20. ¡Three Amigos!
The jokes in this movie appealed to the 12 year old me when I first saw it, and the 36 year old me today. Perhaps then it was different jokes, or for different reasons, but to me this movie never gets old. Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short were an 80s comedy dream team, and although this film initially garnered mixed reviews, general fondness seems to have grown with age. Bravo only ranked it as high as #79 on their 100 Funniest Movies list, but they seem like the type of network that would shoot the Invisible Swordsman.
19. Coming To America
Another Eddie Murphy “fish out of water” tale, this one has him star as Akeem, Prince of Zamunda, who travels to America in search of a bride. Along with Semmi (played by Arsenio Hall) they immerse themselves into the culture of Queens, NY, shedding his riches for a lower case lifestyle. This movie is responsible for the multi roles Eddie would juggle in future films (The Nutty Professor, Bowfinger, etc). Murphy and Hall lead a talented cast in this laugh riot. The barbershop scene (among other scenes) is still quoted today, some twenty plus years later.
18. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
When this film came out in 1997 it was not a major success. My friends and I thought we had a diamond in the rough that no one else knew about. Then when the VHS came out and momentum built, our little unknown comedy was no longer under the radar. Sequels followed and the humor became slightly dated, but it’s the first film about the exploits of another “fish out of water” sixties super spy that still holds up and makes me horny, baby. YEAH!
17. Tropic Thunder
Another Ben Stiller-directed film makes the list. The film is unapologetically funny, whether it’s the discussion of how to win an Oscar (“Everybody knows you never go full retard”) or Stiller doing ‘Simple Jack’ (“I’ll see you again tonight when I go to bed in my head movies. But this head movie makes my eyes rain!”) This is one of those movies that you always stop at and watch when channel surfing on a Friday night.
16. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Offensive, Sexist, Racist, Homophobic, Xenophobic, Anti-Semitic, and oh yes, funny as hell. Sacha Baron Cohen unleashes a work of comedic performance art on the world that is beyond brilliance. Staying in character and ad libbing as he goes, the character of Borat exposes the failings of others for our benefit. Great Success!
15. Beetlejuice
After Barbara & Adam Maitland (Geena Davis & Alec Baldwin) die, they commission zany and obnoxious ‘bio-exorcist’ Beetlejuice (masterfully portrayed by Michael Keaton) to rid their New England house of the new yuppie home owners. Come for Keaton’s creepy, repulsive ghoul, but stay for the perfectly choreographed “Banana Boat Song” scene as the Maitland’s take a shot at haunting the Deets’. One of Tim Burton’s finest.
14. The Hangover
The surprise comedic hit of 2009, The Hangover received both critical praise and popular approval. Starring Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Zach Galifianakis, it presented a different take of the often attempted and sometimes failed story of the weekend gone wrong in Vegas. Its success has spawned a less popular sequel, and a yet-to-be-filmed final installment of the trilogy to be released in 2013.
13. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The third film in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, Christmas Vacation is the only one in which the Griswold family stays home, still resulting in disastrous consequences for Clark and kin. This film, perhaps more than any of the other vacation films has a high level of rewatchability due to its place as a modern holiday classic.
12. Tommy Boy
The first of the pair of buddy road comedies starring the late Chris Farley and David Spade (Black Sheep was the other), Tommy Boy initially opened big at the box office, but was received poorly by critics. Still, it holds on today as a fan favorite and has a loyal cult following, in no small part due to Farley’s untimely death.
11. Fletch
Chevy Chase’s stars in 5 of the movies on this list, and that’s no coincidence. Most of the other films involve Chase as a part of an ensemble, but Fletch was all Chevy. A prequel starring everyone from Jason Lee to Zach Braff has been rumored for almost a decade now, but Fletch is one of those characters that we identify so closely with the actor who portrayed him, that it could never match the quality of the original.
There is something wrong about MacGruber being higher than Liar Liar #JustSaying
The fact that “Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector” did not make this list has me seriously questioning your credentials.
As editor, I almost scrapped the entire list and podcast when I saw that glaring ommission – but I decided to uphold journalistic integrity and publish it as is. I know “journalistic integrity” doesn’t really apply here, I just like using large words.
Just curious, did anyone have Porky’s on their list? Might be a little “old” for some of you but it was pretty much the great granddaddy of teen sex comedy.
Porky’s deserved to be somewhere on this list, but somehow was not. I know it’s on Fogs’ radar as he mentions here: http://fogsmoviereviews.com/2012/04/24/tossin-it-out-there-what-are-your-favorites-films-from-the-1980s/ but like other classics such as Meet the Parents, it did not make this list.
The funny thing was me listening to the show trying to figure out what the hell #1 would be after hearing #2, which I figured was a shoe in for top spot. I probably wouldn’t have thought of #1 if I were putting together my own list. Clerical error on my part
I’m with ya Dex. I did not take part in the construction of the list, so when I saw it it was a surprise to me too. I would not have thought to rank Ghostbusters in my top 10 comedies. GREAT movie, and definitely deserves to be there, I just for some reason blocked it out
Ghostbusters? Number 1? Are you taking the piss?
“raising arizona” totally warped, bizarre and original !
all great calls. Thanks for the additions!