Tuning out on the weekend means missing a lot, apparently.
Dr. Strangelove was my #11. It's not quite as
funny funny as some of the other films on list, hence its placement, but it's of course a classic of American satire. Kubrick still has a huge gravitational pull in cinema.
Same as many others,
The Big Lebowski didn't do a lot for me the first time I watched it, but every rewatch seemed to make it better, deeper, and funnier. Not an uncommon experience for me with the Coens, but it was most pronounced with Lebowski. It was "only" #19 on my list, but I'm not sorry or surprised (well, maybe slightly surprised) to see it at the top. Plus, I love White Russians, my drink of choice.
Here is my list, with some comments on the
misses:
1. Young Frankenstein (1974)
#4
2. The Muppet Movie (1979) About half of the movies in my top 10 have a nostalgia factor, and this is one of them. But it's here on merit! I may have seen this movie more than any other (mostly as a kid, but several times as an adult, including a few years ago at a showing with Austin Pendleton), and I love it as a film and a wonderful meta experience about the joy of film. Always going to be near the top of my list.
3. Time Bandits (1981) Another nostalgia/merit pick. I'm just a bit younger than Kevin (Craig Warnock), so this really spoke to 9-year-old me. (Though I'm happy to say my parents are not as daft as his and have not been exploded by a chunk of Evil.) Who among the brilliant cast to pick out? The late, great David Rappaport's intense, weaselly Randall? John Cleese's cameo as a foppish Robin Hood? Michael Palin's eternally cursed in love Vincent? Katherine Helmond's attentive Mrs. Ogre? The late, great David Warner's overweening Evil? A rich, funny, and clever film.
4. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
#28
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
#5
6. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
#33
7. Groundhog Day (1993)
#7
8. The Princess Bride (1987)
#16
9. Galaxy Quest (1999)
#14
10. Blazing Saddles (1974)
#10
11. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
#2
12. Airplane! (1980)
#3
13. Duck Soup (1933)
#8
14. The Apartment (1960)
#30
15. A Shot in the Dark (1964)
#101-120
16. Tootsie (1982)
#101-120
17. Repo Man (1984) I've seen this mentioned by a couple of other posters. Not a nostalgia pick. Though I could have seen it on release I only finally watched it several years ago. Super weird, sharp, and has a terrific ending.
18. Being John Malkovich (1999)
#45
19. The Big Lebowski (1998)
#1
20. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
#15
21. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
#38
22. Ed Wood (1994)
#69
23. Rushmore (1998)
#54
24. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
#20
25. Re-Animator (1985) At least one other person mentioned this. I watched part of it first at a comic book convention in Dallas back around when it came out or soon after, but I don't think I saw it in full until college. It's arguably more horror than comedy so I didn't put it higher, but it's a longtime favorite so I wanted to give it a nod.
Anyway, good fun as always. Many thanks to Diehl40 and Yoda for doing the hard stuff!