Two years ago, while in a taxi on
my way to the airport, I thought about the film and said to myself
"I've got it." Mind you, I'd been thinking about it for a long
time; even before I filmed "The Day of the Beast" I had it in mind:
two comedians who fight on the stage... until they kill one another
[...] We wanted to invent a couple of comedians with all their
comic ingredients. Nino and Bruno remind us of a combination of the
comedy show "Martes y Trece," the actors "Pajares and Esteso" and
the showmen "Tip and Coll" although they are unique in their own
right. In fact, they aren't really funny. One day on stage,
however, they slap each other and realize that people laugh. The
more they hit one another, the more people laugh until they finally
kill each other "live" on stage.
However, in their daily lives off stage, their hatred towards each
other is increasing. As a matter of fact, the more their mutual
hatred grows, the more successful they become. The daily miseries
turn their own existence into a nightmare. Their sad drama is that
two entertainers who should be enjoying their success are
experiencing hell. Why? Because each of them has what the other
lacks - their mutual hatred stems from their mutual
admiration.
All good comedies, deep inside, are dramas. "Dying of Laughter" is
a human drama about friendship. It is a story about love and hate
between two people with virtues and defects. It is a comedy that
deals with serious issues. Humor is always a very serious
matter.
ÁLEX DE LA IGLESIA.