THE 100 FUNNIEST FILMS
Variety magazine did a list of the top 100 comedies of all time and like most movie lists, there were flaws with it. For example, Hairspray and Rocky Horror Picture Show are musicals (would they even make a list of best musicals?). Fargo is a movie I love, but I hardly consider it a comedy (despite it having many funny scenes). I feel the same way about The Kids Are All Right. It was my favorite movie of 2010, and some very funny scenes, but more of a family drama. Regarding Variety putting Fargo on the list, two other Coen brothers films should’ve been there. And just as I think Bull Durham is very funny (not on their list), I consider it a sports flick (I did a list of the Top 75 sports films, you can read here: https://fox5sandiego.com/entertainment/at-the-movies-blog/the-top-75-sports-movies-ever/ )
They have the Eddie Murphy live comedy performance “Raw” and a Richard Pryor performance. Both hysterical, but these aren’t movies, but “comedy specials” that were released in theaters.
I thought Iron Man and Deadpool were hysterical, but they’re super hero films. About the only flaw with the list I’m about to present is that I was born in the late ‘60s, so there are some W.C. Fields, Marx brothers, or Buster Keaton movies that are probably hysterical, but I didn’t see them. Perhaps I should just call this list “The 100 films that made me laugh the most.”
I’ll also admit to having recency bias. Film critics usually have the opposite – they want to name “classics”, that can’t possibly have even a tenth of the laughs you got in Airplane! It just makes them sound pretentious. They want to prove they know more than you because you aren’t familiar with some Fellini flick from 1963 (I do like “8 ½” but I digress).
With all that out of the way, let’s get to the list. These are my opinions, up yours! I mean, what’s yours? What did I miss?
- THE IN-LAWS
- TOOTSIE
- THIS IS SPINAL TAP
- GROUNDHOG DAY
- THE BIG LEBOWSKI
- STEP BROTHERS
- YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
- DEFENDING YOUR LIFE
- WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
- MIDNIGHT RUN
- THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
- THE 40-YEAR-OLD-VIRGIN
- ELECTION
- GAME NIGHT
- CLUELESS
- A FISH CALLED WANDA
- THE WORLD’S END
- DR. STRANGELOVE
- THE ODD COUPLE
- WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
- BLAZING SADDLES
- OFFICE SPACE
- THE PRINCESS BRIDE
- PARENTHOOD
- AIRPLANE!
- FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
- HEAVEN CAN WAIT
- TOY STORY
- BACK TO THE FUTURE
- BOOGIE NIGHTS
- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
- COMING TO AMERICA
- LOVE AND DEATH
- CLERKS
- BEST IN SHOW
- EASY A
- FUNNY PEOPLE
- SIDEWAYS
- MAYBE, MAYBE NOT
- IN THE LOOP
- ANNIE HALL
- SOME LIKE IT HOT
- BORAT
- BIG
- RAISING ARIZONA
- NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
- THE NAKED GUN
- FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF
- THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP
- MEAN GIRLS
- CADDYSHACK
- ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
- A CHRISTMAS STORY
- AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON
- BROADCAST NEWS
- FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL
- A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
- SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
- LADY BIRD
- HOT FUZZ
- WAITING FOR GUFFMAN
- CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
- THE PRODUCERS
- BACK TO SCHOOL
- GALAXY QUEST
- KEANU
- THE DICTATOR
- BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
- RUSHMORE
- IN THE LOOP
- THE PINK PANTHER
- LOST IN AMERICA
- WEDDING CRASHERS
- MY COUSIN VINNY
- M*A*S*H*
- SOAPDISH
- WAYNE’S WORLD
- BURN AFTER READING
- SUPERBAD
- BOOKSMART
- THE BREAKFAST CLUB
- SUBMARINE
- TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE
- AUSTIN POWERS
- TALLADEGA NIGHTS
- ANIMAL HOUSE
- 50/50
- DUMB AND DUMBER
- ANCHORMAN
- SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
- THE WAY WAY BACK
- PALM SPRINGS
- DADDY’S HOME
- BEVERLY HILLS COP
- ETERNITY
- SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER
- IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD
- HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
- PAUL
- TED
Honorable mentions go to: Meatballs, Men in Black, History of the World Part 1, The Jerk, Me and You and Everyone We Know,This is the End, Moonrise Kingdom, Up in Smoke, Cedar Rapids, Yesterday, Why Him?, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, The Trip, Central Intelligence, Good Boys, Spaceballs, Best of Times, Catch-22 (the book is better), Buddy Buddy (the last Billy Wilder film which was panned but I loved), Shaun of the Dead (most peoples favorite by Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright), Goon, Slapshot (two funny hockey flicks), and Scrooged and Spirited (two Christmas movies I thought were funnier than Elf).