Power Rankings: Top 10 Biggest Laughs

---Recently, Zach told me that he had revamped his all time top 10 list, which got me thinking about doing the same. Mine is always fluctuating, so I came up with the idea of doing a series of power rankings of AFI categories (as well as some of my own) leading up to the unveiling of my all time list. These lists will include  Cheers (inspiring), Peers (on-screen couples), Fears (scariest), Tears (emotional), Jeers (worst), Thrills, Laughs, and finally my top 10 films of all time. Note: My lists are not going to be even a fraction as objective as AFI’s lists. They are solely my personal preferences and experiences. Enjoy!---

In my final list before my new and improved Top 10 of all time, here is a list of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Of course comedy is as subjective as any form of art, so my list is probably going to differ from just about everyone else’s. This is one of the hardest lists I have had to compile. It is a mix of laugh-out-loud movies with great films that are comedies. AFI’s list of laughs was topped by two movies in Colin Cowherd’s favorite comedy genre: Some Like It Hot (1959) and Tootsie (1982). Following those in the top 10 were the likes of Dr. Strangelove (1964), Blazing Saddles (1974), and Airplane! (1980). Are any of those on this list? You will have to keep reading and find out…

Blind spots (notable unseen films): The Blues Brothers (1980), Coming to America (1988), Marx Brothers movies, The Odd Couple (1968), Super Troopers (2001), Trading Places (1983)

Others receiving votes: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Knocked Up (2007), Some Like It Hot (1959), This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

10. Animal House (John Landis, 1978)

In what is considered the granddaddy of all slime-ball comedy, Animal House can still deliver the laughs 35 years later. The characters are outrageous, the situations are ridiculous, and the screenplay is not much to speak of. The thing that makes the movie so funny is the fact that it does not care that it is not art. It never takes itself seriously, which results in the audience being able to just sit back and howl at its hilarity.

Funny Quote

Otter: “Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards! Now we could do it with conventional weapons, but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!”

Funniest Character: Bluto (John Belushi)

9. Sullivan’s Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941)

While this may not have the volume of laugh-out-loud moments as many other films on this list, it is certainly one of the elite comedies ever made. It is so sharply-written, filled with bits that are certainly tailored to that era yet are still humorous today. It is the most important, ironic, and brilliant film about the Great Depression made during that period. Oh, and it spawned the idea for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, whose connection to Sullivan’s Travels is as funny as anything in that actual movie.

Funny Quote

Sullivan: “Aw, what do they know in Pittsburgh…”

LeBrand: “They know what they like.”

Sullivan: “If they knew what they liked, they wouldn’t live in Pittsburgh!”

Funniest Character: John Lloyd Sullivan (Joel McCrea)

8. The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow, 2005)

Even though I consider Knocked Up to be a slightly better movie, this one actually has the more sustainable laughs. There is not a single character that is not hilarious at some point. This actually feels less like a movie and more like a story brought together by improv sequences by a cast that was born for one another. When there is never a false note with a joke reflex as widespread as this film has, you know you are in for a comedy classic.

Funny Quote

Andy: “Yeah, I’m not a big ho-runner.”

David: “My uncle used to drive a ho-runner.”

Funniest Character: David (Paul Rudd)

7. Love and Death (Woody Allen, 1975)

This is by far Woody Allen’s funniest and most ridiculous movie. It features a slapstick side of his humor that is rarely expressed in his movies. It still has the interesting, quick-witted conversations and punch lines, but this movie’s plot and execution are absolutely absurd. It is a riot from start to finish, and certainly the one great Allen flick that far too few people have seen.

Funny Quote

Boris: “You’re a tyrant., and a dictator, and you start wars!”

Napoleon: “Why is he reciting my credits?”

Funniest Character: Boris (Woody Allen)

6. Superbad (Greg Motolla, 2007)

There has not been a comedy in the last 10 years that I could watch more consistently than Superbad. It is endlessly inspired and hilarious. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have established themselves as real comedic writers, and this stands as their best work. It is not a movie of obvious jokes or laugh checkpoints. It is a movie that is so nostalgic and true that everything comes off as being uproariously funny. Whenever it is on TV, I have to watch until the end. I just cannot get enough of Seth and Evan. One of my favorite comedic pairs ever.

Funny Quote

Seth: “You know how many foods are shaped like dicks? The best kinds!”

Funniest Character: Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)

5. Grindhouse (Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino, 2007)

In our Top 10 the 2000s series, I ranked this this as the funniest movie of the first 10 years of the millennium. I still feel that way. Watching this in theaters was one of the greatest theater experiences ever. The mock trailers, the mix of the Tarantino and Rodriguez exploitation styles, and the gut-busting laughs at over-the top violence and insane dialogue make for movie-going bliss. I have never laughed more or had a more permanent smile on my face walking out of a theater.

Funny Quote

The Rapist: “I've seen me a lot of weird shit in my day, but I ain't never seen a one-legged stripper. I seen me a stripper with one breast. And I seen me a stripper with twelve toes. I've even seen me a stripper with no brains at all, but I ain't never seen a one-legged stripper. And I've been to Morocco.”

Funniest Character: Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell)

4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)

The more I watch this movie, the funnier it gets and further it moves up my all time list. Every line of dialogue is inspired. Every character is brilliantly written and effortlessly delivers laughs to the audience. Kubrick’s screenplay is so flawless that the character names are even punch lines. I am not sure if there will ever be another movie that will be even remotely like this one. It will leave some people slightly cold after watching it, but that mild admiration will eventually lead to downright addiction to the material. Seriously, it happened to me.

Funny Quote

Muffley: “You're talking about mass murder, General, not war!”

Buck: “Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.”

Funniest Character: General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott)

3. Clerks (Kevin Smith, 1994)

In what I named one of my favorite on-screen pairs of all time, Dante and Randal are a comedic team unlike any other. Their awkward friendship and interesting conversations critiquing everything makes for one of the funniest experiences one can have during a movie. Clerks is a bit more subtle than Clerks II. The second chapter is a much more obvious form of comedy, but very few things compare to the original. The more familiar we get with Kevin Smith’s “Askewniverse” (I hope he is not serious about Clerks III being his last movie), the funnier this movie gets. Several movies have tried to be like Clerks, but it cannot be done. Smith’s characters are one-of-a-kind.

Funny Quote

Randal: “Which did you like better: Jedi or The Empire Strikes Back?”

Dante: “Empire.”

Randal: “Blasphemy.”

Dante: “Empire had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets.”

Funniest Character: Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson)

2. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (Trey Parker, 1999)

I realize that it may be a bit unfair to include a movie based on a TV show, but I couldn’t resist. This is probably the highest volume of laughs I have ever had. Every bit of this movie is offensive and hilarious. It is as good as anything the show has ever produced. It is maybe the best movie musical of the last 20 years. The characters that we have come to know and love over the years come to life in this movie with an edginess that cannot be expressed on the show. It takes its aim at everyone and everything that provides a target, and no one is left unscathed. Comic brilliance.

Funny Quote

Cartman: “Hey Stan, tell them about the part where Terrence calls Phillip a testicle shitting rectal wart.”

Funniest Character: Cartman (Trey Parker)

1. Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)

This is the most sustainable comedy I have ever come across. The subtlety of its joke delivery is unlike any other, so even when you have seen it a bunch of times, more things come up that are as equally funny as the obvious laugh points. The characters are all so believable and play it so straight that we cannot help but laugh our asses off at these people and their mundane lives, which are all too similar to our lives. Usually when a comedy is on some cable channel, it will depend on which part it is to determine whether I will watch any of it. This entire movie is one of those parts. There is never an off-note or a joke that doesn’t work. It is amazingly awkward and all too real. Mike Judge (whose Extract is quite underrated, by the way) is an absolute original, and I would love to see where Peter, Michael, Samir, and Joanna are nowadays.

Funny Quote

Peter: “I can’t believe what a bunch of nerds we are. We’re looking up money laundering in the dictionary.”

Funniest Character: Michael Bolton (David Herman)

Thoughts? Comments? Anything I missed? I tried to make a well-rounded group, including at least one film of all my favorite types of comedy, with the unfortunate exclusions of Charlie Chaplin, Mel Brooks, Jim Carrey, the Coens, and Wes Anderson. Post your list and thoughts in the comments!

Previous Articles:

Cheers (Most Inspiring Movies)

Peers (Best On-screen Couples)

Fears (Scariest Movies)

Tears (Most Emotional Movie Experiences)

Jeers (Worst Movies)

Biggest Thrills

Coming up soon: My Top 10 Films of All Time! Stay tuned!

Power Rankings: Top 10 Peers (On-Screen Couples)

---Recently, Zach told me that he had revamped his all time top 10 list, which got me thinking about doing the same. Mine is always fluctuating, so I came up with the idea of doing a series of power rankings of AFI categories (as well as some of my own) leading up to the unveiling of my all time list. These lists will include Cheers (inspiring), Peers (on-screen couples), Fears (scariest), Tears (emotional), Jeers (worst), Thrills, Laughs, and finally my top 10 films of all time. Note: My lists are not going to be even a fraction as objective as AFI’s lists. They are solely my personal preferences and experiences. Enjoy!---

In the second of my countdown series, I will be looking at the best movie couples. These are not simply romantic couples, but can be buddies, lovers, co-workers, etc. As long as they are main characters and the movie is in some way about their relationship, then it qualifies for this list. This will be far less conventional than my last power ranking and much more modern. For me, actor chemistry is huge, so that will be on display here as much as anything. Check it out!

Others receiving votes: Belle and Beast – Beauty and the Beast (1991), Tyler and Narrator – Fight Club (1999), Rhett and Scarlett – Gone with the Wind (1939), Leon and Mathilda – Leon (1994), Harry and Sally – When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

10. Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova) – Once (2007)

This may be the most endearing couple in the history of movies. The movie itself is so understated and real that it makes the relationship between the characters so much more authentic. They are the movie, and every moment of their time on screen together rings true. “Falling Slowly” gets all the pub in this movie, but it is “The Hill” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up” that provide the real connection and really make us feel it. I love this movie so much…

9. Aileen (Charlize Theron) and Selby (Christina Ricci) – Monster (2003)

This is one of those movies that I do not even understand why I like it so much. There has never been a more honest relationship I have seen in movies than Aileen and Selby. Their chance meeting and relationship provides the spark and the real appeal of this dark, heart-wrenching crime drama of sorts. From the scene they are rollerblading with “Don’t Stop Believin’” playing in the background until the devastating conclusion, we are taken by these two characters and the bond they share.

8. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) – Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010)

For something a bit lighter, we look at one of my favorite friendships in all of movies. Their story starts off the way all great relationships do, with the characters at odds with each other. The more time we spend with these two toys, the more they actually feel like our friends. Whether they are fighting for Andy’s playtime or joining forces against a common enemy, they are friends. By the third film, their companionship is forever, as is our admiration for them and their films.

7. Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) – Titanic (1997)

In what may be the most iconic screen relationship of all time in the most epic romance ever put on screen, Jack and Rose still find the freshness to be included on any relevant list. They are star-crossed lovers who battle the circumstances to be together. They risk everything for each other. The actors were born to play their roles, and Jack and Rose’s story will live forever with the audience. The movie never fails to deliver that emotional impact because we care so much about the characters.

6. Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde (Warren Beatty) – Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow’s story was made for the movies. In what has become a classic story of a bank-robbing couple on the run, the movie never fails to deliver the goods. He is the cool cat who woos the shy girl into running away with him. Their connection is always genuine. This type of story has been borrowed several times since (Natural Born Killers, Badlands, True Romance, among many others), but never have any of them approached the sheer brilliance of the Bonnie and Clyde. When the tragic ending comes up, it may not be sadness we feel, but regret that we can’t spend more time with one of the all time great screen couples.

5. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) – Clerks (1994), Clerks II (2006)

I am not sure that I have ever seen a more believable friendship in all of movies. They are so different from one another, but the fact that they are together makes too much sense. Their conversations and criticisms of everything are what entertain us, but it is how blatantly they wear their emotion that really sticks with us. The scene in Clerks II in the prison cell sticks out to me as being an example of how I didn’t even realize how much I cared about them. The chemistry between the actors is flawless, and I cannot help but selfishly want to spend several more movies watching them.

4. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) – Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004)

There has never been a more irresistible and adorable young couple in the history of movies than Jesse and Celine (perhaps only rivaled by Lloyd and Diane in Say Anything…). Their deep dialogue about everything lets us know how much they have come to trust one another, even though their time together is so brief. That brevity is stressed in the second part, which only adds to its appeal. The back of the Before Sunrise DVD says that it is a “valentine to young love forever.” I honestly cannot put it any better than that. These are two characters that I will never forget and that I will always be grateful for having had the pleasure to watch. I hope the sequels keep coming every nine years.

3. Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) – Casablanca (1942)

This will probably be the consensus number one among film buffs. I have always felt the movie to be a tad overrated and overblown, but every time I catch it on TV or DVD, my admiration for it grows to the point that I actually rank it as a top 100 film. The appeal and iconic status of the characters is undeniable. Their story is unforgettable. The chemistry is unmatched. The importance of their relationship to the story is indisputable. There has never been never will be another screen couple like Rick and Ilsa. It’s impossible.

2. Ben (Nicolas Cage) and Sera (Elisabeth Shue) – Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

This is another one of those films I have no real reason why I love it so much. As far as acting goes, it honestly does not get much better than Cage and Shue in this. The movie never has a false note, and it is because of how believable these actors are together. We want them to be together even when we know that is unrealistic. We want Sera to help snap Ben out of it, but it can’t happen. I have never been more devastated at the end of a movie than when I saw this for the first time. It is a beautiful and tragic story, and one that I have yet to be able to completely release from my mind ever since I saw it. I even read the book, and that did nothing but further engrain it in my head. There is no movie like this one anywhere, and there are no two characters I have ever felt this strongly for.

1. Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) – Sideways (2004)

Surprised this is my number one? Yeah me neither. Anyone who knows me knows that this is in the elite of the elite as far as movies go. I have had long and frequent conversations about this movie and this friendship. Why are they friends in the first place? What motivates Miles to put up with Jack? What makes Jack want to hang out with Miles? Why do I care so much? I have never seen a more brilliantly pieced together friendship than Miles and Jack. Every time I watch it (which is frequently) I cannot help but get fully immersed in their story. I study the movie. I study the characters. I study the dialogue. If not for the brilliant chemistry between Miles and Jack (as well as Maya and Stephanie), then we would not care. They are unlikable and distant. They are mean-spirited and whiney. Together, though, they create a friendship that will live forever in the history of movies as being one of the truest, most believable, and most engaging. It will probably never be topped, at least not in my rankings.

Thoughts? Comments? Your favorite screen duos? Who else is stoked for the third chapter in the Before series? Or that Kevin Smith is drafting a third part to Clerks? Let me know!

Past articles:

Cheers (Inspiring movies)

Next up: Top 10 Fears, my scariest movie experiences! That ought to be an interesting one...