Bravo posted their 100 Funniest Movies list a month or so ago and people lit up the blogsphere with their reactions, most of which were negative. I have to admit: after looking at their list, I think they botched it (Monty Python & the Holy Grail at #40?!? Behind Legally Blonde (#29)? And Shrek (#3)?). Thus, here’s my own list, my Top 10 funniest flicks of all time. Let me know what you think.
10. Father of the Bride – I know, this probably isn’t Steve Martin’s funniest movie, but I don’t care. I’ve loved this movie ever since our daughter was born. I sure don’t want to think about her getting married someday but this movie is both warm and funny. Good stuff.
9. Meet the Parents – I think this is Ben Stiller’s best work. And who knew DeNiro could play comedic? The prayer scene makes me laugh just thinking about it. Solid.
8. Ghostbusters – This movie makes my list on the performance of Bill Murray alone. His slacker Dr. Venkman was a childhood influence for me. “Back off, man. I’m a scientist.“
7. Dumb and Dumber – Jim Carrey will be remembered for this film, not Ace Ventura. I probably watched this movie 100 times in high school & college. “Pretty bird. Pretty bird.”
6. Christmas Vacation – This one’s a staple come Christmas time. Chevy Chase is hilarious.
5. Fletch – Another Chase classic. When he comes rolling up on skates wearing that goofy wig…I lose it every time.
4. The Princess Bride – A classic. Good clean fun. How can you not love a movie starring Andre the Giant? (“Anybody wanna peanut?“) To this day, I can’t go to a wedding without saying, “Mawwage. Mawwage is wha’ bwings us togevah today.” Billy Crystal is hilarious, too. “Inconthee-vable.” “My name is Inigo Montoya…” All right, this is the Greatest One Liner movie of all time.
4-10 could be moved around on the list, but here are the Big 3 of Comedies for me.
3. Airplane – Surely this movie is one of the funniest of all time. (Yes it is and don’t call me Shirley.) I love good parodies and this one’s the best. “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
2. O Brother Where Art Thou – The language is downright awful, but this movie is hilarious. At least once a week, Sunny or I will say, “That don’t make no sense!” in honor of John Turturo. Tim Blake Nelson’s Delmar is the celluloid likeness of my grandfather. When he says, “Well, I’ll only be eighty-two!“, I laugh out loud.
1. Monty Python & the Holy Grail – Absolutely the funniest movie of all time. Best when viewed at 2 AM in a room full of people who can quote the whole thing. Favorite scene: when Arthur meets Dennis (who’s in a narcocyndiclist commune.) John from Kingsport, remember…”A duck!” That one’s for you, man.
Honorable Mention: Sunny and I love Big Momma’s House, but it probably has no business being on this list. I’ve never seen This is Spinal Tap; I have a feeling it would rank high for me, too. I liked Best in Show, but I can’t remember much about it; if I rewatched it, it’d probably rank here, too.
Notable omissions: Napoleon Dynamite, which is hands down the stupidest movie I’ve ever seen. Seriously people, this movie is not that funny. Also, anything by Will Ferrell is garbage. I can’t stand him. (Although I did see a preview for Talladega Nights the other day. I actually didn’t want to gouge out my eyeballs.)
Comments? Think I’m way off base here? Let me hear from ya.
already & not yet 
I agree with you on Father of the Bride, Meet the Parents, The Princess Bride and O Brother Where Art Thou.I use to have nightmares about Ghostbusters.I’ve never seen Dumb and Dumber and have absolutely no desire to see it.Christmas Vacation – you always think that this is the funniest movie. I don’t really enjoy it.Same thing with Fletch. I guess that I just don’t like Chevy Chase.I always enjoy watching movies with you. You always make me laugh!
As I was working up this list, I realized I don’t watch a lot of these movies that much anymore. We watch so much Everybody Loves Raymond on DVD that I don’t have as much time to watch funny movies. A great blog would be funniest TV or film characters of all-time. Frank from Raymond would have to rank right up there for me. Along with Norton on the Honeymooners.
And by the way, Chevy Chase is hilarious. Get a sense of humor.
These are all great, except I hated O Brother. Maybe it was built up too much to me before I saw it, but I thought it was awful. Maybe I’d feel differently if I watched it again.Chevy Chase is great. The golfer in me loves Caddyshack. Chase and Bill Murray are hilarious in that movie.And I must admit, the “go-numb” part of me loves Will Ferrell and the whole crew of actors that all seem to be in each others movies – Ben Stiller, Steve Carrel, Vince Vaughn, Luke and Owen Wilson, etc. The mindless humor is great.
Matt, come over and watch O Brother with us. You’ll love it.Did you see Bravo’s list? Animal House was #1, Caddyshack #2 and Shrek #3. Caddyshack is probably deserving of a high spot but I thought the other two were ridiculously overrated.
Some good ones. I’d have to have Caddyshack and Blazing Saddles in the top 10.I personally thought Napolean Dynamite was hilarious. I thought maybe you just had to be in the right frame of mind, but I’ve seen it several times and thought it was hilarious every time. I will admit perhaps you have to like a certain kind of humor to appreciate it (but i’m not sure what kind that is…)I won’t go as far and say Will Farrell’s movies are garbage, but I don’t think they are terribly funny. They always seem to have some pretty hilarious parts, but overall not that great. He’s not unlike other recent (last 15-20 years) SNL alum – they’re good at sketch comedy or as supporting characters, but just can’t carry a whole movie (see Farley, Sandler, etc.).Grail is the best. I could not agree more. The funniest movie ever. And I think my favorite scene is also the Dennis scene. When I was 37, I used to quote that scene all the time.
I loved Dynamite.Watch Spinal Tap, it’ll crack your list. Remember, I did my top 10 a couple of months back. Here’s my rankings:http://scottfreeman.info/2006/05/31/funniest-movies-of-all-time/
Man, how could no Adam Sandler movie make your list. So many to pick from. Like the list, but did think “Oh brother where art thou” was over-rated.
I am a fan of the Meet the Parents movies too. The second one was funny too, even though sequels are not as good as the first.
I’m just not a big fan of guys like Sandler and Ferrell, although Sandler’s films are much better than Ferrell’s dreck. If I had to pick a Sandler movie it’d be Mr. Deeds I guess.I still don’t get Napoleon. What makes it so funny? I guess it’s kinda like Python…it’s funnier when viewed with a roomful of afficianados.
To me, Napoleon is quotable for one. Two, I knew guys like that in high school who were such social misfits that they created their own sort of alternate reality. All of the characters do that to some degree, so the absurd quality is pretty high.
You didn’t like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, The Waterboy, Big Daddy, Longest Yard (Remake), 50 first dates, or The Wedding Singer. Jason we need to re-evaluate our friendship…
Sandler’s a one trick pony. His shtick gets old after a while. Some of these you mentioned are decent enough, but 50 First Dates is one of the most redundant movies I’ve ever seen. Big Daddy was pretty good. Still, none are as good as Mr. Deeds, and it’s only good because of Turturo.Now, saying O Brother is overrated…that might be cause to re-evaluate our friendship!
Oops, accidentally posted that comment as Sunny since I’m using her computer.– Jason
Just because a movie is quotable doesn’t make it good. I’m sure Ishtar was quotable, too.
I think 50 First Dates was good because Sandler was not his usual goofy self. It’s the first of a few where he’s showing his more serious side. Seems like he’s grown up a little.
Glad to see that “O’ Bro'” made it in the top three. I was serious about Monte Python in high school, but OBWAT is my adult comedy of choice. I have several patients who are “dumber than a bag of hammers.” Napoleon Dynamite is quirky, but deep in many ways. I thought the scene where Napoleon dances for Pedro in front of a hostile auditorium full of his peers a perfect illustration of the verse, “Greater love hath no nerd,” er, I mean “man than he who would lay down his life for a friend.”
I know ND is a sentimental fave, but I still don’t get it. I guess I didn’t have any friends who lived in alternative reality in high school. Although I think Brandon Vaughn would qualify.
Sandler is a one trick pony no question. But if I had a trick to make funny movies, I wouldn’t change the trick…
Probably not the same type of alternative reality as ND, but still an alternative reality for sure – living in occupied territory for 150 years because of the War of Northern Aggression; twice in the leg and let him go; alligator boots; etc. Thanks for making me think about Brandon and laugh today!
Kenny, Sandler’s a rich man, so he must be doing something right.Matt, I knew that one would get you. I started thinking about “chicken pie” the other day and I lost it.
Jason, your plug on here a few days back was greatly appreciated, but I have yet to recieve any more traffic other than one guy (Thanks, “greg”). I thought you doing that would be like Letterman saying it, but I must have been a little off. You copy me and break out your own list and, boom, 21 comments. I don’t know how you do it, man.I agree with your list some. I like the movies on there but only a few match my top 10. I think Ferrell is brilliant. I love his stuff. I’m psyched about Talladega Nights. And, Matt W., I agree with you, too. I think the new “rat pack” is great. I love Vaughn, Carrell, Stiller and the rest of the gang.
Jake,I do what I can, man. Keep working on your list and the people will come. Some of it has to do with where you’re at on your list. I’m not gonna get bent out of shape if you list Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey at #38 ahead of Weekend at Bernie’s. You start getting to the Top 10 and the convo will heat up. Trust me.
Ok, Bybee, I want on your “Community” list. That is the most prestigious list of them all. More so than 50 Most Beautiful People (which I have been on the cusp of for years). And Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey will NOT be appearing on my top 50, sadly… RIP, Bill and Ted….
If you’re talking about Sandler, where is the convo on Spanglish? A smart, very out of character comedy for a guy who is a one trick pony! Just my two cents!
Spanglish was terrible. A surprising effort by Sandler, I’ll admit. But I’m not sure Spanglish qualifies as a full-fledged comedy. More of a dramedy. Did anybody ever see Punch Drunk Love? I hear Sandler was good in that one, too.Jake, you don’t have to pander to make the community. Just understand that if I put you on the list, you have to step it up a notch. Don’t be like TH, who only posts every 4 months. How long do you go before you revoke community from a disinterested blogger? (Just giving you a hard time, TH…as usual, right?)
Spanglish wasn’t that bad. I do give him an A for effort, but I think that Sandler’s best movie is this summer’s “Click”. I’m not going to lie, I had to fight back tears at one point. That may get my man card revoked for a while, but man it was good. I was really impressed and I’ll say it’s one of the summer’s best.And Bybee, you don’t have to worry about me stepping it up. It’s what I was born to do. Just don’t get upset if a few “loyal” bloggers/readers wonder over my way for a little while. I’ll give you props and send the lost sheep on back, my friend. It’s your world, dog… I’m just a squirrel trying to find a nut.
I am a blogging fiend. Check out the counter, baby. I can share the love.