The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
The bottom half of my guess for the Top Ten wasn't bad...if you subtract Ghostbusters.
aaaaaah snap!

*EDIT*
well, to the follow-up quote list that didn't make the quote, for me.
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The bottom half of my guess for the Top Ten
Looks like I missed a day.
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Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I was wondering if we'd get any Iannucchi (In the Loop, The Death of Stalin - also Veep for TV) or Winterbottom/Coogan The Trip movies in the countdown. I know they suffer from being more recent, but also benefit from being in people's mind's eye because they were recent.
The Death of Stalin was too horrific to be funny for me, but it looks like it gathered a few votes. In the Loop was never as funny as The Thick of It... but there are definite shades of the same kind of dark, deadpan humour of writer Jesse Armstrong's later hit, Succession. The Trip is a TV series, although I think there was a movie cut released at some point it's still TV to my mind.

Pygmalion is my #10. Besides having terrific performances and some muscular direction, it's got the wittiest script and is my vote for best film of the 1930s.
Pygmalion is great but I didn't think of it for my list. I also left off The Thin Man and Ninotchka so may have done the 1930s a disservice.

Anyway, here's a couple other films from my list that did not make the top 100, my #23, Kind Hearts and Coronets, a crazy dark comedy/satire in which Alec Guinness plays nine different roles. I first saw this when it showed up on the 1940s list, and I highly recommend it.
Kind Hearts and Coronets was one that at the start I thought had a real chance of making the list. It was on my ballot at #13


Some Like It Hot was my #3. Like some others, I first watched it because it was a classic without much expectation of finding it that funny, but it charmed me completely. Contender for the best final line in a film.



..I love just about everything in American Graffiti, my #9...
Once again I see I have something in common with Mark, we both love American Graffiti it was also my #9, spooky

When I was a teen in high school and in my early 20s I spent a lot of time car cruising just like in American Graffiti. The local kids on Friday and Saturday nights would drive to a small town in the valley and 'cruise the loop' as we called it...and it was packed full of kids and cars! We did the same type of things you see in this movie: Some of us had fast cars and we road raced, stupid and dangerous yes and I'm lucky to be alive because at 90mph I almost flipped my car once...We talked to girls that was the main reason I was there We'd park in the store parking lots and try to get them to pull over and talk and it worked sometimes...then sometimes the girls would go for a ride around the loop with us and sometimes they dusted us off. One time at 3am in the morning when nothing was going on a group of us guys spotted a girl driving through town in a little import car. When she stopped at the red light we ran out to her car, as the street was void of traffic at that time, we then picked up the rear end of the car and turned it around so it was facing the wrong direction on a one way street, naughty I know! Such memories!



I like Groundhog Day but not quite as much as a lot of other folks. I don’t find Andie McDowel’s character all that interesting or charming and unfortunately if she doesn’t work for you a lot of the emotion the movie is going for won’t either. But it’s still a fun premise executed extremely well and a funny movie featuring Murray in his prime.



I love Groundhog Day but did not include it on my list. I already had two movies featuring Mr. William James Murray and knew for sure this one would not need my support to place very highly.


I was not at all surprised to see Edgar Wright have two movies on the list. I cut Shaun of the Dead from my own ballot and threw my favor and a few points to another Wright joint, this one minus Simon Pegg & Nick Frost. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was nineteenth on my list. The comic book and video game aesthetics are perfect for Edgar's editing style and often deadpan sense of humor. I realize there are plenty of Michael Cera haters, but I love the little fella and he is perfectly cast at the center of this love story set against a battle royale of exes. As much as I liked it upon that first theatrical viewing it is one of those that gets stronger and stronger with each subsequent watch, chock full of little details to savor. It didn't make it here but, spoiler alert, I will be voting for it again whenever we get around to a MoFo Top 100 of the 2010s. Perhaps enough others will join me in that crusade?

And I didn't even realize I placed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World next to Joe versus the Volcano on my ballot until after I turned it in. The only other "versus" title I had on my long list was Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and I do like Taika Waititi's Eagle v Shark. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Kramer vs. Kramer, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Alien vs. Predator, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Freddy vs. Jason, Billy the Kid versus Dracula, and Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice just plain aren't that funny. Ballistic: Eks vs. Sever is only unintentionally funny in how completely inept it is.

But I digress.

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)
15. One Two Three (#86)
16. The Blues Brothers (#21)
17. Defending Your Life (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)

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I was thoroughly impressed with Scott Pilgrim v. The World.

I also have seen Clueless and Shaun of the Dead for the first time since this unveil. Both wouldn't have made my list but were decent watches.



Have seen so far: 48 - Groundhog Day - I found the movie interesting and I like time loop movies like these because you get to see how the main character tries to escape the loop, especially when doing wacky stuff to get out of it.

Have not seen so far: 44

I have not seen Some Like It Hot and Duck Soup
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"...the funniest comedian around."
"...the funniest man on the planet."
Wouldn't dare send in a ballot without one of the Kings of stand-up comedy on it.
His ‘79 routine covers politics, race, culture and is all still very relevant today.
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert is my # 17.



I never had interest in Groundhog Day but finally watched it about 5 years ago when I saw how many fans there were here. I liked it plenty but it's popularity still surprises me. Maybe I should watch it again soon before cancel culture takes it away-they don't seem to like Bill Murray characters very much.



Victim of The Night
Holy cow!
I like Groundhog Day and all but I figured it was more likely to miss the list altogether than make the Top 10.
Wow.
This means now that at least TWO movies I think of as being objectively among the most consensus-backed "Top Comedies Of All Time" are not gonna be on the list at all, not even 100-120.
My mind is now officially blown.



The Death of Stalin was too horrific to be funny for me, but it looks like it gathered a few votes. In the Loop was never as funny as The Thick of It... but there are definite shades of the same kind of dark, deadpan humour of writer Jesse Armstrong's later hit, Succession. The Trip is a TV series, although I think there was a movie cut released at some point it's still TV to my mind.

In the US, The Trip has become a trilogy of movies (or maybe there's a fourth one I'm not thinking of as well). I have not seen them, but I thought they had garnered a good amount of love (again, thinking of other places and not necessarily here). Kind of in the same way What We Do in the Shadows has garnered a lot of love (though these days, it feels like people are referring to the TV series more than the original movie).


I get why if you're in a country where it debuted first as a TV series, a condensed movie version might feel... lesser, but I think for a lot of people here, they aren't in one of those countries. So like I said, a little surprised it didn't appear to have a presence.


I was expecting something from Ianucci to get more than two votes. Again, I guess the reference point will just keep going back to WWDitS. Just mildly surprising that did that well, and other movies that seemed to be in the same conversation and regard from the era didn't even make the 101-120 near misses. Granted, if The General doesn't make the list, then it not even making the near miss list will feel, very surprising (despite that being my predicted top 10 miss, contradictory, I know).



I admit I'm a little surprised at all of the surprise over Groundhog Day placing this high. It's true that on the surface it seems like a kind of dopey Bill Murray romcom. And a single viewing might reinforce that. But appropriately, multiple viewings can (not will, but can) deepen appreciation for the underpinning philosophy of the film, which is--intentionally or not--rather meaningful and nuanced. It certainly invited a lot of spiritual consideration. Plus, and more importantly for this list, it is also funny, nailing the balance between repetition and surprise. I'm in sync with the list again; Groundhog Day was my #7.




I love just about everything in American Graffiti, my #9. Yes, you could say it seems "mainstream" but this was pretty much as experimental as THX 1138. It featured a no-name cast (except for grown-up Ronny Howard) and was shot almost entirely outside and at night. There are very few instances of "Day for Night" shooting, most noteworthy being the "Goat Killer Murderer" scene. This is the direct opposite of THX which was mostly shot indoors but in extreme bright light. The soundtrack is probably my fave use of songs to comment on what's happening at the time in the story of any film, and the writing and acting are really quite exemplary. There are just too many classic scenes to mention, but I'll just name the Liquor Store, Letting the Air out of the Tires and using Shaving Cream, The Cop Car and, of course, the Drag Race. It's true that Terry the Toad (um... Tiger) probably wouldn't have scored with Debbie if he was riding around on his Vespa instead of in Steve's super-fine machine, and if any film signified the phrase "car culture", it would have to be American Graffiti, especially "in an everyday urban/suburban setting".
I love American Grafitti", but here is where I breath rare air. I actually enjoyed " More American Grafitti" more than the original. Yes, it's a little more slapstick, but loved how all the individual stories played out. Also the ambiance of mid-60s pop culture.



This means now that at least TWO movies I think of as being objectively among the most consensus-backed "Top Comedies Of All Time" are not gonna be on the list at all, not even 100-120.
My mind is now officially blown.
Or your taste is officially bad?



Liked Groundhog Day well enough. Didn't make my list.

You know, I wish we had another workplace comedy or two that made the list. Kind of a shame really that it didn't.



Liked Groundhog Day well enough. Didn't make my list.

You know, I wish we had another workplace comedy or two that made the list. Kind of a shame really that it didn't.
What do you think is missing? Horrible Bosses? Barber Shop? Employee of the Month? How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying? The infamous Paul Blart: Mall Cop?

Broadcast News is the only first-rate one coming to mind that isn't on the list. 9 to 5 and Working Girl would have been worthy additions and on any balanced professional critic list. I love The Hudsucker Proxy, but that had no shot against so many other Coen titles.

I mean, how much do you want to stretch the concept of "workplace"? Airplane!, Dr. Strangelove, and Ghostbusters all fit. Heck, even Young Frankenstein.



It's all coming together quite well, yes it is. All of Harry Lime's movies are going to make it! He has become one with Mofo, so much so that he now refers himself in the third person. Groundhog Day at #20.

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)
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)
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By the way my predictions from before:


1. Dr. Strangelove
2. The Big Lebowski
3. Young Frankenstein
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
5. Ghostbusters (2016)
6. Airplane!
7. Groundhog Day
8. Blazing Saddles
9. Duck Soup
10. Some Like it Hot
Got the order wrong for #s 8-10 but hit #7. Pretty good...