# Top Five Wall-to-Wall Funniest Films **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624 "2000-12-01T19:15:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/1 "2000-12-01T19:15:17Z")
I don’t know why I’ve been on an IMHO kick lately. I consider these five movies to be the most brilliantly and consistently witty that I’ve ever seen–and four of the five are just damn good films in and of themselves. Feel free to agree with me. 🙂 1. [Kicking and Screaming](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113537) 2. [Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100519) 3. [Groundhog Day](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0107048) 4. [The Opposite of Sex](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0120777) 5. [Better Off Dead](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0088794) If you haven’t seen these, rent two of them this weekend! ---
**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:** [December 1, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/2 "2000-12-01T19:26:26Z")
My choices: 1. A Night at the Opera 2. What’s up, Doc? 3. What’s up, Tiger Lily? 4. Kentucky Fried Movie 5. The Naked Gun These aren’t necessarily the BEST — deep social comment, inherent meaning, etc. But they are the funniest. They make me laugh. Overall, “Arsenic and Old Lace” is better than these – but I don’t laugh when I watch it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/3 "2000-12-01T19:26:39Z")
Not even close. 🙂 1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 2. Love and Death 3. Duck Soup 4. Airplane! 5. The Ritz Of course, funniest does not necessarily mean best. Woody Allen has done better films than “Love & Death,” but nothing funnier. Similarly, Chapin and Keaton made better films than those that I’ve listed, but they weren’t as laugh-out-loud funny. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/4 "2000-12-01T19:32:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadarene \* > \*\*I don’t know why I’ve been on an IMHO kick lately. > > I consider these five movies to be the most brilliantly and consistently witty that I’ve ever seen–and four of the five are just damn good films in and of themselves. Feel free to agree with me. :)\*\* Disagree… 😉 I like most of the ones you’ve named, but for just plain bust-a-gut funny? My top five in no particular order: 1. Blazing Saddles (“Are we awake?”/“We don’t know…are we…black?”/“Yes we are.”/“Then we’re awake. But we’re very confused.”) 2. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, (Mad?) World (esp. the new restored version with extra scenes) 3. What’s Up, Doc? 4. Ghostbusters (“The next time that someone asks you if you’re a God, YOU SAY ‘YES’!”) 5. The Court Jester (Danny Kaye, ca. 1955 or so)] If I could go to seven, I’d add in a Marx Brothers film (maybe…arrgh…Freedonia…um…forgot the title) and "Return of the Pink Panther) Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/5 "2000-12-01T19:57:01Z")
In no particular order: Airplane Million-Dollar Legs Horsefeathers The Palm Beach Story Sherlock, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Danimal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Danimal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danimal)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/6 "2000-12-01T19:57:20Z")
The only one Gadarene mentioned that I’ve seen is \* Groundhog Day, \* which indeed is hilarious. I go for: \* 1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 2. Airplane! 3. Ghostbusters 4. A Fish Called Wanda 5. Groundhog Day \* ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/7 "2000-12-01T20:09:18Z")
No order. 1. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective 2. BaseKETBALL (South Park guys) 3. The Holy Grail 4. Duece Bigalow: Male Gigalo 5. having trouble coming up with something for #5; I’ll wait and see if other posters’ lists can jog my memory. These are all movies that I’ve laughed so hard at that I’ve cried. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/8 "2000-12-01T20:18:58Z")
Without a doubt;[list=1] [li]Airplane![/li] [li]The Producers[/li] [li]Elephant Parts[/li] [li]What’s Up Tiger Lily?[/li] Any movie with Doroty Parker ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/9 "2000-12-01T20:33:17Z")
Zentser—Umm, Dotty was never IN a movie. Except “Saboteur,” in which she had a cameo. And I’m afraid the scripts she contributed to were so watered-down that the movies themselves pretty much sucked. BunnyGirl—I am very much afraid that if you and I ever had to decide on a movie to rent, bloodshed and tears would be the end result. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/10 "2000-12-01T20:50:16Z")
1. The Life of Bryan. 2. Dr. Strangelove.(since this isn’t a complete comedy and may not fit the requirements, I’ll throw in a extra) 2.b Young Frankenstein. 3. Clerks. 4. Clue. 5. Canadian Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/11 "2000-12-01T22:33:39Z")
_ **AIRPLANE!** _ All else pales by comparison… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/12 "2000-12-01T22:46:17Z")
All seemed funny at the time… Airplane Naked Gun Bedazzled (original Peter Cook/Dudley Moore) Holy Grail Young Frankenstein But most episodes of MST3K have more laughs per hour than any of the above. ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/13 "2000-12-01T22:53:07Z")
The first ones that come to mind are: _Holy Grail Young Frankenstein Kentucky Fried Movie It’s A Mad[sup]4[/sup] World Blazing Saddles Life of Brian Clockwise_ (_Clockwise_ is a thing with John Cleese in it that had me laughing so hard I was crying.) I know, that’s seven. I could probably think of many more. _Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead_ is one of my favorite films of all time, but not funny in a slapstick way. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/14 "2000-12-01T23:12:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead_ is one of my favorite films of all time, but not funny in a slapstick way. Yeah, I’m probably defining “wall-to-wall funniest” in a different way than most people. My description of the films I listed as _brilliantly and consistently witty_ is the standard by which I’m rendering judgment. (And by that standard, perhaps, _Better Off Dead_ falls somewhat short…it’s more slapstick than the others.) I tend not to actually bust a gut at anything other than Eddie Izzard, preferring instead dazzling, intelligent wordplay that makes me wish I’d said it first. The fact remains, though, that if you’ve ever found my sense of humor–as exhibited in my posts–at all appealing, I think you’ll really like the movies in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![JCThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JCThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/15 "2000-12-01T23:16:06Z")
Three words… Shakes the Clown. ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/16 "2000-12-01T23:20:13Z")
I can’t believe one of ya’ll has listed Animal House or Caddy Shack. Those were funny movies. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SuperNova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNova)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/17 "2000-12-02T00:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > \*\*I can’t believe one of ya’ll has listed Animal House or Caddy Shack. Those were funny movies. \*\* Yeah, they were. Both getting on my list. Animal House Caddy Shack Ferris Beuller (I love this movie) Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey at his best) Naked Gun (They were all good) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/18 "2000-12-02T00:15:19Z")
No order. The Jerk Holy Grail Caddyshack Some Like it Hot Young Frankenstein ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/19 "2000-12-02T00:37:30Z")
Gee, for once I opened a movie thread before someone else posted all my favorites! Some Like It Hot Tootsie Mad, Mad, etc. World The Odd Couple Raising Arizona ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2000, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624/20 "2000-12-02T00:47:19Z")
Planes Trains and Automobiles The Meaning of Life Animal House Addams Family I & 2 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-wall-to-wall-funniest-films/43624.md?page=2)