The missing comedies

So, I was discussing my list of 100 comedies with my wife last night. I knew before discussing it with her that we would have some differences as to what should be on the list and where - though probably not as significantly as my differences with Bravo's list. Talking with her, though, I remembered a number of other films that slipped my mind. I would like to present the following list for consideration and would love some feedback as to what the readers here feel should make the list, and what should be eliminated. As I mentioned in the previous post, I expect this list to evolve as I re-watch and remember films...

The Addams Family

Addams Family Values

Bringing Up Baby

Broadway Danny Rose

Cold Comfort Farm

Delicatessen

Duck Soup

The Hudsucker Proxy

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Kung-Fu Hustle

Little Shop of Horrors (musical)

The Muppet Movie

My Fellow Americans

Parenthood

Play It Again, Sam

Radio Days

Scrooged!

Take the Money and Run

Thank You for Smoking

The Thin Man (series)

The 100 comedies revisited

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

100 Comedies

Bravo has a program that identifies, as they bill it, the "100 Greatest Comedies of All Time." As with any list like this, it's gonna start some debate. For example, there were a number of films on this list that I felt were either far higher than they deserved to be, or just weren't funny.

There were a number of what I felt were glaring omissions, possibly none more so than the fact that there wasn't a single film that pre-dated 1963's Pink Panther on the list. No Arsenic and Old Lace, no Some Like it Hot, no Abbott and Costello, no Marx Brothers. It was like comedy didn't exist before 1963.

Here's a quick rundown of the Bravo list -

100 Anchorman 99 Birdcage 98 School of Rock 97 Happy Gilmore 96 Four Weddings and A Funeral 95 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle 94 Waiting for Guffman 93 The Aristocrats 92 Father of the Bride 91 Revenge of the Nerds 90 Clueless 89 Slapshot 88 Team America 87 Kentucky Fried Movie 86 Zoolander 85 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 84 Silver Streak 83 Sister Act 82 Tootsie 81 Half Baked 80 Lost in America 79 Three Amigos 78 Bananas 77 Flirting With Disaster 76 Ghostbusters 75 Dumb & Dumber 74 Trading Places 73 City Slickers 72 Moonstruck 71 Roxanne 70 The Nutty Professor 69 Blues Brothers 68 Broadcast News 67 King Pin 66 Dazed and Confused 65 Office Space 64 Spinal Tap 63 Manhattan 62 The Pink Panther 61 Election 60 When Harry Met Sally 59 Police Academy Series 58 Private Benjamin 57 Swingers 56 Young Frankenstein 55 Bull Durham 54 Ferris Beuller’s Day Off 53 Dr. Strangelove 52 Meet the Parents 51 National Lampoon’s Vacation

50 The Princess Bride 49 American Pie 48 American Grafitti 47 9 to 5 46 The Incredibles 45 Raising Arizona 44 Sixteen Candles 43 What About Bob 42 Harold & Maude 41 Austin Powers 40 Monty Python and the Holy Grail 39 Mrs. Doubtfire 38 Best in Show 37 Dodgeball 36 Good Morning Vietnam 35 Beetlejuice 34 Rushmore 33 Clerks 32 Groundhog Day 31 Big Leobowski 30 The 40-Year Old Virgin 29 Legally Blonde 28 Annie Hall 27 A Fish Called Wanda 26 Wayne’s World 25 Meet the Fockers 24 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure 23 Big 22 Beverly Hills Cop 21 Shampoo 20 The Jerk 19 The Wedding Crashers 18 Stripes 17 M*A*S*H 16 Old School 15 Fast Times at Ridgemont High 14 Napoleon Dynamite 13 Naked Gun Series 12 The Producers 11 PeeWee’s Big Adventure 10 Arthur 9 Blazing Saddles 8 The Wedding Singer 7 Ace Ventura, Pet Detective 6 Airplane 5 South Park 4 There’s Something About Mary 3 Shrek 2 Caddyshack 1 Animal House

Personally, I feel that there are a number of films that were left off this list that are considerably funnier than quite a few that made it. As I would love to hear what others think about what should and shouldn't be on the list, but I don't want to prejudice the process with what I feel doesn't belong, I'm simply going to note off the top of my head some films that I believe deserve a place on the list. Later I will note the films I will compile my own list, eliminating those films I don't believe deserve to be here.

For my purposes, I will not eliminate those films that came out after this show premiered.

For now, here are 46 candidates that should at least have been considered, or be on the list that didn't make the cut....

Arsenic and Old Lace Army of Darkness A Night at the Opera Bachelor Party Barbershop Bowfinger Breaking Away Chasing Amy A Christmas Story The Commitments Death at a Funeral Diner Ed and his Dead Mother Fletch The Full Monty Funny Bones Galaxy Quest Grosse Pointe Blank Harvey Hear My Song High Fidelity The Hollywood Shuffle Hot Fuzz

The In-Laws (1979) Love, Actually Monty Python: The Life of Brian Monty Python: The Meaning of Life Mel Brooks' The History of the World, Part 1 Men In Black My Cousin Vinny My Favorite Year National Lampoon's Van Wilder The Odd Couple O' Brother Where Art Thou The Philadelphia Story PCU Real Genius The Ref Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead Saved! Saving Grace Shaun of the Dead Sleeper Some Like it Hot Three O'Clock High What's New Pussycat?