The 20 Funniest Movies of All-Time
Safety Last
Everybody knows Chaplin, and Buster Keaton hardly qualifies as “forgotten” anymore, but Harold Loyd remains obscure. And that sucks, since he is completely awesome. You could endlessly debate the merits of the three comedians, but why bother? All three are fantastically good and made enormously entertaining movies. Safety Last is simply a gem of slapstick comedy and a fantastic movie to boot.
Blazing Saddles
It says something about the state of the racism debate in the US that one of the most thoughtful movies on the subject also has a minute-long fart gag. Joking aside, this is a supremely random movie, and probably Mel Brooks’ best. It’s also the the best example of the Jewish-American style of humor that doesn’t concern a certain bespectacled New Yorker.
Napoleon Dynamite
Movies about geeks are a dime a dozen these days, but films about true losers are rare. Perhaps the lack of compassion for the failures that are its protagonists is what makes Napoleon Dynamite so hilarious: these aren’t lovable goofballs, these are full-on freaks. Well, that and Napoleons killer dance moves.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
This is the only movie that really didn’t want to end up on this list. But hot damn, does it deserve it. The funny thing is that while everything that could be bad about this is even worse, it’s impossible to hate because it’s so clearly a work of love. Watching Ed Wood beforehand is advisable, though.
A Fish Called Wanda
Every time my dad gets cut off in traffic, he shouts “Asshole!” to no-one in particular. Then he giggles. All of this years after having seen the movie for the first time. Probably the funniest thing to come from the British Isles since the Pythons were active.
Rejected
Don Hertzfeldts sadistic little cartoons aren’t for everyone’s (read: sane people’s) taste, but I am simply howling with laughter if people as much as mention this fantastic little gem. It’s also the only movie on this list to win an Oscar.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Perhaps not the strongest thing Trey Parker and Matt Stone ever made, but since I can’t include a 14-season series you can consider this their representative entry. And what is left to say about the special brand of comedy these two guys have unleashed on the world? Perhaps only my congratulations on being completely fucking rad.
Hot Fuzz
(The following to be pronounced as if you were a smoker since age 12)
In a world… where violence is the law… two hilarious Brits… will have to kick ass and eat ice cream.
But the problem is… they’re all out of ice cream.
(Cue “Village Green Preservation Society” by The Kinks)
Mighty Aphrodite
A group of actors, all in brown cloaks and masks, stand serenely in the ruins of a Greek theatre. Slowly and rhythmically, they start their lament on the perils of motherhood: “One hopes it’s not to fill some growing void in their marriage. Leave her be. A woman’s urge to motherhood is old as the earth. Children grow up! They move out! Sometimes to ridiculous places, like Cincinnati. Or Boise, Idaho.” Welcome in the crazy world of Woody Allen.
Black Cat, White Cat
My father (and my grandparents) are from Hungary, and while I don’t feel a special relationship to Eastern Europe I have spent several vacations there since childhood. This movie is a throwback to those summers, where my sisters and I would east watermelon on the shores of the Balaton lake and listen to the weird Hungarian language without a worry in the world. Great music, too.
Agree? Disagree? Anything I missed? Let it be known in the comments!
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41 Comments
YES!! All of these films are ace! Especially Hot Fuzz, Monty Python and of course my all time have, The Pink Panther….
I still to this day quote, “Does your dog bite?” in my best French accent. HAHAH
Great list matey!
C
I haven’t seen a few of these but YES on Hot Fuzz and Naked Gun. Humor is such a personal thing though, but some things are universally funny. Fun list, Max, well naturally
As rtm very correctly said humour is a very personal thing, which is why I was surprised to see that I mostly agreed with the film. Except for a few entries (Anchorman and Napoleon Dynamite) I agree almost completely. But if it were up to me Team America, one of the Marx brothers’ films (probably Duck Soup) and The Hangover.
And you’re absolutely right on Monty Python, it cannot be explained despite how much I’ve tried.
I love the Marx’s, but more as a piece of film history then outright hilarity. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are already on the list. The Hangover was fun, but I wonder if anyone will remember it in 10 years.
I think people will remember The Hangover but unfortunately will be negatively associated with its sequels. Similar to how many people lost interest in The Matrix and Star Wars because their sequels didn’t live up to their expectations.
Clerks 2 makes the list but This is Spinal Tap doesn’t? Hmmm…the subjectivity of humor makes this a list that everyone will have a different opinion on.
This Is Spinal Tap is golden, but I find it more worthwhile as a music film then as a comedy. I considered it, though, but in the end it just didn’t make me laugh that much.
I have only seen 5 of those. Comedy is definitely one of the most subjective genre out there and I often don’t find the most acclaimed comedies to be that funny. I have been more prone to laughing to sit-com type comedy rather than over-the-top, crude comedy.
One more thing: Loved Anchorman, absolutely LOATHED Napoleon Dynamite
agree with your last sentence.
Narrowing a list of the funniest movies of all time to 20 has to be very difficult. I can’t really argue with most of these picks, as many are a lot of fun. Two choices that would definitely be on my personal list would be City Lights and L.A. Story, but it’s hard to say they should definitely be here since what’s funny is so subjective. Nice job.
What about me? http://www.anomalousmaterial.com/movies/2010/08/the-greatest-comedy-tournament-the-final/
Haha…Clerks II on a ‘best’ list of anything that’s not “Best movies with ‘clerks’ in the title” – that is truly hilarious. Proof that even subjectivity can be wrong sometimes.
I’m being a shit, but I do enjoy the personal spin on your list. That makes it meaningful. I just wish it had been titled “My Top 20 Comedies” or something like that.
Well, any list about funny movies will be subjective, so I had really no choice. Still, I think that many of these movies have made a lot of other people (besides me) shit their pants with laughter.
Didn’t we do a list like this awhile ago? And wasn’t that rather chaotic?
REJECTED FUCK YEAH!
You mean the Great Comedy Tournament we had last year? I believe the UN is about to bestow it as the 8th wonder of the world while obviously, it is the all-encompassing reference on the matter.
You know who wasn’t even writing for this website last year?
You?
But wasn’t Black Cat, White Cat in Romani? And Serbian? And some other ones?
Or maybe I’m thinking of a different one.
Yes it was. But there is something essential about Eastern Europe that is hard to define but which was definitely present in the movie.
Wait… no Keaton? No Marx Brothers? No Caddyshack, Animal House, or Blues Brothers?
Crazy indeed. No Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera. No General or Sherlock Jr.
I absolutely love Keaton. If I were to make a list of “best stuntmen” or even “my favorite directors” he would be on it. But I just don’t laugh that much at his films in the way I do at Chaplin or Loyd. I gasp, yes, and I cheer, but I don’t laugh.
Interesting. I’m in the other direction. I can appreciate Lloyd’s stunts and Chaplin as jack-of-all-entertainment-skills, but Keaton’s the one that makes me laugh the most. There are probably ten Keaton sequences that reduce me to tears of laughter every time I watch them.
Good list, but where is Dumb and Dumber?
I don’t see how Clerks II can possibly beat the original, but it’s your list and I must say it is a very good one, although it’s missing what I still think is the funniest movie I’ve ever seen: Dr. Strangelove. What gives?
I wrote this list not by measure of “best movies that also happened to be comedies”. I wrote a list of the funniest movies. And no matter how much I love Stanley Kubrick and Dr. Strangelove, the movie was more a high-brow satire then a genuine laughfest. To me, at least.
raising Arizona i agree with, as well as naked gun. but not really the others…
Quite a couple I have not seen yet. Just watched Rejected and although it’s an acquired taste I thought it was very funny. Just couldn’t stop watching it.
Like others stated comedy is very subjective so there are a couple of them that would never make my list.
I saw Anchorman once and never understood why people loved it. Then again I have the same thing with The Office. I didn’t even finish Napoleon Dynamite.
Two of my personal favorite funny movies are Dumb and Dumber, Team America, Four Lions and Kung Pow (this last one a lot of people won’t agree with).
Nice to see Some Like it Hot in there.
Clerks II ????????
Not Clerks but its far inferior sequel instead ?????
OK. I suppose somebody has to like that movie.
I actually didn’t like the original Clerks all that much. It’s more an interesting piece of film history then a full-fledged comedy to me, which has mostly to do with budget issues. The sequel just felt far more thoughful to me, as strange as that sounds.
As a local critic here said once, Anchorman is the height of Western civilization.
Couldn’t disagree.
Good post, but Napoleon and Superbad… why?
Because they made ma laugh. Hard.
Good call on including Some Like It Hot. That movie had me doubled over from laughing so much.
Your refusal to include Ghostbusters is entirely logical given your explanation and, thus, I will not seethe and simply applaud you for including A Fish Called Wanda (my #1 comedy ever) and…..Mighty Aphrodite. Love that one. Bold. “Do me a favor, go back to Athens!”
Also, Black Cat, White Cat. Never heard of it. I’m intrigued. I will check it out.
I guess I’m kind of surprised you picked Superbad out of all the Apatow productions. My favorite is easily 40-year-old virgin. Classic in every sense.
I whole heartily agree on Some Like It Hot though. Sometimes theres a legit reason a film is on so many best of lists.
Some very interesting choices – thought I would argue that ‘Plan 9′ isn’t an intentional comedy.
Why Clerks II, but not Clerks?
…I thought that too. Both good films but Clerks stands out for me.
A really good list and a nice selection of eclectic movies. I think a top comedy list on Anomalous Material is a touch act to follow after the definitive comedy tournament held (was it last year?). But this is list is excellent. Great to see films new and old. Some Like It Hot is one of my personal favourites.
seriously? where’s Dumb and Dumber?
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