LIONSGATE FILMS Boo! “Boo! A Madea Halloween” is the worst comedy of 2016, thus far. No other movie of the genre, not even Melissa McCarthy’s godawful career nadir, “The Boss,” has featured such a staggering lack of laughter, such unlikeable charac- ters and such an idi- otic story. No other movie of any genre, short of “Norm of the North,” has turned a runtime of less than two hours into such a cross for its viewers to bear. Whether it’s in its comedy, horror homages or writing, “Boo!” fails on every level. The nonsense begins quickly. No sooner have the poorly animated opening credits ended than direc- tor/producer/writer/star/co-star Tyler Perry (“Diary of a Mad Black Woman”) treats us to a scene of the bro-iest frat bros to ever bro declaring they will have the best Halloween party in history with the passion that some Bond villains have declared they will destroy the world. This seems at first like it’s setup for something, but as the scene drags on it never crosses the line into funny, and it’s immediately clear what’s missing: a punchline. It should be the easiest part of a comedy; even if one of the char- acters spouts “Your mom!” or even farts, there’s a punchline. The joke, even if it’s bad, has an ending. Perry seems to think jokes work differ- ently. Scene after endless scene shows him apparently under the impression that if his characters just sit and talk for long enough, then by the law of averages, some- body is eventually bound to laugh. In the absence of anything funny, though, nobody laughs, and so the film labors on. This could have worked if the char- acters themselves were funny, but for characters that Perry has been working with for, in some cases, 25 years, they’re argu- ably the worst part of the movie. Brian (Perry) is a pushover who has no personality besides being a push- over to his daughter, Tiffany (Dia- mond White, “The Lion Guard”), who takes every “rebellious daugh- ter” cliché in the book to such an insane degree that it’s exhausting to watch. Enter Madea (also Perry) and co., who advocates for physical abuse and illegal scare tactics, one of which they eventually end up using. Again, some of this could be funny, but again, there’s no punch- line. Instead, viewers are left with several scenes of unlikable charac- ters debating how best to deal with an unlikable man’s unlikable daugh- ter. Still, the marketing promised that “Boo!” would be a tribute to horror, and once again, this is an innately funny concept, taking Perry’s most insane creation and pitting her against other crazy characters. It has the potential to be great horror-comedy and a brief but welcome departure from the tone of the series. That potential is completely and utterly squandered by the 10-minute “horror” section of the movie which amounts to the several pranks explained away in a later scene which includes the line “We hacked the faucets.” Since “Boo!” doesn’t work in any way a movie wshould, its only distinctly memorable parts are the moments where it encroaches on “So Bad It’s Good” territory. There are not one, but two scenes in which the characters huddle together and say “Now here’s what we’re gonna do…” before the cam- era pans away and what sounds like a public domain soundtrack swells like a “Scooby-Doo” cartoon from the 1960s. Multiple shots are out of focus. In a baffling cameo, Tyga shows up and does a show for about 20 people. It could be hilarious, but at a certain point, the lack of effort displayed in these moments just becomes frustrating instead. Eventually, mercifully, as Madea celebrates having psychologically tortured a teenager into compla- cency, the credits roll. The audience leaves, undeniably changed, for “Boo!” works on one level: it is the ultimate endurance test. Every moment that the inane dialogue doesn’t drive the viewer to insanity is a victory. Every “joke” that goes on for 10 minutes but doesn’t have a punchline is a red badge of courage. “Boo!” is genuinely flooring in just how atrocious it is, worth the price of admission only for those willing to test their mettle. Humanizing ‘The Whale’ JEREMIAH VANDERHELM For the Daily Basement Arts play depicts a 600-pound man facing mortality F “Boo! A Madea Halloween” Rave & Quality 16 Lionsgate Films COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW Unfunny Madea entry an utter mess FILM REVIEW 6A — Monday, October 31, 2016 Arts The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com A 600-pound man sits on his couch. He has just found out he will likely die within the week. This is a story about severing ties with loved ones and a man’s desire to gain forgiveness — as long as death doesn’t catch him first. This weekend, Basement Arts presents Samuel D. Hunter’s “The Whale,” a story of a morbidly obese man, Charlie, who has spent the past few years eating his way to death. After a warning that his time is running out, he works to mend his broken family relationships and redeem himself in his final days. In 2012, the play first appeared off-Broadway by Playwrights Horizons at the Peter J. Sharp Theatre. It later earned the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play in 2013. “It’s about someone who is dying, recognizes he is dying and is fighting to redeem himself before it happens,” said director Madeline Rouverol, a senior in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. “It’s a character whose journey is all about self-redemption.” The dynamic cast of “The Whale” offers many different types of personalities to the story. Charlie, played by SMTD senior Luke Jackson, wants to reconnect with his daughter Ellie, played by SMTD senior Kay Kelley, but recognizes she is full of rage and bitterness towards him. Charlie’s fears extend beyond his initial shock of dying and move into a new realm as he considers how he will be remembered if he doesn’t fix these relationships. Ultimately, he cannot accept dying in a dishonorable way. “Through this willful self- negligence, he is eating himself to death,” Rouverol said. “In a lot of ways, he is not attached to being alive anymore.” Liz, played by SMTD senior Emma Boyden, is one of Charlie’s best friends and provides a lot of support for him, both as a nurse and as a friend. Tensions arise between Liz’s professed atheism and the Mormonism of another character, Elder Thomas. Played by SMTD sophomore Liam Allen, Elder Thomas hopes to guide Charlie toward a “spiritual” saving, whereas Liz just thinks he needs medical care. “You end up finding out that she (Liz) used to be a Mormon and she left the church,” Rouverol said. “You also find out that Elder Thomas is questioning his own faith, so saving Charlie is almost a means for him to solidify his beliefs.” Of course, the heart of this story is found in Charlie himself, who in many ways isn’t your typical protagonist. “Charlie is a fascinating character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play or film or piece of art that humanizes a morbidly obese person the way this play does,” Rouverol said. Jackson said he has spent a lot of time thinking about how to play such a unique and challenging role, especially with such physical limits. Rouverol and Jackson have discussed the need to push past the initial interpretation of Charlie as the “gentle giant” and see him as a character who is fighting for purpose and forgiveness. “It’s not like the only thing this man ever did was become obese,” Jackson said. “There is an obligation and a responsibility to respect when that aspect of one’s life truly dominates both how they live their life and how their life is viewed through society.” Many of the scenes in the play are written in a simple, conversational way, though Rouverol said she wants to make sure the simplicity of the script does not take away from the meaning behind each moment. “If we didn’t remind ourselves of the kind of ticking clock of his life, these scenes could be seen as casual,” Rouverol said. “I’ve been trying to get them to keep in mind the urgency and the stakes. He could die in five minutes, he could die in a day or he could die in an hour.” Cast members said they were surprised by how many personal connections they could make with the play and their characters, even though at first they thought Charlie’s condition was something they could easily distance themselves from. “There are so many points of connection that people can have with this play and it’s important for people to look at plays that look directly at mortality,” Rouverol said. “I think it’s something college-aged students want to pretend doesn’t exist, but it’s important to look at it and consider what really matters in the end.” “The Whale” illuminates the theme of finding beauty from simplicity — quotidian details hold much more value when considering how short life is — and Rouverol has directed her cast towards discovering this truth. “That’s what I love about the play,” Rouverol said. “Everyday moments are put into a bizarre perspective when you’re looking death in the face.” BAILEY KADIAN Daily Arts Writer The Whale Thurs. at 7 p.m. & 11 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m. & 11 p.m. Walgreen Drama Center Studio One Free