Agree on the subjective aspect of comedy, Aragorn. It's virtually impossible to define what makes something "funny" in a specific situation - tone, pacing, circumstance, etc. And yet I'm still astounded by some of the tripe that gets passed off as comedy sometimes (you've provided two excellent examples). Delta, I'd completely forgotten about Soapdish. Another standout Kevin Kline performance, though I'd argue that he's overshadowed here by Robert Downey Jr.'s hilariously smarmy director/producer. What fun that must have been to play. I can't believe this one isn't more well known - it snuck under the collective radar, it seems.
Funniest comedies ever?
- Thread starter Mick of Time
- Start date
Many of these have been said but I would like to nominate:
Ghostbusters
Anchorman
Galaxy Quest
This Is Spinal Tap
The Princess Bride
Trading Places
Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
Airplane!
The Big Lebowski
Blazing Saddles
Shaun Of The Dead
Hot Fuzz
Monty Python And The Holy Grail
Ghostbusters
Anchorman
Galaxy Quest
This Is Spinal Tap
The Princess Bride
Trading Places
Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
Airplane!
The Big Lebowski
Blazing Saddles
Shaun Of The Dead
Hot Fuzz
Monty Python And The Holy Grail
Check out an obscure movie called After Hours sometime. Glad to see someone mentioned Soapdish.
If you're in a holiday mood: Scrooged and Bad Santa.
Others not yet mentioned that I've noticed:
Annie Hall
Arsenic and Old Lace
Beavis and Butthead Do America
Beetlejuice
The Blues Brothers
Bowfinger
Duck Soup
Ed Wood
Election
The General (1927)
Groundhog Day
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Incredibles
It Happened One Night
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Married to the Mob
Monkey Business
The Music Man
The Navigator (1924)
O Brother Where Art Thou?
The Odd Couple
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Prizzi's Honor
Raising Arizona
Repo Man
Shrek
The Simpsons Movie
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
To Die For
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Victor/Victoria
The Weather Man
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
...and if you're in a weird mood: Zoolander
Just looking at that list makes me happy!
If you're in a holiday mood: Scrooged and Bad Santa.
Others not yet mentioned that I've noticed:
Annie Hall
Arsenic and Old Lace
Beavis and Butthead Do America
Beetlejuice
The Blues Brothers
Bowfinger
Duck Soup
Ed Wood
Election
The General (1927)
Groundhog Day
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Incredibles
It Happened One Night
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Married to the Mob
Monkey Business
The Music Man
The Navigator (1924)
O Brother Where Art Thou?
The Odd Couple
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Prizzi's Honor
Raising Arizona
Repo Man
Shrek
The Simpsons Movie
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
To Die For
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Victor/Victoria
The Weather Man
Welcome to the Dollhouse
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
...and if you're in a weird mood: Zoolander
Just looking at that list makes me happy!
Last edited:
Hot Shots!
Hot Shots! Part Deux
any of the viewaskewniverse movies, but in particular Clerks, Clerks II and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Austin Powers 1
Wayne's World
Shanghai Noon (John Wayne? That's a terrible name for a cowboy!
)
Hot Shots! Part Deux
any of the viewaskewniverse movies, but in particular Clerks, Clerks II and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Austin Powers 1
Wayne's World
Shanghai Noon (John Wayne? That's a terrible name for a cowboy!
)
Snatch is, without a doubt, one of the funniest films in the history of motion pictures.
Ditto!
Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, John Heard. I'm sure I'm forgetting tons more.
Ah, let's see...
This is Spinal Tap
Clerks
Anchorman
The Naked Gun(although watching it now, it's not as funny as I thought it was in 5th grade, but it's still a classic.)
Blazing Saddles
Spaceballs
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Mallrats
The Jerk
Ghostbusters(Yeah, I'd consider it a comedy.)
This is Spinal Tap
Clerks
Anchorman
The Naked Gun(although watching it now, it's not as funny as I thought it was in 5th grade, but it's still a classic.)
Blazing Saddles
Spaceballs
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Mallrats
The Jerk
Ghostbusters(Yeah, I'd consider it a comedy.)
I've never laughed harder at a movie than I did at "Noises Off!"
Last year a friend of mine was in a stage version and it was pretty funny, but the movie version still cracks me up (RIP 3 cast members: Denholm Elliot, Christopher Reeve, and John Ritter).
Agreed. I've directed theater for over 30 years and my friends and I were in a virtually empty theater, laughing our asses off.
The movie works better because unlike the stage version, the actors within the production are mostly American, so when they break character, they also break their British accents as well.
--Ted
Modern film -
Throw Mama From the Train - I LOVE that movie and think it is hilarious. OWEN!!!!!
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The only National Lampoon film I really like.
Classic Film:
My Man Godfrey - my favorite 'talkie' comedy is absolutely brilliant.
1 A.M. - This Charlie Chaplin silent is one long sight gag based entirely upon one drunk individual's desire to enter his house and go to bed. Best of Chaplin's Mutual comedies contains only one other actor besides Chaplin (and that only for about 30 seconds at the beginning). No matter how many times I watch this one I cannot stop laughing.
Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House - one of Cary Grant's funniest films.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck are my two favorite actors ever, and this is their best film, IMO. However, I guess I don't really think of it as a pure comedy as much as a romantic comedy. And while this is, IMO, the best romantic comedy ever...I hesitate to include it with the ones above because it's really sort of an apples/oranges thing.
But nevertheless, I agree that it's an awesome film. When people think of Gary Cooper they think 'All American Hero'...but this movie is just fabulous. Plus, nerds win! Go nerds!
Throw Mama From the Train - I LOVE that movie and think it is hilarious. OWEN!!!!!
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The only National Lampoon film I really like.
Classic Film:
My Man Godfrey - my favorite 'talkie' comedy is absolutely brilliant.
1 A.M. - This Charlie Chaplin silent is one long sight gag based entirely upon one drunk individual's desire to enter his house and go to bed. Best of Chaplin's Mutual comedies contains only one other actor besides Chaplin (and that only for about 30 seconds at the beginning). No matter how many times I watch this one I cannot stop laughing.
Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House - one of Cary Grant's funniest films.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck are my two favorite actors ever, and this is their best film, IMO. However, I guess I don't really think of it as a pure comedy as much as a romantic comedy. And while this is, IMO, the best romantic comedy ever...I hesitate to include it with the ones above because it's really sort of an apples/oranges thing.
But nevertheless, I agree that it's an awesome film. When people think of Gary Cooper they think 'All American Hero'...but this movie is just fabulous. Plus, nerds win! Go nerds!
Last edited:
Animal House
Superbad
Superbad
Thespeckledkiwi
Vice Admiral
I loved 40 Year Old Virgin Personally...
"There were two sides to that sign and they equally hurt..."
And I loved the Producers. Seeing Will Ferrell as a Nazi was absolutely hilarious.
"There were two sides to that sign and they equally hurt..."
And I loved the Producers. Seeing Will Ferrell as a Nazi was absolutely hilarious.
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World--all of those great comedians on the set together
Boeing Boeing--Jerry Lewis playing it straight for once as Tony Curtis gets most of the laughs
A Night at the Opera--Marx Brothers hijinks
Seven Year Itch--if for no other reason than Marilyn, the subway grating, and her skirt flying up
Boeing Boeing--Jerry Lewis playing it straight for once as Tony Curtis gets most of the laughs
A Night at the Opera--Marx Brothers hijinks
Seven Year Itch--if for no other reason than Marilyn, the subway grating, and her skirt flying up
Not to be a party-pooer, but I liked the original better. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder were comic gold!
From Woody Allen:
Take The Money and Run
Bananas
From other directors:
Silver Streak starring Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor
The In-Laws starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin
Take The Money and Run
Bananas
From other directors:
Silver Streak starring Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor
The In-Laws starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin
Oh man, The In-Laws was brilliantly funny. Every now and then, I'll flip through the TV Guide listings and see it and get excited for a second before I realize it's that crap Michael Douglas remake.
Similar threads
