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BBC asked 253 critics to determine the best comedies ever made. The results are...

Surprising, this is one of the few top movie lists from which I've seen all of the Top10. It's quite a solid list, though Big Lebowski should have made it to top ten in my opinion and Ghostbusters should be higher up. But overall I don't mind the list at all, it's a good average.

I have no problem with older movies. In fact there should be more of them and movies like The Hangover, Step Brothers and Bridesmaids have no business being here.

Also the definition of a comedy isn't very clear on this list, like I already mentioned with Carrey missing the list completely. None of his drama's are there (they would qualify) and neither are the comedies. I guess BBC and the critics missed the period between 1993 and 2005 completely.
 

Carcetti

Member
If people claim to like comedy and whine because they haven't even seen 'old' stuff like Airplane!... jaysus.

They actually made movies before Will Ferrel and Adam Sandler.
 
No Coming to America?

No Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

No Evil Dead II?

At least Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and What We Do in the Shadows are in there.

(Groundhog Day is better than Ghostbusters)
 
It could be improved, certainly (needs more Stephen Chow, never enough Chow). But its not exactly a terrible list. Amd everything on it is worthy to some extent.
 

ceramics

Neo Member
It's a pretty good list imo. A few odd choices but nothing that Isn't a great movie, especially in the top 10.

It's almost as if...comedy is subjective :0
 

kswiston

Member
Man, not a single Stephen Chow film in the top 100. Actually, did anything in a language other than english make the top 100?

EDIT: There is another article talking about international differences.

I was going to mention Stephen Chow as well. I'll take Kung Fu Hustle over something like the Hangover (which is on there).
 
Guys, airplane isn't funny.


giphy.gif


Is like one of the most iconic joke lines in history. I still die laughing.
 
I'm glad to see The Jerk on there, but at 99? Damn.

This is a list made by a lot of old people. A lot of those old comedies are really good, but the list slants hard towards them.

This is simply not true. There are 58 movies past 1980 and 43 after 1980 (which is the one that has the most mentions). The list is not skewed over a particular era.

Decades/Mentions
20 5
30 13
40 9
50 7
60 10
70 14
80 18
90 10
00 12
10 3
 

Raiden

Banned
Typical critic votes. Meanwhile they have seen said film 1 time over 30 years ago.


I get that they are pretty great movies back then and still are, but for pure laughing entertainment now that is a pretty bad list.
 

Bronx-Man

Banned
The only Sandler movie that should even sniff this list is Waterboy. Even then I'd be hard-pressed to put it outside the 90s range.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
I loved Midnight in Paris but not even that made it on here :/

Midnight In Paris was actually the only Woody Allen movie that I didn't like.
I haven't seen all of them, but almost. Love And Death is one of the few that I haven't seen and is on this list.
 

RangerX

Banned
Good list. Great to see Withnail and I and Dr Strange love so high. Some if the posters here really need to broaden their horizons. Also Dodgeball is rubbish.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
No "Princess Bride"?
Da fuq?!

It's on the list at #78.
Meanwhile, that poster who was born in the early-'90s is thinking "But it's old. It sucks!".
 

jstripes

Banned
Some of my favourites aren't in the list, but comedy is subjective, and it's a fine list, so I'm OK with that.

Bridesmaids being higher than Ghostbusters is going to ruffle some feathers. :)

Also, so many people that read the top 10, but not the actual list of 100...
 
ha at thinking a minority lead or major supporting character on the list

:-(

The lack of Eddie Murphy is just killing my soul man. I just...Eddie *was* comedy in the 80s. To see his seminal works simply ommited entirely...I just...it's hard for me.

Not even Coming To America? That movie is on some channel somewhere in the world every day. Because it's a classic. I just...sigh.
 

Peru

Member
Typical critic votes. Meanwhile they have seen said film 1 time over 30 years ago.


I get that they are pretty great movies back then and still are, but for pure laughing entertainment now that is a pretty bad list.

What are you talking about
 

daviyoung

Banned
:-(

The lack of Eddie Murphy is just killing my soul man. I just...Eddie *was* comedy in the 80s. To see his seminal works simply ommited entirely...I just...it's hard for me.

Not even Coming To America? That movie is on some channel somewhere in the world every day. Because it's a classic. I just...sigh.

Trading Places doesn't count as a seminal work?
 
If people claim to like comedy and whine because they haven't even seen 'old' stuff like Airplane!... jaysus.

They actually made movies before Will Ferrel and Adam Sandler.

I've never seen "Airplane" but "Some Like it Hot" is a super legit classic comedy.


Still think "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" deserves to be recognized
 

nachum00

Member
Midnight In Paris was actually the only Woody Allen movie that I didn't like.
I haven't seen all of them, but almost. Love And Death is one of the few that I haven't seen and is on this list.
Yeah not a big fan of Midnight in Paris either. Annie Hall and Manhattan are both much better
 

g11

Member
Groundhog Day is so fucking overrated it's ridiculous. Then again, these mental "giants" actually like Life of Brian better than Holy Grail? Nonsense.


Dr. Strangelove is fantastic though.
 

nachum00

Member
Groundhog Day is so fucking overrated it's ridiculous. Then again, these mental "giants" actually like Life of Brian better than Holy Grail? Nonsense.


Dr. Strangelove is fantastic though.
Groundhog Dog is one of the greats. It's you who's wrong
 

jstripes

Banned
Groundhog Day is so fucking overrated it's ridiculous. Then again, these mental "giants" actually like Life of Brian better than Holy Grail? Nonsense.


Dr. Strangelove is fantastic though.

Holy Grail is absolutely hilarious, but Life of Brian is arguably the better movie. A good comedy isn't determined by the laughs per minute.

Also, Dr. Strangelove. Anyone who hasn't seen it absolutely must. There is no question.
 
This thread is GAF as fuck. 250 of the most educated people when it comes to film make a list, and the response isn't: "Oh neat! I'll have to watch some of these."

It's "What are these OLD movies??? WRONG."
 

Z..

Member
Fine, what fucking anime moe shit do you want on the list? God. I do this under protest.

I think his point is that considering we've had all time great comedies coming out the last 3 years like Toni Erdmann, Grand Budapest Hotel, Arabian Nights, Inherent Vice, Anomalisa, Tangerine or A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, it seems a big ignorant to even be seriously considering 21 Jump Street as a serious contender. Again, that's just in the last 3 years. Why are you limiting your scope to openly commercial blockbuster productions when there's so much more out there I suppose is his point.

Not that I necessarily agree, that's just how I read his post.
 
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