Thursday, May 17, 2007

What's So Funny?

A recent conversation with my brother Chris, sister in-law Michele, and their friends Alexandra and Arron led me to the notion that I've never really come up with what I think are the best comedies of all time. The following is a list of my top 10 movie comedies.
What are yours?

1) So I married an Axe Murderer*
2) Blazing Saddles
3) Airplane!
4) Young Frankenstein
5) Caddyshack
6) A Fish Called Wanda
7) The Jerk
8) Ghost Busters
9) The Blues Brothers
10) Best in Show

And just so you know that I'm aware that there are other contenders out there, honorable mentions include:
History of the World Part 1, This is Spinal Tap, Shaun of the Dead, Real Genius, Meatballs, Groundhog Day, Fletch, The Great Dictator, National Lampoon's Animal House, Arthur, Duck Soup, Horse Feathers, City Slickers, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Court Jester, The Nutty Professor(Jerry Lewis), Beverly Hills Cop.

And Hot Fuzz - which I'm going to see for the second time Sunday afternoon - and it's only $2.97. See you there!


* Why is this #1? Possibly for this string of dialog alone:
Stuart Mackenzie: Well, it's a well known fact, Sonny Jim, that there's a secret society of the five wealthiest people in the world, known as The Pentavirate, who run everything in the world, including the newspapers, and meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado, known as The Meadows.
Tony Giardino: So who's in this Pentavirate?
Stuart Mackenzie: The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, The Rothschilds, *and* Colonel Sanders before he went tits up. Oh, I hated the Colonel with is wee *beady* eyes, and that smug look on his face. "Oh, you're gonna buy my chicken! Ohhhhh!"
Charlie Mackenzie: How can you possibly hate the Colonel?
Stuart Mackenzie: Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly smart-arse!


I also have a clip in the Wacky archive.

I like it so much that I went on a "So I Married an Axe Murderer" tour of San Francisco recently.

So what about you?

8 comments:

Morgan said...

I don't know if I can really come up with top 10, but I can definitely list a few.

I definitely agree with Fish Called Wanda being on that list. Also The Jerk and Best in Show. I'm not sure if I would personally list any of the rest though. I really liked So I Married... but I didn't quite understand the huge draw.

Absolute #1 for me is Tommy Boy. Dumb and Dumber would probably be #2. The Odd Couple would probably be #3, and beyond that I'm not as certain, but here's a few that would be in the list:

Waiting for Guffman
Shaun of the Dead
Whole Nine Yards
Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Monty Python Holy Grail
Happy Gilmore
Reno 911 Miami (might be a little early to list that one, but man was it funny)
Groundhog Day (is that considered a comedy?)
The Big Lebowski

That's all I can think of now, apart from all my favorite Cheech and Chong movies.

Unknown said...

i'm with morgan...i can't come up with 10, but here are some of my favorites:

billy madison
drop dead gorgeous
superstar
robin hood - men in tights
big

billy madison is definitely my favorite because it's so quotable.

Anonymous said...

oh really? FOOL!

Unknown said...

yes really, fool!

Anonymous said...

There are so many that I did not include. I'm ashamed. My list was just what I came up with on my way to work - and I'm not a morning person.
Here are some more greats:

A Shot in the Dark
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Three Amigos
Top Secret
Better Off Dead
Dodgeball
Elf
Office Space
Nacho Libre
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python the Life of Brian
Monty Python the Meaning of Life
Spaceballs
Waynes World
Volunteers

Anonymous said...

Way to give it up for Axe Murderer! I'd have to add:
Wedding Singer
Napoleon Dynamite

twalch said...

In no particular oder:

This is Spinal Tap
Office Space
Grandma's Boy (I am not sure how this movie will age, but check back with me in 5 years and ask if I still think it's funny)
Zoolander
Better Off Dead
Roxanne
The Man With Two Brains
Anchorman
Old School
Tommy Boy
Spaceballs
LA Story - kind of a "romantic comedy"
Sixteen Candles

I am sure I am missing a few, but this is the best I could do for now

Unknown said...

1. Joe Dirt
2. The Princess Bride
3. Office Space
4. Tommy Boy
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
6. Young Frankenstein
7. Bruce Almighty
8. Major Payne
9. Shaun of the Dead
10. Hot Fuzz

...and I'm really excited about "Balls of Fury".