This book reveals the hitherto critically disregarded ludic elements in popular American comedy films, building on and expanding the theories developed by Johan Huizinga in his classic study Homo Ludens (1938) and Roger Caillois in Les jeux et les hommes (1958).
Artur Skweres, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the English Department of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. His academic interests include American culture (especially literature and film), as well as theories of comedy and humor. In 2012 he published his first book entitled Searching for Truth and Freedom: Philip K. Dick’s Works in Light of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Thought.
Comic Character as Homo Ludens.- Agon in Groundhog Day and Feds.- Alea in Spies Like Us, Bowfinger, Taking Care of Business, and Brewster’s Millions.- Mimicry in ¡Three Amigos!, Austin Powers, and HouseSitter.- Ilinx in Rush Hour and Showtime.- Conclusion.