RLLMUK's Top 20 Comedy films of all time!

[MK-1601]

This is tough!

 

There's all the Mel Brooks and Zucker Abrahams Zucker films, Coen Brothers, Buster Keaton...

 

My first instinct is to go with films that have consistently made me laugh the most (usually in the cinema).

 

In no order ... (and with one item per director / series so it's not swamped by Mel Brooks and Christopher Guest)

 

Borat
21/22 Jump Street
Withnail & I
Young Frankenstein
Trading Places
Bad Trip
Top Secret!
This is Spinal Tap
The Jerk
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Ed Wood
Rushmore
South Park B,L,U

I love WWDITS but the original film is pretty light on laughs compared to the series.

 

Mulling over Blues Brothers or Wayne's World, but have any of the SNL derived films been actually properly funny? Blues Brothers is fun, but not really LOL heavy. The first Austin Powers probably deserves a place on the list, shorn of all the catchphrase stuff it still has quite a lot of killer lines and ideas. The "only sailors wear condoms" exchange is a near-perfect joke.

 

I don't think I'd put any Edgar Wright (good director lousy writer) or Armando Iannucci (only funny on TV/Radio) films in, maaaaybe Shaun. Or Chris Morris, sorry (I love Four Lions but it's a bit of a downer).

 

Back to the Future is technically a comedy... Christopher Lloyd's performance is pretty much non-stop great lines or bits of clowning.

 

I don't think Ghostbusters is very funny? Or certainly hasn't aged well in that regard. It's become a cult like Rocky Horror at this point.

 

Thanks for reminding me about Dolemite Is My Name, that's due a rewatch.

[Don Wiskerando]

20. The Naked Gun

19. The Blues Brothers

18. Dumb and Dumber

17. Beetlejuice

16. Little Shop of Horrors

15. This is Spinal Tap

14. Shaun of the Dead

13. When Harry Met Sally

12. Inglorious Basterds

11. Dogma

10. Rushmore

9. Stir Crazy

8. Mousehunt

7. Planes Trains and Automobiles

6. War of the Roses

5. Fargo

4. The Royal Tenebaums

3. Blazing Saddles

2. The Muppets (2011)

1. The Man with Two Brains

 

This list will change I'm sure, but for me that number one is nailed on.

[Loik V credern]

I think people might have forgotten about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Michael Caine and Steve Martin. 

[Ork1927]

I apologise because I agree that trying to order this is a nightmare, although based on current entries - I think we are going to get a decent list although its potentially going to be a top 30/40 with loads of films tied and unable to be split.

[Couch Corpse]

11 minutes ago, Loik V credern said:

I think people might have forgotten about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Michael Caine and Steve Martin. 

My #11

[Loik V credern]

31 minutes ago, Couch Corpse said:

My #11

 

ohh yeah. If other people just want to amend their list and decide which film to bump out.

 

worse, i think people might have forgotten about Midnight Run??? what the litmus configuration is not funny enough for you lot???!

[Benny]

Well I voted for it.

[SpagMasterSwift]

20 - American Psycho

19 - White Men Can't Jump

18 - Booksmart

17 - Trading Places

16 - Top Secret 

15 - The Blues Brothers

14 - House Party

13 - Clerks

12 - The Woman In Red

11 - Animal House

10 -Swingers

9 - Weird Science

8 - Friday

7 -  Shaun of the Dead

6 - Withnail & I

5 - Some Like It Hot

4 - When Harry Met Sally

3 - Airplane

2 - Take The Money and Run

1 - Blazing Saddles

[wullie]

 

20. Trading Places
19. Office Space
18. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
17. Three Amigos
16. Scrooged
15. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
14. Shaun Of The Dead
13. Wayne's World
12. Groundhog Day
11. Anchorman
10. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
9. School Of Rock
8. Dumb And Dumber
7. Elf
6. Blazing Saddles
5. Austin Powers 1
4. The Naked Gun
3. The Life Of Brian
2. Coming To America
1. Airplane

[Azrael]

Difficult to narrow it down to 20 and placing, having consulted one of my big ol' nerdy spreadsheets I've decided on the following:

 

20. Elf

19. Borat

18. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 

17. Hot Fuzz

16. Happy Gilmore

15. Anchorman

14. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

13. Black Dynamite

12. Bowfinger

11. Dude, Where's My Car?

10. Rush Hour

9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall 

8. Eagle vs Shark

7. The Muppets

6. Your Highness

5. Step Brothers

4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

3. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

2. Dumb and Dumber

1. Mallrats 

 

Was based on how often i still reference or quote them with friends/family or just laughing at even when thinking about them. 

 

Elf; "You sit on a throne of lies",  "He's an angry elf", "I know him!" 

 

Borat; "Great success", "And what is this?" 

 

DRS; the may i go to the bathroom first, thanks bit 

 

Hot Fuzz; "Judge Judy and Executioner",  "Narp", "Cornetto", "I'm not made of eyes"

 

Happy Gilmore; "Why don't you just go home", "The price is wrong, bitch", "You no want breakfast", "All in the hips", 

 

Anchorman; "I'm Ron Burgundy??", "Toilet store", "Loud Noises!", "smells like big foot's dick", "Milk was a bad choice", 

 

J&SB; "What the fuck is the Internet", "Ooh what a lovely tea party", "Another white boy in this movie, damn!" 

 

Black Dynamite; "Fiendish Dr Wu, you done fucked up now", "Freeze Turkeys!", "Who the hell is interrupting my kung fu" 

 

Bowfinger; "Them cant even speak English good" 

 

DWMC?; "And then?", "I refuse to play your Chinese food mind games", "Zoltan!" 

 

Rush Hour; "do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth"

 

FSM; "oh the weather outside is weather", "you sound like you're from landan!" 

 

EvS; "ok justin, thank you. Bye", "Don't call me cock hole, bitch" 

 

Muppets; "Heh heh, classic", 

"Maniacal laugh", "We said we would be back and we are.... back", "Wait, there's Muppets in this movie?" 

 

Your Highness; "Fuck that", "This quest sucks", "Dickless traitor" 

 

Step Brothers; "I'm burying you", "Did you touch my drumset", "Boats and hoes" 

 

PT&A; "Those aren't pillows" 

 

B&T; "I said plum" "You have sunk my battleship" 

 

D&D; "Austria? Well g'day mate.." 

 

Mallrats; "I thought she was 36", "That kid is back on the escalator again", "Say would you like a chocolate covered pretzel", "I love the smell of commerce in the morning", "Do it Doug!", "The customer is always an asshole" 

 

The shortlist:

 

Spoiler

21 Jump Street

A Guy Thing

Ace Ventura

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Amelie

American Pie

Anchorman

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Beerfest

Best in Show

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Black Dynamite

Black Sheep

Blades of Glory

Blazing Saddles

Borat

Bowfinger

Bridesmaids

Clerks

Clerks II

Clue

Clueless

Date Night

Dazed and Confused

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 

Dodgeball

Dolemite Is My Name

Dude, Where's My Car?

Dumb and Dumber 

Eagle vs Shark

Elf

Evolution

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 

Four Lions

Galaxy Quest

Game Night

Grand Budapest Hotel

Grumpy Old Men

Happy Gilmore

Heathers

Horrible Bosses

Hot Fuzz

Hot Rod

Hot Tub Time Machine

Idle Hands

In Bruges

In the Loop

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Jingle All the Way

Just Friends

Kung Fu Hustle

Liar Liar

Little Nicky

Mallrats

Mean Girls

Mr Deeds

My Cousin Vinny

Mystery Men

Office Space

Old School

Orange County

Palm Springs

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Road Trip

Role Models

Rush Hour

Scott Pilgrim Vs the World

Scrooged

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

Shaolin Soccer

Shaun of the Dead

Shrek 2

Starsky & Hutch

Step Brothers

Strange Wilderness

Super

Superbad

Talladega Nights

Team America

Thank You For Smoking

The Good the Bad the Weird 

The Inbetweeners Movie

The Jerk

The Lego Movie

The Mask

The Muppets

The Naked Gun

The Odd Couple

The Other Guys

The Royal Tenenbaums

The Worlds End

There's Something About Mary

This is Spinal Tap

Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Ragnarok

Tucker and Dale Vs Evil

Uncle Buck

Vacation

Wedding Crashers

Wet Hot American Summer

What We Do In The Shadows

Wrongfully Accused

Your Highness

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zombieland

Zoolander

 

[MarkN]

On 28/09/2022 at 12:38, SpagMasterSwift said:

20 - American Psycho

19 - White Men Can't Jump

18 - Booksmart

17 - Trading Places

16 - Top Secret 

15 - The Blues Brothers

14 - House Party

13 - Clerks

12 - The Woman In Red

11 - Animal House

10 -Swingers

9 - Weird Science

8 - Friday

7 -  Shaun of the Dead

6 - Withnail & I

5 - Some Like It Hot

4 - When Harry Met Sally

3 - Airplane

2 - Take The Money and Run

1 - Blazing Saddles

Thank God someone included Top Secret. Should be much higher up (IMO) but at least it's in there. It's as silly as arseholes, and probably best watched after a few drinkies, but it has some of the best visual gags of any movie ever. I prefer it to Airplane, personally, because it's just so bloody silly.

 

Will try to remember to return and make a list of my own...

There are so many clever bits in Top Secret I should show, but the cow disguise just does for me every time. It's so daft:

 

[barkbat]

20. Toni Erdmann
19. When Harry Met Sally
18. It Happened One Night
17. The Sponge Bob Square Pants Movie
16. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
15. Paddington
14. Airplane!
13. The Pink Panther
12. Dr. Stranglove
11. The Naked Gun
10. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
9. Pride
8. Toy Story
7. Groundhog Day
6. Galaxy Quest
5. The Commitments
4. The Life of Brian
3. Withnail & I
2. Rushmore
1. Trading Places

[Ry]

Back to the Future is a comedy right? 

 

I mean, if im picking American Psycho as a dark/satire comedy then Back to the Future has to be eligible and everyones number 1, right?

 

Also, i need to find a spot for Heathers and Midnight Run. Feel bad leaving those out. 

[disperse and recoagulate]

20    21 Jump Street
19    The Foot Fist Way
18    Office Space
17    The Wolf Of Wall Street
16    The Big Lebowski
15    The Inbetweeners Movie
14    National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
13    The Hangover Part 2
12    Clerks
11    Wayne's World
10    Dumb & Dumber
9    Black Dynamite
8    Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
7    A Chump At Oxford
6    Superbad
5    Napoleon Dynamite
4    Coopers' Camera
3    Kevin & Perry Go Large
2    Jackass Number Two
1    Ace Ventura When Nature Calls
 

[Vimster]

20. Guest House Paradiso

19. Two Way Stretch

18. The Naked Gun

17. Career Girls

16. Stir Crazy

15. Spaceballs

14. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

13. Kung Fu Hustle

12. Office Space

11. Shaun Of The Dead

10. Beavis & Butthead Do America

9. The Full Monty

8. The Death Of Stalin

7. The Last Detail

6. The Life Of Brian

5. Withnail and I

4. Time Bandits

3. Galaxy Quest

2. This Is Spinal Tap

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

 

That was surprisingly hard work, and I'm sure something really obvious will pop up later, but there you go. 

[Couch Corpse]

On 28/09/2022 at 11:05, Loik V credern said:

 

ohh yeah. If other people just want to amend their list and decide which film to bump out.

 

worse, i think people might have forgotten about Midnight Run??? what the litmus configuration is not funny enough for you lot???!

It was on my shortlist, but I considered it more an action comedy than a straight out comedy. I may reconsider.

[Ork1927]

I've put 11 lists in the spreadsheet of death (don't worry - I'm not making anyone lock down their lists and there are another 7 non ordered or part lists which I've left out for now.

 

Out of those 11 lists there are 137 different films and the current Top 5 based on that would be two from the 70's, 2 from the 80's and 1 90's.  Not a top 5 I would have predicted, but plenty of time for things to change.  

 

 

[Ork1927]

On 26/09/2022 at 20:20, Art Vandelay said:

I’m glad it’s got an early mention as I watched There’s Something About Mary again a few weeks ago and I still completely buckle at the opening set piece. There’s probably funnier films I’m sure but I don’t think there’s a more relentlessly hilarious section than that. From the second he arrives at the house until he leaves in the ambulance it just gets better and better. The Farrelly Brothers had such a run around that time.

 

I'm doing a very belated re-watch now and just finished the opening.  So good - Warren at the end shouting "he was masturbating" over and over again as Ted is wheeled to the ambulance 🤣 and Keith David as Mary's step-dad is amazing.

[ZOK]

On 28/09/2022 at 00:19, DeciderVT said:

17. Muriel's Wedding

Do people consider this a comedy film? I mean it’s one of the greatest films ever made for sure, but I don’t know that it’s a comedy…more an uplifting tragedy than anything. But I guess like most Australian films it defies any simple categorisation.

 

Also, where the hell is Me, Myself & Irene in people’s lists?!

[Ork1927]

Bump - reminder to finalise your lists or finish your lists or do your lists by Sunday night.

[Loik V credern]

I've watched 3/4s of the South Park film and have Blazing Saddles on a usb stick somewhere, my attempt to watch some comedies hasn't gone well, i wasted a film watching Shallow Hal, once I remembered that film happened i couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. 

[Bazjam]

20. Hot Fuzz

19. Raising Arizona

18. Rushmore 

17. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

16. Kung Fu Hustle

15. There’s Something About Mary

14. Blues Brothers

13. Annie Hall

12. Plains, Trains And Automobiles 

11. Beetlejuice 

10. Young Frankenstein 

9. Withnail & I

8. Grand Budapest Hotel

7. Monty Python And The Holy Grail

6. Airplane 

5. What We Do In The Shadows

4. Four Lions

3. Princess Bride

2. In Bruges

1. Shaun Of The Dead

[BadgerFarmer]

Here's 12 I could think of immediately:

 

12 The Blues Brothers

11 Trading Places

10 JoJo Rabbit

9 Airplane!

8 My Cousin Vinny

7 The Man with Two Brains

6 The Grand Budapest Hotel

5 Monty Python and the Holy Grail

4 Little Miss Sunshine

3 Withnail & I

2 The Big Lebowski

1 Life of Brian

[Ork1927]

@Benny @Art Vandelay@Couch Corpse - Could you order your lists

 

@Stopharage @glb @DualSense @MarkN @Timmo @BadgerFarmer - Could you finish/do your lists.  

 

Be good to get at least 20 lists.

 

I'll extend the deadline until close of play Wednesday 12th and finish my own one.

[Benny]

Mine is in an order I'm happy with already.

[spatular]

i don't know, not seen some of these in ages, but had a go at a list

 

20. fantastic mr fox

19. fighting with my family

18. rush hour

17. mars attacks

16. amilie

15. toy story 2

14. four lions

13. fargo

12. monsters inc

11. captain fantastic

10. guardians of the galaxy

9. kick ass

8. super

7. one cut of the dead

6. the wedding singer

5. shaolin soccer

4. as good as it gets

3. untouchable

2. galaxy quest

1. O brother where art thou

[Couch Corpse]

@Ork1927 I'm happy enough with that order.

[MarkN]

Okay - kind of got there:

1) Monty Python And The Holy Grail (yes Life of Brian was more pertinent and relevant, but this is just as silly as arseholes, and I think silly is the best thing)
2( Having said that): The Life of Brian The lisping scene should probably be illegal these days, but renders me helpless (Chris Langham trying not to laugh is perhaps the best scene ever - destroys me. The delivery of Biggus! Dickus! is just sublime. I've no idea why, but "We've got lumps of it round back" destroys me too. I'd like to make it equal first, but Holy Grail is definitely funnier IMO.
3) Top Secret - you need to have had a few beers maybe to appreciate it fully, but the visual gags are amazing regardless of sobriety level).
4) Naked Gun - Police Squad whatever it's called (and sequels - can't remember the order, so just take the first)
5=) The Big Lebowski (so cool, so lovely, must rewatch soon, And also have a white Russian. Might do that for Christmas. Might do both for Christmas. Love a White Russian.)

5=) In Bruges. These feel vaguely similar, in that they're not gag-fests but they are so funny. There are so many moments of In Bruges I adore. Hot damn, if I spend more time thinking I might make it stone cold number 5 and relegate Lebowski which feels like a bold move.

7) Airplane - too many classic lines...

8 (fucking emojis) Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure 

9) Planes, Trains and Automobiles (explicit version). Without the swearing at the airport it would be a little lower, but with it it's amazing.

10) Withnail and I. Perfumed ponce!

11)The Death Of Stalin - the accents do for me...
12) In The loop 
13 )Monty Python's Meaning Of Life. (One for moments rather than an enjoyable overall experience).

14) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. This gets in for the leg whipping sketch alone, but I think there's enough else to warrant an inclusion.
15) Hail Caesar maybe
16) Shaun Of The Dead, possibly.

17) Actually I'll chuck Jabberwocky in here.

18) Kingpin Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray are both ace in it, and it's as wrong and stupid as hell, and all the better for it.

19) Dr Strangelove.

20) Alpha Papa (there's probably loads I'm forgetting, but I'm fine with this making up the humbers).

 

 

 

[Nick R]

20. A Cock and Bull Story

19. Local Hero

18. Animal Crackers

17. The Emperor's New Groove

16. The Truman Show

15. Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 

14. Addams Family Values

13. Thor Ragnarok 

12. American Splendor

11. Hunt for the Wilderpeople 

10. Shaun of the Dead 

9. The Rutles: All You Need is Cash

8. Life of Brian

7. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

6. Groundhog Day 

5. The Blues Brothers

4. Hot Fuzz 

3. The Avengers (Avengers Assemble)

2. Being John Malkovich

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

 

Also considered:

 

Spoiler

Four Lions

Airplane!

Back to the Future

Fargo

Barton Fink

Raising Arizona

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

A Fish Called Wanda

This is Spinal Tap

Booksmart

His Girl Friday

Office Space

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

In the Loop

The Death of Stalin

The Lego Movie 

Shaolin Soccer

 

Earlier in the thread I posted about the difficulty of putting joke-a-minute comedies where the jokes are the primary appeal (Python, Airplane, Marx Brothers etc) on the same list as other sorts of comedy in which the humour provokes wry smiles rather than belly laughs, and in which the jokes are secondary to other aspects (e.g. Back to the Future, The Truman Show, Being John Malkovich, The Blues Brothers, and most of the Coen Brothers' films).

 

It might have been fairest to stick to just the former sort, and do a ranking based purely on how funny I remember finding them on first viewing. But in the end I didn't do that. So it meant leaving out a lot of favourites.

 

I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with my inclusions, let alone the order!

[Loik V credern]

20. Anchorman 2

19. Palm Springs

18. 22 Jump Street

17. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

16. The Lego Batman Movie

15. Rush Hour

14. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

13. The 40-Year-Old Virgin

12. Brewster’s Millions

11. Coming To America

10. Dumb and Dumber

9. Meet The Parents

8. The Inbetweeners 2

7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

6. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

5. The Nice Guys

4. In Bruges

3. The Lego Ninjago Movie

2. Midnight Run

1. Planes Trains And Automobiles

 

Spoiler

I maintain this is the funniest scene in film history

 

 

the nonchalent bored indifference in the delivery of 'probably have some more cunt kids', the unexpected alliteration, Fiennes' hysterical pyscho eyes and funny voice always gets me, i've never seen him like this in anything else, he's so perculiar.

 

As for Lego Ninjago...the villain who has no interest in his son is so well done i think, something about the voice.