The Movie Forums Top 100 Comedies Countdown

Seen the following. Safety Last! was #7 on my ballot.

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I was one of the five to vote for Excellent Adventure, and out of the others on my list that clearly aren't making the Countdown now either (unless there's a major upset in the top 10), it's the one that I thought was most likely to make the bottom half. It's nice to see that it at least came close.

This is another one of those films which has multiple quotes that have made their way into common usage among my friends group. It's a fun time travel romp that doesn't take itself too seriously, and I can't even pass a Circle K anymore without thinking that strange things are afoot. I had it at #10 on my ballot.

My List: 12
02. The Princess Bride (1987) - #16
04. Evil Dead II (1987) - #94
06. Brazil (1985) - #48
07. The Great Dictator (1940) - #51
10. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) - DNP
11. His Girl Friday (1940) - #26
14. Clerks (1994) - #65
15. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - #15
16. Galaxy Quest (1999) - #14
17. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) - #31
19. Hot Fuzz (2007) - #12
21. Tropic Thunder (2008) - #59
22. Arsenic & Old Lace (1944) - #28

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Mrs. Doubtfire missing the list is the biggest highway robbery ever. And by 1 measly point! I really wish that I put it at #1 now. It was number 3 for me!

I love The Song Remains The Same.

I look forward to hearing which ones.

I’ve seen these but didn’t vote for them or consider them for my ballot. Doubtfire, Beverly Hills Cop, and Bill and Ted might’ve made a favorite comedies list when I was a kid, but not now.

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Yeah, I think I'm about to be shocked to see three of my top ten not make the list at all.
Which surprised me because I thought my list looked like a completely generic list of the consensus "Best Comedies Of All Time" and that sheer numbers would put them all in.


Edit: Nope, I just looked over my Top 10 and all seven of my remaining film but No.9 are going to make the top 10.
3 others, which really surprise me, are not even on the Almost list.

From my list I had A Hard Day's Night at #6 and Midnight in Paris at #11. I debated about A Hard Day's Night, but decided that it's so dang funny I had to include it, though I otherwise avoided including musicals. And then I mentioned Midnight in Paris before and had been hoping it might have cracked the top 100, as even a lot of non-Woody Allen fans seem to like it.

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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

A Shot in the Dark was my #15 and Tootsie was my #16. I'm not totally shocked at either missing, although I thought Tootsie had a decent chance. It's not a belly-laugh movie, but it does have one of the great reveals in film history.

I re-watched Tootsie again just two nights ago. For the umpteenth time.

Judging by the numbers here there is plenty of love and support and depth of knowledge to do a MoFo Top 100 Comedies of the 1980s, all by itself.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

It's true that comedy is subjective, but I think more germane to this list is that what's funny is subjective. These are not the same thing! Like, I don't think you will get much argument that, for example, Anchorman is a comedy. It's definitely a comedy, in structure and intent. But to someone like, say, me, it's not in the least funny. But Austin Powers (also definitely a comedy!) is funny. That's all just down to taste and totally subjective.

I love Hot Fuzz, I think I've seen it 4 or 5 times, but it didn't quite make my list (I think I had it at like No.42 or something, which is very respectable).

City Lights is my first complete Chaplin (meaning I sat and watched the whole thing in one sitting), watched maybe 6 months or so ago, and it fairly blew me away, earning a spot on my list after just one viewing (23/25 films on my list I've seen several times).
No.24 on my list.

Actually, watching these clips, maybe it is a belly-laugh movie. Just really highly recommended, friends.

Looking at letterboxd popular comedies from the 80s, the one I scratch my head at is The King of Comedy being labeled as one. I've only watched it once, and maybe I was just viewing it too much from a serious angle*, but did I miss something on that one? Like comedy of awkward social violations that just went completely by my head?


*: Speaking as someone whose ballot seems to consist half of such type of movies for other people.

OK, my final guess for the Top Ten and a shot and the order they are in...

1. Airplane!
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. Young Frankenstein
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. Groundhog Day
7. Duck Soup
8. Blazing Saddles
9. Some Like it Hot
10. Ghostbusters (1984)

While I can see Buster Keaton's The General being left off of the list completely, I can't see Stripes placing and not the original Ghostbusters. Even with Murray having Groundhog Day still in the mix. I think Duck Soup rose to the top as THE representation of The Marx Brothers not only because it is one of their funniest with some of their all-time classic gags but also because unlike A Night at the Opera and most of the others there are no extended non-Marx scenes and subplots. Those first few movies were so early in the days of talkies that hearing a piece of an Opera was still a novelty and welcome filler. None of that in Duck Soup, all of the songs are funny and bring on the mayhem. While I don't care much for Some Like it Hot, I know it is critically esteemed and beloved by too many not to place. The others I have zero doubt about. They must be in that Top Ten.

Bring 'em on, I says!

Just for fun, my reactions/thoughts
102. MY Man Godfrey (1936) 61p 4 ballots...Love, Love, Love It!
103. A Hard Days Night ( 1964) 61p 3 ballots...Considered it.
104. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) 60p 5 ballots...I don't care for Robin Williams movies
105. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 60p 4 ballots...Not sure if I seen it
106. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) 59p 4 ballots...Love this one, almost voted for it.
107. Austin Powers: The Spy Wjo Shagged Me (1999) 58p 6 ballots...Not seen it and not my type of film
108. Tootsie (1982) 58p 5 ballots 10th highest rank...liked it
109. The Odd Couple (1968) 58p 5 ballots 11th Highest rank....Found it too abrasive and not enough warmth or girls
110. Coming to America (1988) 58p 4 ballots...I liked Eddie better on SNL
111. Arthur (1981) 58p 3 ballots...Seen it, Liza was great!
112. A Shot in the Dark (1964) 57p 4 ballots...Elke was great!
113. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) 57p 3 ballots...not seen it
114. Midnight in Paris (2011) 55p 3 ballots Highest ranking 2nd...Another Fine Woody Allen film and poor Owen got snubbed
115. The Palm Beach Story (1942) 55p 3 ballots Highest ranking 3rd...A favorite of mine.
116. Safety last (1923) 53p 4 ballots...Seen this recently and liked it
117. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) 52p 5 ballots....not seen it, though I'd watch it just for Jane Wiedlin
118. Liar, Liar (1997) 52p. 3 ballots highest ranking 2nd...OK but I prefer The Cable Guy.
119. The Favorite (2018) 52p 3 ballots Highest ranking 7th...I'm sure I seen it as I watch this type of stuff, but I don't remember it, maybe I even reviewed it?
120. Defending Your Life (1991) 51p 3 ballots...never heard of it.

Hot Fuzz was not on my ballot but I'm not at all surprised to see it ahead of Shaun of the Dead. I appreciate lots about it, and it's funny in parts but I just don't enjoy it as much overall as a movie.

I am surprised five people voted for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.


Safety Last was #22 on my ballot. I just find Harold Lloyd funnier and more appealing than Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

The Favourite was my #12. Absolutely terrific acting from all three leads in a delightfully off-kilter period piece. Hopefully a strong contender for the 2010s list.

Now, I'm even more depressed with the latest reveals...


EDIT: Maybe I was too brash with my statement above. Bet this countdown has surprised everyone. In meaning, kudos to all!





My ballot: *6/87 (1-ptr hit)
My 2nd ballot: 6/87
Seen: 75/87
1-ptrs seen: 16
Put on watch list: 5
Meh, Huh, WTF: 7

Richard Pryor Live in Concert is my #1.




I almost didn't write anything up about this, but I mainly thought I would because sometimes I think that people will automatically like it or dislike it just because of the subject matter and the language Pryor uses. The comedian does use a ton of the N-words (something he later stopped altogether) but MoFos everywhere would still have to enjoy it, that's for sure. He talks about sex, family, racism, pets, drugs, hunting, boxing, heart attacks, sexism, funerals, children, corporal punishment, wet Q-tips, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, long lines, freaky-deaky, The Exorcist, the Vincent Price The Fly, "Macho Man", "dead person", Long Beach, and much more. I laugh longer and more often at this movie than any other movie I've seen, and when I'm not laughing, I'm wearing an enormous smile of recognition.

Tootsie is my #21.


Dustin Hoffman poses as a woman to get work as an actor on a soap opera, and his feminism starts to influence others on the show, including Jessica Lange. Director Sydney Pollack is a hoot-and-a-half as Hoffman's agent.

My List

1. Richard Pryor Live in Concert [#113]
5. Back to the Future [#35]
6. The Graduate [#27]
11. Harold and Maude [#46]
13. One, Two, Three [#86]
16. It's Such A Beautiful Day [#62]
17. A Fish Called Wanda [#38]
20. City Lights [#11]
21. Tootsie [#108]
25. Ruthless People [My One Pointer]

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

• City Lights (1931) was my #4.
Absolute cult as all Chaplin works. Again and again, I've seen it a dozen times in school and a dozen times in the post-school decades.


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• Hot Fuzz (2007) - seen some parts on the telly several years ago. I didn't pay much attention.
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my stats
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Top 100 seen 34/90.
(seen one pointers • 4/42)
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My list:
1. The Gold Rush (1925) [#83.]
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4. City Lights (1931) [#11.]
5. The Kid (1921) [#88.]
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7. One, Two, Three (1961) [#85.]
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11. Annie Hall (1977) [#18.]
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13. Modern Times (1936) [#39.]

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"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.