The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

House (aka Hausu) (1977) is a wild ride of a movie, though probably not a movie to watch if you're someone prone to seizures. Despite never hearing about its existence until 2010, and going in relatively blind with an auditorium full of about 300+ people, it was a memorable experience. Since then I always try to show to more people if I find out if they've never seen it. If nothing else just to observe their reaction. Such good memories with this one.

It somehow manages to keep a frenetic pace, without feeling frantic nor tiring - just changing up its visual style a little before it starts to wear you out. It's an everything but the kitchen sink movie (I guess the kitchen sink are quips and verbal jokes), including the outdoor well.



Of course it's on my ballot. It's #4!
The second of the two horror comedies on my ballot to appear (and the top one). I don't know what it says, but it's another live action cartoon horror-comedy. Or, unlike Evil Dead 2, it does actually become a hybrid cartoon (warning for people prone to seizures):

https://i.gifer.com/ES7N.gif
(^^^ making that a link instead of an embedded image just in case - "seizures")

One thing I do worry about with comedies is how easy it is to get burnt out on the jokes because they become too familiar. Maybe that'll happen with House, but so far, this candle that's burning twice as bright doesn't seem to be burning half as long.

The downside, I now really think the third horror comedy on my ballot stands little to no shot of making the list, but I guess all will get revealed at the end.

ballot
4. House (1977) (#89)
12. Fargo (1996) (#97?)
21. Evil Dead II (1987) (#93)
25. The Phantom of Liberty (1974) (1 pt)
seen: 11/12

Movies added to my CheapCharts Price Drop Watchlist:
Brewster McCloud
The Palm Beach Story

I love Hausu, but it's not a movie I go to for laffs, so I didn't vote for it.


I like Stripes quite a bit, but another Reitman squeezed it out on my list.

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Hausu trivia - it might be apocryphal but the director's daughter (12 years old at the time) is credited for co-writing the movie. The imdb trivia page makes it sound like only one scene, but, "co-written by a 12 year old girl" does give the plot a type of logic in a, "that makes a lot of sense," sort of way.

Et tu, Rockte?

Too scary.

If the list was Most Bizarre Thing You've Seen, Hausu would be top 5 easy. But I never really considered it for comedy.

Saw Stripes a decade or two ago. Thought it was alright, but not quite enough to make it as an honorable mention.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure was fairly good. Some inventiveness at times and it was nice to see Burton not succumb to the darkness for once. But not quite enough for my list.



40 Year Old Virgin had a few decent moments (the waxing, the climax), but too many dead spaces and some cringey dialogue at times. At least Carell was likable throughout.

Faildictions:

88. Freddy (I think it only takes a couple of voters who loved it for it to make the list).
87. Father of the Bride (Spencer Tracy version)

I had a chance to watch our #94, Withnail & I , and what an absolute gem. Had I seen this in preparation it could've received an additional 20+ points from me, but I really appreciate the introduction. The laughs range from the constant smirk, to an non stop hackling. Anytime uncle Monty was on screen I was dying.

The script is just so sharp, and these are exchanges and moments that could only come from ones memoirs. Despite the bleakness, and masochism their is a certain charm , that has me craving more. The film also resembles a not so distant, degenerative and destructive phase I had gone through with a good friend, who passed away the same year. But it somehow made me reminiscent and nostalgic of those days. At the very least appreciative.

Also bares some similarities to a Scottish film I have high on my list - The Acid House which I implore fans of Withnail & I to give a chance.

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Haven't seen either of the last two

Is Hausu is the first one that we can actually piece together everyone's placing of for a ballot? I think we don't know the fourth person, but based off of points and what people have said, that's a 4th, 7th, 10th (computed), and 17th place?
Or did a third person also say they voted to Withnail & I? (the only other one so far to make it on with 4 ballots)


My predictions for tomorrow:
Full Metal Jacket
Grave of the Fireflies

Stripes is one of those comedies I like, until it gets bogged down in action scenes I couldn't care less about, and drops all of the things I found funny about it. Action and comedy to this day are two of the worst bedfellows for film. Keep them apart, at all costs.



House is not something I even remotely think of as being a comedy, but that's obvious up for interpretation. Regardless, it's the kind of film the world needs more of. Something dictated by a child to her father. And him making a movie of what she said. The perfect recipe to thermo-nuclear-detonate logic and reason. Operate on pure inspiration and joy. You can't lose with that approach.

I've seen Stripes, and it was okay, but it's just not my type of humor.


I've never heard of House.

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

Fargo - One of my favorite movies. It makes me laugh but not often enough to consider it a comedy.

Home Alone - I like this. It’s amusing for the first hour and a half and then it gets really good for the last half hour.

Austin Powers International Man of Mystery – Is this a case of parts 1 and 2 splitting the votes? I think this should be a little higher but also think Part 2 should make the list as well. The second best Austin Powers film, in my top 50 but didn’t quite crack my top 25.

Evil Dead 2 - Saw it in the theater, first weekend. Didn't like it then, don't like it now. In fact, when I was putting my movies on a hard drive but didn’t have enough room for them all...well, I managed to find room for The Cat in the Hat but this, this got cut.

40 Year Old Virgin – It goes on for too long and fizzles out near the end, but the first hour and a half is great. The card game is hilarious (Sand?). Paul Rudds mopey ass gets kind of annoying, and Seth Rogen is annoying, as usual, but it overcomes them for the most part. Carell is perfect as Andy.

Stripes - I remember heading up to the local theater with a note from my Ma saying "Dear Cinema, Hey Fredrick has my permission to see Stripes. Thank you, Ma" and I was in! It was great! Didn't get the loofah joke at the time but that didn't stop it from being my favorite scene. I don't watch this very often anymore but I still chuckle when I do.

Hausu - It's funny because it's so batshit crazy, I don't know if it's funny because it's funny. Like it enough to have seen it a couple times but never even thought about including it.


The Lady Eve and Sullivan's Travels look good and Withnail and I looks to be right up my alley.

My predictions for today: Juno and Little Miss Sunshine.