The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

Trivia: According to Ethan Coen, Nicolas Cage was crazy about his Woody Woodpecker haircut. and that it reacted to H.I.'s stress level . The bigger the danger he is in, the bigger the wave in his hair gets. IMDB

"Raising Arizona" is my #2. Loved it in the theater and still laugh my arse off at it today. My favorite part, your fifteen minutes into the film before the credits even start. For myself, the finest Coen output.

Haven't seen " Bringing Up Baby".

Raising Arizona was on the short list. I can't say it was a late cut because I already had three Coen movies on my ballot (only one has been revealed, Fargo at 97), and felt a fourth might have been excessive (and Raising Arizona probably would have been the fourth).


Bringing Up Baby - I think I've said it earlier, terrible title, decent movie. I feel like I'm not particularly big on screwball rom-coms from this general era (or possibly from any era), this one leans comparatively more into the screwball than the rom-com so I guess that's why it works somewhat better for me than say, The Philadelphia Story (which will probably end up being tomorrow's movie now that I've made that comment. Still not changing my guesses though).


I didn't do my top 25 predictions, I would have included Raising Arizona. I did already say Brining up Baby was a possibility, but not certainty, so I can't say it would have made my final set of guesses (probably wouldn't have).

Haven't seen Raising Arizona, but I should get on that someday.

Bringing Up Baby might be great, but the ending has always left me unsatisfied and has prevented me from liking the film more. Given that Susan caused nothing but trouble for David all throughout the film and never let up on her annoying shenanigans, his motives at the end didn't make any sense to me and I couldn't get behind them at all. Before that, however, the film is a real blast to watch and comes with loads of fun, so I don't mind it making this list.

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Let's just say that I don't like Bringing Up Baby. Also I'm glad it didn't crack the top 20.


I keep meaning to watch Raising Arizona and I keep not watching it.

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I had a different Coen on my list, which I am sure will still appear. Oddly, I have never seen Bringing Up Baby...

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Haven't seen Bringing Up Baby, but I absolutely loved Raising Arizona. Saw it for the first time a couple of years ago and, although I really enjoyed it at first, like most Coens, it kept creeping up on me in the days and weeks after. Here's my Letterboxd review for anyone interested. Anyway, had it at #7.



Seen: 58/80

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So I take it this is actually #22 and #21? I'm sorry if this was explained before, but why is the countdown messed up?

Raising Arizona was part of my list calculations, but it couldn't force it's way into a crowded 25 - it would have certainly featured in a top 50 list from me. When it originally came out I couldn't stand it - the humour was all wrong for me at the time. As the years have gone on however, I've been revisiting it, and every time I have it's just got better and better. Now when I watch it I think it's all kinds of funny and amusing - and is a very well made film to boot. Nicolas Cage has never been better (certainly weirder) and Holly Hunter proves every bit his equal in comedy. The Coen bros were already starting to get attention with this - but I think most people were pegging them as finding their niche in comedy, despite Blood Simple. Time would prove that they're a master of numerous genres. Great movie.

Bringing Up Baby I haven't seen, and as such I lament that it's taking a place away from something on my list. Regardless, I've been meaning to see it for a while. Nice to see it's on Criterion.

Seen : 63˝/80

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If I've ever seen Raising Arizona I have absolutely no recollection of it .... so quite possibly I never have. Either way it goes onto the 'unseen' pile. I have at least seen Bringing Up Baby, not at all a fan of it though.

Seen: 41/80

The Dude abides.

First watch of Raising Arizona I did not like. Second watch I was dying the first twenty minutes before it loses steam in the laugh department for me. So it’s at about a 3/5 for me. We shall see what happens on that third watch.

I think I have mentioned my track record with screwball comedies a few times, Bringing Up Baby is not an exception to that rule. Going to have to see something that really slaps to get me to return to most of these. Hard to see rewatches becoming a priority, too many other movies to watch.

No votes.

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New Hall of Fame concept: The @seanc torture chamber Hall of fame

This came up recently and kgaard pointed out the numbering in the opening post is off because it doesn't has The Lady Eve listed (and Fargo should be 97. It's still listed at 99).


I've forgotten what the numbers in the actual posts should be.

Yeah, it seems I missed that explanation. Sorry for asking.

Both amazing comedies, both should be higher, but I'm still happy they're getting the recognition they deserve this high up.

I really hope I have the time and memory to talk about Raising Arizona more a little later, swamped just now though. But I adore it.

Seen both, enjoyed both, have both on dvd, but didn’t vote for either.

That’s pretty much why I’m not in them anymore. I thought you guys must have conspired behind my back to make them the Hall Of Bet You I Am The Only One Who Likes This Because I’m Really Really Cool.

Although often a bit too hectic and over-the-top, Raising Arizona has enough laughs and cinematics to keep most viewers entertained. My fave part is the story at the beginning. Nic Cage and Holly Hunter make a good team and the supporting cast is crammed with crazies..

Classic screwball comedy doesn't get much screwier than Bringing Up Baby. Paleontologist David (Cary Grant) receives the intercostal clavicle of a brontosaurus which will complete his reconstruction of the fossil dinosaur for his museum and proceeds to the golf course to try to obtain a million dollars from the lawyer of a rich benefactor. He immediately becomes entangled with flighty Susan (Katharine Hepburn) who just happens to be the niece of the benefactor (May Robson). Susan is taking care of her brother's pet leopard Baby, and when David visits her home, Baby escapes and the family dog becomes interested in David's bone and proceeds to take and bury it somewhere. What started out as manic turns into insanity as a visiting big game hunter (Charlie Ruggles) tries to hunt the leopard, and another, wild leopard gets added into the mix. Grant is an expert farceur here and plays well against Hepburn's slightly-quieter, yet equally-outrageous manner. There is no doubt that there's sexual attraction between the two leads, at least as much as possible between scientific "Dr. Bone" who "just went gay all of a sudden" and a 12-year-old girl running around in a 30-year-old's body. (Trust me, that last line makes sense.) Screwball comedies are basically romantic comedies at heart, but they just try to disarm you with crazy laughter before you accept the fact that the couple is a match made in heaven... or at least in this case, movie heaven. Or in Miss Vicky's case, movie hell.

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