Why do funny movies make us laugh? In this thoughtful essay, by turns stimulating and meditative, distinguished filmmaker and Yale professor Michael Roemer shares his musings on what causes us to chortle, snort, and guffaw when we watch antics onscreen or onstage. Roemer keeps us chuckling as he dissects punchy one-liners, Shakespearean plays, and everything in-between. Incorporating theories from such great thinkers as Sigmund Freud, Charles Baudelaire, Henri-Louis Bergson, and Soren Kierkegaard with the work of classic comedians like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and the Marx Brothers, Roemer examines the purpose of comedy in our lives and in society.Shocked But Connectedprovides a serious reflection on a lighthearted subject.

Michael Roemeris a distinguished filmmaker, writing and directing films such asNothing But a Man;Pilgrim, Farewell; and the award-winning documentariesDying andCortile Cascino. From 1971 to the present, he has taught filmmaking and aesthetics at Yale University, where he is professor emeritus today.

PrefaceChapter 1: SurprisedChapter 2: FreudChapter 3: Different and ScaryChapter 4: DisconnectedChapter 5: Bergson and High ComedyChapter 6: Blind and Helpless but AliveChapter 7: ChildhoodChapter 8: Making It RealChapter 9: Annie HallChapter 10: Free but Connected