I will start this post with a couple of caveats...I will acknowledge that I have not seen every comedy out there, that this list is subject to changes based on viewing things like Kind Hearts and Coronets which I have not yet viewed, or re-viewings of films like The Russians Are Coming, or It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
You will notice that there are a number of films with a second number by them such as "46. 30 The 40-Year Old Virgin." That second number is the ranking the "experts" at Bravo gave the film. Any without that second number did not make Bravo's list. All told, I eliminated 51 of Bravo's films. After all, their list was the "greatest comedies," which I interpreted as two possible things - great films that are comedies, or extraordinarily funny films which are good films (which is why you don't see Police Academy on the list - while funny, at times, it's just not a good film).
Some of the criteria I considered in ranking was how much I enjoyed the film as a whole, how much it made me laugh, and, at times, how much it made me think.
Once again, keep in mind, this is my opinion, and based on what I could recall. I am certainly open to suggestions and being reminded of films that are out there that I may have seen and long since forgotten about. I am always open to suggestions...particularly if it directs me to a film I haven't seen before.
So...here's my reworking...
100. 15 Fast Times at Ridgemont High 99. The Bad News Bears (1976) 98. High Fidelity 97. Ed and his Dead Mother 96. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead 95. Funny Bones 94. L.A. Story 93. Chasing Amy 92. Mighty Aphrodite 91. 67 King Pin 90. 64 Spinal Tap 89. The Freshman 88. 96 Four Weddings and A Funeral 87. 91 Revenge of the Nerds 86. 33 Clerks 85. 16 Old School 84. 37 Dodgeball 83. 32 Groundhog Day 82. 13 Naked Gun Series 81. 10 Arthur 80. 4 There’s Something About Mary 79. 95 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle 78. The Ref 77. 76 Ghostbusters 76. Real Genius 75. Fletch 74. My Favorite Year 73. Diner 72. Hot Fuzz 71. PCU 70. 22 Beverly Hills Cop 69. 72 Moonstruck 68. Twins 67. Love Actually 66. 8 The Wedding Singer 65. Saving Grace 64. Super Troopers 63. Bachelor Party 62. Monsters, Inc. 61. O' Brother Where Art Thou 60. What's New Pussycat? 59. Grosse Pointe Blank 58. A Night at the Opera 57. Men In Black 56. Army of Darkness 55. Love and Death 54. 89 Slapshot 53. 97 Happy Gilmore 52. Barbershop 51. Bowfinger |
50. The Commitments 49. The Hollywood Shuffle 48. Saved! 47. 78 Bananas 46. 30 The 40-Year Old Virgin 45. 24 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure 44. 55 Bull Durham 43. 54 Ferris Beuller’s Day Off 42. 71 Roxanne 41. 48 American Grafitti 40. 49 American Pie 39. 26 Wayne’s World 38. National Lampoon's Van Wilder 37. Harvey 36. The Odd Couple 35. 74 Trading Places 34. 31 Big Liebowski 33. Galaxy Quest 32. 65 Office Space 31. 28 Annie Hall 30. The Full Monty 29. 69 Blues Brothers 28. 53 Dr. Strangelove 27. 50 The Princess Bride 26. Arsenic and Old Lace 25. A Christmas Story 24. Shaun of the Dead 23. My Cousin Vinny 22. Death at a Funeral 21. The In-Laws (1979) 20. Hear My Song 19. Monty Python: The Life of Brian 18. 62 The Pink Panther 17. Breaking Away 16. The Philadelphia Story 15. 82 Tootsie 14. 27 A Fish Called Wanda 13. 2 Caddyshack 12. 17 M*A*S*H 11. 18 Stripes 10. 56 Young Frankenstein 9. Sleeper 8. 45 Raising Arizona 7. 42 Harold & Maude 6. 40 Monty Python and the Holy Grail 5. 6 Airplane 4. 1 Animal House 3. 9 Blazing Saddles 2. 12 The Producers 1. Some Like it Hot |
3 comments:
I'd say that list is a lot more defensible than Bravo's list by a mile.
But Dodgeball ahead of Spinal Tap? Dodgeball had it's moments but nothing close to what Spinal Tap had.
I love your pick of Bowfinger, though. That is a criminally ignored movie.
Danke.
I figure there are plenty of places for debate. My choice to put Spinal Tap behind Dodgeball had to do with what I feel are lulls here and there in ST. I love ST, and I truly admire the improv nature of the movie - but there are places that I always felt the film dragged.
Bowfinger I think might be one of the funnier films of the last decade, and probably the funniest thing that Eddie Murphy has done in a long time. There are other films that I am sure I missed - I at least considered The Sure Thing. I still can't believe that, in the end, I eliminated over 50 of Bravo's choices from my list.
I can believe it. Those lists are skewed towards newer films and I doubt they take the time to seriously consider them.
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