History Film / ASeriesofUnfortunateEvents

* OrphanedPunchline: As Count Olaf brings his acting troupe in near the beginning, he's saying, "...tub full of ice in Baja, and I realize that these clever girls had stolen my kidney! [[ItIsPronouncedTroPay Imagine my]] ''[[ItIsPronouncedTroPay surpreez!]]''" [[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/kidney.asp Considering Count Olaf's reputation for black comedy, it makes sense...]]

** Lon Chaney in his ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' getup can be seen on the magazine Count Olaf browses at the Last Chance General Store.

[[caption-width-right:230:''We're very concerned.'']]

-->-- '''{{Tagline}}'''

In 2004, the first three books of the [[BlackComedy darkly humorous]] '''''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''''' franchise were adapted into a feature length film, starring JudeLaw as Lemony Snicket, Creator/JimCarrey as Count Olaf, and Creator/EmilyBrowning (Violet), Liam Aiken (Klaus), and Kara and Shelby Hoffman (Sunny) as the Baudelaire children.

After their parents are killed in a fire at the family mansion, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are left in the care of Count Olaf, a sinister distant relative who wants his hands on the Baudelaire family fortune. Olaf will do anything to get his hands on the money. As they survive numerous attempts on their life and a variety of bizarre events, the orphans will learn just how bad reality is.

While talk of sequels and even a potential film series was certainly up for debate, it's very likely that [[StillbornFranchise there won't be any continuations]]. The closest that the series has to being re-adapted is if Creator/{{Netflix}} carries through on its idea to convert the books into an online TV series.

In 2004, the first three books of the [[BlackComedy darkly humorous]] ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' franchise were adapted into a feature length film, starring JudeLaw as Lemony Snicket, Creator/JimCarrey as Count Olaf, and Creator/EmilyBrowning (Violet), Liam Aiken (Klaus), and Kara and Shelby Hoffman (Sunny) as the Baudelaire children.

* LaserGuidedKarma: At the end of the film, after Olaf gets apprehended, [[spoiler:he is tried and found guilty in court and put through most of the significantly harrowing situations the orphans were forced into before serving a life sentence.]]

* MythologyGag: Violet begins signing the marriage certificate with her left (non-dominant) hand, before Olaf corrects her. In the book, the marriage is ruled void because she doesn't sign with "her own hand".

* PublicDomainSoundtrack: In the end credits, Music/JohannesBrahms' ''Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor (Allegro)'' is played by polka instruments, especially the accordion.

* ShamingTheMob: Done by ''Olaf'' of all people to the audience of the play

* WeSellEverything: The Last Chance General Store sells....sunglasses, liquors, and magazines. Pretty much everything you'd expect in your typical roadside general store.

* AnachronismStew: On purpose, the characters, environments, and vehicles seem to be early 20th century, but fax machines and reel-to-reel car tape decks and carphones seem to be 80s, and Olaf mentions a cell phone in a deleted scene. Given that Poe actually has to feel himself to check, one assumes that giant 80s-style cell phones aren't common at the time.

* BluffTheImposter: Uncle Monty exposes Count Olaf (pretending to be a herpetologist named Stefano) as an imposter by asking him to milk Petunia the snake.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Mr Poe sends the children to live with Count Olaf because he is their closest living relative, geographically speaking. Blood-wise he's either their fourth cousin, three times removed, or their third cousin, four times removed.

* DeadHandShot: [[spoiler:Once Uncle Monty dies and the kids find his body, all we see of it is his hand.]]

* DVDCommentary: Two, one that comes in the regular "actors and director" flavor and one that features the director and [[spoiler:Daniel Handler in character as]] Lemony Snicket himself, who is obviously very disturbed at the director's insistence on introducing Count Olaf into the plot at all, let alone (supposedly) AsHimself. [[spoiler:Handler]] also goes about acting like the movie's events really happened and Count Olaf is playing himself, having locked Jim Carrey away somewhere.

* SignifigantAnagram: ''The Marvelous Marriage'' is written by Al Funcoot. Al Funcoot = Count Olaf.

** His first disguise, Stefano, is actually pretty good in terms of makeup. The big clue that he's up to something is his incompetence; his introductory lines are a good example of {{Malaproper}}, and to young geniuses like Violet and Klaus an immediate giveaway. That said, the only evidence that ensures it's really Olaf is TheLawOfConservationOfDetail -- Montgomery concludes just as quickly that Stefano is actually a spy from the Herpetological Society.
** Captain [[MeaningfulName Sham]], on the other hand, is so blatantly Olaf it's PlayedForLaughs. [[spoiler:You can see a member of Olaf's acting troupe almost immediately after Sham appears to confirm it]]. Sham proceeds to romance Aunt Josephine in an equally blatant example of AdultsAreUseless.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: After Olaf tries to kill the orphans by parking his car with them inside on the train tracks. Mr Poe rightly removes them from his guardianship, but only because he believed Olaf let baby Sunny drive. Similarly, Uncle Monty is justifiably suspicious of "Stephano" but suspects him of being a spy from the Herpetological Society, not a the kids' murderous uncle.

** In the stairwell where we first meet Count Olaf, there is a portrait of Olaf in Shakespearian garb, reaching out with his hand. This is almost an exact duplicate of a picture of John Barrymore playing ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''.

* SignifigantAnagram: ''The Marvelous Marriage'' is written by Al Funcoot.

* VisualPun: When the Baudelaires first meet Justice Strauss, we only see her side of the street, a lovely little place that would be ideal for three growing children. Then Strauss gently lets them down, by pointing them to Olaf's mansion. If you look closely, the flyover bridge separating their two houses has a set of [[WrongSideOfTheTracks railroad tracks - which emit sparks, no less.]] Lampshaded in the DVD commentary.
* WeSellEverything: The Last Chance General Store sells sunglasses, liquors, and magazines.

-->''[[{{Tagline}} Mishaps. Mayhem. Misadventures. Oh joy.]]''

** When the orphans knock Captain Sham over he cries "Main/ChildrenOfTheCorn''!"

* GenreSavvy: Count Olaf seems to have read the books, because he knows to [[spoiler: make sure Violet signs her name using her right hand]].

** His first disguise, Stefano, is actually pretty good in terms of makeup. The big clue that he's up to something is his incompetence; his introductory lines are a good example of {{Malaproper}}, and to young geniuses like Violet and Klaus an immediate giveaway. That said, the only evidence that ensures it's really Olaf is TheLawOfCOnservationOfDetail -- Montgomery concludes just as quickly that Stefano is actually a spy from the Herpetological Society.

* PaperThinDisguise: Count Olaf, over and over again, probably because the Captain Sham and Stephano disguises don't look all that different from his regular appearance. While the Stefano disguise is pretty convincing, the Captain Sham disguise is ''much more'' paper-thin.
** Creator/JimCarrey has been made up to the point where he's almost unrecognizable. When he appears as Stephano, it's almost impossible for you to tell that he's the same man as Count Olaf. When he appears as Captain Sham, though, in the market, his appearance (the hair, namely) is a little less disguised and you can tell it's Olaf a lot more easily. [[spoiler:This latter one is supported by the appearance of one of the women in Olaf's acting troupe turning and saying "Kids, today" with a dramatic chord and a crack of thunder.]]

* NominalImportance: Like in the books, Count Olaf's assistants are known only as "the hook-handed man," "the bald man with a long nose," "the white-faced women," and "the person who looks like neither a man nor a woman."

** Creator/JimCarrey has been made up to the point where he's almost unrecognizable. When he appears as Stephano, it's almost impossible for you to tell that he's the same person as Count Olaf. When he appears as Captain Sham, though, in the market, his appearance (the hair, namely) is a little less disguised and you can tell it's Olaf a lot more easily. [[spoiler:This latter one is supported by the appearance of one of the women in Olaf's acting troupe turning and saying "Kids, today" with a dramatic chord and a crack of thunder.]]

* RailroadTracksOfDoom: Olaf's first plan to nab the Baudelaire fortune is to park his car on the train tracks, and lock the children inside.

* ShowWithinAShow: The theme song from ''The Littlest Elf'' is heard on Count Olaf's car stereo when the orphans are trapped on the grade crossing, and later on Mr. Poe's stereo as his car is being ferried across Lake Lachrymose. Count Olaf has a bobblehead of the elf, whose head is repurposed as part of an improvised pulley to pull on the track switch at the grade crossing, implying it's a film within the world of the story. This ties in perfectly with the conceit that Snicket's intended audience is also part of that world, when he constantly recommends ditching out and seeing that movie instead.

* SignificentAnagram: ''The Marvelous Marriage'' is written by Al Funcoot.

The film received favorable critical reception (notably for Carrey's performance), grossed $200 million worldwide ($60 million more than its budget), and won an AcademyAward for Best Makeup while being nominated in three more fields. It also received a tie-in video game for a variety of consoles as well as for PC.

* LaserGuidedKarma: At the end of the film, after Olaf gets apprehended, [[spoiler:there's a fantasy sequence where he is found guilty in court and put through most of the significantly harrowing situations the orphans were forced into before serving a life sentence.]]

* MythologyGag: Violet begins signing the marriage certificate with her left (non-dominant) hand, before Olaf corrects her. In the book, the marriage is ruled void because she doesn't sign with "her own hand"

* ThoseTwoGuys: The two pale faced women from Olaf''s troupe

* LaserGuidedKarma: Olaf's ultimate fate is [[spoiler:being found guilty in court, and having to go through all of the crap that he put the Baudelaires through before serving a life sentence.]]

* {{Bizarrchitecture}}: To a certain extent, the use of eye motifs in Count Olaf's house. Aunt Josephine's house clinging to the edge of a cliff counts as well, though THAT one didn't last long.....

* RailroadTrackOfDoom: Olaf's first plan to nab the Baudelaire fortune is to park his car on the train tracks, and lock the children inside.

* VisualPun: When the Baudelaires first meet Justice Strauss, we only see her side of the street, a lovely little place that would be ideal for three growing children. Then Strauss gently lets them down, by pointing them to Olaf's mansion. If you look closely, the flyover bridge separating their two houses has a set of [[WrongSideOfTheTracks railroad tracks - which emit sparks, no less.]] Lampshaded in the DVD Commentary.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Aunt Josephine is this for ''nearly everything'', even ''realtors''. Though it turns out that not only was she completely normal before her husband Ike died, but very ''adventurous'' as well!

* ConvectionSchmonvection: [[spoiler: Well, technically "Radiation Schmadiation." Klaus uses Olaf's sunlight-refracting weapon to incinerate the wedding contract. The ''instant'' the sunlight hits the paper, it catches on fire. That means the thing was heated to about 400 degrees Farenheit just like ''that.'' Never mind the fact that Klaus [[ImprobableAimingSkills perfectly lined up the device]] to hit such a small target, how come Olaf's hand didn't get singed? Or, you know, the stage didn't catch fire? There should at least have been ''smoke,'' considering how easily the paper went up.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Jane Lynch briefly appears as the realtor who terrifies Aunt Josephine.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: In the middle of the dramatic destruction of Aunt Josephine's house, the tension is immediately cut by the inexplicable appearance of the Aflac duck screaming.

In 2004, the first three books of the [[BlackComedy darkly humorous]] ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'' franchise were adapted into a feature length film, starring JudeLaw as Lemony Snicket.

After their parents are killed in a fire at the family mansion, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are left in the care of Count Olaf (Creator/JimCarrey), a sinister distant relative who wants his hands on the Baudelaire family fortune. Olaf will do anything to get his hands on the money. As they survive numerous attempts on their life and a variety of bizarre events, the orphans will learn just how bad reality is.

** The reason for changing Klaus's glasses from BlindWithoutEm to a pince-nez he only wears while reading was to avoid making him look too similar to HarryPotter.

* BreakingSpeech: Or rather, gloat, in the movie. Olaf reveals to the audience that he has just legally married Violet and played everyone for a sap. When Mr. Poe demands that the police arrest him, Olaf calls Poe and everyone out on how the kids had repeatedly tried to warn the adults and asked for help, but they wouldn't listen to them. "No one ever listens to children".
* BreakingTheFourthWall: After being rumbled in his guise as "Stephano", Olaf laments to the audience "Darn it. This was such a good character" before fleeing.

* CloudCuckooLander: Initially played straight with Aunt Josephine who is terrified of realtors, avocados and think grammar is the greatest joy in life. This is later subverted as her earlier fears of splintering door handles and flaming stoves are all horrifying realised when her house is hit by Hurricane Herman.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The second of Olaf's [[PaperThinDisguise paper thin disguises]] is that of ship captain, Captain Sham. Also, the Last Chance General Store at the grade crossing.

* {{Fauxreigner}}: Olaf as "Stephano" claims to be Italian, but he [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent sounds more like a vague foreshadowing of]] [[Film/TheDarkKnight Heath Ledger as the Joker.]] Footage exists of Carry getting make-up applied for a very different version of Stephano, with long greasy hair, an outrageous Italian accent, and generally very filthy looking. This was likely changed for being too similar to negative Italian caricatures.

* GadgeteerGenius: [[WrenchWench Violet.]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Jane Lynch briefly appears as the realtor who terrifies Aunt Josephine

** JimCarrey has been made up to the point where he's almost unrecognizable. When he appears as Stephano, it's almost impossible for you to tell that he's the same person as Count Olaf. When he appears as Captain Sham, though, in the market, his appearance (the hair, namely) is a little less disguised and you can tell it's Olaf a lot more easily. [[spoiler:This latter one is supported by the appearance of one of the women in Olaf's acting troupe turning and saying "Kids, today" with a dramatic chord and a crack of thunder.]]

* StealthPun: The Baudelaire children's first guardian after Count Olaf is called Uncle ''Monty'', who owns ''pythons''. [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus You guessed it]].

* ThoseTwoGuys: The two pale faced women from Olaf''s troupe

* GadgeteerGenius: [[WrenchWench Violet.]]
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Olaf exclaims "HOLY CRAP!" in a deleted scene from the film.

* ContinuityNod Violet begins signing the marriage certificate with her left (non-dominant) hand, before Olaf corrects her. In the book, the marriage is ruled void because she doesn't sign with "her own hand"