From the beginning until the present.
I’ll go with the US, and Italy.
Humor is not universal and nations tend to make art that reflects their own taste. There really is no answer to this question. Hong Kong used to make some really funny and reflective films pre 1997.
This…on both counts.
One of the wonders of modern technology is we’re able to view movies from around the world. 20 years ago, I would have said the U.S. because that was, what was available. Now, since I watch mostly Asian (Chinese, Japanees, Korean) movies, my tastes have changed and as I pick up more of the subtleties of the language and culture, I enjoy them even more.
I can’t/won’t name a country since my tastes in humor can vary even within the same day, but I will say, that the only time I literally almost chocked to death from laughter was during a Korean movie (that I can’t recall the name of or find amongst my collection of thousands). I couldn’t breathe, but also couldn’t stop the movie to catch my breath.
This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen. Its both sophomoric and sophisticated…in the best ways.
Excellent taste! Cheung Man Yuk, Lin Ching Hsia and Yau Suk Ching! If Chung Cho Hong and Wang Tsu Hsien were also in it, the screen would have exploded!
The UK.
Ealing comedies, Monty Python, Richard Curtis, Edgar Wright… and much more.
…Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson, Steve Coogan…
Yeah, I’d go with the UK, too.
Monty Python, Edgar Wright, Black Adder. Even objectively silly things like The Trip make me laugh. I remember discovering the former when I was about 10 and thinking I had never seen anything that was so hilarious. At the time, I was already familiar with French and American comedies (which I liked) but this was something completely different.
French comedies are hit or miss but when they’re good, they’re really funny.
I understand Australia’s Yahoo Serious is technically hilarious. Similarly, Tori Spelling is technically pretty.
I’d also say that most of the funny movies were made before 1980, with a few exceptions, such as “Buffalo '66”
Hell, no.
That’s just … not even wrong.
I’m inclined to agree. Plus, the language barrier. It’s a lot harder to laugh at a movie in a language you don’t know. (Subtitles aren’t as good, because so much of comedy depends on timing and delivery.)
Still, if you could demonstrate that a relatively large number of Country X’s comedies are successful in many other countries, that would be pretty good evidence that Country X makes funny movies.
About all one could say is that is is likely that the country that produces the largest number of movies will probably make the largest number of funny movies. Anything beyond that is pure opinion.
On balance I’d say the UK. “Life of Brian” is the funniest film ever made in my opinion. “Airplane” is not far behind but if I could only have access to the comedic back-catalogue of one country it’d have to be the UK.
“Harry and Tonto” and “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” are some funny movies from the 70s
Oh, Germany. Definitely Germany.
My first thought would be the UK until realizing that that choice is almost entirely due to a relatively small group of interconnected writers/performers who got their start in the mid-60s. Take away the Goon-inspired Oxford/Cambridge/Fringe crowd and you’re pretty much left with the “Carry On” franchise. The US has a much deeper bench (although, it’s fair to ask where it would rank without the contributions of New York Jews).
Not at all. TV series include:
Blackadder, Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson was a generation later)
Red Dwarf
Yes, Minister
In the Thick of It
I’m Alan Partridge
Fry and Laurie
Mitchell and Webb
Keeping Up Appearances
Porridge
The Office
Fleabag
… many more.
The UK and Canada have had a large influence on American comedy.
But the question is “What countries make the funniest movies?”
Here’s one prominent list of “the top 100 funniest movies in American cinema.” It’s limited to the 20th century; it includes major contributions from non-Americans (e.g. there are several Peter Sellers movies on the list); and it’s loaded with Good or Influential movies that are comedies but that aren’t, IMHO, actually as funny as some other movies they left off. Still, it’s a pretty impressive list.