Write Back Weekend "LOL"
Happy Easter, Happy Passover or even just Happy Lazy Sunday.
I realized I had two somber posts in a row. That was unfortunate and unintentional.
What better way to make up for it then to answer this week's TITMT?!
There are so many funny movies out there. In fact, as some of you pointed out, it's almost harder to pick out entire movies as the funniest when there are so many classic lines out there, worth reciting. Is the whole movie the funniest, you've seen, ever? Maybe not. But parts of it certainly are worth mentioning.
First off let me talk for a minute to the movies everyone lists, that I just don't get. One is The Big Lebowski. Everyone and their mother talked about how funny this movie was. So I tried it. I'm still waiting for the punchline.
Then again, everyone did the same thing with Seinfeld and for the most part, I didn't find that to be all that funny either.
I'll pause for a second while you recover from your gasps of horror and dismay.
Next up is anything Monty Python. Again, classics, I know, but I tried watching Monty Python and The Holy Grail and I was just bored. To me it was predictable, corny humor. Maybe if I had seen the film when it had been first released I would feel differently.
Lastly, there is anything Jim Carrey. Here's the thing. In theory? Jim Carrey is potentially a very funny man. But most of the time, he either does one or both of the following: phones in the very same performance or overdoes the performance he phones in. If you've ever seen one of Carrey's first films, Once Bitten, you would know that Carrey has the capability of being funny without being in your face. Even when he's trying to tone it down in films like The Truman Show and The Man In The Moon there's something amiss. Jim Carrey, middle ground called. He said the invite to come visit sometime is still open.
As for my list, I am limiting it somewhat. I'm also trying to bring a few different movies to light that may have not been noticed otherwise.
1. The Jerk- You cannot make a funniest movie list without including The Jerk. Nothing tops Steve Martin's deadpan discovery at the fact that he is indeed, not a black man.
2. Airplanes- Another given. To me, if I say Airplane, it is understood that by extension, Airplane 2 is also included here. I can't even seperate the two movies when thinking about funniest parts since it's all a big ol' jet airliner of laughs to me.
3. Better Off Dead- The funniest movie, ever. From "I want my two dollars" to "Such a shame, throwing away a perfectly good white boy like that." you simply cannot go wrong with this timeless classic. If you haven't seen it yet, go now, go.
4. Student Bodies- One late night, many moons ago, I caught this movie on television. I don't know if this is one of the funniest movies ever, but it deserves a mention since it was released in 1981. It is along the lines of Scary Movie, but years before, which makes it funnier since it got there first.
5. Mother- I often wish Albert Brooks would make more movies. The man is funny in a cerebral way, which I admire immensely. My favorite scene, hands down, is when they keep running in to a woman his mother knows in the supermarket. It's such a simple scene that's so hard to recreate here, especially if you haven't seen it. It is so hysterical because it reminds me of something my own mother would do. Of course my mom didn't find it nearly as amusing. There's a lot of truth in comedy, after all.
6. National Lampoon's Vacation- Chevy Chase at his finest. What comes to mind is how he is always looking for Rusty and Rusty is almost always standing right next to him. All of the movies were good, I even wrote about Vegas Vacation being the best sequel, but this was the best one, period.
7. Best In Show- a memorable mockumentary about the seedy underbelly of dog show competitions, Best In Show is from a lot of the same people who also gave us movies such as Waiting For Guffman, A Mighty Wind and Spinal Tap. In my opinion though, Best In Show is the one that lives up to its title.
8. Office Space- This movie is great because it resonates with anyone who has ever worked in an office, much like the great show The Office does now, on a weekly basis. There's the mean-spirited boss, the awkward co-worker banter and the damn the man feeling that almost never reaches fruition.
9. Seems Like Old Times- When I was a kid, I used to watch Seems Like Old Times over and over. You know what? It never got old. It's the story of a yuppy couple played by Charles Grodin and Goldie Hawn. Their lives are turned upside down when her manchild ex husband, Chevy Chase, shows up and causes a wacky love triangle. The quick dialogue is what keeps this movie interesting, especially in the dinner scene towards the end of the movie.
10. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy- What comedic list would be complete without a little Will Ferrell action? Anchorman is one of those movies that was funny the first time I saw it, but just got funnier and funnier with each viewing. It pulls off the bizarre in a way that only Will Ferrell can. It is also full of dialogue that never gets old like:
Laughing At, Not With- Finally, I will leave with a list of movies that are also equally as funny for entirely different reasons.
Namely, they are all pieces of crap.
1. From Justin To Kelly
2. Exit To Eden
3. Cool As Ice
4. Howard the Duck
5. Nothing But Trouble
6. Any Lifetime original movie
7. Showgirls
8. Glitter
9. Little Nicky
I realized I had two somber posts in a row. That was unfortunate and unintentional.
What better way to make up for it then to answer this week's TITMT?!
There are so many funny movies out there. In fact, as some of you pointed out, it's almost harder to pick out entire movies as the funniest when there are so many classic lines out there, worth reciting. Is the whole movie the funniest, you've seen, ever? Maybe not. But parts of it certainly are worth mentioning.
First off let me talk for a minute to the movies everyone lists, that I just don't get. One is The Big Lebowski. Everyone and their mother talked about how funny this movie was. So I tried it. I'm still waiting for the punchline.
Then again, everyone did the same thing with Seinfeld and for the most part, I didn't find that to be all that funny either.
I'll pause for a second while you recover from your gasps of horror and dismay.
Next up is anything Monty Python. Again, classics, I know, but I tried watching Monty Python and The Holy Grail and I was just bored. To me it was predictable, corny humor. Maybe if I had seen the film when it had been first released I would feel differently.
Lastly, there is anything Jim Carrey. Here's the thing. In theory? Jim Carrey is potentially a very funny man. But most of the time, he either does one or both of the following: phones in the very same performance or overdoes the performance he phones in. If you've ever seen one of Carrey's first films, Once Bitten, you would know that Carrey has the capability of being funny without being in your face. Even when he's trying to tone it down in films like The Truman Show and The Man In The Moon there's something amiss. Jim Carrey, middle ground called. He said the invite to come visit sometime is still open.
As for my list, I am limiting it somewhat. I'm also trying to bring a few different movies to light that may have not been noticed otherwise.
1. The Jerk- You cannot make a funniest movie list without including The Jerk. Nothing tops Steve Martin's deadpan discovery at the fact that he is indeed, not a black man.
2. Airplanes- Another given. To me, if I say Airplane, it is understood that by extension, Airplane 2 is also included here. I can't even seperate the two movies when thinking about funniest parts since it's all a big ol' jet airliner of laughs to me.
3. Better Off Dead- The funniest movie, ever. From "I want my two dollars" to "Such a shame, throwing away a perfectly good white boy like that." you simply cannot go wrong with this timeless classic. If you haven't seen it yet, go now, go.
4. Student Bodies- One late night, many moons ago, I caught this movie on television. I don't know if this is one of the funniest movies ever, but it deserves a mention since it was released in 1981. It is along the lines of Scary Movie, but years before, which makes it funnier since it got there first.
5. Mother- I often wish Albert Brooks would make more movies. The man is funny in a cerebral way, which I admire immensely. My favorite scene, hands down, is when they keep running in to a woman his mother knows in the supermarket. It's such a simple scene that's so hard to recreate here, especially if you haven't seen it. It is so hysterical because it reminds me of something my own mother would do. Of course my mom didn't find it nearly as amusing. There's a lot of truth in comedy, after all.
6. National Lampoon's Vacation- Chevy Chase at his finest. What comes to mind is how he is always looking for Rusty and Rusty is almost always standing right next to him. All of the movies were good, I even wrote about Vegas Vacation being the best sequel, but this was the best one, period.
7. Best In Show- a memorable mockumentary about the seedy underbelly of dog show competitions, Best In Show is from a lot of the same people who also gave us movies such as Waiting For Guffman, A Mighty Wind and Spinal Tap. In my opinion though, Best In Show is the one that lives up to its title.
8. Office Space- This movie is great because it resonates with anyone who has ever worked in an office, much like the great show The Office does now, on a weekly basis. There's the mean-spirited boss, the awkward co-worker banter and the damn the man feeling that almost never reaches fruition.
9. Seems Like Old Times- When I was a kid, I used to watch Seems Like Old Times over and over. You know what? It never got old. It's the story of a yuppy couple played by Charles Grodin and Goldie Hawn. Their lives are turned upside down when her manchild ex husband, Chevy Chase, shows up and causes a wacky love triangle. The quick dialogue is what keeps this movie interesting, especially in the dinner scene towards the end of the movie.
10. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy- What comedic list would be complete without a little Will Ferrell action? Anchorman is one of those movies that was funny the first time I saw it, but just got funnier and funnier with each viewing. It pulls off the bizarre in a way that only Will Ferrell can. It is also full of dialogue that never gets old like:
Champ Kind: It jumped up a notch!
Ron Burgundy: It did, didn't it?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, I stabbed a man in the heart!
Ron Burgundy: I saw that! Brick killed a guy! Did you throw a trident?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident!
Ron Burgundy: Brick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
Laughing At, Not With- Finally, I will leave with a list of movies that are also equally as funny for entirely different reasons.
Namely, they are all pieces of crap.
1. From Justin To Kelly
2. Exit To Eden
3. Cool As Ice
4. Howard the Duck
5. Nothing But Trouble
6. Any Lifetime original movie
7. Showgirls
8. Glitter
9. Little Nicky
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