Top 10 Laughfests Of All TimeNov 20 '04 (Updated Dec 08 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line 10 rip-roarin, side splittin, eminently quotable comedies.
Trying to pick the top 10 comedies of all time is like trying to roller skate in a buffalo herd. As Roger Miller so wisely pointed out, you can't do it. But you can be happy if you've a mind to and so I decided to have a go at listing ten all-time favorite comedies of mine. So here goes. 10: The Blues Brothers: Easily the best Saturday Night Live movie adaptation ever made (the again, the competition is minimal (that being Wayne's World)). Dan Akyroyd and John Belushi together offered up plenty of laughs and the great music and cameo appearances from the likes of Aretha, James Brown, Cab Calloway and Ray Charles help make this a musical comedy for the ages. 9: Clue: This murderously funny film draws its inspiration from the board game and manages to spoof many classic murder mysteries in the process. Fails as a mystery. But as a comedy it's a rip-roaring success. Eminently quotable too: Wadsworth: The game's up, Scarlet. There are no more bullets left in that gun. Miss Scarlet: Oh come on, you don't think I'm gonna fall for that old trick? Wadsworth: It's not a trick. There was one shot at Mr. Boddy in the Study; two for the chandelier; two at the Lounge door and one for the singing telegram. Miss Scarlet: That's not six. Wadsworth: One plus two plus two plus one. Miss Scarlet: Uh-uh, there was only one shot that got the chandelier. That's one plus two plus ONE plus one. Wadsworth: Even if you were right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus TWO plus one plus one. Miss Scarlet: Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... SHUT UP! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it? 8: Fast Times At Ridgemont High: Certain aspects of the film may have become dated (the fashions, some of the musical selections). But when one adds up all the elements, Fast Times is easily the best high school comedy of all time. Memorable characters and great dialogue. 7: The Naked Gun: In terms of quality, Airplane is slightly higher. Not to mention that the two sequels weren't better than average and most of Leslie Nielsen's post Naked Gun output was bad. However the original Naked Gun is easily my favorite of the Zucker/Abrams spoofs. A laugh a minute, this spoof of classic TV police shows also gets in plenty of jabs at film noir, pro-football, British Royalty and numerous other things. 6: Dr. Strangelove: Easily the best satirical anti-war film of all-time, in much the same way as Catch 22 is the best satirical anti-war novel of all time. Superb performances, dialogue and great scenes. Not to mention even more relevant today in light of current events. 5: Shrek: The best animated comedy of all time? I think so. There are other good animated comedies. But none are as subversively hilarious or as emotionally touching as DreamWorks big green monster hit of the summer of 2001. Superb voice acting from Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. 4: The Princess Bride: One of the funniest movies ever made and definitely the most quotable. Everything about this film is perfect, from the subversive storyline to the performances to the dialogue. You don't find The Princess Bride hilarious? Inconceivable! 3: Young Frankenstein: First off a warning. Mel Brooks’s movies are going to occupy the #3 and #1 spots on this list. Secondly, Young Frankenstein is easily Brooks’s second funniest movie as well as one that fused his trademark comedy with just the right amount of heart. Hilarious, moving and very quotable. Gene Wilder, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle give superb performances. 2: Monty Python And The Holy Grail: Definitely the definitive King Arthur movie ever made (barely edging out the serious Excalibur), as well as the one that exposed the inherent silliness prevalent in the Middle Ages. The Python gang takes satirical aim at the Arthurian legends and strike perfect hits. From the knights who say Ni to the troll bridge guard with his three questions not to mention the Black Knight, the dirty Frenchmen and the cowardly Sir Robin, this movie is pure comic perfection. Like all the other films on this list it’s eminently quotable. In fact, it would be the most perfect comedy of all time, were it not for the existence of... 1: Blazing Saddles: The most politically incorrect movie of all time as well as the funniest. Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor's script whips the tar out of the old west while also scoring serious damage on racism, Hollywood cliches and the use of baked beans as part of a meal. From my perspective, Brooks gave us three classic comedies. The other two are also mentioned on this list. Blazing Saddles is definitely the leader of them. Hilarious, as quotable as a gallon of Barq's Old west root beer and always fun to watch. What more could one want? Runners Up The Producers Monty Python's Life Of Brian Groundhog Day Get Shorty Airplane And Now For Something Completely Different Shrek 2 Clerks Dogma South Park. Bigger Longer And Uncut  |
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