Recommend Me a Comedy

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I'm underemployed, oversexed, and deeply frustrated with my life in general. Recommend me a good comedy to take my mind off the things I can't change right this minute.

The last two movies I saw in theaters were Pan's Labyrinth and Volver; I don't deny that both were good but they left me so depressed I'm on the verge of going to see Epic Movie in the hopes that I will get a laugh. (Maybe not, if the reviewers are to be believed.)

― j.lu (j.lu), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:28 (eighteen years ago)

Idiocracy, How High, Talladega Nights, and Harold & Kumar

― kingfishy (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:35 (eighteen years ago)

Please do not go see Epic Movie. I've seen a lot of bad movies for lulz but that one will just leave you more depressed

― A B C (sparklecock), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:38 (eighteen years ago)

Election

― Eazy (Eazy), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:38 (eighteen years ago)

i liked that prison movie with will arnett

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:38 (eighteen years ago)

B-b-b-Borat

― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:43 (eighteen years ago)

The Producers! The real one! With Zero! Or Young Frankenstein. Either/Or.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:43 (eighteen years ago)

Kentucky Fried Movie

― Tuesdays With Morimoto (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:44 (eighteen years ago)

safe men just came out on dvd

― cutty (mcutt), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:44 (eighteen years ago)

The funniest movie ever made:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088286/

― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:44 (eighteen years ago)

Download some episodes of 30 Rock.

― max (maxreax), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:48 (eighteen years ago)

Weed + Kung Pao

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:50 (eighteen years ago)

What are some comedies u have enjoyed in your lifetime

― A B C (sparklecock), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 05:51 (eighteen years ago)

watch dis

http://break.com/index/funniest_laugh_ever.html

― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 06:01 (eighteen years ago)

What are some comedies u have enjoyed in your lifetime

In my personal opinion:

Talladega Nights >>>>>>>> Borat >>> Little Miss Sunshine

― j.lu (j.lu), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 06:07 (eighteen years ago)

are we only doing contemporary? cuz altho i find sturges to be a wee bit overrated, miracle of morgan's creek makes me laugh.

― timmy tannin (pompous), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 06:13 (eighteen years ago)

Bringing Up Baby arouses the comedy rockist in me; it's practically unbeatable.

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 12:38 (eighteen years ago)

i prefer 'his girl friday'. even then i'd recommend a season of 'entourage' over either.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 12:40 (eighteen years ago)

Not seen 'His Girl Friday' although my trusty Virgin Film Guide (1994 edition) claims it's one of the funniest films ever made, so I'll have to check it out.

Or you could just re-watch The Big Lebowski, that'd do the trick.

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

my trusty Virgin Film Guide

Is there a Film Guide for the rest of us?

― onimo (onimo), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:00 (eighteen years ago)

teh open goal is CLAIMED

Seriously, though, it's a great little guide, seemingly without prejudices or preferences (although it kinda helps to be French and pre-1970).

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:02 (eighteen years ago)

You set em up...

― onimo (onimo), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:03 (eighteen years ago)

Zoolander, unless you don't like ben stiller

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 13:34 (eighteen years ago)

Dodgeball, even if you don't like Ben Stiller (I don't and I thought it was good).

No one's said Some Like it Hot yet. Too obvious?

― chap (chap), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 14:56 (eighteen years ago)

If your doing old movies, 'His Girl Friday' is genius. Also try 'The Lady Eve'.

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:07 (eighteen years ago)

I would probably have the Wes Anderson purists up in arms were I to recommend The Life Aquatic over any of his other films. Well, I'm going to do it anyway.

Also: Ed Wood, a delightful film.

― chap (chap), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:15 (eighteen years ago)

mean girls

― A B C (sparklecock), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:16 (eighteen years ago)

I watched His Girl friday recently. It's... charming, if very dated. Not a huge amount of LOLz, but worth seeing. If you want straight-forward laffs then just go for Laurel and Hardy.

― DavidM* (unreal), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

Super Troopers!

esp based on: Talladega Nights >>>>>>>> Borat >>> Little Miss Sunshine

Being John Malcovitch
His Girl Friday seconded.

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:21 (eighteen years ago)

The Marx Brothers are still good too.

Haven't seen His Girl Friday, but I found Bringing Up Baby incredibly dated and quite tiresome, which is probably blasphemous of me.

― chap (chap), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

Anybody for 'Galaxy Quest'?

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

If you're looking for romcoms, there's nothing better than 'Trouble in Paradise'.

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:29 (eighteen years ago)

otm

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

rent any disk of any season of Reno 911

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

Shaun of the Dead.

Election seconded.

― chap (chap), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

A Mel Brooks festival is indicated. "The Producers" and "Young Frankenstein," of course and "Blazing Saddles"; "Silent Movie" and "The Twelve Chairs" highly underrated; "High Anxiety" not so much unless you love Hitchcock; "History of the World Part 1" does not stand up well.

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

history of the world stands up better than high anxiety!

watch some love and death and sleeper and bananas

― fuck yr face blogger (a_p), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago)

I like "Bringing Up Baby" a whole lot better than "His Girl Friday", but that's probably cuz I think Cary Grant is at his comedic best as a straightman (see also "Arsenic & Old Lace", "North By Northwest".) They're both great tho.

"Harold & Kumar" seconded.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:35 (eighteen years ago)

You want a comedy? Get a text-to-speech program to read you this thread:
When you're romantically interested in someone, is it a turn-off to find out he's not a vegetarian?

And also the Gear's Roommate on the Couch thread.

― Tuesdays With Morimoto (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:39 (eighteen years ago)

Shaun of the Dead seconded. I agree with Haikunym's take on Brooks.

Lady Eve is one of the best romcoms I've seen, right up there with His Girl Friday and Bringing up Baby.

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

'Harold and Kumar' and 'Shaun of the Dead' are both movies I've seen more than once.

The well-known thing about 'His Girl Friday' is that it's one of the fastest talking movies ever made.

The first three Mel Brooks movies Haikunym mentions are worthy as is Allen's 'Sleeper' and 'Bananas'.

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago)

40 year old virgin
dumb and dumber
tommy boy
episodes of 30 rock, kids in the hall, sctv, etc
was going to say those woody allen films too

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:43 (eighteen years ago)

raising arizona

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

Our "Freaks and Geeks" box set is the most important item in our house.

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:45 (eighteen years ago)

Jack Benny & Carole Lombard in Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be. (and obv any of Benny's radio/TV shows; a genius of the airwaves)

If you fancy an apocalyptic, savage Irish comedy about a psychotic preadolescent boy, Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy is on DVD next week.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:49 (eighteen years ago)

Jack Benny & Carole Lombard in Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be. (and obv any of Benny's radio/TV shows; a genius of the airwaves)

It bombed in '42 largely due to lines like "What he did to Shakespeare, we are now doing to Poland," spoken by a German officer. Great film.

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:51 (eighteen years ago)

y'know, even if the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy wasn't fabulous, it was still funny in many parts, maybe moreso on dvd

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:53 (eighteen years ago)

xpost

"we do the concentrating and let the Poles do the camping"?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

Run Ronnie Run
Grandma's Boy

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

Has there been an ILE Grandma's Boy thread? I was just thinking how much I wanted to whine on the internet that it never got a proper theatrical release, when it is super fucking awesome.

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:00 (eighteen years ago)

kung fu hustle gives me belly laughs every time.

super troopers definitely seconded, life of brian too obvious?

― darragh.mac (darragh.mac), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:00 (eighteen years ago)

Raising Arizona and Kung Fu Hustle seconded.

Elf!

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:01 (eighteen years ago)

I may be alone in this, but I thought Shaolin Soccer was funnier than Kung Fu Hustle.

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:03 (eighteen years ago)

i still think 'anchorman' > 'talladega nights'

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:03 (eighteen years ago)

oh better off dead! i don't know if it's still funny but when i was, like, 11, oh man

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

Ricky Bobby movie kind of sucked - just watch the dinner table scene near the beginning.

Better Off Dead is still funny, btw.

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:05 (eighteen years ago)

anchorman certainly >>> talladega nights.

kung fu hustle >>> shaolin, i would have thought most people think so anyway.

anyone else laugh at tense, snappy dialogue even in serious movies? i always get a giggle at some of pacino's lines in glengarry glen ross

― darragh.mac (darragh.mac), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

For some reason I recall ILX not being too fond of Club Dread, but I absolutely love it, there will always be a special place in my heart for Coconut Pete.

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:16 (eighteen years ago)

glengarry glen ross is a dark comedy. It got gales of laughter on the stage.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 16:21 (eighteen years ago)

Our "Freaks and Geeks" box set is the most important item in our house.

Awesome, but possibly not the best choice if you don't want to be depressed? Such a melancholic show.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:32 (eighteen years ago)

fish called wanda and burglar make me laff to beat the band.

― geoff (gcannon), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:33 (eighteen years ago)

parts anyway.

― geoff (gcannon), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:34 (eighteen years ago)

I would second the Wes Anderson films. It's become fashionable to knock him, but hey, if I can find 'em funny someone else ought to as well.

Trading Places is pretty good.

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:37 (eighteen years ago)

I just have to think about Kevin Kline yelling "ASSHOOOOLE!" in Fish Called Wanda and I get to chuckling.

― blotter Budweiser Hackeysadk (nickalicious), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:49 (eighteen years ago)

oh, how could i forget a fish called wanda!

american werewolf in paris
young frankenstein
the part near the end of the butterfly effect where he's running down the hall - that should be an animated gif

― rrrobyn, breeze blown meadow of cheeriness (rrrobyn), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 17:53 (eighteen years ago)

joe dirt? i may be alone in this

― darragh.mac (darragh.mac), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 03:29 (eighteen years ago)

Pygmalion

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 04:47 (eighteen years ago)

A Very Brady Sequel

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 05:41 (eighteen years ago)

Anybody for 'Galaxy Quest'?

Yes, does for sci-fi what 'An American Werewolf in London' does for horror.

I know this is blasphemy and I don't say it lightly as the original is one of my all time favourites, but for straight up roffles I love the Coen Brother's remake of 'The Ladykillers'.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 07:09 (eighteen years ago)

the last time i watched his girl friday i realized i've always managed to repress my memories of how dull the 'serious' bits of it are.

bringing up baby is pure gold. hawks's twentieth century - with john barrymore and uh carole lombard? - might be even funnier though.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:27 (eighteen years ago)

anything with w.c. fields is super.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:28 (eighteen years ago)

Y'know, the thing about "classic" comedies is that they're great in lots and lots of ways, but they're not actually funny in the 21st century and people who pretend that they are are lying liars.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

erm W.C. Fields excepted cos misanthropy is always the bomb.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

His Girl Friday >>>>>>> Bringing Up Baby

― timmy tannin (pompous), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:41 (eighteen years ago)

Try these British comedies for size

Oh! Mr Porter
Windbag the Sailor
The Lavender Hill Mob
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Smallest Show on Earth
The Ladykillers

I will also throw in a vote for 'Briniging Up Baby! and the Marx Brothers. Buster Keaton and the Silent Laurel and Hardy's are still very funny.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:42 (eighteen years ago)

the thing about 'king lear' is that it's great in lots and lots of way, but it's not actually sad in the 21st century and people who pretend that it is are lying liars.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:44 (eighteen years ago)

Okay Laurel and Hardy are still good too. Silents? Can't remember what they are. But they funny when they talk. Srsly tho Ed, do those films make you lol? Will Hay??? Lavender Hill? Rilly I love those movies but they aren't laff-making. God knows I love George Formby too but the last time he made somebody actually laff for real was 1952.

xpost King Lear's funny. And if you don't think comedy changes more radically than tragedy then you are a lying liar.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:46 (eighteen years ago)

I mean I've sat next to old people pretending to laugh at Shakespeare plays but I've never heard a fo' real belly laugh. Wry chuckle does not equal hilarity, peeps.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:48 (eighteen years ago)

And now to totally undermine my argument and make myself look a dick, I think the answer to the original question might be Leningrad Cowboys Go America.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:49 (eighteen years ago)

Will hay and ealing make me laugh, a lot.

Oh! Mr Porter is a favourite childhood film. It still brings the ROFLS. We are not all wired the same.

Although I'll agree with you Leningrad Cowboys Go America. Tuomas will appear here, horrified, shortly.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 08:53 (eighteen years ago)

Ach no you're right, it'd be a boring world if we were all the same. I like the fat kid off Will Hay better in Pickwick Papers tho but. Akshully that film still is kinda funny.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:00 (eighteen years ago)

i think falstaff says plenty of funny things in "henry iv," i remember laughing at a few bits the first time i read it.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:14 (eighteen years ago)

i know what you're saying and all, i can't say "trouble in paradise" (much as i like it) makes me laugh very much. but come on man, if groucho marx isn't funny then NOTHING is funny.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, Swift makes me laugh sometimes = I are hypocrite = big surprise.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 11:49 (eighteen years ago)

not very many old tings make really really yuck. 'brining up baby' sure doesn't, and i can't guarantee 'his girl friday' would now. silent comedy is generally totally unfunny.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago)

I think the stuff that I still find laughable in v. old movies or books is usually straight-up cruelty or mean-spiritedness. Which probably speaks volumes about me rather than the history of comedy.

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 11:52 (eighteen years ago)

I think "Bringing Up Baby" is hilarious! There's nothing dated about zingers or hilarious misunderstandings or surprise leopards. Wodehouse is still funny too. That said, maybe the reason I find it so easy to accept that old screwball kind of universe is I grew up on Donald Duck comics, which are very similiar as far as attitudes/gags go (and of course the more recent ones where the nephews are in modern gear are usually totally zzz, compared to the awesome old Carl Barks stuff.)

the last time i watched his girl friday i realized i've always managed to repress my memories of how dull the 'serious' bits of it are.

There's serious bits? All that stuff around the execution is surely dark humor? Actually what I've noticed is that since the movie does away with the obligatory serious "total bastard comes to his senses" scene (or, well, denies it straight afterwards), the Cary Grant character ends up looking pretty irredeemable, yet he gets the girl, wins the game, etc. I suppose 30's/40's era journalism deserved no less scathing a porttrayal, but the nastyness of the movie does not exactly work in its favour for me.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 12:22 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, Buster Keaton is just not funny and relevant in the way Dane Cook is.

You gotta remember His Girl Friday is a switcheroo version of The Front Page, which was a landmark Broadway hit in the late '20s, and Hildy the reporter was a man too, and the editor is an even worse character than Cary Grant's. All the stuff around the condemned prisoner is just scabrous satire of Chicago press and politics, i.e. what Chicago recently failed at. The '31 film version is pretty damn good (avoid the Wilder/ Lemmon/ Matthau one at all costs).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 15:18 (eighteen years ago)

I think everyone should watch Flirting With Disaster, including me, because I haven't since it came out and made me laugh and laugh.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

second Trading Places

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

alba otm

morbius, not liking silent comedy doesn't put you automatically in the pro-dane cook camp.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago)

If someone could make a tape of just the funny bits in Ishtar, I recommend that 32 minute comedy.

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)

The Wicker Man remake:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

― chap (chap), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:14 (eighteen years ago)

The funniest movie ever made:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088286/

Cosign.

― So weit wie knock-kneed (kenan), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:21 (eighteen years ago)

i seriously had to suppress laughter for the entire running time of 'the shipping news'

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:30 (eighteen years ago)

i.e. what Chicago recently failed at.

Yes. I hate that movie.

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:31 (eighteen years ago)

I agree with the recommendation of "Top Secret." That movie is hilarious.

― Nathan P1p (hoyanathan), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:54 (eighteen years ago)

not liking silent comedy puts you automatically in the Campfire Girls.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 19:59 (eighteen years ago)

phooey

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Thursday, 8 February 2007 10:35 (eighteen years ago)

Have we discus-ed this elsewhere? What is it about comedy that seems to date so much more radically than other genres? Is it because humour relies on some kind of surprise or novelty that necessarily needs to be regularly reinvented?

― It's Tough to Beat Illious (noodle vague), Thursday, 8 February 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

"Miami Blues," especially if you think Alec Baldwin is funny.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Thursday, 8 February 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

four years pass...

recently caught To Be or Not to Be at an old theater.. amazing. need to start watching more old comedies, because I've all but lost any interest in newer ones

― Chris S, Saturday, 14 January 2012 09:55 (thirteen years ago)

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