The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

→ in
Tools    





Yeah, while Ghostbusters is excellent and very funny, I think of it as a comedy hybrid. The comedy, completely on its own, wasn't enough to make my list, but the distinction there is maybe what we talked about earlier: the best comedy that's also to some degree a comedy, versus the best comedies for just comedy. No right answer there, but I went with the latter (for the most part), which is why this one missed my ballot.
This was exactly my reasoning.

I didn't vote for it, but I'm not surprised at all about its placement. It is one of those films that's almost universally loved, or at the very least enjoyed. Kinda like Back to the Future. I would've put my money on it making it to the Top 3.



Seen: 72/95

My ballot:  
__________________
Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



A system of cells interlinked
Ghostbusters was my #9. A wonderfully fun and spooky comedy that still entertains me today. It was massive when I was in Jr. High, the song was a hit, all the kids we wearing the costumes, and the quotes were heard everywhere. Is the love still there? Well, just this past week, the owner of my company brought their grandson by, who is 6, and he wouldn't shut up about Ghostbusters. He had the toy car, the shirt, loves all the movies and shows... it still generates at least some interest in younger folks today, so I think it has staying power.

The cast are all fantastic, including each and every bit player...the EPA guy, the stuffy guy at the hotel who balks at paying for the ghost removal, everyone and everything just clicks. I didn't put it in my top 5, but it was an easy top 10 for me.
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



It's kinda funny how the cadence of this thread is after every reveal, a few people toss out one-line dismissals without any reasoning like "this isn't funny" or "not good" followed by someone writing eloquently and in detail about why they love it.



When I was younger I didn't love Ghostbusters the way everyone else seemed to, but I enjoyed it well enough and would still watch it whenever it came on. But a few years back I rewatched it, and for some reason I ended up appreciating the humour a lot more. It was #12 on my ballot.

The only other film to be revealed since I last posted that nearly had a spot on my list was Blazing Saddles. It's brand of comedy is a little more hit-or-miss than something like Young Frankenstein, but the majority of it does land for me. It was one of the last 3 films I cut.

My List: 13
02. The Princess Bride (1987) - #16
04. Evil Dead II (1987) - #94
06. Brazil (1985) - #48
07. The Great Dictator (1940) - #51
10. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) - DNP #117
11. His Girl Friday (1940) - #26
12. Ghostbusters (1984) - #6
14. Clerks (1994) - #65
15. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - #15
16. Galaxy Quest (1999) - #14
17. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - #31
19. Hot Fuzz (2007) - #12
21. Tropic Thunder (2008) - #59
22. Arsenic & Old Lace (1944) - #28





Ghostbusters was my #1. It was tough choosing between this and BttF because they’re both as close to perfect as movies can get. I ultimately decided BttF was a slightly better movie overall but Ghostbusters was slightly funnier.

I don’t know what else I can say about Ghostbusters that hasn’t already been said. But I’ll try.

I watched it every day as a a little kid because I liked the supernatural stuff. As I got a little older I realized it was a comedy and the lines started making me laugh. When I started studying film in high school I respected it on a story and character level. In college when actually making films I appreciated the more technical and visual effects. And now as an adult I love how ****ing weird it is.

It’s a weird movie. Dog statues possess two people and make them have sex to open a portal to another dimension so a shape shifting demigod can destroy us in the form of a giant marshmallow man. What other mainstream comedies get that ****ing bizarre? And I think this is something the sequels and remakes fail to capture. They tend to go more for just the comedy. I credit this weirdness to Dan Akroyd, who is out of his mind.

But this is a comedy countdown so let’s talk about comedy. Murray and all the big moments have been discussed and quoted to death so I’d like to highlight some of the smaller stuff that always makes me laugh, like when they’re looking at the map of the building in the prison and Egon is talking about Evo Shandor (“unnecessary surgery” is such a creepy line btw). All the prisoners are looking over their shoulders confused and trying to make sense of it. Or when they shoot the maid’s cart in the hotel and are like, “Sorry we thought you were somebody else.”

But the unsung hero of this movie is Rick Moranis as Louis Tully. Every moment he’s on screen, as Keymaster or not, is brilliant. I especially love the party he throws and whenever a guest shows up he announces their arrival by shouting their entire financial history to the room. I also love when Egon is on the phone and Louis is just handing him lamps and shit.

“What did you say your name was?”
“Vince Clorthow, keymaster of Gozer.”
“It says here his name is Louis Tully. Lives on Central Park West. Do you want some coffee, Mr. Tully?”
“Do I?”
“Yes have some.”
“Yes have some!”

So yeah I’m a fan.



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
I've always liked Ghostbusters - it's great entertainment, and I have to be in a really lousy mood not to think of it as a
movie. It wasn't on my list, and because of my personal shortcomings, I relate to this line the most.

The Quiet Man is my #8.



I used to watch this film every St. Patrick's Day, and yes, I understand that several people believe it to be a cliched, insulting concept of Ireland and Irish people. Me? Yes, almost every student I ever have asks me if I'm Irish, but no matter what the truth is, I love this film. It's a wonderful St. Paddy's Day flick but it's also an equally-awesome Valentine's Day film. My bottom line is that this is John Wayne's greatest romance, greatest comedy, greatest performance and greatest movie all rolled into one. There are scenes in this film where Wayne seems to be living a spiritual life which is so strong that we cannot see beyond the heartfelt ache in his eyes to yell out to him to try to help him in his seemingly-simple quest to realize his best in the form of the most-perfect future imaginable for him and his woman of choice, Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara).

I know people who do not realize that this is a comedy, let alone one of the the most-outrageous, laugh-out-loud comedies ever made. The cast is beyond perfection. The way in which Mary Kate's brother (Victor McLaglen) mangles the English language is uproarious. ("He'll regret it to his dying day, if ever he lives that long." "He crept up behind my back to steal her from in front of my nose.") He and Mary Kate have an obvious history and it doesn't take long for that "Quiet, peace-loving" John Wayne to develop one with Squire Red Will Danaher too. The mystery of who the John Wayne character is really works in the context of the film too and shows why he's afraid to fight anybody anymore, at least at full force.

The other supporting characters contribute mightily to the spirit of the film as well as its specifics. Barry Fitzgerald is incredible as the thirsty old man who picks up Sean Thornton from the train station and spends most of the flick by his side. Arthur Shields (Barry Fitzgerald's brother) plays the Protestant vicar who alone knows Sean's secret before the film's climax, and Ward Bond is excellent as the Priest who takes a liking to Sean and helps him get all that he wants. Mildred Natwick is wonderful as the "best man in Innisfree" who cannot wait to see how the titanic battle between Dannaher and Thornton plays out. Victor Young composed one of his most-beautiful musical scores and the luxurious color photography won an Oscar. If you haven't seen this wonderful movie before, you need to set aside some time long before next St. Paddy's Day to just relax and enjoy yourself.

The Quiet Man contains one of my favorite endings of all time. I often wonder though if it was ever actually written down into script form or if John Ford just came up with the idea to film the ending on location at the spur of the moment utilizing the enormous cast. Whatever the truth is, the ending always brings tears and an enormous smile to my face as the bagpipes swell. What does anybody else think about the ending; at least if you understand what I'm talking about? This ending seems almost theatrical in nature in the way it allows the cast something resembling a curtain call at the end.

My List

1. Richard Pryor Live in Concert [#113]
5. Back to the Future [#35]
6. The Graduate [#27]
8. The Quiet Man [DNP]
9. American Graffiti [DNP]
10. Pygmalion [DNP]
11. Harold and Maude [#46]
12. Play It Again, Sam [DNP]
13. One, Two, Three [#86]
14. Some Like It Hot [#9]
15. An American Werewolf in London [DNP]
16. It's Such A Beautiful Day [#62]
17. A Fish Called Wanda [#38]
20. City Lights [#11]
21. Tootsie [#108]
22. Toy Story [DNP]
23. Who Framed Roger Rabbit [DNP]
24. The Trouble with Harry [DNP]
25. Ruthless People [My One Pointer]
__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page



Ghostbusters=OK

Might make my Top 100 comedy list and I did enjoy it but not Top 10 IMO...and yet it is Top 10. So I guess some of you are disagreeable with my comedy opinions



Society ennobler, last seen in Medici's Florence
• Blazing Saddles (1974) - not seen
---
• Some Like It Hot (1959) - The worst Billy Wilder movie, out of 12 I've seen. Yes, I understand, it probably was a lot of fun for the people of the 50's stepping in the cinema for the first time. As a whole, banal scenes all the time, poor acting by Lemmon and Curtis. Probably Monroe is the only thing right on place here.

---
• Duck Soup (1933) - not seen
---
• Groundhog Day (1993) - not seen
---
• Ghostbusters (1984) - I've seen some parts on the telly many years ago but don't think it is a high level movie.
_____________
my stats

Top 100 seen 36/95.
(seen 101-120 • 9/20
seen one pointers • 4/42)

--
My list:
1. The Gold Rush (1925) [#83.]
...
4. City Lights (1931) [#11.]
5. The Kid (1921) [#88.]
...
7. One, Two, Three (1961) [#85.]
...
11. Annie Hall (1977) [#18.]
...
13. Modern Times (1936) [#39.]
...
17. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) [#105.]


__________________
"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.



I can't believe Ghostbusters is this high. Is it really hilarious? Is it technically brilliant? It's a nostalgic trip for sure, but top ten of all time?

This one, I really don't get.
Bustin' makes us feel good.
__________________



Oh gee I sure am surprised that Ghostbusters made it this high. No I'm not because it was on my list and everything on my list makes it. It's a comedy and a hell of a lot of fun. How can you not include it on your list?

2. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
4. Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
5. Being John Malkovich (1999)
6. Duck Soup (1933)
7. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
8. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
9. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
10. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
11. Superbad (2007)
12. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
13. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
14. Playtime (1967)
15. Dazed and Confused (1993)
16. Ghostbusters (1984)
17. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
18. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
19. Trading Places (1983)
20. Groundhog Day (1993)
23. Animal House (1978)
24. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

I'm either really cool for being so in sync with the hip youngsters here or I'm a really lame conformist gen-xer. I don't know but I think I'm winning.
__________________
"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."



Just got to Shaun of the Dead , after it seemed to appear on every MoFo list. Ceritnaly an enjoyable, British comedy. Plenty o' laughs, some romance, and even a few half intense zombie scenes. Probably the best I've seen a movie use the same line twice, and make it work over and over and over and over again.
+

__________________
Yeah, there's no body mutilation in it



Victim of The Night
Ghostbusters was my #1.
And now as an adult I love how ****ing weird it is.
Amen, Brother.

It was my No.5.



The trick is not minding
Ghostbusters was my #2. I still laugh at it. That said, I didn’t expect it to be too 10. More like top 25. But this still doesn’t surprise me, considering there are several hilarious lines and moments throughout to keep it fun, especially in its more serious moments.



Seen Ghostbusters a few times in the 80's and then again a couple of years ago. I like it and have always liked it, but it's never been a favorite. Like Holden said, it was massive when it came out, the song and it's video were on nonstop. It's the second day in a row that we get a movie that cancel culture is after, both because a character played by Bill Murray is viewed as a sexual predator. Meatballs makes in 3 in that regard, but my favorite of his, Stripes, which is the most raunchy of the 4, seems to be left alone.



Victim of The Night
The Quiet Man is my #8.



I used to watch this film every St. Patrick's Day, and yes, I understand that several people believe it to be a cliched, insulting concept of Ireland and Irish people. Me? Yes, almost every student I ever have asks me if I'm Irish, but no matter what the truth is, I love this film. It's a wonderful St. Paddy's Day flick but it's also an equally-awesome Valentine's Day film. My bottom line is that this is John Wayne's greatest romance, greatest comedy, greatest performance and greatest movie all rolled into one. There are scenes in this film where Wayne seems to be living a spiritual life which is so strong that we cannot see beyond the heartfelt ache in his eyes to yell out to him to try to help him in his seemingly-simple quest to realize his best in the form of the most-perfect future imaginable for him and his woman of choice, Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara).

I know people who do not realize that this is a comedy, let alone one of the the most-outrageous, laugh-out-loud comedies ever made. The cast is beyond perfection. The way in which Mary Kate's brother (Victor McLaglen) mangles the English language is uproarious. ("He'll regret it to his dying day, if ever he lives that long." "He crept up behind my back to steal her from in front of my nose.") He and Mary Kate have an obvious history and it doesn't take long for that "Quiet, peace-loving" John Wayne to develop one with Squire Red Will Danaher too. The mystery of who the John Wayne character is really works in the context of the film too and shows why he's afraid to fight anybody anymore, at least at full force.

The other supporting characters contribute mightily to the spirit of the film as well as its specifics. Barry Fitzgerald is incredible as the thirsty old man who picks up Sean Thornton from the train station and spends most of the flick by his side. Arthur Shields (Barry Fitzgerald's brother) plays the Protestant vicar who alone knows Sean's secret before the film's climax, and Ward Bond is excellent as the Priest who takes a liking to Sean and helps him get all that he wants. Mildred Natwick is wonderful as the "best man in Innisfree" who cannot wait to see how the titanic battle between Dannaher and Thornton plays out. Victor Young composed one of his most-beautiful musical scores and the luxurious color photography won an Oscar. If you haven't seen this wonderful movie before, you need to set aside some time long before next St. Paddy's Day to just relax and enjoy yourself.

The Quiet Man contains one of my favorite endings of all time. I often wonder though if it was ever actually written down into script form or if John Ford just came up with the idea to film the ending on location at the spur of the moment utilizing the enormous cast. Whatever the truth is, the ending always brings tears and an enormous smile to my face as the bagpipes swell. What does anybody else think about the ending; at least if you understand what I'm talking about? This ending seems almost theatrical in nature in the way it allows the cast something resembling a curtain call at the end.
I love this movie wholeheartedly.



Victim of The Night
Seen Ghostbusters a few times in the 80's and then again a couple of years ago. I like it and have always liked it, but it's never been a favorite. Like Holden said, it was massive when it came out, the song and it's video were on nonstop. It's the second day in a row that we get a movie that cancel culture is after, both because a character played by Bill Murray is viewed as a sexual predator. Meatballs makes in 3 in that regard, but my favorite of his, Stripes, which is the most raunchy of the 4, seems to be left alone.
Wait, people wanna cancel Groundhog Day?



Wait, people wanna cancel Groundhog Day?
And Ghostbusters, over the characters Murray plays. I don't know how serious it is but I've heard it.

This is one article about Groundhog Day

https://www.looper.com/394350/why-ph...rrible-person/

I get what they're saying but still



And Ghostbusters, over the characters Murray plays. I don't know how serious it is but I've heard it.

This is one article about Groundhog Day

https://www.looper.com/394350/why-ph...rrible-person/

I get what they're saying but still
I see the argument, but cancelling the movie for that is going way overboard.
__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd



I see the argument, but cancelling the movie for that is going way overboard.
My view is nothing should be cancelled. I wouldn't even mention this stuff but it's the times we are in.



Another of my choices that did not make it...


Chevy Chase wound up with three titles on the list: Caddyshack (#25), National Lampoon's Vacation (#55), and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (#80). While he has other worthy flicks that most surely got a couple votes, including Foul Play, ¡Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, and maybe even Seems Like Old Times, the one I voted for and mistakenly thought was a near-lock to place somewhere on the collective Top 100 was Fletch (1985). To my mind it was easily his best role, the best cinematic use of his talents, and comes with about two dozen super quotable lines and laughs galore. It is a decent adaptation of Gregory Mcdonald's novel, which is already laced with humor to begin with. Then they grafted in the Chevy stuff, like his knack for physical comedy and love of the Los Angeles Lakers, and what you got was a more-than-solid mystery peppered with some very, very funny stuff. All under the sure direction of Michael Ritchie who made The Candidate, The Bad News Bears, Smile, The Golden Child, and Diggstown, among others. The movie was a hit, finishing ninth at the year's box office, and it should have been a repeatable pattern. McDonald had a whole series of Fletch novels, all they had to do was keep making them. Instead when they finally did get around to a sequel, 1989's Fletch Lives, they decided NOT to adapt another of the books. Without that strong foundation of a good mystery the sequel was horrible, died at the box office, and quickly killed what could have been a great franchise.

In the decades since several actors and filmmakers have been attached to reboot Fletch and hopefully create the franchise that never was. Kevin Smith was going to make it with Jason Lee and then Ben Affleck as Irwin Fletcher before it fell apart completely, then Bill Lawrence and Zach Braff were gonna have a go, which gave way to Steve Pink and Jason Sudeikis. None of them went into production, obviously. After all of that, finally, we are getting Confess, Fletch directed by Greg Mottola (The Daytrippers, Superbad, Adventureland) and starring Jon Hamm coming on October 28th, 2022.

I think the original Fletch holds up extremely well, but as with similarly toned '80s comedies Beverly Hills Cop and Midnight Run, they are three great, funny flicks that didn't make the MoFo list. It's not for a lack of trying. I had Fletch as my eighteenth choice.

Holden’s Ballot
3. After Hours (#29)
4. His Girl Friday (#26)
5. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (#20)
6. Singin’ in the Rain (#50)
7. Rushmore (#54)
8. Duck Soup (#8)
9. Bringing Up Baby (#22)
10. The Graduate (#27)
12. Raising Arizona (#23)
13. The Palm Beach Story (DNP)
14. Ghostbusters (#6)
15. One Two Three (#86)
16. The Blues Brothers (#21)
17. Defending Your Life (DNP)
18. Fletch (DNP)
19. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (DNP)
20. Joe versus the Volcano (DNP)
22. This is Spın̈al Tap (#13)
23. L.A. Story (DNP)
24. OSS-117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (DNP)


__________________
"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