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Post by The Mad Plumber on Jul 11, 2009 13:39:53 GMT -5
Here's a little experiment I'd like to try. I want to see if this board can agree on the top ten comedy films of all time. I'll start out with my own list which is unfortunately based on my limited viewing experience. Users after me can choose to refine my list or even just start their own list from scratch. Ultimately, it still has to be the top ten essential comedy films. - #10: Airplane! (1980)
Deadpan humor; Leslie Neilsen vehicle
- #9: Beetlejuice (1988)
Tim Burton film; macabre humor
- #8: The Jerk (1979)
Steve Martin vehicle; Carl Reiner cameos
- #7: Full Metal Jacket (1987) or M*A*S*H (1970)
Black comedy
- #6: Raising Arizona (1987)
Coen brothers film
- #5: Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Black comedy
- #4: Caddyshack (1980)
SNL-related; Rodney Dangerfield vehicle; only film starring both Bill Murray and Chevy Chase
- #3: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Monty Python film
- #2: Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks film
- #1: A Night At The Opera (1935)
Marx Brothers vehicle; first project without Zeppo Marx
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jul 12, 2009 12:18:53 GMT -5
In no particular order
Airplane
Groundhog Day (Bill Murray’s best)
This is Spinal Tap
Bringing Up Baby (Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn)
The Naked Gun series (cause I can’t name just one)
Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
Monty Python Life of Brian (Grail is overall funnier, but it falls apart at the end)
Young Frankenstein
The General (Buster Keaton)
The Freshman (I love Harold Lloyd! I wrote a bunch of Harold Lloyd reviews on this board, but a search comes up empty. I can’t remember which Lloyd film was my fav but I do remember this as hilarious)
Honorable Mention
Dr. Strangelove
Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (Though Sullivan’s Travels is my favorite Sturges film, In terms of pure laughs I remember this as funnier)
Watched caddyshack recently and it hasn't held up well. It wasn't as funny as it was in my youth.
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Post by Satchmo on Jul 12, 2009 13:47:40 GMT -5
There's no order to this at all, but:
The Blues Brothers
The Commitments (Blues Brothers' more serious Irish brother. Best soundtrack ever)
Dr. Strangelove
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Time Bandits
This Is Spinal Tap
The Ladykillers (the Alec Guinness original)
Office Space
Anything Mel Brooks ever directed (but, most essentially, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles)
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Post by Jack Burton on Jul 12, 2009 17:54:12 GMT -5
1. Duck Soup
2. Blazing Saddles
3. Airplane
4. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
5. Bottle Rocket
6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
7.The Blues Brothers
8. Animal House
9. Kentucky Fried Movie
10. Clerks
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Post by crowschmo on Jul 12, 2009 18:00:29 GMT -5
Number one with me is definitely Young Frankenstein. ("Werewolf?" "There wolf - there castle"). Others (in no particular order): Caddyshack (Cinderella story...) Airplane! ("A hospital? What is it?" "It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now"). This is Spinal Tap (This one goes to eleven). The Blues Brothers (It's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses).  Harold and Maude ("Would you like a ride?" "This is my car"). Groundhog Day (Never drive angry). Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (Cleaning woman!) The Man with Two Brains (Dr. Hafarrrrr...) Stripes (A party? For me?) I'm sure there's more but you only wanted ten, heh. |
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Post by callipygias on Jul 13, 2009 11:42:39 GMT -5
Chaplin is far and away the greatest comedic actor and director of all time, so it's difficult for me to put many movies (especially things like Airplane, despite having been very influential) in front of his best movies. I left off The Kid and The Circus only because they are too short to be considered actual movies.
1) The Gold Rush
2) City Lights
3) It Happened One Night
4) Dr. Strangelove
5) His Girl Friday
6) Miracle of Morgan's Creek
7) Modern Times
8) Some Like It Hot
9) Duck Soup
10) The General
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Post by Satchmo on Jul 13, 2009 16:29:44 GMT -5
I used to watch Chaplin's movies all the time when I was younger. Was Gold Rush the one where he eats one of his shoes like spaghetti? I still remember laughing my head off at that scene. I still need to see Buster Keaton's The General, especially since I go to Cottage Grove (where it was filmed) at least once a year. It's a really cool town with what I hold as the greatest antique shop ever (they have old movie props and costumes!) I need to get back into the old silent slapstick movies.
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Post by crowschmo on Jul 13, 2009 18:39:00 GMT -5
Uh oh - bad sign. Nobody put MST3K: The Movie down yet. Oops.
(Unfortunately, it's NOT a top ten for me).
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Post by solgroupie on Jul 13, 2009 20:53:04 GMT -5
I used to watch Chaplin's movies all the time when I was younger. Was Gold Rush the one where he eats one of his shoes like spaghetti? I still remember laughing my head off at that scene. I still need to see Buster Keaton's The General, especially since I go to Cottage Grove (where it was filmed) at least once a year. It's a really cool town with what I hold as the greatest antique shop ever (they have old movie props and costumes!) I need to get back into the old silent slapstick movies. ah, one of my favorite topics - chaplin. yes - the gold rush has the scene of the tramp cooking and eating his own shoe - so hungry that he savors every bite like its a gourmet meal.  it isn't the only iconic scene that comes from the gold rush - there's the scene where mack swain, who played Big Jim, is so hungry he hallucinates and imagines the tramp is actually a big chicken. for 1925, seeing the tramp actually transform into a big chicken must have been something else. its still impressive today. the other famous scene from the gold rush is the dance of the oceana rolls - sorry. can't help myself. i'll go work on my list now! |
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Post by Trumpy's Magic Snout on Jul 13, 2009 22:13:10 GMT -5
In no particular order or of importance to the evolution of the genre (they just make me laugh out loud, the least you can ask from a comedy):
This Is Spinal Tap
Naked Gun
Monty Python's Life Of Brian
Big Lebowski
South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut (the first half is just incredible and it only loses steam because there's no way it would be possible to keep that level going)
Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey (yeah I put Bill And ted in and I went for the sequel, big whoop!)
Groundhog Day
Blues Brothers
Evil Dead 2 (definitely a comedy!)
Clerks
Was going to put In The Loop in but it somehow felt wrong to include a film from this year even if it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Count it as a number 11 for now.
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Post by Mod City on Jul 15, 2009 12:14:38 GMT -5
This is tough, and there are a few really good calls already on the thread. I'll try not to rip off everybody too much. To be clear, these are my essential comedies, and I make no claim to them being the greatest comedies of all time. I just enjoy the heck out of them.
In no particular order:
• Airplane! – So many one-liners and gags that I'm still picking up on some of them nearly 30 years later. Funny from beginning to end.
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles – A great comedy pairing with John Candy and Steve Martin. Practically every scene is a modern classic. Funny because much of it is very, very true.
• Spaceballs – I could have gone with Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, but I want some Rick Moranis with my Mel Brooks. This was on satellite the other night, and Moranis just kills in the Dark Helmet role. He makes up for some of the other mediocre stuff in the rest of the film.
• Groundhog Day – Bill Murray's best comedy film. And thank god nobody apparently got the idea to cash in on a sequel. It stands alone, as it should.
• This Is Spinal Tap – My favorite of the Christopher Guest pantheon, even though they're all good. Hello Cleveland!
• National Lampoon's Vacation – I could also have gone with Christmas Vacation here, but it's hard to beat the original. Another one that's funny because a lot of it is true to life.
• Major League – Doesn't take itself quite as seriously as Bull Durham (another very funny baseball flick), which keeps it light and funny throughout. Bob Uecker gets the best lines in the movie.
• Real Genius – My rogue pick for the list. I think Val Kilmer is hilarious in this. Good comedies from the 80s really hold up for me.
• Stir Crazy – Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor were funny on their own, and totally awesome together. I liked See No Evil, Hear No Evil, too, but this is still their best.
• UHF – I'm still surprised how much this movie makes me laugh. Fun concept, funny performances from Weird Al and Michael Richards and general nonsense. Good stuff.
I will now post this list and instantly realize I forgot a bunch of worthy movies. Oh well, it's the chance you take.
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Post by stevehadcrackers on Jul 15, 2009 12:46:57 GMT -5
Bloodsport, Showdown In Little Tokyo, Sudden Death, Streetfighter... wait, I think I'm doing this wrong.
- Monty Python And The Holy Grail
- Bringing Up Baby
- Animal House
- Caddyshack
- Better Off Dead
- Arsenic And Old Lace
- South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
- Best In Show
- Office Space
- There's Something About Mary
And those are just off the top of my head. I'm sure I'd have a huge list to painstakingly edit if I really thought hard about it. Borat, Waiting For Guffman, The Jerk, Some Like It Hot... there's just too many to choose from.
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Post by Fred Burroughs on Jul 15, 2009 14:58:42 GMT -5
Full Metal Jacket was a comedy? I guess the drill sergeant's lines were pretty funny, but I wouldn't consider it a comedy.
In no order:
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Blazing Saddles
Office Space
Old School
Airplane
This is Spinal Tap
O' Brother Where art Thou?
Young Frankenstein
The Naked Gun (the first one, the rest were okay, but not top 10)
Liar Liar
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Post by Trumpy's Magic Snout on Jul 15, 2009 18:29:12 GMT -5
In no particular order or of importance to the evolution of the genre (they just make me laugh out loud, the least you can ask from a comedy): This Is Spinal Tap Naked Gun Monty Python's Life Of Brian Big Lebowski South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut (the first half is just incredible and it only loses steam because there's no way it would be possible to keep that level going) Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey (yeah I put Bill And ted in and I went for the sequel, big whoop!) Groundhog Day Blues Brothers Evil Dead 2 (definitely a comedy!) Clerks Was going to put In The Loop in but it somehow felt wrong to include a film from this year even if it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Count it as a number 11 for now. Sorry, wrote my list in a hurry and forgot A Fish Called Wanda, put that in instead of Clerks (yeah Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey really is still in my top ten essential comedies so there!). |
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Post by Satchmo on Jul 16, 2009 13:14:34 GMT -5
I loved A Fish Called Wanda. Needed to get that one on DVD.
"My name is Alfred Mansen...gen...den..."
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