FUNNIEST FIFTY.

a countdown

by Hunter Jon

This entry is in response to Bennett Media’s wonderful “Funny how?” post (http://bennettmedia.blogspot.com/2018/09/funny-how.html).

Funny movies are funny things. To me there’s always been the quality of a comedy versus how hard a comedy makes me laugh. This list concerns the latter. It also only concerns movies that intended to make me laugh, so you won’t find any so-bad-they’re-funny movies on this list. We’ll save those for another day.

Hopefully the list speaks for itself, yet I couldn’t resist including

a few thoughts on why each title makes me laugh as much as it does.

So here they are.

The fifty funniest movies I have ever seen…

AMERICA’S SWEETHEARTS (2001) directed by Joe Roth

Rarely do you get such a scathing satire of the Hollywood machine actually made within it, and rarely do you get one so funny. Although there’s a predictable romance present to balance out all the industry in-jokes that might go over the head of the mass audience this was made for, that ‘rom’ never manages to get in the way of or spoil the solid ‘com’. Even more impressive? The never ending neuroses of these otherwise privileged and despicable characters somehow makes them relatable and dare I say down to earth, for which we have a very comfortable and game cast playing off Crystal’s fun script to thank.

GOOD BURGER (1997) directed by Brian Robbins

Genuine friendship makes me smile. Sorry, but it does. And that’s what I believe was happening here. Kenan and Kel were, seemingly, enjoying themselves and more importantly each other. It was and remains infectious. The pay off? Me chuckling for ninety five minutes straight and fond memories of doing so.

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (1967) directed by Gene Saks

Simon and Saks’ first is my favourite. It’s sexy, quick, charming and all sorts of other good things. More importantly it’s pretty true. The movie itself may be far from perfect, but Redford and Fonda are the very definition. It’s a shame Bob didn’t do much full-on comedy after this, if you ask me. This remains the blueprint for the young-love situational comedy model. It will always be imitated but I doubt ever matched.

STORKS (2016) directed by Nicholas Stoller & Doug Sweetland

I’m not normally a big fan of Stoller or Sandberg so no one was more surprised than I was at how hard this movie made (and continues to make) me laugh. Perhaps it’s the pitch perfect realization of every bit, proving that the exactness of animation does indeed amplify most cinematic ideas. Or perhaps it’s the voice talents of Katie Crown (who deserves to be a much bigger star), Key and Peele and Stephen Kramer Glickman - to name only a few. Whatever the reason the result is the second funniest animated movie I’ve ever seen.

HOLLYWOOD ENDING (2002) directed by Woody Allen

Most people, even Allen himself, consider his early movies to be the “funny ones”. If that’s the case than I consider this a return to funny form. An idea so stupid that only a director capable of so much more could make it work. I love how annoyingly simple the set up and execution are. Woody reminds us one last time that he is a comedic performer at heart, with his love of Bob Hope clearer than crystal here. Debra Messing is brilliant.

DEFENDING YOUR LIFE (1991) directed by Albert Brooks

Sometimes the overall premise is what’s funny. Sometimes it’s the jokes the premise allows that are funny. Sometimes something wonderful happens and both are equally funny. In this case, extremely funny. It’s a string of running gags that run so far they start to feel like a cozy sweater - with a darling romance sewn in that makes it all the warmer. Whoever thought of Meryl Streep as the perfect straight man? Well, Brooks did.

TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004) directed by Trey Parker

It is a jaw-dropping technical marvel. It is the most astute and precise send up of the action genre I’ve ever seen (sorry, “Hot Fuzz”). It is bold and important social commentary. It is gleefully, shamelessly filthy. It’s also, at times, a total contradiction; smart as it is stupid and incapsulates a super specific time period yet is a timeless classic. Then consider just how funny it all is and the achievement of this one is overwhelming. Parker is a better director than he knows or will admit.

BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT

GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (2006) directed by Larry Charles

A movie built around a performance so brilliant it’s worth far more than the movie built around it. I’m not sure I agree with the whole “fearless comedy” concept but it’s hard to think of a better term to describe what Cohen and co. did here. The only thing more impressive is how they managed to make such a foul, unlikeable character so loveable and endearing. Who has time to cringe when you’re laughing this hard? No more so than when he asks, while observing a tortoise, “… is this a cat in a hat?”

A SERIOUS MAN (2009) directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

I don’t know if the Coens realize how funny they can be when they try… or if they are ever even trying…? Regardless, to me this is them at their absolute funniest. From the hit-you-over-the-head broad to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it subtle. They’ve worked with the biggest actors imaginable - either bringing out the best in established comedic stars or giving dramatic ones an against-type chance to reveal just how funny they can be. But not this go around. One of the many things that makes this one work so well is the relatively un-or-lesser known cast. You entirely buy them as real people, making their reality all the funnier. Some would argue you have to be Jewish to “get it”. With all due respect to those people - no, you don’t. Others would argue there’s nothing to get in the first place. Trust me, there is.

ACE VENTURE: WHEN NATURE CALLS (1995) directed by Steve Oedekerk

Funnily enough, I don’t care for the first one. Which makes my love for this one all the more mysterious. Maybe the change of scenery makes the difference. Maybe it’s the bigger budget. Maybe it’s Oedekerk. Or maybe it’s simply giving someone a chance to revisit a concept and character having worked out all the kinks. Whatever the reason, nearly every joke here works for me. Which they shouldn’t. They seriously shouldn’t. But it’s Jim, and here he stands at the height of being so. With anyone else leading the way every gag, set piece, punchline - hell, the whole movie - would be nothing but a series of pathetic failed attempts. Instead, I’m glad it exists for no other reason than to show how something as small as someone changing their posture or turning their head can be so funny. So in Jim we trust. His first but certainly not last appearance on this list.

BAD TASTE (1987) directed by Peter Jackson

This actually makes me thankful for the “Rings” and “Hobbit” movies (which is hard to say) because otherwise I might not have seen it when I did nor would it have been so available. Perhaps the humour is all the more impressive because it comes as such a delightful surprise - not just that it’s there, but the quality of it. He knocks every goofy little gag out of the park. So much so that by the time things get very, very silly and perhaps gratuitously gross-out you’re already too deep in love with this scrappy little masterpiece to roll your eyes at it. For most fans of the horror/comedy sub-genre “Evil Dead 2” or “Shaun of the Dead” wear the crown. But for me it’s this and probably always will be.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003) directed by Tom Shadyac

It’s an escalator pitch that is overflowing with potential to be funny. But it rests entirely on who you get to do it. We got Jim. Enough said.

AMERICAN SPLENDOR (2003) directed by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini

The terms “uniquely funny” and “character driven comedy” come to mind. And whereas those certainly do apply here, this also signified something much bigger for me. This was about being introduced to a new kind of humour. Whether it’s a case of you yourself being young and suddenly exposed to it or the genre or medium being young and then, as if in a blink, suddenly looking and sounding different. In this case - looking and sounding funnier. I think this movie is a perfect combination of the two possibilities. For a whole generation they seemed to collide with “Napoleon Dynamite”. But for me, it was with “… Splendor”.

JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (2001) directed by Kevin Smith

I feel bad judging a movie as harshly as to call it ‘dumb’, ‘stupid’ or ‘idiotic’ (although I’m sure I’ve already done so or will do so somewhere on this list). Especially if it prides itself on being just that. So instead I’m going to say… ‘goofy’. Yeah, goofy’s good. So, here we have the goofiest entry in the View Askewniverse, besting even “Mallrats” if for no other reason than Jay and Bob are front and centre this time around. Many people felt that that elusive top-billing was long overdue. I maintain it was right on time. You really did have to had seen the previous four movies to properly appreciate it all. I had and I did and I still do. Normally when these kinds of buddies-on-the-road comedies cut away from their lovable leading duo the laughs lag, but impressively that’s not the case here. Thanks, Will Ferrell.

MOUSEHUNT (1997) directed by Gore Verbinski

A comedy pairing so wonderful they promptly never paired again. For those who think Lane’s comedic chops are a one-trick-Birdcage, here is exhibit-A when arguing otherwise. And for those who are unfamiliar with Evans - start here. Throw them into a cutesy concept that Verbinski treats darker than an Ealing offering (it’s borderline Hammer) and you’ve had a firm grip on me since I was eight years old. Bonuses include a dying Bill Hickey, both in character and for real, and my second favourite Silvestri score of all time.

EUROTRIP (2004) directed by Jeff Schaffer (and Alec Berg & David Mandel)

Had this movie been a bigger financial hit I believe that what happened to the cast of “American Pie” would have happened to this cast here. They were just as fun and, in my opinion, brought even harder laughs. Sure, the direction and production value leave heaps to be desired, but that’s not what this list is about. It’s about the fact that Dave Mandel gathered up all that “Saturday Night Live” and “Clerks” cartoon experience, teamed up with his old “Seinfeld” writing partners Jeff Schaffer and Alec Berg and delivered one of the most formidable movies of my youth. One which I still find absolutely hilarious.

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) directed by Jerry Lewis

When people who do impressions of Jerry Lewis do an impression of Jerry Lewis they are most likely just doing an impression of Julius Kelp. Even Lewis, decades before playing him, had built a career around the eventual and inevitable Kelp character. Therefore, this might be the definitive Lewis role and movie. If that’s the case - good. It is his most personal, most profound, most romantic, most visually stunning picture. I also happen to think it’s his funniest.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) directed by Mel Brooks

If you play this movie on mute and only pay mild attention to it you might think that it’s a genuine Frankenstein picture. That’s half the joke right there. Then turn up the volume and the other half of the gag will capture your full attention and imagination. And to be completely honest I’m not much of a Brooks fan, so that’s really saying something. Wonka might be Wilder’s best performance - but he’s funniest here. That goes without saying.

AMERICAN MOVIE (1999) directed by Chris Smith

At first glance it’s hard to believe this whole movie isn’t one big  joke on us, the audience. That was my experience, at least. I had trouble wrapping my head around the fact that this was a legitimate documentary - simply about a very unique man, whose  eccentricities are only outdone by those around him. Except it’s so much more than that. It’s something beautiful. And by the time it’s over it becomes painfully clear that truth really can be stranger, or in this case much funnier, than fiction.

THE PARTY (1968) directed by Blake Edwards

Does the term “simply funny” mean something is just plain funny or something is funny because it’s so plainly presented? Either way, this is that… or both… or something. The idea is simple. The jokes are simple. It’s captured simply. It’s structured simply. It’s as close to silent-film, Chaplin/Keaton/Lloyd territory as these two got. For the most part, Edwards smartly stepped aside here and let Sellars do all of the heavy lifting, with Peter not only accepting the challenge but proving just how incredibly strong he really was.

THE 40-YEAR-OLD-VIRGIN (2005) directed by Judd Apatow

To this day, everywhere I look here I see something saving this movie from itself. Something bold and fresh saving it from being far too familiar. Something wonderfully endearing saving it from being wildly distasteful or unnecessarily crude. A pointed endgame saving it from a frustrating aimlessness. Authentic, well rounded characters saving it from some pretty stiff staging. But perhaps the most foreboding harbinger of all - the casts incredibly skilled improvisation compensating for Apatow’s complete

lack of cinematic understanding. And just like that, as if bandits in the night, this crew birthed a new studio comedy template. And people like me are entirely responsible - it made me laugh so hard that I kept going back for more.

TROPIC THUNDER (2008) directed by Ben Stiller

“I’m usually not a fan of these kinds of movies… however…” I usually hate it when people say that kind of thing… however… Nothing feels pushed on me in this one. The bit players in their bit parts feel organic instead of wedged in. There’s a welcome cohesiveness between scripted scenarios and the improv used to shade them in. All the action is taken as seriously as the laughs and executed nearly as well. And of course having the self-serious players of Hollywood being the big fat butt of the joke in a tentpole studio production is almost irresistible, and pretty funny, irony.

THE JERK (1979) directed by Carl Reiner

When a studio decides to give an on-the-rise comedian their first starring vehicle in an attempt to shoot him or her to super stardom with hopes of establishing a solid mold that they can fit said comedian into for a dozen or so more movies it almost always fails. Other times you get this. Now let’s all sing the thermos song.

WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996) directed by Christopher Guest

Any of the Guest/Levy canon could have made this list. But if I find the last of the unofficial trilogy the most moving, then I still find the first the funniest. Take what worked best in "This is Spinal Tap” and “The Last Polka”, nix anything that didn’t and you’ll find yourself happily in Blaine. I’ve heard Guest doesn’t care for the term “mockumentary”, and I don’t blame him. He’s not mocking anyone here. He’s celebrating these characters. You end up being far more invested as a result. Rooting for them, even. So the laughs begin to resemble the fond ones you share with family or friends rather than the sour, regretful cruelty of laughing at a strange stranger. This is usually what most imitators get so wrong and why Guest and the rest got it so right.

SUPERBAD (2007) directed by Greg Mottola

 Alright, so the whole “let’s get a girl drunk so she’ll sleep with us” idea, which this story springboards off of, is reprehensible. There’s no denying that or defending it for a second. But hopefully that’s just the gross, disgusting surface (and unfortunately what was marketed and therefore most remembered these days). Hopefully, just hopefully, what’s underneath is an attempt to tell a love story between two male friends. Hopefully, the heart of the movie lies in just how awkward men, especially young ones, go about acknowledging and expressing that love… and how most of the time they simply don’t know what to do with it at all. I hope that’s what is underneath. And I hope that these two characters starting off as horny idiots with awful intentions is strictly so that they can not get laid and grow the fuck up. I hope that is what’s going on here. I really do. Because then I can find it funny. One of the funniest ever, in fact.

A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) directed by Blake Edwards

I honestly think this is where you can begin the “… Panther” series. It’s the first one that really resembles what we remember these movies to be. It has everything the first movie is missing - most notably Kato & Dryfuss and the French accent. While not every set piece is integral to solving the mystery, or the plot in general (some feel like stand alone sketches), every one of them is more iconic and/or memorable than the last. If I was asked to provide someone with one movie that best summed up the comedy stylings and sensibility of an era this would be my 1960s submission.

CLERKS. (1994) directed by Kevin Smith

Some movies are lightning in a bottle. They come from nowhere and simply should not be a good as they are. Their excellence is inexplicable. The pieces of their puzzle should add up to something adequate but amateurish at best. Instead, a miracle occurs and they create a perfect picture. In this case, a perfect comedy. I saw this again recently in theatres and was a little worried after not having seen it in over a decade. I’m happy to report that the lightning is safe and snug in the bottle and as electric as ever.

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997) directed by Jay Roach

They say for your spoof to work the audience needs to be as familiar with what you’re spoofing as you are. Otherwise the jokes won’t land. That’s clearly not the case. Not at all. I’d never seen any of the Bond movies that Myers was lampooning - and every joke not only landed but broke through the concrete. Call it blinding nostalgia, call it bad taste, call it whatever you’d like - but the rubble remains and shows no sign of repairing itself.

THE WORLD’S END (2013) directed by Edgar Wright

Melding two genres is hard. I don’t believe it’s as simple as getting the balance right. It’s about how and when you decide to tip the scales one way or the other. I bet most of us would agree that Wright is most likely the modern master at pulling this off. Here, he loads one end of the scale with science fiction and the other with comedy. Or, to be more specific, one end with alien invasion and the other with one-wild-night. Then he sprinkles a perfect pinch of emotion onto the comedy side, tipping the scale ever so slightly… only to sneeze four movies worth of experience all over everything, creating a teeter-tottering momentum. The result, to me, is not only the best of the three, but my favourite overall work of his to date. Still, to most Wright/Pegg/Frost fans this is the disappointment. The weak post script to a passionate two page love letter that you enjoy reading over and over. They might even say you can skip this one. Perhaps “Paul”, instead? That’s fine. More for me.

SIDEWAYS (2004) directed by Alexander Payne

There comes a point when you desire something deeper and deem yourself ready for a “grown-up” comedy. After some exploration, if you’re lucky, you find the perfect one. In my case it took less than a year at the age of fourteen to find myself on the road with Miles and Jack, madly in love with it all and feeling oh-so grown-up. Then, sometimes after you’ve actually grown up you realize just how juvenile and flawed grown ups really are, making your history with your perfect one that much more poignant and the whole journey, on screen and off, that much funnier.

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) directed by Billy Wilder

It’s as if some movies teach you where, when, why and how to laugh. They are a very important education in humour and timing. Dare I say they can even feel as though they invented the comedy genre. Nobody’s perfect… but the laughs here sure are.

MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) directed by Terry Jones

I have a theory that a proper musical tells it’s entire story through song, rather than telling you a bit of story and then singing a song that re-caps that bit. What Python do here is tell a story through comedy. Instead of telling jokes in-between plot points, every plot point is a joke and every joke a plot point. They move their story forward using their humour, which is as solid and impressive as ever here. I find this gives them a movie that flows far better than their others and a comedy that is far funnier than nearly any other ever made. It’s almost hard to keep up with how fast and frequent the funny is. Chapman is, as usual, their secret weapon hiding right in the leading role. And the choice to have Jones direct solo and let Gilliam design the rest was an ingenious move. Just another reason to love George Harrison, who helped finance this one.

HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE (2004) directed by Danny Leiner

Sometimes it’s about the characters journey within the movie. Sometimes it’s about your journey with a movie. Sometimes both miraculously mirror each other. And when it’s all this funny? Well, that’s something special and very rare. This might be the movie I’ve quoted and referenced the most with two very dear friends of mine. I don’t see us stopping anytime soon, no sooner than I see this falling off my list.

SCROOGED (1988) directed by Richard Donner

The decision to watch a movie once a year must mean it’s doing something right. 
Especially when it’s annual viewing is an absolute joy and never once feels likes a chore.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007) directed by Frank Oz

The first time I saw this I laughed so hard that it remains one of the absolute best movie going experiences I’ve ever had. Sometimes comedic brilliance shines through no matter what role a performer plays on any particular project. So as someone who grew up loving and laughing at Fozzie Bear it should come as little surprise that Oz gets me again here. Whether his role is that of puppeteering a big fuzzy bear or directing a macabre British farce the result is me having far too much fun. The ensemble that brings it to life isn’t so much made up of comedians as it is brilliant actors acting funnier than most comedians.

UNCLE BUCK (1989) directed by John Hughes

All Candy needed was one vehicle worthy of his brilliance and Hughes handed him two. For most it’s the other one, but for me it will always be Buck.

BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) directed by Martin Brest

People always suggest that this movie is entirely Murphy’s. That he alone makes it work. It would still be a funny movie if that were the case; an Eddie-out-of-water one man show. But what makes it really work for me, and why it’s elevated to the point of being on this list, is everyone around Eddie. Brest (or the cast themselves) knew when to have characters either get in Axel’s way or get out of it. It’s Murphy reacting accordingly during these interactions and altercations that creates the comedy gold and makes it so endlessly watchable.

SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT (1999) directed by Trey Parker

I just mentioned being endlessly watchable. I’ve mentioned lightning being caught in a bottle. I’ve talked about Trey and Matt firing on every cylinder imaginable. Now just throw being one of the greatest musicals of all time on top of that… and make it animated.

THE MONEY PIT (1986) directed by Richard Benjamin

“The stairs are out!”

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004) directed by Wes Anderson

I wouldn’t say my sense of humour was maturing. That sounds like my taste got snobby or pretentious or something. But it was certainly changing. Perhaps it’s appropriate to say my sense of humour was broadening and this one encouraged the transition, along with a few others I’ve already listed. But I find this one to be the funniest of the bunch. Anderson has a very specific and unique sense of humour and this was my introduction to it. And it was big - literally. There were no shortage of so-called quirky comedies at the time but none were done with such studio style spectacle. Massive scale and scope - a sprawling story full of colourful characters and locations and sets and effects. Perhaps my first and favourite “epic” comedy. Yet Wes (and Noah) also put such importance on all the little things. Rich with tiny details - most of them hilarious. Lines and visual gags whipping by so sharply that you want to watch it again and again until you’ve got a check in every box. Or at least I did. And once you’ve finished all those viewings you’re left with an old favourite that you know all too well - yet one that never stops being funny.

DUMB AND DUMBER (1994) directed by Peter & Bobby Farrelly

Silliness. Pure and utter silliness. Thankfully everyone involved were smart enough to recognize this and just let it be. They were going for nothing but laughs here and by my count they get every one. Not to suggest that that’s easy or simple. You’ve got four guys here - Peter, Bobby, Jeff and certainly Jim - doing career best work. Whether it was talent or chance ultimately doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that they all did it together on the same movie. Thank God for that.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993) directed by Chris Columbus

It’s Robin, right? I mean, it has to be. Ok, it’s kinda Chris and a little bit Sally. But it’s not like those two were as funny before or have been since. So, it’s gotta just be Robin. I’m pretty sure. The script, though… maybe? Nah. It’s Robin.

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986) directed by John Hughes

I’m aware I’ve used the word “funny” far too many times throughout this list, so I’m going to use a completely different word here. Fun. This movie is almost impossibly fun. It’s three perfectly cast leads look to be having as much fun as we are. Or maybe their fun is causing ours. Whatever. I don’t care. I’m having too much fun. Hughes obviously played within this genre a ton with a great amount of success, but none of the others bring me the sheer amount of joy that this does. How it manages to be so profoundly moving without once dipping so much as a toe into the sappy, heart-strings pool is like a magic trick. And at the end of the whole thing the guy gets away with it all. What’s more fun than that?

HAPPY GILMORE (1996) directed by Dennis Dugan

One Sandler movie makes the list. In all fairness, I find quite a few of his movies to be pretty funny. “Big Daddy” immediately comes to mind. But for me this one stands head and shoulders above the rest of his never ending catalog. I was about to use the word “brainless” to describe this. But that’s unfair. I like to think talent and intelligence more often than not go hand in hand. And the reason this movie worked so well is because there was serious comedic talent at work… therefore there had to have been brains behind the scenes, right? Maybe I’ll just say it this way - this movie is too fucking funny to have been made by stupid people.

BOWFINGER (1999) directed by Frank Oz

Martin has already appeared on this list. So has Murphy. And I think I have made my thoughts on Oz pretty clear. It is very possible that these three men are comedic geniuses. Yet that hardly meant a collaboration between them would be a sure thing. Geniuses band together all the time and the result can definitely be a dud. In fact, that is probably more often the case. However… the result of Steve, Eddie and Frank getting together here is not only worthy of their best but might be their very best. I find Martin’s earlier scripts to be more like a string of sketches starring the same character than fleshed out screenplays. Not a complaint, merely an observation. Yet here his narrative flows perfectly, like rapids so wild you almost forget, as the third act looms, that you’re about to fall off one hell of a waterfall. Murphy’s Jiff is such a three dimensional portrayal I have to stop while watching him and remind myself it’s Murphy - I don’t see Eddie in there anywhere. That’s some Meisner type shit. And Oz, at the peak of his powers (topping even the best of Fozzie), conducts the orchestra with such sly precision that you almost see right through him, shifting your focus onto the musicians like he wants you to. But you better believe he’s there, waving that stick like a madman. It goes beyond good comedy. It's perfect filmmaking that achieves its one goal, which is to be funny.

DR. STRANGELOVE OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING

AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964) directed by Stanley Kubrick

Well, here it is. Anyone trying to sound impressive would of course put this on their list. I like to think it’s on mine for a different reason. Yet I’m defenceless against perception. It’s reputation as the ultimate “smart” or “thinking person’s” comedy precedes and defines it. Which is all at once understandable and baffling. Because it is quite clever. Very clever. But for every intellectual laugh there is a prat fall. For every sophisticated joke there is a childish one. For every subtle, straight performance there is Scott. I think this movie is often mis-remembered as being far classier than it is. Perhaps that’s because it’s in black and white. Perhaps it’s because it wasn’t conceived as a comedy so the premise is deadly serious. Perhaps it’s because it’s the only silliness on an otherwise super sober resume. I don’t really know. What I do know and what we can all seem to agree on is that it is brilliant. I’m not sure if Kubrick as a person was particularly funny, but he certainly showed the world and immortalized forever that he knew what was.

WAYNE’S WORLD (1992) directed by Penelope Spheeris

When you take a sketch and turn it into a movie you are basically taking characters with no narrative around them and forcing them into one. And when you force things, particularly when making comedies, the result often feels, well… forced. I don’t know how I would personally avoid this, but if I ever had the opportunity to try I would go the route they went here - put as little pressure on squeezing in a story as you can. Instead, focus on the characters you already have, or better yet expand on them. In other words, bring a big pot of Wayne and Garth to a boil and simmer a small story on the back burner. In fact, the plot to this movie is ever so smartly thin and a little stale (introduce romantic interest, lose her to villain, fight and defeat villain, win her back). What are thick and juicy here are Wayne and Garth’s personalities and, more important than any plot, their environment. The title could not be more appropriate - this movie richly brings Wayne’s world to life. And everyone involved on this one, in front of the camera and behind, is so comedically talented that this new world we are introduced to ends up being worthy of the characters we already know and love. There’s no better example of this than the films most iconic scene. “A little Bohemian Rhapsody, gentleman?” It’s a long sequence that to be honest isn’t particularly funny. But they’re establishing these guys and their life. I’m hanging out with them and it puts a smile on my face. A smile that only goes away when I’m gasping for air from laughing so hard - 'cause let’s be honest, when the jokes do hit in this they hit like bricks. Jokes that, thank God, are driven by character and not plot.

ANNIE HALL (1977) directed by Woody Allen

I love this movie for more reasons than I have time to count. I love it for being stylistically groundbreaking - from it’s photography and staging to it’s non-linear narrative and everything in between. I love it for perhaps being the most honest and intimate portrait of a romance ever - from a sandwich to chocolate milk and every lobster and spider in between. But that’s not why it’s here. It’s here because, every which way you look at it, it is funnier than it should be. Far funnier. And I love it for that. So let’s take a moment to dissect how Allen might have achieved this by breaking apart one specific joke and putting it back together again. Ready? Ok. Here’s the joke: one man asks another, “With your wife in bed, does she need some kind of artificial stimulation like marijuana?” The man replies, “We use a large vibrating egg”. So you’ve got that joke. What Woody could have done was sit himself down and crack open the rulebook. It would have told him to set this scene in a deli and have a frantic, frustrated Alvy ask this question to the man behind the counter. We know they are friends because he will establish as much in a pervious scene where the deli man already knows Alvy’s order. Now have Deli Man give the vibrating egg answer. If someone finds this funny, Woody gets a laugh. Fair exchange - one joke for one laugh. But Woody didn’t do that. He threw out that rulebook… which must have been easy because it only ever existed in other people’s heads to begin with. Instead, he sketched out a blueprint that only existed in his head. Stepping back from the drawing board he found himself with this scene instead: a frantic, frustrated Alvy seems to spontaneously go off script and stop a man who we assume is a passing background extra and asks him the aforementioned question. Turns out the man is not an extra because he expertly delivers the vibrating egg answer. Alvy and the man move on, unfazed by an encounter that stomps on all logic and represents zero reality. Suddenly, his never-before-seen design has surprised the audience, which could now result in someone laughing for two reasons - the egg line is funny and the unexpectedness of it’s delivery is funny. The exchange is now in Woody’s favour - two laughs for the price of one joke. He’s winning (and/or richer). I believe this is how he ended up with a movie not only twice as funny as anything he’d made prior, but funny in such a different way. Because when something funny happens, which in this case is extremely often, he goes out of his way to make sure that how, why, when and where it hits you is also funny - even if getting there sacrifices all logic or reality. The result is the moment Woody Allen stops imitating and starts inspiring, which changed things forever. If the romanic comedy genre was a tangle of gags and riddles, he told the first knock-knock joke. He created a super simple, instantly familiar template that nearly anyone who has ever gone for a laugh has fallen back on at least once if not a dozen times. Of course, if you’re one of these said inspired jokesters you must remember two key things - one: Allen is a genius. So you’ll have to be one too to make something like this. And two: he had the advantage of being first out of the gate, and of doing so with Brickman and Keaton by his side, whom probably deserve just as much credit as Woody gets. Oh, and those two editors. I forget their names. Good luck without them.

MOTHER (1996) directed by Albert Brooks

Whenever, if ever, people type the expression “funny because it’s true” into Google they should be directed right to this movie’s IMDb page. What Brooks and the late great Monica Johnson did with this script is nothing short of a triumph in my eyes. Every single piece of humour is motivated by and wrapped up in a relatable intimacy that I find extremely rare. The observations are often slightly shocking. Probably because we/I didn’t think anyone else felt that way. Lines and jokes feel pulled from life’s most private moments and thoughts. To say I find it profound (and very funny) when she says “I love you” and he kindly replies “I know you think you do” is one hell of an understatement. And every parent past a certain age seems to have their own protective ice we’re told to look under… “… you’ve actually named the clear hard crap that sits on top of the ice cream?” I find the script alone fairly therapeutic in this sense. Then they went ahead and gave it to one of the funniest performers of all time. One whom understands this character - all character - and observes human behaviour even better than the brilliant writers who provided the material. You can’t compete with experience, folks. Therefore she’s able to breathe as much life into this character as humanly possible. Don’t get me wrong - Brooks is vital here, too. It’s his chemistry with Reynolds that makes the whole thing work so damn well. Both are giving the performances of their already impressive careers. What all of this ultimately amounts to is perhaps the single most deadly accurate, and definitely the funniest, movie about a parent and child ever made.

CLUE (1985) directed by Jonathan Lynn

I get it. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, it’s not most people’s cup of anything. But I consider myself lucky in that I can’t remember a time when I hadn’t seen this movie. Therefore I can’t remember a time in my life that I didn’t love it. And I love it all the more because it continues to hold up. Way up. The cast and their chemistry are perfect. I can probably quote every single line. And I’m just now starting to fully appreciate how stealthy Lynn’s direction is. All that being said, I did surprise myself a little when I reached my number one slot and couldn’t deny that this needed to fill it. I guess it’s because part of me assumed more of a “pure comedy” would occupy this spot. A movie that is wholly dedicated to the comedy genre. This movie, however, consists of two very different genres, doesn’t it? Comedy, of course, and the other mystery - one of those murder ones. So it’s odd to have a movie only half as devoted to laughs as a full comedy at number one, isn’t it? That’s when the lightbulb went off - I’m giving it the gold medal for that very reason. It’s humour, and the quality and quantity of it, is more impressive than anything else on this list simply because it doesn’t start out dominant nor is it being championed. Unlike the other titles above that melded or balanced genres with pride and glee, here they seem to be as much at odds with each other as the characters populating the sum of them. This movie’s comedy hits the ground duking it out with the mystery - a mystery that absolutely must continue to grow in order for the plot to advance. So how does the comedy stand a chance? Suddenly, the humour is the underdog. And since we like to laugh, we can’t help but root for it. It turns out it needs no encouragement from us, however. Once that bell rings the comedy reveals itself to be far stronger than anyone anticipated. It begins ballooning so big that it smothers any mystery trying to sneak into the scene. So this movie’s comedy half is, by my estimation, about five times funnier than most full comedies. That’s a lot of funny for one movie to contain. In fact, once the laughs begin to swell here they do so so quickly that I’m on the edge of my seat. It feels like this thing could blow at any moment. Thank goodness the foundation of the movie’s other half, whose back the comedy stands on, is so sturdy. That would be the ironclad genre of the whodunit. I happen to love me a good whodunit. And this one is being sent up. Do you know what that means? It means more funny. So even the surviving slices of whodunit we’re being served in between the now dominate comedy are humorous. That’s more laughs for you to throw on top of the half that is five times funnier than most wholes. By my count we’re almost at three full comedies worth of laughs in one movie. That’s a lot of funny right there. Maybe the most funny. I believe it is, actually. I believe it’s the funniest I’ve ever seen. Shake, rattle and roll.