# 100 Funniest Movies of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575 "2007-05-26T03:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/41 "2007-05-27T02:40:10Z")
[QUOTE=Eonwe] _Shrek_, while a nice movie, is decidedly not deserving of a spot in the top 10, let alone #3. [/QUOTE] I would have said that about Shrek the first time I watched it. However, compliments of my daughter, I have seen it many times now and the humor in it is wide and deep in the same way that old Warner Brothers cartoons were except much more. They put some work into layering the jokes for various audiences and there are probably a ton that you missed the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/42 "2007-05-27T02:44:58Z")
[QUOTE=BACI] Comedy is clearly subject to cultural filters, but there are any number of English (and Australian) comedies that may not have enjoyed the same box office, but certainly made me laugh more than most of these top tens [/QUOTE] I thought that (the Australian) Muriel’s Wedding was hysterical but black comedies are my favorite. Some people don’t understand them at all so they don’t make these lists. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/43 "2007-05-27T02:59:52Z")
Each of the following films has gotten me laughing so hard I almost pissed my pants on at least one viewing. Most have done so on more than one occasion. Therefore I declare the following to be (in no particular order,\*\* except _Caveman_ is the funniest one of all!\*\*) The Funniest Movies Ever Made . _Caveman Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dreams Shakes The Clown Female Trouble Polyester A Private Function Streetfight Head Pink Flamingos Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life Red Desperate Living Eating Raoul Carwash A Bucket Of Blood Up In Smoke The Magic Christian A Fish Called Wanda Friday_ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/44 "2007-05-27T03:11:10Z")
_1. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek 2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 3. Waiting for Guffman 4. The God’s Must Be Crazy 5. Bringing Up Baby_ ---
**Author:** ![Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intravenus_De_Milo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/45 "2007-05-27T03:32:29Z")
[QUOTE=BabaBooey] Big Lebowski and Coming to America haven’t been mentioned in this thread (nor the list) and are two of my top comedies. Kingpin might be in my top 10 as well. [/QUOTE] Big Lebowski had a huge following among my college friends, although it might be a cult classic more than anything else. I would definitely agree with putting Coming to America on the list, but if someone wanted to put in Trading Places instead, I wouldn’t really have any objections. Coming to America shows a lot more of the comic range of Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, with their multiple characters, so you’ve got that to consider, but both movies are certainly considered more “classic” than a few on the top 10 list. I’m quite surprised that neither This Is Spinal Tap nor ANY of the Monty Python movies made the list. I think Spinal Tap is among Christopher Guest’s best work - and he’s been involved in a lot of great films, so that’s quite a push. Monty Python may be more popular overall in the UK, but The Holy Grail is widely revered and beloved in the U.S. No excuse for that. The Blues Brothers is another head-scratching absence. I’m also a bit surprised at the absence of Ghostbusters - it was quite a funny movie that was a huge phenomenon when it came out. I’m split on whether Young Frankenstein is funnier than Blazing Saddles (I like Blazing Saddles more, but that doesn’t necessarily relate to the amount of humor), but both are classics that deserve a spot. History of the World Part 1 is funny, but a bit too manic and disjointed for my taste. I thought the Inquisition scene and Jews in Space were the best parts. So I suppose if I made a list of the top 10 comedies, it would be something like this: 1. Caddyshack 2. Airplane! 3. Monty Python & the Holy Grail 4. This is Spinal Tap 5. Blazing Saddles/Young Frankenstein 6. The Blues Brothers 7. Coming to America/Trading Places 8. Animal House (not my favorite, but you can’t argue with its popularity) 9. Ghostbusters 10. Dr. Strangelove (again, not my favorite, but a landmark dark comedy that many people still love) I’ve found a pattern to these types of lists, and especially the VH1 lists: they tend to be narrow in scope. Just as an example, the Greatest One-Hit Wonders list was overwhelmingly composed of songs from the video age (~1981-present), and many of them were from 1990 onward. There were, of course, many many one-hit wonders in the years before, and yet, few of them made the list at all. The top ten comedy list is similar in scope: the oldest film is Blazing Saddles (1974), and nominees from the 1990s and beyond (Shrek, Something About Mary, Ace Ventura, South Park, The Wedding Singer) take up half of the list. What I think tends to happen is that the pool of writers for these shows tend to nominate mostly films that they have fond memories of from within their lifetime, and the older films are mostly either relegated to lower spots or not included at all. For sake of reference, check out the AFI Top 100 comedies list…the top 10 is VERY different from the VH1/Bravo list: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's\_100\_Years](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years)…\_100\_Laughs ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/46 "2007-05-27T14:13:44Z")
No mention of the Naked Gun movies. I’m so disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/47 "2007-05-27T15:57:02Z")
[QUOTE=racer72] No mention of the Naked Gun movies. I’m so disappointed. [/QUOTE] They are good too but they are a lesser imitation of Airplane which invented that sub genre and is slightly better (it was the came people that made both though). Top Secret is more original and a better watch even if it doesn’t make the list. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/48 "2007-05-27T16:56:40Z")
Huh–I actually didn’t like _Bringing up Baby_ much at all. The female protagonist just irritated me. There were a few funny scenes, but nothing to compare with, say, _The Thin Man_, or _Dr. Strangelove_. Strangelove is probably my favorite comedy. I’d also add for my list _Living in Oblivion_ (especially the angry dwarf’s rant about dwarf stereotypes) and _Highway 61_, a little-known Canadian comedy with some dull bits but the best screen satan ever. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/49 "2007-05-27T18:25:14Z")
[QUOTE=BabaBooey] Big Lebowski and Coming to America haven’t been mentioned in this thread (nor the list) and are two of my top comedies. Kingpin might be in my top 10 as well. [/QUOTE] Agreed. Haven’t seen Coming to America, though, but now I will. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/50 "2007-05-27T20:16:53Z")
I’ll only agree that My Blue Heaven isn’t on your lists because you are including it in it’s rightful place as one of the greatest mob movies ever. “I like my women a little dirty, the kind of dirty you can’t wash off.” ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/51 "2007-05-27T22:30:00Z")
Here’s my top 10: (of course the movies I haven’t seen aren’t on the list) The Life of Brian This is Spinal Tap The Big Lebowski Airplane Raising Arizona A Fish Called Wanda The Meaning of Life Best in Show Dr. Strangelove Trading Places Animal House (runner up) The trouble is, some of these movies I have seen so many times that they aren’t funny anymore. Inevitably, when the jokes are so predictable there is no suprise, I don’t laugh. It’s very difficult to rate funny movies. I would say that the fact that they put Shrek in the list at all implies that the VH1 list is heavily weighted family. ---
**Author:** ![brownsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@brownsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/52 "2007-05-29T01:18:30Z")
Having not read the thread, the answer is “Fletch”. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/53 "2007-05-29T01:39:16Z")
I would nominate: in no order Airplane Naked Gun Caddyshack Fletch Young Frankenstein Meet the Parents Dumb and Dumber Happy Gilmore Top Secret Borat Office Space Noises Off Mrs. Doubtfire The Jerk Beverly Hills Cop Johnny Dangerously Ruthless People ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/54 "2007-05-29T09:04:25Z")
**DLuxN8R-13** , come on 'round and pull up some ground! Any friend of the **Magic Christian** is a friend of mine! That’s an old favorite. So is **Carwash**. ( **Zzzzzt!** Superfly!) ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/55 "2007-05-29T11:41:00Z")
Peter Seller’s _The Party_, and Mel Brooks’ _Spaceballs_. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/56 "2007-05-29T12:01:39Z")
**Clueless**. 1. Great performances, particularly Silverstone. 2. Great jokes. 3. Effortlessly satirical. Until Lebowski came out in 1998, Clueless had a lock on funniest movie of the 90’s. I go back and forth. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/57 "2007-05-29T12:14:18Z")
_Planes, Trains and Automobiles This is Spinal Tap Parenthood The Four Seasons Stripes Office Space Raising Arizona Being There Breaking Away Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/58 "2007-05-29T12:22:09Z")
This thread makes me realize how individual a thing taste in humor is. I swear that I would never have thought **Caddyshack** worth a second thought or viewing, but a lot of people simply love the film. “Fletch” was OK, but … funniest movie? Not even close. I have a hard time watching **It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World** , despite the sheer mass of comedic talent involved – it just ain’t funny. A lot of other flicks on this list I’ve actually avoided because they looked so un-funny to me. So i don’t expect a lot of agreement on my list. In no particular order, and probably missing a lot of good ones: \*\*The General The Coconuts A Night at the Opera A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum And Now for Something Completely Different What’s Up, Tiger Lily? Young Frankenstein Kentucky Fried Movie Airplane! Airplane 2\*\* (Yes, I realize it’s not by the same people. They don’t get enough credit, I think, for copying the entire style of humor of that original) \*\*Spaceballs The Naked Gun The Mad Adventures of “Rabbi” Jacob\*\* (This ought to appease those folks who criticize us Merkins for not naming foreign films. Unfortuynately, we don’t get to see enough of their comedies. This one blew me away. I understand the star, Louis de Funes, is/was immensely popular in France. He’s funnt across language barriers. [The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069747/) ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575/59 "2007-05-29T12:49:04Z")
Oooh – gotta revise mine. Yank _Raising Arizona_ (although the opening credits are absolutely hysterical) Put in _Bullets Over Broadway_. I’m kind of on the fence about Monty Python, too, because I’ve never managed to stay awake for the whole thing. But it’s too important not to list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-funniest-movies-of-all-time/405575.md?page=2)