Uhhh I think AFI made a mistake....this isn't a comedy; it's actually a thriller or an action movie. Seems like just because Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor are in it, they decided it deserves to be called a comedy. However, there's maybe like one legitimately funny scene and then sprinkles of comedic lines throughout the rest of the movie. I would therefore not expect it to be on this list.
Yes, Richard Pryor's character is funny but he doesn't show up until like an hour into the movie. I found myself bored just waiting for him to show up because Gene Wilder's character is really straight-laced and normal. I found myself going, "Isn't Richard Pryor supposed to be in this movie?". Until he appears there is really no comedy at all.
So what is the one funny scene you ask? In order to evade the cops, Richard Pryor makes Gene Wilder dress in black face using shoe polish. It is really racist but really funny. However, I don't think it's worth getting through the rest of the movie just to see this scene. I'd say skip Silver Streak unless you're into action movies with train crashes and shoot-outs.
Another thing, this movie requires a lot of suspension of belief. The situations are extremely unlikely; almost impossible, so if that's something that annoys you, again I say skip Silver Streak. Usually I can accept a movie as it is and not worry about truth in reality but even I was like what the hell.
However, the best part of this movie is that it was the beginning of Wilder and Pryor's comedy relationship so at least something good came out of it.
Funny-o-meter: 1/10. One point for the blackface scene.
I'm getting lazy and just using quotes from the movie as a title. Forgive me.
Much like Woody Allen, you either like Mel Brooks or you don't. Site gags and puns happen to be among my favorite types of comedy so I of course love Mel Brooks. If you're looking for something intellectual and layered, I don't suggest Blazing Saddles. Mel Brooks puts everything out there on the table which you can either sit back and enjoy or find annoying and inappropriate. If you don't like Mel Brooks then there is nothing I can say that would make you want to watch Blazing Saddles. If you do like Mel Brooks then Blazing Saddles is arguably his best parody.
And if you don't know if you like Mel Brooks or not, I bet you a million dollars that you've seen Robin Hood: Men in Tights because it used to be on like ABC family every weekend (before they got the rights to Harry Potter, I'm assuming). If you found that funny, then you will love Blazing Saddles.
If you're still not convinced, do you like fart jokes? If yes, then you'll like Blazing Saddles. If you don't like fart jokes, then go watch Garden State in your mom's basement you loser. (disclaimer: I do like Garden State).
Remember Richard Pryor? He co-wrote this movie. That should be enough for you to check it out.
Funny-0-meter: 9/10
Can't wait to rewatch Young Frankenstein.
If you've taken away any message from the classic yet canceled too soon TV-show, Freaks and Geeks it should be this: If your girlfriend doesn't think The Jerk is funny you should break up with her. If you haven't seen the classic yet canceled too soon TV-show, Freaks and Geeks, what are you doing with your life? It's on netflix watch instantly so put down the hot dog (Happy National Hot Dog Day!) and watch Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jason Segel bro out before they hit the big time.
I don't think I need to waste my time telling you how funny Steve Martin is. And if you're not following him on twitter, put down the hot dog (Happy National Hot Dog Day!) and follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveMartinToGo.
The Jerk is a classic comedy that everyone needs to see at least once. It's funny and so random and clever and well you get the idea.
Funny-o-meter: 9/10
If you still need convincing, just watch the classic cans scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXRM3lFRwRI
Did you know that Billy Crystal was the voice of John Adams on Liberty's Kids? Now that show was entertaining AND informative. I just found my way out of an imdb blackhole which is similar to a wikipedia blackhole except at least you're only following a linear pattern of TV and movies. On wikipedia you can get from like Barack Obama to ice fishing. FYI you can get from Billy Crystal to Kevin Bacon in two degrees (thanks imdb!).
When Harry Met Sally is such a feel good comedy, I can just picture droves of white women popping on this DVD on a lonely Friday night while simultaneously ingesting a bottle of wine and a gallon of ice cream. Rob Reiner is the best.
But is this romantic comedy funny? Yes it is. Billy Crystal could just stand there and I'd find him funny. It's weird for him to be a romantic lead but you get over it quickly. I hope I always find Billy Crystal funny unlike Robin Williams (RIP :( )
But Billy Crystal doesn't carry the whole movie; Meg Ryan is funny too playing his opposite. I don't particularly like Meg Ryan as an actress but I found her endearing and charming in this classic movie.
Everybody should probably see it once before they die.
Funny-o-meter: 6/10
Blog confessions:
I really just want to re-watch Veronica Mars but The Jerk came in the mail and I know that's gonna be funny so I'm excited. So be excited about Steve Martin.
Also, I hate arial font but I feel like I haven't used it yet so I need some diversity.
And I hate seafood.
End of confessions.
Bye.
Shhh I'm gonna tell you guys a secret. The only Woody Allen movies I've seen are Antz and Everyone Says I Love You. I watched Antz because I thought it was gonna be like A Bug's Life and my 7 year old mind was not prepared for totalitarianism and utopian societies (or Sharon Stone's voice eckkk *shivers*). I watched Everyone Says I Love You because Edward Norton is in it and I had a very pronounced Edward Norton loving phase. Who hasn't had an Edward Norton loving phase?
Actually I lied, I've also seen Midnight in Paris. Really, i just haven't seen any of his classics like...dun dun dun......Annie Hall.
I really liked Annie Hall. It's like one long conversation that happens to be a movie. The average shot is like 15 seconds long but they all have constant movement so the story pushes along really quickly like Woody Allen's wit. I don't think he stops talking at all throughout the entire movie but what else would you expect? Diane Keaton is of course wonderful but again, what else would you expect? It's hard to keep up with Woody Allen but she does it seamlessly. Also, Christopher Walken is in it very briefly but memorably, and even Jeff Goldblum pops up and I swear looking at him you can just tell he's going to be in a movie about dinosaurs in 20 years. You're like, that guy's gonna be sitting on the back of a Jurassic Park jeep with his shirt ripped open for no reason.
Woody Allen's comedy has a really specific feel to it, so you'll either love it or hate it. You'll either find him really witty and endearing or super annoying and whiny. I happen to find his style witty and endearing.
Well this is the first of 5 Woody Allen movies on this list so I can't ramble on about him for too long without taking all my material for the next ones.
But Annie Hall is a very good movie, and funny if you're the kind of person that likes Woody Allen. And if you aren't, then may I suggest Step Brothers?
Funny-o-meter: 7/10
It was allegedly one of Hitler's favorite films.
If you're worried about bad words in movies, here is the parent's guide for profanity from imdb:
"Very mild expletives, phrases like "Shut up" are as bad as it gets."
So if the phrase "Shut up" offends you, I'd steer clear from this movie.
This was another homework movie for my road films class so I've already seen it and I didn't really have any desire to see it again. Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly fine comedy; I'd just rather spend my time watching Tootsie (yes).
This was the first movie to win the five big prizes at the Academy Awards which is really interesting because it's a comedy and comedy usually doesn't get the respect it deserves. The lead actress didn't even show up because she thought she wasn't going to win. She thought it was the worst movie she ever made but she was super wrong obviously since a 22 year old in 2013 is still writing about it almost 80 years later. Wow. That's a lifetime.
Yes, this movie is funny. Clark Gable talks really fast and there's a lot of slapstick going on which is clearly comedy gold. I don't think it deserves to be #8 but whatever, I didn't make this list.
Funny-o-meter: 7/10
Everyone go watch Tootsie.
So before I watched this movie, I saw this video of Dustin Hoffman that's been floating around the internet which is really quite sad but his message is really beautiful and important. He starts bringing it home around 2:00.
Also, netflix sent me a broken DVD so I had to ask them to send a new one which was super annoying because I was all pumped up to watch Dustin Hoffman validate feminism after watching that youtube video.
Tootsie is a comedy obviously since it's number 2 on this list, (apparently AFI thinks cross-dressing is really funny, i.e. Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, and Victor/Victoria) but it's so much more. It's smart; it's heartfelt; it's genuine; and it's a little absurd. But all the pieces come together in such a beautiful way. I mean Liz Lemon did say that they always use Tootsie as an example in screenwriting classes for a reason...it's good (RIP 30 Rock).
But I don't have a single thing to make fun of about this movie. I loved it.
Funny-o-meter: 8/10 simply because it isn't all about comedy.
I'll make this brief.
Cher is everything.
The end.
Funny-o-meter: 5/10
It's not laugh out loud funny.
Cher is obviously amazing (she won an Oscar and beat Meryl), Nick Cage was still a weirdo back then (that's high praise), and overbearing Italian families are always comedy gold. It didn't really make me laugh, but there's still humor there (does that make sense?).
I told you I'd be brief. Watch this movie for Cher.
Cher <3 <3 <3 <3
And just for fun, here's Andy Samberg and Nick Cage on SNL.
http://www.videobash.com/video_show/nicolas-cage-vs-nicolas-cage-on-snl-246147
Oh my god. His Girl Friday might be my least favorite so far. Even the handsome Cary Grant couldn't save this movie for me.
It's like the director was like, "Hey! You know what's super funny? People talking really fast over each other for 2 hours". And everyone was like "Fuck yeah let's do it!".
I refuse to like this movie just because it's a classic. Maybe I just know nothing about movies, but it's pretty high up on this list so I expected a lot more laughs. I found it off-putting and annoying. They thought that really fast overlapping dialogue would sound more realistic when really it just sounds like every movie from the 1940s. They all talked really fast in movies. But in His Girl Friday, everything happens way too fast to the point where it's distracting and annoying. Most of this movie is the two main characters running around a room answering different telephones and then talking really loudly over each other. That might be funny for like a one scene. But not for an entire movie, especially when that's the only gag they have.
I don't have it in me to make some joke about this movie because I feel like it added 10 years to my life. It feels like it dragged me down. That means it's probably time for Mrs. Doubtfire. Like they say smoking takes years off your life, watching His Girl Friday was like chain-smoking 3 packs of menthols.
Funny-o-meter: 1/10 in my personal opinion. You might find it funny. Let me know if you do because I want to meet such a person.
There's no way it's funnier than movies like Animal House. I'm starting to think the rankings are arbitrary.
Granted, it's hard to compare different styles of comedy, but I didn't laugh once during His Girl Friday and it's number 19.
My only experiences with the Marx Brothers are parodies of their work and seeing the I Love Lucy episode that Harpo Marx guest starred on. Everybody knows the mirror gag:
So I was a little apprehensive of this movie because it's so old and a lot of movies don't stand the test of time (1933). It's so old that I typed 1993 first out of habit. Now that was a great year for movies (i.e. Hocus Pocus).
But I was pleasantly surprised.
Duck Soup has more laughs in a minute than Jim Carrey's gotten in the past 10 years (To be fair, I did enjoy "Yes Man"). The plot is a political satire but it doesn't really matter what the plot is; as Groucho put it, they were just "four jews trying to get a laugh" (citation: wikipedia so you know it's legit). It's zany. It's kooky. But most importantly in regards to this blog, it's funny. It isn't some formulaic movie that's predictable and safe. It is really just four guys running around and making puns for an hour and a half. And I was okay with that.
Mussolini banned this film in Italy because he thought it was making fun of him (citation: imdb trivia section so you know it's legit). What more could you ask of a movie than to be banned by a fascist dictator? That's the mark of good comedy if you ask me.
It's on netflix if you're interested. But be prepared to get some shitty recommendations (citation: personal experience).
Funny-o-meter: 8/10.
Bibliography
This movie was a homework assignment when I took a film class about road movies so I've already seen it. I remember it was free on-demand and I watched it after I watched Sideways which was a really weird transition. That was one class I didn't mind doing homework for....except I didn't watch Mad Max 2 but I don't think I missed much.
Lost in America has been described as Easy Rider for yuppies, which coincidentally was another homework movie for that class. I love Dennis Hopper but that movie was insane. But I buy the description. It's about two people trying to shake up the status quo and be free. Except the hippies blow up and the yuppies end up right back where they started from (spoiler alert?). Did you know they were going to make an Easy Rider 2? I guess they didn't die in the fiery car crash afterall. I feel okay spoiling Easy Rider because it's been out for like 40 years, people. It's on youtube. But if you haven't seen Easy Rider yet you're probably not going to see Easy Rider. I only watched it because it was homework.
Enough about homework....was this movie funny? Yes it is funny. Albert Brooks is like Woody Allen meets Mel Brooks meets Jerry Seinfeld meets Larry David and Julie Hagerty has a funny voice. Hello Joyce? I mean just check her out in those Old Navy commercials these days (that's really sad actually). Julie Hagerty's classic role in Airplane has been reduced to selling colored jeans. I still love Old Navy though. Just Friends would have been on this list if it was made a little bit later. Just kidding, despite being hilarious, Just Friends is a terrible movie.
Road movies are all about the journey that the characters take not just physically but emotionally and mentally. I really like road movies so I'm glad to see a lot of them made the list.
However, I usually don't enjoy movies where things just go progressively more wrong to the point where you're just sitting there feeling embarrassed. I don't like feeling secondhand embarrassment. For example, I hate Dinner For Schmucks because Paul Rudd's life just gets continuously messed up by Steve Carell and it isn't really funny. When a comedy is done right, you're laughing and feeling embarrassed for the character. If you're not laughing, the movie just becomes awkward and sad. I felt that at times during this movie, however overall it's still a good comedy.
Funny-o-meter: 6/10. I suggest you watch Sideways on a separate day.
Did you guys know that in 2000, both Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon voted for Nader? The things you learn on wikipedia. I also totally forgot that they broke up like 4 years ago :( they met during this movie.
But I digress.
Bull Durham is a little bit funny. Susan Sarandon is a head bitch which appeals to the feminist in me while Kevin Costner is like in his peak of handsomeness which appeals to the I need a strong man with green eyes to save me part of me. He looks like a freaking Disney prince in this movie.
Did you know that Tim Robbins was in Howard the Duck?
Bull Durham is a little bit funny.
Not a lot of bit funny.
Just a little bit.
But hey, it is #97, so it's no Tootsie.
Did you know that Susan Sarandon called Pope Benedict a nazi?
Funny-o-meter: 4/10
The Sandlot is better. Field Of Dreams is better. Major League is better. Ed is better. Just kidding, Ed is fucking nuts. We actually had Ed on VHS....
