Eddie Murphy Raw

Eddie Murphy Raw

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Townsend
Produced by Robert D. Wachs
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Written by Eddie Murphy
(Stand-Up)
Eddie Murphy
Keenen Ivory Wayans
(Opening Sketch)
Starring Eddie Murphy
Cinematography Ernest Dickerson
Edited by Lisa Day
Production
company
Eddie Murphy Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • November 25, 1987 (United Kingdom)
  • December 18, 1987 (United States)
Running time
 93 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $50,504,655[1]

Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) is an American stand-up comedy film directed by Robert Townsend and starring Eddie Murphy. It was Murphy's second feature stand-up film, following Eddie Murphy Delirious. However, unlike Delirious, Raw received a wide theatrical release. The 93-minute show was filmed in New York City's Felt Forum, a venue in the Madison Square Garden complex.

Humor

After the initial sketch and into the live show itself Murphy begins by saying how various people he referenced responded to their mention in his previous stand-up show, Delirious, specifically Mr. T and Michael Jackson. Murphy also talks about a phone call he received from Bill Cosby in which he said that his son, Ennis, heard his profanity and requested that Murphy not say the word "fuck" on stage again, and began chastising him for his offensive material. Murphy then went on to say that he called Richard Pryor and told him about what Cosby said. Pryor responded angrily, calling Cosby a "Jell-O Puddin' eatin' motherfucka", and that if Murphy's fans think it was funny, then Cosby has no business telling him how to do his act. Murphy also talks about how Pryor was an inspiration to Murphy. He talks about how he was inspired by Pryor, whom he called "raw". Murphy then went into one of his old jokes, a bit about a flushing failure, while imitating Pryor's voice. He then goes on to talk about how people who don't speak English only picking up the curse words in his act, and repeating them back to him.

His next bit is about STDs, which Murphy then segues into jokes about relationships; notably of the practice that developed during the 1980s of wives divorcing their husbands and taking "HALF!", as well as about the faults of both men and women and how the opposite sex exploit those weaknesses, basing it on the message in the song "What Have You Done for Me Lately". He jokes that he intends to go deep into Africa to find a "bush bitch" who has no concept of Western culture in order to get a wife who (he hopes) will not divorce him. He also makes passing references to Japanese women who are supposedly very obedient to their husbands.

Murphy delivers a well-received segment on Italian-Americans, on their stereotypical behavior, especially how they behave after seeing a Rocky movie. He then talks about white people's apparent inability to dance. He later talks about his experience in a nightclub where an Italian-American started a fight with Murphy, causing a large brawl, the end result of which saw Murphy getting sued for millions of dollars by all involved and even a few who were not involved.

Murphy also talks about his rude mother making him "the biggest homemade onion-and-green-pepper hamburger that was shaped like a meatball on Wonder Bread", and an exaggerated account on how poor his family was, eventually going into a routine impersonating his father drunk, which follows on from the nightclub brawl segment.

Records

The film contained the word "fuck" 223 times,[2] setting the record for highest "fuck count" ever in a feature-length, theatrically-released film at the time (surpassing Scarface). Raw held the record until 1990, and has since been eclipsed by three dozen films as social norms toward profanity relax.

Cast (opening segment)

Reception

The film was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising Eddie Murphy's stand-up routine.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Eddie Murphy Raw". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Freeze Frame: Suicide Kings". Familymediaguide.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2010.
  3. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (December 21, 1987). "MOVIE REVIEW : Eddie Murphy Stands Up--In the 'Raw'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 26, 2010.

External links