The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

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.

Or your taste is officially bad?

Count me as a fan of More American Grafitti, in fact I was just thinking about it as I watched this obscure indie film about 1/4 mile drag strip racing Drag Racer (1972). It's not a polished film but works quite well as a behind the scenes look at top fuel rail drag racing in California in the early 1970s. I bet you'd like it.

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.


I guess not from the looks of it.

Yeah, I enjoyed "Drag Racer". But have to insert this scene.

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.

Or your taste is officially bad?

No, I meant "consensus" like they appear on virtually every list there is.
But not this one.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Superdad?

I watched Crimes and Misdemeanors, and I loved it, probably would've been #10 on my list had I seen it on time.



This is the other Woody Allen great that I've been looking for, after watching Midnight in Paris and Annie Hall a few years ago, the rest of the Woody Allen works I've seen have ranged from near awful to very good. But none have been great, like Crimes and Misdemeanors. The Woody Allen scenes were consistently hilarious, crammed with witty one liners, and priceless moments. My favorite is when Woody Allen shows the final product for the documentary he's been making for and about his smug brother in law, in which he clips in a roaring Mussolini. Which is another unique aspect this film accomplished, in it's modern recreations of black and white movies, showing clips of the scene getting recreated moments after-usually at a theater.

The more dramatic Martin Landua plot didn't put me in a solemn mood, that Woody Allen was trying to create. This is the one aspect of this film that didn't get accomplished in my viewing experience. The dilemmas were gripping, and the spiritual flashbacks were intriguing, but I lacked empathy in these scenes. I even felt more towards Woody Allen in his envy towards his brother-in-law, and his desire for Halley (Mia Farrow). Both stories cover a different stage of an affair, with much different results, and begs the question of which one got it better.

The film editing is stellar, done by Susan E Morose, and Woody Allen directs another awesome comedy

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Yeah, there's no body mutilation in it

No, I think it's a really good, smart comedy, I've watched it probably half a dozen times, and if it had placed somewhere between 25 and 50, say, I would have nodded (even though 25 would seem high to me), but Top-10 of All Time, this has to be my No.1 wildest moment of the countdown.

So disappointed Harlem Nights didn't make this list. Pryor, Murphy, Redd Foxx, Hall, Della Reese? Come on, y'all. The cast alone should be an easy top 50. Lady Heroin must have seduced some of you folks cuz you ain't right.

I'm in sync with the list again; Groundhog Day was my #7.