Word: comical
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...researchers' definition of violence did, at least, avoid some of the absurdities of previous studies, in which every comic pratfall was counted. Violent acts were defined as those physical acts intended to cause harm to another; also included were verbal threats of physical harm as well as scenes showing the aftermath of violence. Thus, finding a body in a pool of blood on NYPD Blue counts as a violent act; Kramer bumping into a door on Seinfeld does not. A cartoon character whacking another with a mallet counts; but the accidental buffoonery of America's Funniest Home Videos doesn...
...Mozart's more convoluted ensembles--"Figaro" boasts several scenes in which more than six people are singing simultaneously--that agility can be just as difficult as a louder and showier Verdi aria. Just the elaborate recitatives, which are crucial to advance the plot, require a daunting combination of comic skill and vocal dexterity. What's more, "Figaro" has at least five major singing roles, and a weak voice in any of them would hurt the opera considerably...
...really interested, but in this "Figaro", opera was what it should be: entertaining. This is due in part to the choice of opera, one of the funniest in the literature, and the wise decision to perform it in English; but it is also a testament to the enthusiasm and comic skill of the cast, which knew just how much...
...essential nature: Figaro is clever and good-hearted, the Countess is heart-broken, the Count is imperious, Cherubino is perpetually lovesick. Almost without exception, this cast handles the famous arias beautifully Saccente has a strong voice and stage presence, and none of Figaro's comic nuances escape him; he is excellent in the patter of 'Aprite un po, Figaro's attack on female infidelity, and in the touching final duet with Susanna. Benaim, as the Count, has perhaps the most pleasing voice in the cast, combining power and a dark, rich tone. Brown has a pretty voice, well equipped...
Unsurprisingly, many of these episodes must have meant more to a sixty-something Fellini in 1980 than to the average contemporary movie-goer. The vision of tightly tank-topped biker chicks possessed by a rock and roll frenzy looks more comic than frightening. The faint soupcon of lesbianism seems a little timid and fastidious by today's standards...