I suppose this movie can be considered a classic of comedy, but only if you are prepared to lump into the classic category such movies as Airplane.
It's a matter of what you find amusing. If slapstick and childishly simple puns and one-liners, puerile plays-on-words or bathroom humour are what gets you rolling in the aisles, then BS (an interesting acronym) will not only float your boat, it will wash it away in a veritable flood.
On the other hand, if more subtle and clever comedy are what you prefer, then I'd suggest staying well clear.
It's not that BS isn't a reasonable film. It's just that its comedy hails from an era when nothing like it was ever seen on film or TV. It was a hit because of its difference, much like Airplane would be later. But, like Airplane, BS's humour doesn't stand the test of time very well. Audiences, for the most part, grow up and mature. The simple humour shown here won't make it today.
As a result, the movie is disappointing. Living on its laurels from yesteryear - being hailed as a classic - is a hard crown for any film to wear successfully for more than a few years, let alone thirty. It's remembered fondly by those that saw it way back when, and those that may have seen it later without anything else for reference. But, being subjected to the deluge of "other" comedy in the intervening years since its original release, the movie fades from the bright star that it once was into the somewhat struggling, tarnished movie that it now appears as.
The most redeeming feature of the movie today is its utter and complete lack of anything that remotely resembles political correctness. It's nice to see the N-word uttered by someone other than a black actor. Not just uttered, but uttered without much trace of vitriol or menace.
We should give a nod to these old movies for, despite the clumsy scripts and poor humour, they remind us of a time when things were simpler, easier to understand. When things were (if you'll pardon the pun) black and white. Simpler movies for a simpler time.
Shake your head at the shallowness of it all if you will today, but remember that there was a time when this was entertainment.
It's a matter of what you find amusing. If slapstick and childishly simple puns and one-liners, puerile plays-on-words or bathroom humour are what gets you rolling in the aisles, then BS (an interesting acronym) will not only float your boat, it will wash it away in a veritable flood.
On the other hand, if more subtle and clever comedy are what you prefer, then I'd suggest staying well clear.
It's not that BS isn't a reasonable film. It's just that its comedy hails from an era when nothing like it was ever seen on film or TV. It was a hit because of its difference, much like Airplane would be later. But, like Airplane, BS's humour doesn't stand the test of time very well. Audiences, for the most part, grow up and mature. The simple humour shown here won't make it today.
As a result, the movie is disappointing. Living on its laurels from yesteryear - being hailed as a classic - is a hard crown for any film to wear successfully for more than a few years, let alone thirty. It's remembered fondly by those that saw it way back when, and those that may have seen it later without anything else for reference. But, being subjected to the deluge of "other" comedy in the intervening years since its original release, the movie fades from the bright star that it once was into the somewhat struggling, tarnished movie that it now appears as.
The most redeeming feature of the movie today is its utter and complete lack of anything that remotely resembles political correctness. It's nice to see the N-word uttered by someone other than a black actor. Not just uttered, but uttered without much trace of vitriol or menace.
We should give a nod to these old movies for, despite the clumsy scripts and poor humour, they remind us of a time when things were simpler, easier to understand. When things were (if you'll pardon the pun) black and white. Simpler movies for a simpler time.
Shake your head at the shallowness of it all if you will today, but remember that there was a time when this was entertainment.