Zoolander’s Gas Fight Is One Of The Funniest Things Conan's Ever Seen | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

There's so many movies that you've. directed which have so many moments in. them where I go like, "Okay, that's one. of my favorite comedy moments. Zoolander, the gasoline station fight, when they're throwing gasoline on each. other and laughing in slow motion is one. of the funniest things I've ever seen. It delights me every time I think about. it." Also, when you and Owen are trying. to hack into a computer and you become. more or less apes.

So, there's all this a 2001 kind of. reference. Yeah. Wow. But, but I have to. tell you something cuz I was actually. for another project. I'm working on this. documentary. I I was looking through. some of this old behind thescenes. footage from Zoolander that I have and. uh and I I found an old This was. literally last week. I found an old cut. of the gasoline fight and I had. forgotten that originally, you know, they light he lights the cigarette and I. think the way it is in the movie I. haven't watched for is like he lights.

cigarette, I go, "Oh no." And then boom, they blow up. But originally it was he. lights a cigarette, I go, "Oh no." And. you watch the flame kind of like he. drops the match on the floor and you see. the flame like, you know, kind of track. under the the car and go up and then it. goes up and it starts engulfing each one. of the models. God and it literally goes. on for I'm I'm not kidding for like like. maybe like 2 minutes where they're just. like dancing in pain. Yeah.

But you know what's great that is but. you know what's great Ben? That's a. master class in the difference between. this this way is funny, this way is not. It's awful. And you can't really explain. why, but No, when you watch it, you see. it's awful. Like the the long and also. this is like, you know, two the year. 2000. the year 2000 where before real. like you know CG effects where like we. had three stuntmen doused in those like. the jelly where they put the jelly on.

and actually be so they're on fire for. real doing this and then the explosion. was a real explosion that like knocked. the windows out of the buildings across. the street cuz it was like bigger than. our guy thought it was going to be. Oh. my god, it's just like a different time. But that is a great, like I say, if you. ever teach a class on comedy, right, which which would sell out, just the. idea of this is the way we showed it in. the movie. Yay. Let me show you a way.

that we didn't go with people crying and. screaming. If it bends, that's funny. Yes. No, it's. true. Yeah. in Tropic Thunder when. you're running across the bridge and you. when when the kid gets thrown I got on. the floor. It's so wrong in every It's. so wrong in every way. Like there's not. anything else that's wrong in that. movie. No, no, there's there's so much nothing comes to.

mind. Nothing comes to mind, you know. So just the body of work, Reality Bites, Cable Guy has so much funny in it, you know, and well like all like all. those are, you know, collaborations with. people and for me that that has always. been the thing. It's like I love working. with people who are funny and, you know, it doesn't just come from me. It's, you. know, it's Well, I could always tell. that because all those years when I was. doing the late night show through all. your different stages, you would always.

show up and want it and say, "Okay, let's do something." And you would come. with ideas and then you would spend a. long time making the this great idea. come to life, working with other people, working with us. And then you would do. this thing and it would be on at, you. know, 12:50 at night on NBC and you. either saw it or you didn't. This was. before internet and it was just great. And I have for this documentary I've. been working on, I've been looking at. some of that old stuff and it's just I. mean I'm like what was I thinking cuz.

it's such a commitment and I I mean. besides just looking at myself 30 years. ago or whatever it is and just like kind. of like my attitude and like coming in. with like hey I'm going to be funny and. you know what I mean or like I'm going. to like have an attitude with you. Yeah. But you were great. you played along and. you were always so open to it and you. were always like, "Okay, let's go for it. and let's do it." Now I look back on it. and I think, "Wait a minute. We were. doing a 12:30 show and Ben Stiller would. come by and work all day on doing a.

9-minute comedy piece for us, you know?". But I was thinking, well, how did I how. did how did that happen? Like that's. that I mean I I I did something right in. a previous life at some. But also, you know, I was thinking about. it cuz like I had to do a talk show next. week and I was thinking, okay, what am I. going to do? And I should think and then. I'm like, uh, we'll just we'll talk and. we'll be fine. And I realize I'm just. like I don't have the energy for at all. anymore. Exactly. I'm like, it'll be. good. We'll come over. No, that's the.

problem is a late night host now would. look at like, oh no, I saw you. You did. Jesus Christ Superstar with Conan. So, we thought maybe you could do a thing. where you're Godzilla and you're like, I. just want to come out in a good Tom Ford. suit. Exactly. Chat about my work. Yeah, I'm tired.