ross Geller 's much-younger girlfriend). He was also nominated for a 2001 American Comedy Award (in the Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series category) for his work on Friends . Also in 2000, Willis played Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski in The Whole Nine Yards alongside Matthew Perry . Willis was originally cast as Terry Benedict in Ocean's Eleven (2001) but dropped out to work on recording an album. In
700-420: A Las Vegas cocktail waitress who becomes an elite professional gambler. The two films were distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment . Willis reprised his most famous role, John McClane, for a fifth time, starring in A Good Day to Die Hard , which was released on February 14, 2013. In an interview, Willis said, "I have a warm spot in my heart for Die Hard ..... it's just the sheer novelty of being able to play
840-434: A Republican. I hate the government, OK? I'm apolitical . Write that down. I'm not a Republican." Willis did not make any contributions or public endorsements in the 2008 presidential campaign . In several June 2007 interviews, he declared that he maintains some Republican ideologies. On August 17, 2006, Willis was named in a Los Angeles Times advertisement that condemned Hamas and Hezbollah and supported Israel in
980-417: A box-office record by earning $ 269,310 in two days, marking it the "biggest opening ever" for overseas distributor United International Pictures . The film's release on DVD was called "appallingly bad" due to the quality of its transfer, which has been said to suffer from excessive grain, blur, and muted colors. A BBC review described it as "horrible" and "sloppy". Many online DVD forum users speculated that
1120-562: A cameo with the former Planet Hollywood co-owners and 80s action stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film The Expendables . Willis played the role of CIA agent " Mr. Church ". It was the first time the three action stars had appeared on screen together. Although the scene featuring the three was short, it was one of the most highly anticipated scenes in the film. The trio filmed their scene in an empty church on October 24, 2009. Willis next starred in Red , an adaptation of
1260-479: A combination of chroma key , an animatronic model created by Amalgamated Dynamics , and prosthetic make-up effects on Meryl Streep to create the look of a twisted neck. The digital advancements pioneered on Death Becomes Her would be incorporated into Industrial Light and Magic's next project, Jurassic Park , released by Universal only a year later. The two films also shared cinematographer Dean Cundey and production designer Rick Carter . The production had
1400-585: A contract to become the international face of Belvedere SA 's Sobieski Vodka in exchange for 3.3% ownership in the company. In 2018, Willis became the brand ambassador of the Hungarian brand Hell Energy Drink . Willis's acting role models are Gary Cooper , Robert De Niro , Steve McQueen , and John Wayne . He is left-handed. He resides in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles with his family. On November 21, 1987, Willis married Demi Moore at
1540-501: A disorder typically caused by damage to the area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. The Golden Raspberry Awards retracted its Willis category, deeming it inappropriate to give a Razzie to someone whose performance was affected by a medical condition. At the time of his retirement, Willis had completed 11 films awaiting release. On February 16, 2023, Willis's family announced that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia . According to Gregg Day,
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#17327930465081680-529: A drag queen. Jinkx has participated in Death Becomes Her -themed photoshoots, and in 2018 they played Madeline in a drag stage show parody called "Drag Becomes Her" alongside season 6 contestant BenDeLaCreme . Tom Campbell, an executive producer of RuPaul's Drag Race , reflected on the appeal of the movie to gay audiences: They're fighting for beauty. They're against the system. They're also villains, but we understand their complexity. We root for
1820-446: A drama about the investigation of the 1968 My Lai massacre . However, due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike , the film was canceled. Willis appeared on the 2008 Blues Traveler album North Hollywood Shootout , giving a spoken word performance over an instrumental blues rock jam on the track "Free Willis (Ruminations from Behind Uncle Bob's Machine Shop)". In early 2009, he appeared in an advertising campaign to publicize
1960-448: A fair number of mishaps. In the scene where Helen and Madeline are battling with shovels, Streep accidentally cut Goldie Hawn's face, leaving a faint scar. Streep admitted that she disliked working on a project that focused so heavily on special effects and vowed never to work on another film with heavy special effects again, saying: My first, my last, my only. I think it's tedious. Whatever concentration you can apply to that kind of comedy
2100-417: A far more obviously extreme and unrealistic tale, involving interplanetary exploration, war among alien life forms, and life inside a 200 mile long whale back in the terrestrial ocean, all intended to make obvious the fallacies of books like Indica and The Odyssey . Medieval Arabic poetry included the satiric genre hija . Satire was introduced into Arabic prose literature by the author Al-Jahiz in
2240-508: A frozen Madeline from the kitchen freezer he has stored her in. Some of the scenes can be viewed in the original theatrical trailer. Death Becomes Her was a box office success and opened at number one at the box office with $ 12,110,355, the same weekend as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bebe's Kids . It went on to earn over $ 58.4 million domestically and $ 90.6 million internationally. In Taipei , Death Becomes Her set
2380-546: A leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988–2013). Willis's other credits include The Last Boy Scout (1991), Pulp Fiction (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Armageddon (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable , The Whole Nine Yards (both 2000), Tears of
2520-491: A limited run of Legacys, badged "Subaru Legacy Touring Bruce", in honor of Willis. Willis has appeared in five films with Samuel L. Jackson (National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 , Pulp Fiction , Die Hard with a Vengeance , Unbreakable , and Glass ) and both actors were slated to work together in Black Water Transit , before dropping out. Willis also worked with his eldest daughter, Rumer , in
2660-413: A little even as you chuckle. Laughter is not an essential component of satire; in fact, there are types of satire that are not meant to be "funny" at all. Conversely, not all humour, even on such topics as politics, religion or art is necessarily "satirical", even when it uses the satirical tools of irony, parody, and burlesque . Even light-hearted satire has a serious "after-taste": the organizers of
2800-480: A means of expression and an outlet for common people to express their anger against authoritarian entities. A popular custom in Northern India of "Bura na mano Holi hai" continues, in which comedians on the stage mock local people of importance (who are usually brought in as special guests). Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with
2940-514: A moderate slump, as he starred in flops such as The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) and Hudson Hawk (1991), although he did find box office success with The Last Boy Scout . He gained more success with Striking Distance (1993) but flopped again with Color of Night (1994): it was savaged by critics but did well in the home video market and became one of the Top 20 most-rented films in
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#17327930465083080-578: A motion picture production company called Cheyenne Enterprises . He left the company to be run solely by Rifkin in 2007 after Live Free or Die Hard . He also owns several small businesses in Hailey, Idaho , including The Mint Bar and The Liberty Theater and was one of the first promoters of Planet Hollywood , with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone . Willis and the other actors were paid for their appearances and endorsements through an employee stock ownership plan . In 2009, Willis signed
3220-800: A neurologist at the Mayo Clinic 's Florida campus , the symptoms include difficulties with language and comprehension, and misinterpretation of instructions. In a statement, the family said that Willis's condition had progressed and that "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease". They expressed hope that media attention on Willis would raise awareness about the disease. Willis owns houses in Los Angeles and Penns Grove, New Jersey . He also rents apartments at Trump Tower and in Riverside South, Manhattan . In 2000, Willis and his business partner Arnold Rifkin started
3360-429: A prominent example from ancient Greece , philosopher Plato , when asked by a friend for a book to understand Athenian society, referred him to the plays of Aristophanes . Historically, satire has satisfied the popular need to debunk and ridicule the leading figures in politics, economy, religion and other prominent realms of power . Satire confronts public discourse and the collective imaginary , playing as
3500-625: A prominent role in Indian and Hindi literature , and is counted as one of the " ras " of literature in ancient books. With the commencement of printing of books in local language in the nineteenth century and especially after India's freedom, this grew. Many of the works of Tulsi Das , Kabir , Munshi Premchand , village minstrels, Hari katha singers, poets, Dalit singers and current day stand up Indian comedians incorporate satire, usually ridiculing authoritarians, fundamentalists and incompetent people in power. In India, it has usually been used as
3640-511: A public opinion counterweight to power (be it political, economic, religious, symbolic, or otherwise), by challenging leaders and authorities. For instance, it forces administrations to clarify, amend or establish their policies. Satire's job is to expose problems and contradictions, and it is not obligated to solve them. Karl Kraus set in the history of satire a prominent example of a satirist role as confronting public discourse. For its nature and social role, satire has enjoyed in many societies
3780-422: A retired couple while Madeline and Helen give no sign that they are enjoying their eternal existence. Zemeckis thought the ending was too happy and opted for the darker ending featured in the final cut. Ullman was one of five actors with speaking roles in the film to be eliminated. Other scenes that were eliminated included one in which Madeline talks to her agent ( Jonathan Silverman ) and one in which Ernest removes
3920-658: A significant cult following, especially in the LGBT community. In RogerEbert.com , Jessica Ritchey wrote, "Time has been kind to 'Death Becomes Her', and the mordantly funny eye it turns to Hollywood pretense and our cultural inability to forgive women for aging. With the virtual extinction of Hollywood's interest in women over thirty, it's a real pleasure to see a film centered on and held down by two actresses as strong as Streep and Hawn." An article in Vanity Fair titled "The Gloriously Queer Afterlife of 'Death Becomes Her'" called
4060-399: A special freedom license to mock prominent individuals and institutions. The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carry out the function of resolving social tension. Institutions like the ritual clowns , by giving expression to the antisocial tendencies , represent a safety valve which re-establishes equilibrium and health in the collective imaginary , which are jeopardized by
4200-458: A strict genre that imposed hexameter form, a narrower genre than what would be later intended as satire . Quintilian famously said that satura, that is a satire in hexameter verses, was a literary genre of wholly Roman origin ( satura tota nostra est ). He was aware of and commented on Greek satire, but at the time did not label it as such, although today the origin of satire is considered to be Aristophanes' Old Comedy . The first critic to use
4340-598: A talking baby in Look Who's Talking (1989) and the sequel Look Who's Talking Too (1990). In the late 1980s, Willis enjoyed moderate success as a recording artist , recording an album of pop-blues, The Return of Bruno , which included the hit single " Respect Yourself " featuring the Pointer Sisters . The LP was promoted by a Spinal Tap –like rockumentary parody featuring scenes of Willis performing at famous events including Woodstock . He released
Death Becomes Her - Misplaced Pages Continue
4480-734: A version of the Drifters song " Under the Boardwalk " as a second single; it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart , but was less successful in the US. Willis returned to the recording studio several times. Having acquired major personal success and pop culture influence playing John McClane in Die Hard , Willis reprised his role in the sequels Die Hard 2 (1990) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). These first three installments in
4620-577: Is militant ", according to literary critic Northrop Frye — but parody , burlesque , exaggeration , juxtaposition , comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural) the very things the satirist wishes to question. Satire is found in many artistic forms of expression, including internet memes, literature, plays, commentary, music , film and television shows, and media such as lyrics. The word satire comes from
4760-415: Is an apotropaic rite in which the sin-eater (also called filth-eater), by ingesting the food provided, takes "upon himself the sins of the departed". Satire about death overlaps with black humor and gallows humor . Another classification by topics is the distinction between political satire, religious satire and satire of manners. Political satire is sometimes called topical satire, satire of manners
4900-601: Is an enclave in which satire can be introduced into mass media , challenging mainstream discourse. Comedy roasts , mock festivals, and stand-up comedians in nightclubs and concerts are the modern forms of ancient satiric rituals. One of the earliest examples of what might be called satire, The Satire of the Trades , is in Egyptian writing from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. The text's apparent readers are students, tired of studying. It argues that their lot as scribes
5040-464: Is depressed about her age and withering beauty and Ernest, now an alcoholic, has been reduced to working as a reconstructive mortician . After receiving an invitation to a party celebrating Helen's new book, Madeline rushes for beauty treatments. Desperate to look younger, Madeline is given the business card of Lisle Von Rhuman, a mysterious, wealthy socialite who specializes in rejuvenation. Madeline and Ernest attend Helen's party and discover that Helen
5180-531: Is eulogized as having achieved true immortality by living an adventurous and fulfilling life and having many children and grandchildren. Now grotesque parodies of their former selves, with cracked, peeling paint and putty covering most of their grey and decrepit flesh, Helen and Madeline mock the eulogy and leave. Outside, Helen trips and falls down a flight of steps, dragging Madeline with her. Their bodies break apart, and Helen sardonically asks Madeline if she remembers where they parked their car. Before Bruce Willis
5320-460: Is just shredded. You stand there like a piece of machinery—they should get machinery to do it. I loved how it turned out. But it's not fun to act to a lampstand. "Pretend this is Goldie, right here! Uh, no, I'm sorry, Bob, she went off the mark by five centimeters, and now her head won't match her neck!" It was like being at the dentist. Multiple scenes that were filmed were omitted from the film's final cut. Director Robert Zemeckis decided on cutting
5460-406: Is not only useful, but far superior to that of the ordinary man. Scholars such as Helck think that the context was meant to be serious. The Papyrus Anastasi I (late 2nd millennium BC) contains a satirical letter which first praises the virtues of its recipient, but then mocks the reader's meagre knowledge and achievements. The Greeks had no word for what later would be called "satire", although
5600-460: Is now slim, glamorous and youthful despite being fifty years old. Jealous of Helen's appearance, Madeline observes as Helen tells Ernest that she blames Madeline for his career decline. Madeline later visits her young lover but discovers he is with a woman of his own age. Despondent, Madeline drives to Lisle's mansion. The youthful Lisle claims to be seventy-one years old and offers Madeline a potion that promises eternal life and youth. Madeline drinks
5740-453: Is often pessimistic, characterized by the use of irony, sarcasm, moral indignation and personal invective, with less emphasis on humor. Strongly polarized political satire can often be classified as Juvenalian. A Juvenal satirist's goal is generally to provoke some sort of political or societal change because he sees his opponent or object as evil or harmful. A Juvenal satirist mocks "societal structure, power, and civilization" by exaggerating
Death Becomes Her - Misplaced Pages Continue
5880-465: Is sometimes called satire of everyday life, and religious satire is sometimes called philosophical satire. Comedy of manners , sometimes also called satire of manners, criticizes mode of life of common people; political satire aims at behavior, manners of politicians, and vices of political systems. Historically, comedy of manners, which first appeared in British theater in 1620, has uncritically accepted
6020-552: Is the reactionary side of the comic ; it limits itself to a shallow parody of physical appearance. The side-effect of teasing is that it humanizes and draws sympathy for the powerful individual towards which it is directed. Satire instead uses the comic to go against power and its oppressions, has a subversive character, and a moral dimension which draws judgement against its targets. Fo formulated an operational criterion to tell real satire from sfottò , saying that real satire arouses an outraged and violent reaction, and that
6160-582: Is the first to define this concept of Yuyan. During the Qin and Han dynasty, however, the concept of yuyan mostly died out through their heavy persecution of dissent and literary circles, especially by Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi . The first Roman to discuss satire critically was Quintilian , who invented the term to describe the writings of Gaius Lucilius . The two most prominent and influential ancient Roman satirists are Horace and Juvenal , who wrote during
6300-426: The Die Hard series grossed over US$ 700 million internationally and propelled Willis to the first rank of Hollywood action stars. At one point, Die Hard 2 and Ghost , starring Willis' then wife Demi Moore , would occupy the number one and number two spots at the box office, a feat that would not be accomplished again for a married Hollywood couple until 2024. In the early 1990s, Willis's career suffered
6440-525: The Late Show with David Letterman several times throughout his career. He filled in for an ill David Letterman on his show on February 26, 2003, when he was supposed to be a guest. On many of his appearances on the show, Willis staged elaborate jokes, such as wearing a day-glo orange suit in honor of the Central Park gates , having one side of his face made up with simulated birdshot wounds after
6580-487: The 1988 presidential elections . In the 1992 presidential election , however, he supported President George H. W. Bush for reelection and was an outspoken critic of Bill Clinton . In 1996, he declined to endorse Clinton's Republican opponent Bob Dole because Dole criticized Demi Moore for her role in the film Striptease . Willis was an invited speaker at the 2000 Republican National Convention , and supported George W. Bush that year. In 2006, Willis said that
6720-514: The Broadhurst Theatre . His performance was generally panned by critics, who called it "vacant" and "inert". Willis was the subject of a roast by Comedy Central in a program broadcast on July 29, 2018. Willis played himself in a cameo in the 2019 film The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part . In the final years of his career, Willis starred in many low-budget independent thrillers and science fiction films. He worked primarily with
6860-628: The Early Middle Ages , examples of satire were the songs by Goliards or vagants now best known as an anthology called Carmina Burana and made famous as texts of a composition by the 20th-century composer Carl Orff . Satirical poetry is believed to have been popular, although little has survived. With the advent of the High Middle Ages and the birth of modern vernacular literature in the 12th century, it began to be used again, most notably by Chaucer . The disrespectful manner
7000-486: The Golden Nugget Las Vegas . On December 20, the couple held a second reception for about 450 guests on a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank . They have three daughters: Rumer (b. 1988), Scout (b. 1991), and Tallulah (b. 1994). Willis and Moore announced their separation on June 24, 1998. They filed for divorce on October 18, 2000, and the divorce was finalized later that day. Regarding
7140-593: The Greystone Mansion (Ernest's funeral home) and the Ebell of Los Angeles (Helen's book party). The exterior of Madeline and Ernest's mansion is located at 1125 Oak Grove Avenue in San Marino , but the interior was a set built on a soundstage. The ending scene where Helen and Madeline tumble down a set of stairs outside a chapel was filmed at Mount St. Mary's University in Brentwood . Death Becomes Her
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#17327930465087280-672: The Harry Whittington shooting , or trying to break a record (a parody of David Blaine ) of staying underwater for only twenty seconds. On April 12, 2007, he appeared again, this time wearing a Sanjaya Malakar wig. On his June 25, 2007, appearance, he wore a mini-wind turbine on his head to accompany a joke about his own fictional documentary titled An Unappealing Hunch (a wordplay on An Inconvenient Truth ). Willis also appeared in Japanese Subaru Legacy television commercials. Tying in with this, Subaru did
7420-593: The Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Willis was cast as David Addison Jr. in the television series Moonlighting (1985–1989), competing against 3,000 other actors for the position. His starring role in Moonlighting , opposite Cybill Shepherd , helped to establish him as a comedic actor. During the show's five seasons, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy . During
7560-572: The Ig Nobel Prize describe this as "first make people laugh, and then make them think". Satire and irony in some cases have been regarded as the most effective source to understand a society, the oldest form of social study. They provide the keenest insights into a group's collective psyche , reveal its deepest values and tastes, and the society's structures of power. Some authors have regarded satire as superior to non-comic and non-artistic disciplines like history or anthropology . In
7700-488: The Latin word satur and the subsequent phrase lanx satura . Satur meant "full", but the juxtaposition with lanx shifted the meaning to "miscellany or medley": the expression lanx satura literally means "a full dish of various kinds of fruits". The use of the word lanx in this phrase, however, is disputed by B.L. Ullman. The word satura as used by Quintilian , however, was used to denote only Roman verse satire,
7840-743: The Renaissance were Giovanni Boccaccio and François Rabelais . Other examples of Renaissance satire include Till Eulenspiegel , Reynard the Fox , Sebastian Brant 's Narrenschiff (1494), Erasmus 's Moriae Encomium (1509), Thomas More 's Utopia (1516), and Carajicomedia (1519). The Elizabethan (i.e. 16th-century English) writers thought of satire as related to the notoriously rude, coarse and sharp satyr play. Elizabethan "satire" (typically in pamphlet form) therefore contains more straightforward abuse than subtle irony. The French Huguenot Isaac Casaubon pointed out in 1605 that satire in
7980-571: The Resaleh-ye Delgosha , as well as Akhlaq al-Ashraf ("Ethics of the Aristocracy") and the famous humorous fable Masnavi Mush-O-Gorbeh (Mouse and Cat), which was a political satire. His non-satirical serious classical verses have also been regarded as very well written, in league with the other great works of Persian literature . Between 1905 and 1911, Bibi Khatoon Astarabadi and other Iranian writers wrote notable satires. In
8120-667: The Sharia " and later Arabic poets in turn using the term "Farazdaq-like" as a form of political satire. The terms " comedy " and "satire" became synonymous after Aristotle 's Poetics was translated into Arabic in the medieval Islamic world , where it was elaborated upon by Islamic philosophers and writers, such as Abu Bischr, his pupil Al-Farabi , Avicenna , and Averroes . Due to cultural differences, they disassociated comedy from Greek dramatic representation and instead identified it with Arabic poetic themes and forms, such as hija (satirical poetry). They viewed comedy as simply
8260-562: The USO tour, singing to the troops with his band, The Accelerators. Willis considered joining the military to help fight the second Iraq War , but was deterred by his age. It was believed he offered US$ 1 million to any noncombatant who turned in terrorist leaders Osama bin Laden , Ayman al-Zawahiri , or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; in the June 2007 issue of Vanity Fair , however, he clarified that
8400-523: The repressive aspects of society . The state of political satire in a given society reflects the tolerance or intolerance that characterizes it, and the state of civil liberties and human rights . Under totalitarian regimes any criticism of a political system, and especially satire, is suppressed. A typical example is the Soviet Union where the dissidents , such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov were under strong pressure from
8540-634: The "art of reprehension", and made no reference to light and cheerful events, or troubled beginnings and happy endings, associated with classical Greek comedy. After the Latin translations of the 12th century , the term "comedy" thus gained a new semantic meaning in Medieval literature . Ubayd Zakani introduced satire in Persian literature during the 14th century. His work is noted for its satire and obscene verses, often political or bawdy, and often cited in debates involving homosexual practices. He wrote
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#17327930465088680-536: The 2005 film Hostage . In 2007, he appeared in the thriller Perfect Stranger , opposite Halle Berry , the crime/drama film Alpha Dog , opposite Sharon Stone , and reprised his role as John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard . Subsequently, he appeared in the films What Just Happened and Surrogates , based on the comic book of the same name . Willis was slated to play U.S. Army general William R. Peers in director Oliver Stone 's Pinkville ,
8820-450: The 9th century. While dealing with serious topics in what are now known as anthropology , sociology and psychology , he introduced a satirical approach, "based on the premise that, however serious the subject under review, it could be made more interesting and thus achieve greater effect, if only one leavened the lump of solemnity by the insertion of a few amusing anecdotes or by the throwing out of some witty or paradoxical observations. He
8960-819: The DVD transfer was taken from the Laserdisc edition of the film and called for a restorative release. Death Becomes Her was initially distributed in an open matte fullscreen (1.33:1) edition in the U.S. while a Widescreen version with its theatrical aspect ratio (1.85:1) was released worldwide. The latter version has also been mistakenly labelled anamorphic . It was later released in North America on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory in 2016. Death Becomes Her received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its special effects and lead performances, but found it lacking depth and substance. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives
9100-584: The Greek word for "satyr" (satyros) and its derivatives. The odd result is that the English "satire" comes from the Latin satura; but "satirize", "satiric", etc., are of Greek origin. By about the 4th century AD the writer of satires came to be known as satyricus; St. Jerome, for example, was called by one of his enemies 'a satirist in prose' ('satyricus scriptor in prosa'). Subsequent orthographic modifications obscured
9240-551: The Kid which featured a CGI representation of himself. That same year, he starred in Mike Judge 's animated film Beavis and Butt-head Do America with his then-wife Demi Moore . In the movie, he plays a drunken criminal named "Muddy Grimes", who mistakenly sends Judge's titular characters to kill his wife, Dallas (voiced by Moore). He then played the lead roles in 12 Monkeys (1995) and The Fifth Element (1997). However, by
9380-662: The Latin origin of the word satire: satura becomes satyra, and in England, by the 16th century, it was written 'satyre.' The word satire derives from satura , and its origin was not influenced by the Greek mythological figure of the satyr . In the 17th century, philologist Isaac Casaubon was the first to dispute the etymology of satire from satyr, contrary to the belief up to that time. The rules of satire are such that it must do more than make you laugh. No matter how amusing it is, it doesn't count unless you find yourself wincing
9520-472: The Roman fashion was something altogether more civilised. Casaubon discovered and published Quintilian's writing and presented the original meaning of the term (satira, not satyr), and the sense of wittiness (reflecting the "dishfull of fruits") became more important again. Seventeenth-century English satire once again aimed at the "amendment of vices" ( Dryden ). In the 1590s a new wave of verse satire broke with
9660-436: The Roman satirist Horace (65–8 BCE), playfully criticizes some social vice through gentle, mild, and light-hearted humour. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) wrote Satires to gently ridicule the dominant opinions and "philosophical beliefs of ancient Rome and Greece". Rather than writing in harsh or accusing tones, he addressed issues with humor and clever mockery. Horatian satire follows this same pattern of "gently [ridiculing]
9800-595: The Sun (2003), Sin City (2005), The Expendables , Red (both 2010), Looper (2012) and Glass (2019). In the last years of his career, he starred in many low-budget direct-to-video films, which were poorly received. Willis retired in 2022 due to aphasia , and was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023. As a singer, Willis released his debut album, The Return of Bruno , in 1987, followed by two more albums in 1989 and 2001. He made his Broadway debut in
9940-464: The United States in 1995. Maxim also ranked his sex scene in the film as the best in film history. In 1994, Willis also had a leading role in one part of Quentin Tarantino 's acclaimed Pulp Fiction ; the film's success gave a boost to his career, and he starred alongside his Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta . In 1996, he was the executive producer and star of the cartoon Bruno
10080-513: The United States should intervene more extensively in Colombia to end drug trafficking from that nation. In several interviews Willis has said that he supports increased salaries for teachers and police officers, and that he is disappointed in the United States foster care system and its treatment of Native Americans . Willis has supported gun rights , saying, "Everyone has a right to bear arms. If you take guns away from legal gun owners, then
10220-433: The absurdities and follies of human beings". It directs wit, exaggeration, and self-deprecating humour toward what it identifies as folly, rather than evil. Horatian satire's sympathetic tone is common in modern society. A Horatian satirist's goal is to heal the situation with smiles, rather than by anger. Horatian satire is a gentle reminder to take life less seriously and evokes a wry smile. Juvenalian satire, named for
10360-518: The action-comedy film The Last Boy Scout . Willis enrolled in the drama program at Montclair State University , where he was cast in a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof . He left the school in 1977, and moved to New York City, where he supported himself in the early 1980s as a bartender at various nightspots in Manhattan including Kamikaze, Cafe Central & Chelsea Central, while living in
10500-450: The aim of humanizing his image. Types of satire can also be classified according to the topics it deals with. From the earliest times, at least since the plays of Aristophanes , the primary topics of literary satire have been politics , religion and sex . This is partly because these are the most pressing problems that affect anybody living in a society, and partly because these topics are usually taboo . Among these, politics in
10640-416: The broader sense is considered the pre-eminent topic of satire. Satire which targets the clergy is a type of political satire , while religious satire is that which targets religious beliefs . Satire on sex may overlap with blue comedy , off-color humor and dick jokes . Scatology has a long literary association with satire, as it is a classical mode of the grotesque , the grotesque body and
10780-506: The character originally named Lisle von Rhuman. In May 2024, the producers announced their plans to have the musical begin performances at Broadway 's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 23 of that year. Its official opening took place there on November 21. Satire Satire is a genre of the visual , literary , and performing arts , usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction , in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with
10920-634: The comic book mini-series of the same name , in which he portrayed Frank Moses. The film was released on October 15, 2010. Willis starred alongside Bill Murray , Edward Norton , and Frances McDormand in Moonrise Kingdom (2012). Filming took place in Rhode Island under the direction of Wes Anderson , in 2011. Willis returned, in an expanded role, in The Expendables 2 (2012). He appeared alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in
11060-624: The divorce, Willis stated, "I felt I had failed as a father and a husband by not being able to make it work." He credited actor Will Smith for helping him cope with the situation. He has maintained a close friendship with both Moore and her subsequent husband, actor Ashton Kutcher , and attended their wedding. Willis was engaged to actress Brooke Burns until they broke up in 2004 after ten months together. He married model Emma Heming in Turks and Caicos on March 21, 2009; guests included his three daughters, as well as Moore and Kutcher. The ceremony
11200-522: The early days of the Roman Empire . Other important satirists in ancient Latin are Gaius Lucilius and Persius . Satire in their work is much wider than in the modern sense of the word, including fantastic and highly coloured humorous writing with little or no real mocking intent. When Horace criticized Augustus , he used veiled ironic terms. In contrast, Pliny reports that the 6th-century-BC poet Hipponax wrote satirae that were so cruel that
11340-487: The early modern period. The dutch translation Van den vos Reynaerde is considered a major medieval dutch literary work. In the dutch version De Vries argues that the animal characters represent barons who conspired against the Count of Flanders. Direct social commentary via satire returned in the 16th century, when texts such as the works of François Rabelais tackled more serious issues. Two major satirists of Europe in
11480-478: The eighth-highest-grossing leading actor . Walter Bruce Willis was born on March 19, 1955, in Idar-Oberstein in what was then West Germany . His mother, Marlene, was German, from Kassel , and his father, David Willis, was an American soldier. He has a younger sister, Florence, and two younger brothers, Robert (deceased) and David. After being discharged from the military in 1957, his father relocated
11620-484: The end of the 1990s his career had fallen into another slump with critically panned films like The Jackal (which despite negative reviews was a box office hit), Mercury Rising , and Breakfast of Champions , as well as the implosion of the production of Broadway Brawler , a debacle salvaged only by the success of the Michael Bay -directed Armageddon , which Willis had agreed to star in as compensation for
11760-464: The failed production, and which turned out to be the highest-grossing film of 1998 worldwide. The same year his voice and likeness were featured in the PlayStation video game Apocalypse . In 1999, Willis played the starring role in M. Night Shyamalan 's film The Sixth Sense , which was both a commercial and critical success. In 2000, Willis won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in
11900-542: The family to his hometown of Carneys Point, New Jersey . Willis has described his background as a "long line of blue-collar people". His mother worked in a bank and his father was a welder, master mechanic and factory worker. Willis spoke with a stutter . He attended Penns Grove High School in Carneys Point Township , where his schoolmates nicknamed him "Buck-Buck". Willis joined the drama club, and found that acting on stage reduced his stutter. He
12040-516: The fashion was brought to an abrupt stop by censorship. Another satiric genre to emerge around this time was the satirical almanac , with François Rabelais 's work Pantagrueline Prognostication (1532), which mocked astrological predictions. The strategies François utilized within this work were employed by later satirical almanacs, such as the Poor Robin series that spanned the 17th to 19th centuries. Satire ( Kataksh or Vyang ) has played
12180-405: The film a "gay cult classic" and "a touchstone of the queer community". The movie is screened in bars during Pride Month , while the characters of Madeline and Helen are favorites of drag performers. In this vein, the movie inspired a Death Becomes Her -themed runway show on season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race . The winner of season 5, Jinkx Monsoon , has cited the movie as an inspiration to become
12320-405: The film a rating of 57% based on reviews from 58 critics with the consensus: "Hawn and Streep are as fabulous as Death Becomes Her ' s innovative special effects; Zemeckis' satire, on the other hand, is as hollow as the world it mocks." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 56 based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave
12460-504: The film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. The Chicago Tribune 's Dave Kehr wrote, "Instantly grotesque, relentless misanthropic and spectacularly tasteless, 'Death Becomes Her' isn't a film designed to win the hearts of the mass moviegoing public. But it is diabolically inventive and very, very funny." Todd McCarthy of Variety said, "While the fountain of youth theme has often come up in films, it has never been given anything like this treatment before." People praised
12600-423: The film's "flashes of originality, brilliant special effects and terrific performances—Willis as a curdled Milquetoast and Hawn as a woman who is finally feeling her own power. Streep makes a fine untamed shrew, by turns shrill, whiny and cooing". Willis was also singled out for his against type comedic performance. Negative reviews criticized the script and pacing, noting that its satire feels scattershot and that
12740-600: The government. While satire of everyday life in the USSR was allowed, the most prominent satirist being Arkady Raikin , political satire existed in the form of anecdotes that made fun of Soviet political leaders, especially Brezhnev , famous for his narrow-mindedness and love for awards and decorations. Satire is a diverse genre which is complex to classify and define, with a wide range of satiric "modes". Satirical literature can commonly be categorized as either Horatian, Juvenalian, or Menippean . Horatian satire, named for
12880-537: The height of the show's success, beverage maker Seagram hired Willis as the pitchman for their Golden Wine Cooler products. The advertising campaign paid Willis US$ 5–7 million over two years. Willis chose not to renew his contract when he decided to stop drinking alcohol in 1988. In 1987, Willis obtained his first lead role in the Blake Edwards film Blind Date , co-starring with Kim Basinger and John Larroquette . Edwards cast him again to play
13020-533: The hospital where the doctor's analysis shows she is clinically dead. Ernest considers her reanimation to be a miracle and uses his skills to repair her body at home. Helen arrives and, after overhearing her and Ernest discussing their murder plot, Madeline shoots Helen with a shotgun. The blast leaves a large hole in Helen's torso but she remains alive, revealing that she also has taken Lisle's potion. Helen and Madeline fight before apologizing and reconciling. Depressed at
13160-513: The insurance company Norwich Union 's change of name to Aviva . As of 2010, Willis was the eighth highest-grossing actor in a leading role and 12th-highest including supporting roles. Willis starred with Tracy Morgan in the 2010 comedy Cop Out , directed by Kevin Smith , about two police detectives investigating the theft of a baseball card. Willis appeared in the music video for the song " Stylo " by Gorillaz . Also in 2010, he appeared in
13300-402: The intent of exposing or shaming the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism , using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. A prominent feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm —"in satire, irony
13440-598: The larger community the self identifies with. The audience's understanding of the context of reflexive humour is important for its receptivity and success. Satire is found not only in written literary forms. In preliterate cultures it manifests itself in ritual and folk forms, as well as in trickster tales and oral poetry . It appears also in graphic arts, music, sculpture, dance, cartoon strips , and graffiti . Examples are Dada sculptures, Pop Art works, music of Gilbert and Sullivan and Erik Satie , punk and rock music . In modern media culture , stand-up comedy
13580-439: The level of a scene in which Rossellini is throwing a party for her myriad clients". Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said, "The trouble with Death Becomes Her isn't that its comic vision is too dark but that it has no shadings, no acerbic glee. Zemeckis gives nastiness such a hard sell he forgets to take any delight in it." Rita Kempley of The Washington Post gave an overall positive review in which she praised
13720-490: The more conventional it seems-and the less it has to say. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, the characters take a back seat to the pyrotechnics, reality is replaced by cliffhangers and Gothic claptrap, and the laughs start to dry up. Satire needs a social context, but the filmmakers have little to say about the culture that created these age-obsessed women. Still, even when 'Death Becomes Her' wanders off course, it remains worth rooting for." Death Becomes Her has acquired
13860-725: The more they try to stop you, the better is the job you are doing. Fo contends that, historically, people in positions of power have welcomed and encouraged good-humoured buffoonery, while modern day people in positions of power have tried to censor, ostracize and repress satire. Teasing ( sfottò ) is an ancient form of simple buffoonery , a form of comedy without satire's subversive edge. Teasing includes light and affectionate parody, good-humoured mockery, simple one-dimensional poking fun, and benign spoofs. Teasing typically consists of an impersonation of someone monkeying around with his exterior attributes, tics , physical blemishes, voice and mannerisms, quirks, way of dressing and walking, and/or
14000-410: The offended hanged themselves. In the 2nd century AD, Lucian wrote True History , a book satirizing the clearly unrealistic travelogues/adventures written by Ctesias , Iambulus , and Homer . He states that he was surprised they expected people to believe their lies, and stating that he, like them, has no actual knowledge or experience, but shall now tell lies as if he did. He goes on to describe
14140-686: The only people who have guns are the bad guys." In February 2006, when Willis was in Manhattan to promote his film 16 Blocks , he was asked his opinion on the Bush administration . Willis responded: "I'm sick of answering this fucking question. I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government , I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop shitting on my money and your money and tax dollars that we give 50 percent of every year. I want them to be fiscally responsible and I want these goddamn lobbyists out of Washington. Do that and I'll say I'm
14280-410: The other. Max Eastman defined the spectrum of satire in terms of "degrees of biting", as ranging from satire proper at the hot-end, and "kidding" at the violet-end; Eastman adopted the term kidding to denote what is just satirical in form, but is not really firing at the target. Nobel laureate satirical playwright Dario Fo pointed out the difference between satire and teasing ( sfottò ). Teasing
14420-477: The phrases he typically repeats. By contrast, teasing never touches on the core issue, never makes a serious criticism judging the target with irony ; it never harms the target's conduct, ideology and position of power; it never undermines the perception of his morality and cultural dimension. Sfottò directed towards a powerful individual makes him appear more human and draws sympathy towards him. Hermann Göring propagated jests and jokes against himself, with
14560-627: The physical consequences Madeline and Helen have already suffered. He flees with the potion but becomes trapped on the roof. Helen and Madeline implore Ernest to drink the potion to survive an impending fall but, realizing they only want him for selfish reasons, he throws the potion away. Ernest survives the fall after landing in Lisle's pool and escapes, leaving the pair in despair at the realization that they will have to depend on each other for companionship and maintenance, forever. Thirty-seven years later, Madeline and Helen attend Ernest's funeral, where he
14700-406: The plot is pushed aside for the special effects. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both gave Death Becomes Her a 'thumbs down', commenting that while the film has great special effects, it lacks any real substance or character depth. People said "screenwriters David Koepp and Martin Donovan would have done well to keep their skewed, scabrous vision in sharper focus and to display satire that rises to
14840-447: The potion, which reverses her age, restoring her beauty, but Lisle warns her that she must disappear from the public eye after ten years, to avoid suspicion of her immortality, and treat her body well. Meanwhile, Helen seduces Ernest and persuades him to kill Madeline. When Madeline returns home, she belittles Ernest, who snaps and pushes her down the stairs, breaking her neck. However, she inexplicably survives and Ernest takes Madeline to
14980-496: The production companies Emmett/Furla Oasis , headed by Randall Emmett , and 308 Entertainment Inc, headed by Corey Large . Emmett/Furla Oasis produced 20 films starring Willis. Described by Chris Nashawaty of Esquire as "a profitable safe harbor" for older actors, similar to The Expendables , most of the films were released direct-to-video and were widely panned. Willis would often earn US$ 2 million for two days' work, with an average of 15 minutes' screentime per film. He
15120-549: The publication of Hall 's Virgidemiarum , six books of verse satires targeting everything from literary fads to corrupt noblemen. Although Donne had already circulated satires in manuscript, Hall's was the first real attempt in English at verse satire on the Juvenalian model. The success of his work combined with a national mood of disillusion in the last years of Elizabeth's reign triggered an avalanche of satire—much of it less conscious of classical models than Hall's — until
15260-451: The real-life cowboy actor Tom Mix in Sunset (1988). The same year, he starred in an action role in Die Hard (1988) as John McClane . He performed most of his own stunts in the film, and the film grossed $ 138,708,852 worldwide. Following his success with Die Hard , Willis had a leading role in the drama In Country as Vietnam veteran Emmett Smith and also provided the voice for
15400-529: The same character over 25 years and still be asked back is fun. It's much more challenging to have to do a film again and try to compete with myself, which is what I do in Die Hard . I try to improve my work every time." On October 12, 2013, Willis hosted Saturday Night Live with Katy Perry as a musical guest. In 2015, Willis made his Broadway debut in William Goldman 's adaptation of Stephen King 's novel Misery opposite Laurie Metcalf at
15540-499: The satiric grotesque. Shit plays a fundamental role in satire because it symbolizes death , the turd being "the ultimate dead object". The satirical comparison of individuals or institutions with human excrement , exposes their "inherent inertness, corruption and dead-likeness". The ritual clowns of clown societies , like among the Pueblo Indians , have ceremonies with filth-eating . In other cultures, sin-eating
15680-437: The scenes to accelerate the film's pacing and to eliminate extraneous jokes. Most dramatically, the original ending was entirely redone after test audiences reacted unfavourably to it. That ending featured Ernest, after he has fled Lisle's party, meeting a bartender named Toni ( Tracey Ullman ) who helps him fake his death to evade Madeline and Helen. The two women encounter Ernest and the bartender 27 years later, living happily as
15820-529: The sci-fi action film Looper (2012), as the older version of Gordon-Levitt's character, Joe. Willis teamed up with 50 Cent in a film directed by David Barrett called Fire with Fire , starring opposite Josh Duhamel and Rosario Dawson , about a fireman who must save the love of his life. Willis also joined Vince Vaughn and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Lay the Favorite , directed by Stephen Frears , about
15960-435: The script's "offbeat lines and unexpected laughs", but noted there is still an "underlying high-and-mighty moral tone, which might have come straight from the pen of Hawthorne -- a puritannical posture wholly deserving of Madeline's retort: 'Blah, blah, blah, blah.' Really, fellas, what's a little cucumber mask going to hurt?" In Newsweek , David Ansen wrote, "Oddly, the more fantastical and grotesque this comedy becomes,
16100-673: The sequel, Ocean's Twelve (2004), he makes a cameo appearance as himself. In 2005, he appeared in the film adaptation of Sin City . In 2006, he lent his voice as RJ the Raccoon in Over the Hedge . In 2007, he appeared in the Planet Terror half of the double feature Grindhouse as the villain, a mutant soldier. This marked Willis's second collaboration with the director Robert Rodriguez , following Sin City . Willis appeared on
16240-501: The situation, Ernest prepares to leave, but Helen and Madeline persuade him to repair their bodies first. Realizing they will need regular maintenance, they scheme to have Ernest drink the potion to ensure his permanent availability. The pair knock out Ernest and bring him to Lisle, who offers him the potion in exchange for his surgical skills. Although tempted, Ernest rejects immortality, concerned about outliving anyone he cares about—forcing him to spend eternity with Madeline and Helen—and
16380-489: The social code of the upper classes. Comedy in general accepts the rules of the social game, while satire subverts them. Another analysis of satire is the spectrum of his possible tones : wit , ridicule , irony , sarcasm , cynicism , the sardonic and invective . The type of humour that deals with creating laughter at the expense of the person telling the joke is called reflexive humour. Reflexive humour can take place at dual levels of directing humour at self or at
16520-468: The stage adaptation of Misery in 2015. Willis has received various accolades throughout his career, including a Golden Globe Award , two Primetime Emmy Awards , and two People's Choice Awards . He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. Films featuring Willis have grossed between US$ 2.64 billion and US$ 3.05 billion at North American box offices, making him in 2010
16660-485: The statement was made hypothetically and not meant to be taken literally. Willis has also criticized the media for its coverage of the war, complaining that the press was more likely to focus on the negative aspects of the war: I went to Iraq because what I saw when I was over there was soldiers—young kids for the most part—helping people in Iraq; helping getting the power turned back on, helping get hospitals open, helping get
16800-712: The sun moved, why weather changed, why hurricanes occurred, or volcanoes happened. Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology. But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally! I choose not to believe that's the way. And that's what makes America cool, you know?" When asked by a Hollywood.tv reporter how he stays grounded in Hollywood , Willis said, "I just thank God every day for...everything great that's come my way." In 1988, Willis and then-wife Demi Moore campaigned for then Democratic Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis 's presidential campaign in
16940-439: The term satire in the modern broader sense was Apuleius . To Quintilian, the satire was a strict literary form, but the term soon escaped from the original narrow definition. Robert Elliott writes: As soon as a noun enters the domain of metaphor, as one modern scholar has pointed out, it clamours for extension; and satura (which had had no verbal, adverbial, or adjectival forms) was immediately broadened by appropriation from
17080-516: The terms cynicism and parody were used. Modern critics call the Greek playwright Aristophanes one of the best known early satirists: his plays are known for their critical political and societal commentary , particularly for the political satire by which he criticized the powerful Cleon (as in The Knights ). He is also notable for the persecution he underwent. Aristophanes' plays turned upon images of filth and disease. His bawdy style
17220-476: The undead divas because they're trying to win a game that's rigged against them, and—to borrow an apocryphal quote from Ginger Rogers —they sort of have to do it 'backwards and in high heels.' In May 2024, RuPaul's Drag Race's Trinity the Tuck and Jujubee released their single "'Til Death Becomes Us" alongside a music video, serving as an homage to the original film. A musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her
17360-493: The water turned back on and you don't hear any of that on the news. You hear, "X number of people were killed today," which I think does a huge disservice. It's like spitting on these young men and women who are over there fighting to help this country. Willis was a Lutheran , but says he no longer practices. In a July 1998 interview with George magazine, he said, "Organized religions in general, in my opinion, are dying forms. They were all very important when we didn't know why
17500-543: The way it is called in Chinese, goes back at least to Confucius , being mentioned in the Book of Odes (Shijing 詩經). It meant "to criticize by means of an ode". In the pre-Qin era it was also common for schools of thought to clarify their views through the use of short explanatory anecdotes, also called yuyan (寓言), translated as "entrusted words". These yuyan usually were brimming with satirical content. The Daoist text Zhuangzi
17640-461: The words or position of his opponent in order to jeopardize their opponent's reputation and/or power. Jonathan Swift has been established as an author who "borrowed heavily from Juvenal's techniques in [his critique] of contemporary English society". In the history of theatre there has always been a conflict between engagement and disengagement on politics and relevant issue, between satire and grotesque on one side, and jest with teasing on
17780-406: The work Reynard the Fox , written by Willem die Madoc maecte, and its translations were a popular work that satirized the class system at the time. Representing the various classes as certain anthropomorphic animals. As example, the lion in the story represents the nobility, which is portrayed as being weak and without character, but very greedy. Versions of Reynard the Fox were also popular well into
17920-901: The writings of the Roman satirist Juvenal (late first century – early second century AD), is more contemptuous and abrasive than the Horatian. Juvenal disagreed with the opinions of the public figures and institutions of the Republic and actively attacked them through his literature. "He utilized the satirical tools of exaggeration and parody to make his targets appear monstrous and incompetent". Juvenal's satire follows this same pattern of abrasively ridiculing societal structures. Juvenal also, unlike Horace, attacked public officials and governmental organizations through his satires, regarding their opinions as not just wrong, but evil. Following in this tradition, Juvenalian satire addresses perceived social evil through scorn, outrage, and savage ridicule. This form
18060-426: Was a technologically complex film to make, and represented a major advancement in the use of CGI effects, under the direction of Industrial Light & Magic . It was the first film where computer-generated skin texture was used, in the shot where Madeline resets her neck after her head is smashed with a shovel by Helen. Creating the sequences where Madeline's head is dislocated and facing the wrong way around involved
18200-566: Was adopted by Greek dramatist-comedian Menander . His early play Drunkenness contains an attack on the politician Callimedon . The oldest form of satire still in use is the Menippean satire by Menippus of Gadara . His own writings are lost. Examples from his admirers and imitators mix seriousness and mockery in dialogues and present parodies before a background of diatribe . As in the case of Aristophanes plays, menippean satire turned upon images of filth and disease. Satire, or fengci (諷刺)
18340-615: Was an Arabian Nights tale called "Ali with the Large Member". In the 10th century, the writer Tha'alibi recorded satirical poetry written by the Arabic poets As-Salami and Abu Dulaf, with As-Salami praising Abu Dulaf's wide breadth of knowledge and then mocking his ability in all these subjects, and with Abu Dulaf responding back and satirizing As-Salami in return. An example of Arabic political satire included another 10th-century poet Jarir satirizing Farazdaq as "a transgressor of
18480-520: Was cast, Kevin Kline was the first choice to play Dr. Ernest Menville; however, he fell out of the project due to a pay dispute with the studio. Jeff Bridges and Nick Nolte were both considered before Willis was eventually cast. Principal photography for Death Becomes Her began on December 9, 1991, and wrapped up on April 7, 1992. The film was shot entirely in Los Angeles and featured several locations frequently used in film and television, including
18620-458: Was considered "unchristian" and ignored, except for the moral satire , which mocked misbehaviour in Christian terms. Examples are Livre des Manières by Étienne de Fougères [ fr ] (~1178), and some of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales . Sometimes epic poetry (epos) was mocked, and even feudal society, but there was hardly a general interest in the genre. In the High Middle Ages
18760-637: Was eventually elected student council president. He graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1973. After graduating from high school, Willis worked as a security guard at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant and transported crew members at the DuPont Chambers Works factory in Deepwater . He turned to acting after working as a private investigator , a role he would later play in the comedy-drama series Moonlighting and
18900-535: Was nonetheless featured heavily in the films' promotional materials, earning them the derogatory nickname " geezer teasers ". The Golden Raspberry Awards , an annual award for the year's worst films and performances, created a dedicated category, the Worst Bruce Willis Performance in a 2021 Movie , for Willis's roles in eight films released that year. Those working on the films later said Willis appeared confused, did not understand why he
19040-469: Was not legally binding, so the couple wed again in a civil ceremony in Beverly Hills six days later. The couple has two daughters, one born in 2012 and another born in 2014. Throughout his film career, Willis has depicted several military characters in films such as In Country , The Siege , Hart's War , Tears of the Sun , Grindhouse , and G.I. Joe: Retaliation . Willis grew up in
19180-539: Was produced by Broadway In Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago from April 30 to June 2, 2024. It was directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli with a book by Marco Pennette and music and lyrics by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey. The cast featured Megan Hilty as Madeline, Jennifer Simard as Helen, Christopher Sieber as Ernest and Michelle Williams as Viola Van Horn,
19320-539: Was shot entirely in Los Angeles . Death Becomes Her was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on July 31, 1992. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was also a pioneer in the use of computer-generated effects and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects . The film is regarded as a cult classic and a highly treasured film within the queer community . In 1978,
19460-451: Was there and had to be fed lines through an earpiece . Days before Willis was scheduled to arrive on set for Out of Death (2021), the screenwriter, Bill Lawrence, was instructed to reduce his role and abbreviate his dialogue, and the director, Mike Burns , was told to complete all of Willis's scenes in a single day of filming. On March 30, 2022, Willis's family announced that he was retiring because he had been diagnosed with aphasia ,
19600-443: Was well aware that, in treating of new themes in his prose works, he would have to employ a vocabulary of a nature more familiar in hija , satirical poetry." For example, in one of his zoological works, he satirized the preference for longer human penis size , writing: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would belong to the (honorable tribe of) Quraysh ". Another satirical story based on this preference
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