The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

Wow that's 2 from my ballot today!

I had as my #5 One, Two, Three. After spending an entire year watching every single available episode of What's My Line binge watching all 735 episodes...I really got an appreciation for Arlene Francis who was a panelist on that show from 1950-1965...That's 15 years of watching Arlene and the other panelist so THAT was my inspiration to seek out One, Two, Three as Arlene had talked about the movie on What's My Line. And it's a beaut! A funny, well written movie with a great cast. Arlene Francis as the wife of James Cagney really helps make this movie memorable...Oh Cagney was pretty good too

and my #12 was To Be or Not To Be I'm a huge fan of Carole Lombard especially her comedy roles, she's just priceless. I had almost all of her comedies in consideration for my ballot but trimmed them down to only one which was of course To Be or Not To Be.

Glad to see some of the greats making the countdown

To Be or Not to Be is my favorite Lubitsch, but not favorite ebough I guess as it's not on my list.

One Two Three is new to me but I'll always give Wilder a shot so I'll keep an eye out for it.

Looking at IMDB's "known for" list, I also hear Ninotchka get mentioned a lot as well (and of course, not checking actual years, I was off earlier when I referred Sirk as being from the same era, who admittedly from the same era, it's often in reference to All That Heaven Allows, which is about 15 years later).

I guess my initial exposure to the name Lubitsch is the same as it was for Preston Sturges (except the latter also got criterion releases and showed up on the AFI list, I think?), so, despite not being familiar with the contents of Lubitsch's work, I'm about as surprised by his presence as I am by Sturges' (except maybe placement, and the latter apparently struggled to get on; but then again, hard to say without actually having seen the films).

I wouldn't be surprised if Lubitisch's Design for Living (1933) made the countdown and perhaps Sturges' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek might make the countdown as well.

90. Stripes
89. House
88. The Kid
87 Clueless

4 more I've seen - all enjoyable films but none on my list or alternates.

Stripes is pretty good, it coasts a bit on Murray's charm and has its moments, but nothing amazing IMO.

House is a dazzling, imaginative film that I loved watching (very weird tho :P). I'm glad it's being recognized but I don't know if it's really a "comedy."

The Kid is great but, like most Chaplin, not funny, and also a short film, so I didn't consider it.

Clueless is good, I haven't seen it in ages, but I'm not surprised to see it here.

Not seen either of todays choices, but Clueless was the first of my list to show up and I had it at #6. I just straight up love that film. It's an enjoyable, easy watch at any time but if you want more it's there for you. If you want a basic high school teen rom/com, you'll get a good one. If you want a sassy, vacuous 90's teen comedy, you'll get it. If you want a film which has all that but undercuts it all and satarises it, you'll get it. Clueless is top tier stuff because it loves that which it satirises. It doesn't belittle it, it simply points out its flaws and inconsistencies because it cares so much. It mocks it but only in the way a friend mocks, honestly but with love. Heckerling builds on the foundations of the classic Emma and adds all the 90's bells and whistles and it's own vernacular. This is a well crafted piece, it doesn't just hit all the easy targets with broad sweeps, pointing and laughing at it asking us to join in. There's nothing nasty or mean about Clueless.

Silverstone is perfectly cast as the adoreable and vulnerable but too young to see it, Cher. Stacey Dash was 28 when she made this. I was stunned she was that old, but that helps give Dionne a confidence beyond her years to equal Cher. Brittany Murphy is adoreably clueless as Tai who, of course, isn't really the Clueless one. Even Paul Rudd can't ruin it for me. It's just about perfect.

__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.

Clueless is a good film, a fun updating of Emma. I didn't include it on my list, although I did consider a couple of versions of Emma. I really don't think successful comedy director Amy Heckerling can be dismissed as a '"nobody".

The Kid I had not seen, so I watched it today and was quite charmed. It's pretty funny in places, although balanced with pathos. I wonder which will be the highest Chaplin to place? Modern Times is my favourite of his, I think. I did vote for one silent comedy, but it wasn't Chaplin (or Keaton...)

To Be or Not to Be I have seen but it didn't leave that much of an impression.

I don't think I've seen One Two Three.

First from my list, I had The Kid at #17, and one of my two Chaplin films. Though I do view this one less in a comedic sense, I still find it fit for the category. Certainly his most touching film

Haven't seen any of the other last three, only the Mel Brooks version of To Be or Not to Be

My List:
17. The Kid
25. Scary Movie IV (1 PT)

__________________

One of two Billy Wilder movies on my list, the frenetic, outrageous, and very funny One, Two, Three was my #21.

My List:
21. One, Two, Three (#85)
24. Sullivan's Travels (#100)

__________________
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

I know what's going to happen, as we get to the top of the countdown I'm not going to see my ballot choices make it. That's how it went before, my ballot movies make the bottom of the countdown but the top will be more recent and popular movies and my choices were neither recent nor widely popular. That's why the bottom half is always my favorite of these countdowns.

What the- I swear I had To Be or Not to Be on my list. Not sure how it got removed. Was I intoxicated? Yes, surely, but that can't be it. It's a mystery. Oh well. Great film and the same with the Wilder movie. A couple of winners here.

__________________
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Also re Keaton vs Chaplin. If aliens came down and asked "Who is cinema?" I would say: Buster Keaton! But Chaplin's pretty good too.

I really enjoyed One, Two, Three, but To Be or Not to Be just wasn't meant to be for me.

Buster Keaton for me by a large margin. I've seen oodles of Chaplin films, and some of them are classics.

But Chaplin's stories were in the main cute, and tugged at the heart strings. Whereas Keaton had hilarious "gags" as he called them-- sight comedy set ups. Many of his stunts were very dangerous. And there's nothing funnier than seeing some of his riotous routines while he maintains that great stone face.

I graduated in '82. Mel Brooks' remake came out the year after. It's a great lil rewatch throughout my life and it took until hanging out here for me to finally see the original pairing of Carole Lombard and Jack Benny. Twice so far.
A very strange occurrence since I love them both and with Benny since I was a kid.
With Brooks indented into tiny membrane I spent my first watch comparing instead of enjoying. Not so much the second time. Enjoyed it for that it offered more and should I get the chance, all that much more with a third watch.




One, Two, Three

Peripetchikoff: But if I defect, you know what they will do to my family? They will line them up against the wall and shoot them! My wife, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and my brother-in-law.
[pauses]
Peripetchikoff: Comrades, let's do it!

On my only viewing, about five years ago or so, I wasn't quite feeling this film and was unsure of the reason why. Being a HUGE Wilder fanboy with limited viewing of mostly earlier films, this is definitely one that needs to be rewatched in the future.
VERY happy to see both of these films here.




Watched: 12 out of 16 (75.0%)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25. Megamind (2010) One Pointer


One Pointers: 18 out of 42 (40.47%)

__________________
What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

And with this, the final push to get me to watch this.
Thanks, Honeykid!

Glad to see the two that made it, although I've seen neither. But, I have heard about them both for a long time.

Like several MoFos here, I've only seen the Mel Brooks version of To Be or Not to Be and I loved that one. At the time I wasn't even aware there was an earlier version till after I'd seen Mel's remake. But reading paper reviews at the time, the original was referenced and only then did I know. I've wanted to see it ever since but haven't had the chance. The only two Lubitsch films I've seen are The Shop Around the Corner and Ninotchka and loved them, so I need to get on the horse and catch some more of his.

One, Two, Three is a movie I've always wanted to see, being a huge Cagney fan but still haven't seen it. I love Arlene Francis and like @Citizen Rules I've seen her in a massive number of What's My Line episodes. So knowing she's in it has got me jazzed even further. Also like Horst Buchholz since I've seen him in any number of films, and Pamela Tiffin, well, ooh baby! And thanks to @Holden Pike and @Slentert for posting the YouTube trailers to these films, which I've never seen. Has me salivating even more for these two.

Still, so far:
#8.my list--Stripes #90.official list

__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

I considered To Be or Not To Be for my list. It's a great movie with a lot of laughs, but it got cut before my final list. I'm not surprised to see that it made the countdown.

I watched One, Two, Three for this countdown, and I liked it, but it was never really in the running for a spot on my list.

__________________
.
If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

Today is Mel Brooks' birthday (96!), so it would be cool if we get our first Brooksfilm. Robin Hood: Men in Tights? High Anxiety? History of the World, Part I?

__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Starting to wonder if he will only have 2 appearances, the obvious picks.