# What are the best black comedies ever made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677 "2006-03-24T03:56:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/21 "2006-03-24T05:50:37Z")
1.) _Dr. Strangelove_ 2.) _Dr. Strangelove_ 3.) _Dr. Strangelove_ ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/22 "2006-03-24T06:01:13Z")
It’s hard finding movies no one else has mentioned yet. 1. Death Becomes Her 2. War of The Roses 3. … anything by [Todd Solondz.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001754) Brrr. 4. Kevin Smith’s Clerks ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/23 "2006-03-24T06:37:10Z")
[The Loved One](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059410/) A very dry black comedy based on a book written by Evelyn Waugh and adapted by Terry Southern and Christopher Isherwood I just about died when Rod Steiger as Mr Joyboy sang, “Mommie’s little Georgie’s got lobster, lobster. Mommie’s little Georgie’s got lobster for mommie” :eek: to the melody of Shortning Bread. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2006, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/24 "2006-03-24T07:16:21Z")
[ol] [li]_The Loved One[/li][li]Showgirls[/li][li]Dancer in the Dark[/li][li]Dr. Strangelove[/li][li]Psycho[/li][li]Pulp Fiction[/li][li]Blue Velvet[/li][li]Arsenic and Old Lace[/li][li]Very Bad Things[/li][_]Little Otik\*[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/25 "2006-03-24T08:27:12Z")
Withnail and I… ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/26 "2006-03-24T08:39:14Z")
Coming to America? … well I liked it ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/27 "2006-03-24T08:42:08Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Coming to America? > > … well I liked it Heh… > [@](#): > > What are the best black comedies ever made? > No, this isn’t about movies with hip-hop, it is about comedies with very dark themes that are also meant to be hilarious. oops In that case, I like… um… The Shining. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/28 "2006-03-24T08:44:57Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Heh… > > oops > In that case, I like… um… > The Shining. TRIPOST!!! FOUL! BACK TO YOUR HOLE, IDJIT. I’m sorry. I think I really do get it this time… Leaving Las Vegas? ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/29 "2006-03-24T10:28:12Z")
I nominate Brazil. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/30 "2006-03-24T11:30:10Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > _Kind Hearts and Coronets_ This is the one I was going to nominate. Dennis Price is about 10th in line for a Dukedom, so he kills off every member of the family who stands to inherit ahead of him (every one of them played by Alec Guiness). It’s that casting and Price’s dry, wry commentary on the proceedings that make it memorable. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/31 "2006-03-24T12:15:41Z")
I second **War of the Roses** and **Death Becomes Her**. Laughed my ass off thru both of them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/32 "2006-03-24T13:02:10Z")
_Monty Python’s Meaning of Life_. Yeah, it’s a series of sketches rather than a single storyline, but the whole thing has a very nightmarish quality. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/33 "2006-03-24T13:09:47Z")
Spike Jonze has made some good dark comedies. **Being John Malkovich** **Human Nature** **Adaptation** ---
**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:** [March 24, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/34 "2006-03-24T13:15:36Z")
**Brazil** , definitely–I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. For years it was my favorite movie. **Delicatessan** and **City of Lost Children** both qualify (the former more than the latter, although I prefer the latter). **Living in Oblivion** isn’t as dark as many of those mentioned, but it’s pretty bleak, and oh so funny. But I agree with the consensus: **Dr. Strangelove** is probably the funniest movie I’ve ever seen, and it just gets funnier with each rewatching. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/35 "2006-03-24T13:28:26Z")
I thought of another one that is pretty good: **Drop Dead Gorgeous**. Whacked out small town in Minnesota has trashy girls pinning their dreams on winning a beauty pagent. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/36 "2006-03-24T13:40:39Z")
Another vote for **War of the Roses** , especially since it refused to soften even when it had the chance (i.e., when Michael Douglas puts his hand on Kathleen Turner in the very last scene, and she removes it). **Dr. Strangelove** is a given. **[Murder, He Says](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0037931/)** is supposed to be a pretty good black comedy, though I haven’t seen it. **Grosse Pointe Blank** and **Prizzi’s Honor**. There are also some black comedy moments in **Sleuth** and **Deathtrap** (really the same movie). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/37 "2006-03-24T13:48:03Z")
I came here to say _Good Burger_ but then read the OP. Damn Ye Gods of Fate! ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/38 "2006-03-24T13:50:12Z")
American Psycho ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/39 "2006-03-24T14:21:25Z")
One that I own that has not been mentioned: **Bad Santa** (dark holiday comedy\*\*. Three that I don’t own, but still enjoy: **Death to Smoochy** , **Get Shorty** , Dave Barry’s **Big Trouble** (which was unfortunately set to be released September 2001, with a plot involving blowing up a nuclear device on a commercial airliner. It never had a chance.) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-black-comedies-ever-made/349677/40 "2006-03-24T14:23:34Z")
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