10 Times the Convenience Store Got Messed Up

con·ven·ience store - a store with extended opening hours and in a convenient location, stocking a limited range of household goods and groceries.

You know the setup: if we find ourselves in a convenience store (usually in a movie of the Action genre) you know there's a good chance the Cheetos and Charmin are about to hit the fan. If nothing else, the mortality rate of whoever's working the register is unfairly high; no one is more expendable than the men, women, and children(!) who stand behind the counter awaiting their fate. There's been all kindsa chaos in these mini-establishments but these are the notable moments when we couldn't help but wonder, "Who's gonna clean this up?"

- Paul

Robocop

Just an all around famous film scene, it demonstrates all the hallmarks of this scenario in only 90 seconds (though it's noticeably lite on the violence for such a hard-R flick). The shop owners live (as does the assailant) but casualties include lotsa booze, popcorn, and a good portion of the dairy section. 

Falling Down

In a raging spree of anticapitalist sentiment, the products on the shelves are not bystanders - they are the target of this spontaneous assault. The victims are donuts, aspirin, batteries, and little American flags for ironic effect. 

I Come in Peace

Dolph Lundgren has to ditch his stakeout to address a holdup in progress. The punks shoot out the lights, and in a store full of glass bottles of liquor and aluminum cans of Pepsi, we only end up losing a fridge door and some generic milk. 

Return of the Living Dead III

This is the common situation where the shopkeep pulls a gun on the robbers but ends up getting killed anyway. On a completely unrelated note, freshly zombified Mindy Clarke is devouring the entire Hostess endcap in an attempt to satiate her new and inexplicable hunger. 

From Dusk Till Dawn

Not too much is salvaged from what literally becomes Benny's World of Blood. Ironically the hostages and the perpetrators walk away in one piece (minus a hole in the hand) but Michael Parks and John Hawkes fall victim to bullets, fire, and a questionable explosion which may or may not have been the direct result of popcorn. 

Short Time

Believing himself to be terminally ill, Dabney Coleman fearlessly diffuses a hostage situation without any backup (or clothes). The bomber breaks down and surrenders with every person and Pop Tart left unscathed - until the realization that the ticking bomb was left inside the store proves to be too late. 

Hard to Kill

This is all about body impact. The store owner is shot and falls into a wall of liquor, then Steven Seagal proceeds to hurl the bad guys into wine bottles and potato chips. A mostly tidy job - disregarding the likely pool of blood left from the clerk who took one to the chest. 

Magnolia

Most convenience store mishaps hold little weight throughout the rest of their respective story; even when blood is spilled it's usually forgotten by the plot. Donnie Smith's public indiscretion here ends up looking not so good on his job review which is a major contributor in this tragic character's downfall. 

National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1

A parody of most of the scenes on this list plus all the others that came before -- it involves shotguns, Tommy guns, a flamethrower, and a bazooka, and it isn't over until every shelf is cleared by artillery fire. 

Ghost World

What happens when Steve Buscemi has it out for Brad Renfro? A full-blown blaze of fury, which results in a knocked-over chip rack and not much else. 

I SAW IT ON TAPE - Spaceballs

Welcome to the first entry in a new series where we (predictably) discuss stuff we watched on videotape. Some were rented from the store, some were borrowed from a friend, some were taped off of TV. Some are hidden treasures, some are mainstream classics, some we're not sure if they were real or just a dream. It's a fairly easy concept to grasp so I'll stop explaining it start talking about Spaceballs, The Movie! I'll take any opportunity to tell the story of how once, when I was like 4, I stood alone in the corner of a darkened dining room and recited Young Frankenstein (from memory) in its entirety: dialogue, sound effects, probably even music cues, I mimicked the entire movie as a one-man monologue as my parents secretly listened along from the next room. It was most likely because of this that they intentionally introduced me to Blazing Saddles, History of the World, and the one I easily 'fell' for the most, High Anxiety. So it's fair to say I was a proper Mel fan by the time my parents rented Spaceballs shortly after its Home Video release in February of 1988. I didn't understand the notion of 'writer/director' at that age so it's not likely my expectations were put anywhere; nor did I really understand the concept of parody, I probably just accepted it as the silly Science Fiction movie that it is without any direct relation to STAR WARS - like I guess all outer space movies must have a gold robot and a talking dog and a big black helmet. But therein lies what I consider to be a sorta kinda flaw in this movie: regardless of how much I actually did adore STAR WARS at the time, without the ability to recognize the satire, I lost about 50% of the punchlines. Having said that, as I got a bit older and actually understood the spoofs, those punchlines still felt weak ("oh, I get it, Yogurt").

Being 5 years old I think I got caught up a bit in the story and the special effects, but I wasn't laughing the way I would with his previous movies -- and one could suggest that maybe the humor was too grownup or over my head, but if you've seen the movie you know that's unlikely if not impossible. Heck I've seen the movie as a grownup, I wasn't missing much; there are a couple funny lines/deliveries, and I genuinely like the scene where Rick Moranis and George Wyner actually watch Spaceballs on video ("What the hell am I lookin' at?!").

I've seen the movie enough to pull out quotes around others who know it and that always gives a warm sense of camaraderie but I don't think I'd ever just sit and watch it again on my own volition. Though I will say, for all its winks and nudges and not-so-subtle lampooning, the Alien sendup is a particularly strong moment, probably due largely to John Hurt's good sportsmanship in not only agreeing to the gag but giving it just as much gusto as he did the first time around. But here's the thing - I actually hadn't seen Alien before I saw this, nor was I even aware of the scene it was spoofing. So, because it was executed with meticulous accuracy (minus the "Hello my baby" bit) I was completely blindsided by this horrific ordeal. Adding insult to injury, both of my parents had fallen asleep on the couch by this point in the movie, so I was left all alone with this shit which, for all intents and purposes, is beat-for-beat the Alien chestburster scene! And I'm 5 years old in a goddamn dark living room basically all by myself! To be fair my parents were big sleepers - they loved to sleep, and we had a strict rule of courtesy that if someone was sleeping you were to be as quiet as possible. But the Xenomorph/Looney Tunes crossover brought me to DEFCON 1 and I mustered the courage to politely nudge my mom and say "It got scary, can I turn it off?" I took her unformed mumble as an affirmative and I pressed 'stop'.

My cousin eventually got big into this movie and he'd play it all the time, and for years I'd excuse myself from the room during the Alien part. However, his copy of the movie was taped from VCR to VCR, and his tape ran out before the end of the film. So I can't say exactly how old I was when I actually saw the end of Spaceballs, but whenever I see those final scenes now it feels like some weird deleted sequence where everything that's happening now is happening now. 

- Paul

My 5 Favorite Cameos from LOADED WEAPON 1

Loaded Weapon 1 is a Comedy written and directed by Gene Quintano (writer of the Allan Quatermain movies and Police Academy 3 and 4) and was released on February 5, 1993. It's a very obvious and effortless parody of the Lethal Weapon films (Part 3 had just come out the year before) so despite a lot of its weaker spots it was mildly exciting to me because the main thread was referencing something I knew so well. But more than that, the movie was visibly satirizing the entire Action Movie genre - not with the budget or bravura of Last Action Hero, but certainly with a much less subtle approach. I'd argue that it's even more broad and obvious than Hot Shots! Part Deux, but the point remains that '93 was fixated on self awareness - especially when it came to the most popular movie genre of the moment. (Goddamn we could use some of that nowadays.) I'm guessing this is how they assembled such a sprawling collection of cameos in this clunky chuckler of a matinee - everyone involved was anxious to playfully vilify the often self serious shoot-em-ups that dominated the day.

There are at least two dozen speaking parts in this movie by folks who are clearly there to lend their likeness as a punchline, and they all work (in different ways). Here are 5 of my favorites. 

- Paul

F. Murray Abraham

Dr. Harold Leacher

I don't think anything was spoofed as much in the early 1990s as Silence of the Lambs was - particularly the Lecter intro. There are several people in this who also popped up in Last Action Hero (Rick Ducommun, Frank McRae) but F. Murray really seems to revel in making fun of himself more than anyone in these films. 

Phil Hartman

Officer Davis

Phil showed up everywhere this year (Axe Murderer, Coneheads) and understandably so: he'd already been on SNL for 8 years at this point but now everyone knew him best as Bill Clinton. Added to that, his brief scene here gives off major Lionel Hutz vibes. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Themselves

This one's weird, but interesting. At one point Emilio's character gets lost in the sewer and finds himself superimposed in front of a scene from the 1990 Turtles movie in which the teens are playing Trivial Pursuit in April's apartment (?). It's equal parts clumsy and clever how New Line could just reach into their vault for legit Turtles footage and use it in some ramshackle way. Even weirder: Donatello's Corey Feldman voice has been redubbed here (much like in Secret of the Ooze) even though Corey himself actually cameos in this movie. 

Robert Shaye

Interrogation room fan

Speaking of, New Line founder Bob Shaye clearly loved to act (Wes Craven would attest to this). He'd show his face in a lotta things, Elm Street movies mostly, but always in his few frames of screentime he'd bring a mixture of casual realism and comedy - much as he does in his brief moments here as he lustfully waits for Kathy Ireland to present her "gratuitous beaver shot" in the style of Basic Instinct, depicting each cutaway to the studio president in various states of undress. 

Bruce Willis

John McLane

I use John McLane loosely; Bruce Willis in a white tank top is John McLane the way John Wayne in an eyepatch is Rooster Cogburn. And there's some common sense here: no one explicitly says it, but the punchline is Hey, this isn't Die Hard, this is Lethal Weapon! Out of all the macho Action stars of the 80s and 90s, Bruce was the true comedian and earned his moment of commentary on the bloody and gratuitous shenanigans of Box Office Gold. 

MY FAVORITE EPISODES part four

Winter presses on. It's been going for like 8 months now, and at times it's been merciless. The novelty of drinking J&B and playing computer chess like R.J. MacReady wears off after the first few snowstorms, and the Groundhog Day quotes ran dry long ago. Fortunately, there's television! And I don't mean binging the new baloney - where do you think you are? This is more of the episodes we've loved since forever, and the theme of this chapter is: funny. Most if not all of these are my favorite eps from these particular series, but more than that, they deliver the yuks at a superior rate. And we could all use a good laugh.

- Paul

The Dick Van Dyke Show

"One Hundred Terrible Hours" (season 4)

Immediately prior to writing for The Alan Brady Show, Rob was a disc jockey for WOFF Radio - during which he once performed an on-air stunt where he stayed awake for 100 hours. What transpires is a collaborative miracle of writing and performance as we get the most creative interpretation of mounting sleep depravation that's ever been broadcast. A lot of series have used various forms of intoxication as an excuse for some hijinks and that can usually get kinda predictable, but this concept allows some surprises - most notably a broad spectrum of childlike silliness and soul-crushing melancholy that is all equally and stupendously hilarious. 

Mad About You

"The Billionaire" (season 1)

I thought this show was consistently amusing for the bulk of its run, but it reached what I consider to be a pinnacle of comedic genius in this very early episode. Like most popular sitcoms, it had its parade of guest stars, but there's never been more inspired casting (or a more mad experiment) than pairing Jerry Lewis with Steven Wright: two giants with polar opposite comedic styles. In the context of the episode, they only share one brief interaction, and it's a catch-your-breath competition between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. This is where I typically suggest that they shoulda had their own series, but frankly we didn't deserve that and still don't. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

"Cowabunga Shredhead" (season 3)

80s Action 'toons were intensely boring to me -- unless they were funny. And few were funnier than the world's most fearsome fighting team and their hapless assailants - particularly the evil Shredder, who's taken a laser blast to the head which causes him to think he's Michelangelo. (This is the kinda storytelling that speaks to me.) It's amazing: it's animated, yet Shredder's "performance" as a Ninja Turtle is way over the top - to the point of parody, which is a hysterical revelation this early in its cultural impact. 

Seinfeld

"The Postponement" (season 7)

Soup Nazis and puffy shirts aside, the funny bone of this show is the four characters and their respective existential struggles - which are maybe best-defined in this singular episode. To be even more thorough, the real foundation is the Jerry/George relationship, which is established here in the most well-written, well-acted scene in the series as George presents his detailed desperation to Jerry, who placates him with his typically condescending finesse. 

M*A*S*H

"Adam's Ribs" (season 3)

Hawkeye reaches a boiling point with the options from the mess hall and embarks on a mission to have ribs flown in from the States. Whatever age I first saw this, I'd never had ribs or really even knew what they were in terms of consumption, but I knew I needed them. And after however many decades, I still approach most situations with the protest of "We Want Something Else!"

A Very Special Joe Don Baker Christmas

Controversial Comedies part 3

Death On Jupiter!

Controversial Comedies part 2

Read Part 1 by clicking here!

BIG FAT NIGHTS

Controversial Comedies: Like 'em or Loathe 'em

What makes a 'bad' comedy? Lack of laughs? ...Actually, yeah! Not enough laughs should be right at the top of the list. But if every movie must be measured by one specific metric, we're all in big trouble; in fact, any list of criteria is scheduled to fuck up a good time - especially when it's applied to anything artistic.

Speaking of 'artistic,' there are a handful of lowbrow clunkers from the late 80s/early 90s that have managed to harness a buncha cult momentum over the years - probably due largely to their notoriety with critics mixed with some misguided nostalgia (a formula we don't subscribe to). There are some that are worthy of some genuine, unironic love. And the others - well, if you get a kick outta reliving a waste of 90 mins. because it gets you in touch with your youth, have at it.

All of these flicks are not without their problems, though they're never the problems anyone seems to notice/care about. A lot of them also have some merit - which no one ever seems to notice or care about.
Let's get dirty.

- Paul

Weekend At Bernie's (1989)

The title itself is synonymous with "dumb movies" - which is fair enough, I'll let that slide. But the dumbness I found wasn't in its offbeat premise, or Andrew McCarthy's overacting, or the incessant reggae music - in fact, when I think of the movie, these are the things I find endearing. To be even more specific, anything else in the movie that detracts from that stuff is when I start to roll my eyes -- and the biggest and most painful detraction is some saggy romantic subplot between Jonathan Silverman and Catherine Mary Stewart (playing the female lead in a movie that doesn't have one). Every once in a while I decide to take another look at the movie, and I'm always blindsided by this agonizing attempt at some seriously unnecessary character development. There's a series of scenes between the two of them early on that play out like a promise that we won't have to revisit this nonsense for the duration of the film. But once the plot kicks in and the gags start flying, there's even more of these painful dialogue scenes between the two of them - right when we don't want them, causing any viewer to lament, "Why can't we just get back to the dead guy?!"
What can I say? It coulda been great. B-


Men At Work (1990)

Another example of some forced rom com pieces where they don't fit (all involving Charlie Sheen at his sleaziest, which actually gives them a bit of edge). Though they do attempt to convince us that it's integral to the plot, so we won't deduct too many points. And whatever you may think of Charlie as a human, he's consistently been a competent actor - particularly a comedic one.
At its heart, the setup (the morbid inconvenience of what to do with a dead body and all that that entails) is one I'm usually fond of - with everything from Pulp Fiction to Weekend At Bernie's. But the driving force behind this feature-length hijink is surprisingly the performances. The chemistry between Sheen & Estevez is more satisfying than one woulda thought. John Getz, who always shines most when he's forced to be funny, shines pretty brightly in this one. Even Dean Cameron, who I usually steer clear of, is more than tolerable in the background noise he provides.
But if you're a Keith David fan & you haven't seen Men At Work, you haven't seen his best role (and yes, I'm fully aware of the weight of what I've just written).
So, what's wrong with this little opus of chuckles? If nothing else (and there really isn't anything else), the lazy climax more clearly defines "lazy" than it does "climax." Spoiler: John Getz' bloodthirsty mob villain may be played for laughs, but he's eventually thwarted by our sprawling cast of heroes with an arsenal of garbage and trash cans (because Charlie & Emilio play garbage men, you see) and then pushed down a hill into some more garbage, leaving him stinky and humiliated, and leaving us bored and unfulfilled.
Bummer, they fumbled it so close to the end zone. B+


Nothing But Trouble (1991)

Not every outlandish bit of business here went down easy -- consider this experiment that flat-out shattered the test tubes.
Ensemble A-list casts are hit or miss - this was a big embarrassing "miss" for these comedy veterans and rising stars alike.
It was already branded "historically awful" by the time it hit video - which is when I saw it. Now, a bad movie can be tough sometimes, but when comedy fails, it's so much more painful, because a joke that falls flat is just so uncomfortable to witness - and no one wants to feel that.
So there, now that I've adequately asserted that I really don't care for this turkey, I'm now free of the encumbrances of 'mixed signals' while I talk about what I do like about it.
As a horror movie, it's not a far cry from stuff like Motel Hell or even Texas Chainsaw Massacre (at least in terms of the devices it employs), and going into it as an 8 year old, it actually is kind of effective on that plane. From top to bottom, it's really an achievement in gothic set design and seamless makeup effects, as well as a few plot points that would've probably been effective in a different movie with a different cast and a different script. There's a sequence where a group of teens (?) get fed into some kinda giant meat grinder and their bones shoot out of a tube at the other end -- it's played for laughs, but as we've already established, there aren't any, so it's just a gruesome example of the carnage and gross-out gimmickry this 'comedy' has to offer. D+


Howard The Duck (1986)

When I would watch it as a kid, I didn't really see any problems with it. When I watch it as a grownup, it feels a little juvenile... But still, I don't really have any problems with it.
I know it cost George & the gang a lot to make and it tanked on tickets, but the actual flaws in the quality I find to be pretty superficial.
And I will continue my crusade in applauding films that utilize (and even celebrate) the time period in which they were made, and Howard is refreshingly shameless about that: punk rockers roam the streets like post-apocalyptic bullies, government men in suits show up to create conflict, and lasers had a function that fell in line with the rules of science fiction.
Howard himself is likable enough, Jeffrey Jones is at his most evil, and Tim Robbins is comfortingly consistent within a career of overacting. And, of course, Lea Thompson never gives any reason to complain.
I am aware of the supposed "disgust" over the semi-sexual tension between Beverly and Howard - which is usually the glaring thread that people point to and say, "There! That's why this movie sucks!" To which I say: why, in the comic book movie about an inter-dimensional talking duck who saves the world and plays the guitar, are you combing for good taste and/or realism? Besides, I don't care what planet you're from, you don't turn down Lea Thompson in her underwear - I knew that when I was 4.
We saw a revival of it on the big screen a few years back, and I swear I've rarely seen an audience so quietly engrossed in a movie from beginning to end. What I gather from this is: you may not like Howard The Duck, but you'd be mistaken. B

Funny how?

Comedy is funny...
Funny how seriously we take it, how defensive we get, how subjective it is.
And it ain't just about movies; a 'sense of humor' is only that - no one knows what it means.
So, there, that should cover my ass from any mindless debate (though a little constructive nudging is manageable).

A lotta thought & science went into this - of course, those of you who categorize and catalogue your interests as scrupulously as I can understand how breezy it was to compile such a straightforward list.
And it is very much that: straightforward.
My criteria included staying true to the genre; there are tons of funny movies that I don't call 'comedies,' either because they're too dark (Pulp Fiction, American Psycho), too heavy (...And Justice For All, The Fisher King), too incidental (Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Room), or just belong in another genre entirely (Running Scared, Back to the Future).

My other highly scientific stipulation is that actual, physical laughs are the prevalent takeaway. There's plenty of excellent lighthearted cinema that's expertly crafted but lacking in lolz. Much in the same way a lot (or most) of the best horror isn't actually scary -- and that's why this isn't "best" comedies or "favorite" comedies, but "funniest."

Which brings me to my last overly analytical observation. Taking a step back to guarantee honesty to myself and to you, this list is an obvious testament to the evolution (and sometimes devolution) of what's funny from generation to generation. It's strictly for the purposes of statistical curiosity that I point out the absence of Chaplin, The Marx Brothers, and Neil Simon, as well as Apatow, Stiller, and Edgar Wright - which helps to reiterate that very idea of how dated, divisive, and personal "funny" is... I think there's less than 50 years of celluloid on my own list.

And without getting into the 'purpose' of listing for the umpteenth time, I would like to say: like a badge of recognition, these little structured assortments of pop culture are unique within themselves (what they're about, the order they're in) and also, more importantly, from person to person. Any list I've composed has obviously been exclusive to my own taste, but this one in particular feels the loudest and the proudest - that is, to say, the most obvious. Anyone who knows me can read it and think, "Well... that figures."
And if you don't know me by now, you will never, never, never know me.
No you won't!

- Paul

50) Dumb and Dumber (1995)

It took years of growth and blossoming maturity to appreciate this gem - less for what it is, and more for what it isn't. In between the abrasive punchlines and gross out slapstick is a wealth of subtle nuance - courtesy of the comic genius of its two leads.

49) Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy (1996)

Just about most sketch comedy can't make the leap to narrative feature - even this one struggles to secure a cohesive thread.
Still though, the not-weird-enough premise does allow the 'Kids' plenty of opportunities to dress up & play some new (and some of their best) characters.

48) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Whatever problems I've had with the gentleman, young Wes certainly has the market cornered on dry humor. And that dryness always works best when it's laced with some doses of hijinks and personality - in this case, due largely to the stellar cast -- particularly one Gene Hackman. Not only does he steal the show, but everyone else's best scenes are the ones where they have to go up against him.

47) Caddyshack (1980)

Apart from its tedious teen subplots and lame gopher puppet, it might've been a little flawless.
Populated with some of the best comedians of a generation, each at the height of their game and each with their own unique brand of comic timing, they bounce in and out of absurd situations, existential monologues, and cutting observations.
Which is nice.

46) Like Father, Like Son (1987)

I wanna use this as an opportunity to talk about the creative team of director Rod Daniel and composer Miles Goodman. Like Burton and Elfman, they manage to compliment each other's talents, resulting in a very stylish, sinister-yet-whimsical tone that elevates otherwise lowbrow fare (they'd achieved a similar effect with Teen Wolf in '85) to a unique level of visceral comedy/horror. It makes it that much funnier.

45) Greedy (1994)

The blueprint is refreshingly old fashioned: a huge cast of A- and B-list character actors stuck together in one location, firing crisp dialogue at one another. That & the continually unfolding plot would make for an excellent stage adaptation (and I actually mean that in a good way).

44) The Birdcage (1996)

Not one of Mike Nichols' greatest visual achievements, but it's less about that and more about drag, dinner, and John Wayne.
I won't compare it to the stage play or the original adaptation because I've not seen them - but I'm confident in my assessment that Nathan Lane's performance is now the stuff of comedy legend. And I'll always be a fan of Hank Azaria's flaming Guatemalan accent.

43) Wayne's World 2 (1993)

It's not easy choosing between the two, but the sequel always felt weirder, sillier, and so: funnier.
I've talked about Ralph Brown's bizarro performance as psychotic roadie Del Preston before, and how he stole the movie - so I'll use this space to call attention to one of the greatest fight scenes ever put on film: Wayne vs. Jeff (James Hong) in a bravura spectacle of hand-to-hand Kung Fu and English-language dubbing.

42) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

The best of the Vacation movies (which isn't a huge accomplishment), it not only nails most of the jokes it goes after (no matter how over-the-top), but it also manages to capture the spirit of the holiday - which is even harder to do.
It's so intensely quotable that you can bang out lines year 'round - in and out of season.

41) The Blues Brothers (1980)

The closest we've ever come to Saturday Night Live: The Movie -- and the brilliance of it is that all of its sketches, guest stars, and musical performances blend into one cohesive storyline.
And who knew car chases could be so hilarious?

40) Death Becomes Her (1992)

The idea of a few overpaid actors hamming it up for an effects-driven storyline doesn't sound all that appealing. But thanks to more-than-competent effects, an okay script, some adventurous direction from Bob Zemeckis, and probably Bruce Willis' best performance, it comes through as an oft-overlooked masterwork of shenanigans.

39) The King of Comedy (1982)

It's weird (probably only to me) that this is the only Jerry Lewis movie to make my list -- and that the funniest (and scariest) performance belongs to DeNiro. But, it is and it does.

38) Airplane! (1980)

Neither overrated nor underrated; too many great characters to have a favorite, too many lines to even mention, and (most of) the humor has proven to be timeless as the yuks still hold up. Golly!

37) Best In Show (2000)

The best of Guest, IMO.
The great thing is that it's already a funny movie for the first two thirds, and then Fred Willard swoops in and levitates the whole thing to astronomical heights.

36) Office Space (1999)

Who'd a thunk - the creator of Beavis and Butt-Head would be a true master of subtle humor (not that it's not without its broadness).
No one isn't notable, but extra nods to Stephen Root, Gary Cole, and John C. McGinley.

35) Tommy Boy (1995)

It's the only truly great Chris Farley movie, as the ones that followed couldn't match its charm (even if it was a rehash of Plains, Trains, and Automobiles).

34) Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

Probably the smoothest transition from screen to screen that's ever been achieved.
Fans say it all the time, and it's true: had it just been an episode of the TV show, it'd be one of the best (either in a movie theater, or in normal view!).

33) Mother (1996)

The only Albert Brooks movie to chart - which says a lot for this particular movie. He's top-notch as usual, but anyone unfamiliar with the brilliance of Debbie Reynolds needs to familiarize themselves via this particular performance. Awards shoulda been won.

32) High Anxiety (1977)

If you know Mel, you know this one. And if you know Hitchcock, you'd better know this one.
It's responsible for sparking my crazy adoration of Cloris Leachman.

31) The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

The entire trilogy is on the ball, but there's a healthy serving of childhood nostalgia with this one. That + the entire final sequence in Anaheim Stadium is the best part of all of 'em.

30) Trading Places (1983)

The whole 'New Year's Eve on the train' thing feels like a different movie (of lesser quality), but everything else is the kinda funny I grew up on. And it covers three major holidays, so there's plenty of time to watch it!

29) Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Now that the initial shock of originality has long passed, one can look at it with fresh eyes and truly appreciate that - after years of rip-offs and cult status - it truly is comic genius on its own flippin' sweet level.

28) Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

It's hard to imagine how dumb or irritating it could've been had it not been in the hands of so many talented people. And for all its great scenes and perfect lines, its most admirable (and funniest) attributes are how it depicts school, and the intuitive understanding of that feeling of 'time off.'

27) Stripes (1981)

There's more Bill Murray on this list than anything else (which should be a tip-off), and for whatever greatness he gives in all these other flicks, Stripes clearly allowed him more freedom and screen time than he'd ever had - before or since. And it pays off.

26) A League of Their Own (1992)

When something's this sweet and optimistic, it puts you in a mood that just makes the laughs flow that much easier.
Also, Tom Hanks' funniest role...? I think maybe, yes.

25) Raising Arizona (1987)

Live action Looney Tunes mixed with existential dread: that describes the Coens, sure, but they (nor anyone else) have ever mixed highbrow this high and lowbrow this low.
Also, Nic Cage's best performance...? I think maybe, yes.

24) Easy Money (1983)

This is a very particular brand of humor: 80s New York macho wiseguy humor. In other words, if Rodney Dangerfield were a movie...
And if that doesn't sound like your mug of beer, it's just as worth it for Joe Pesci and Taylor Negron.

23) Groundhog Day (1993)

Another premise that could've easily gone off the rails had it not been done right. But alas, it became a new standard of comedy - largely, I say, due to its perfectly paced (not to mention highly original) script.
Like a handful of these movies, the funniest ideas come outta the scariest ones.

22) A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

It could've been about anything -- this is a movie that rests entirely on its performances.
And while Kevin Kline gets most of the notice, it's worth it to give extra attention to two Python vets and an actress who once effortlessly held her own against Dan Akyroyd and Eddie Murphy.

21) My Cousin Vinny (1992)

One of the few on here in which an engrossing story actually drives the laughs: long dialogue scenes, fish outta water stuff, and repetition through (pun) trial and error.
Even with an Oscar win, it's still not as revered as it should be.

20) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Way way better than their other films, and nearly better than Flying Circus -- which could make this the ultimate Monty Python experience.
Probably the most genius thing about it will always be that, if you took away the humor, it could stand on its own as the grittiest, spookiest, best depiction of the Middle Ages... with or without actual horses...

19) Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks' best by a mile and a half. And how could it not be? - it's most likely the funniest ensemble of actors ever assembled.
I memorized every line and sound effect at the age of 4, and performed the entire movie for my parents, a cappella.

18) Throw Momma From the Train (1987)

Danny DeVito depicts slapstick with dramatic choreography and a dark brutality that hits me at just the right angle.
I can remember: even days after seeing it for the first time, I'd be in school and think of moments and have to suppress laughter.

17) What About Bob? (1991)

I'm always gonna be a sucker for the straight man/funnyman dynamic, and this is one for the (modern) ages. And while there's a clear line between who's who, it's hilarious enough that sometimes it's hard to choose which lead is funnier.

16) A Serious Man (2009)

Right when I thought the Coen Bros. had dried up a bit, they snuck this card off the bottom of the deck: as sharp and darkly funny as their Barton Fink days, but with some added confidence in their now-famous quotable one-liners and catchphrases.

15) The Money Pit (1986)

Humor via destruction -- but that's just part of it.
The stunts are sometimes so elaborate that you can't help but laugh (even if it's sometimes out of amazement), but when you've seen this (or any of these movies) as many times as I have, it's the dialogue that dominates the foreground, and nearly every line becomes part of my own personal rhetoric.
And 80s Tom Hanks.

14) The 'Burbs (1989)

Another one on the list with a single location and a fixed amount of players - with nothing but their dialogue to guide them through satirizing the mystery genre, the horror genre, and the white American suburbs.

80s Tom hanks.

13) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

It's not always easy to translate humor from literature to film - luckily everyone got it right (mostly by staying true to the original words).
While Johnny gets his praise for his dead-on Hunter Thompson impression, Benicio del Toro's Dr. Gonzo is a concoction of ferocious physical comedy worthy of Curly, Belushi, and Chris Farley, and needs more recognition.

12) Arthur (1981)

It's fun to watch others have fun, and who has more fun than a drunken millionaire?
Laughter is infectious, and who has a better laugh than Dudley Moore?
Is that all there is to it? It is a blissfuly simplified fable, and that's part of its charm. But while I assert that most of these movies are "quotable," this movie certainly lands in the Top 3.

11) Uncle Buck (1989)

A Candy-Hughes collaboration is something we're stuck with far too little of, so every frame is precious.
When a character is (obviously) written for a specific actor, the desired outcome is usually spot-on - as is the case with Buck Russell, who may as well join the ranks alongside The Tramp, Inspector Clouseau, Ace Ventura, and Beetlejuice.

10) Beetlejuice (1988)

Outside of the crazy over-the-top performances and morbid sight gags, the best joke of this whole movie is that, at any given moment, you can't believe this made it into the mainstream.
Maybe the greatest ending of any kinda movie: Winona Ryder levitating over the ghosts of nameless football players, dancing and lip-syncing to Harry Belafonte. That's comicality you can't put a label on.

9) Sleeper (1973)

Absurdity at its purest, Woody at his best.
People divide his stuff up into "funny" and "non-funny." But for the first half of the 1970s, he was on a whole other plane: "screwball" - and Sleeper was the pinnacle.
The opening electric wheelchair scene is still too much for me to take.

8) I Love You to Death (1990)

Pace changes are my favorite (we'll get into more of than soon) and nothing lends itself to buffoonery like true crime.
A story with a gut-wrenching premise (partly because it's true) very slowly (and believably) unravels into sitcom-worthy hijinks, and never do we feel bad for laughing.

7) The In-Laws (1979)

Here's a recipe for hilarity: both straight men acting erratically, or, the comic relief maintaining composure... Which is which? Depends on what scene we're at.
Arkin and Falk: a comedy team we didn't know we needed until we got it - and, man, am I forever grateful for it.

6) Ed Wood (1994)

Biopics generally stink - mostly because I use this movie as the metric.
It's easy to laugh at self-delusion and blind optimism, but that proves to be only one fraction of the movie. Some great writing allows all these eccentric characters to have their own voice in their own moments, and it's certainly not unfair to marvel at Johnny Depp's bizarre translation of the real-life Ed Wood, Jr.

5) Plains, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

The 'road trip' movie would never be the same. Neither would the 'buddy picture,' the 'dramedy,' or my own Thanksgiving holiday.
John Hughes' best, it incorporates all-sorts: slapstick, deadpan, prop comedy, one-liners (sometimes set to music)... all with a heart and a lesson, like he knew how to do so well.

4) Play It Again, Sam (1972)

My favorite Woody Allen movie not directed by Woody Allen.
It's so rich and well-paced that you'd hardly guess it derives from Broadway -- but because it was initially a play, the entire structure rests squarely on Woody's anecdotal punchlines and physical comedy, and they were never better.

3) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Satire is basically never done correctly. In fact, in my own mind, I equate the word itself to this one and only institution of jet-black humor - a movie that can only be classified as 'comedy,' courtesy of a filmmaker whose sense of humor I've always shared.
No one doesn't give a funny performance, but my favorite bits are the ones between Peter Sellers and Sterling Hayden: another unlikely comedy team that could've had their own movie to play with.

2) Midnight Run (1988)

One of the funniest scripts ever written is a good place to start.
I could call it an action movie - until I make the assessment that the entire movie is lacking a comic relief: thereby, everyone's a comedian! (Even imposing guys like Yaphet Koto and Dennis Farina get some of the funniest lines.)
All of these movies have a handful of famously funny scenes; watching Midnight Run, every scene feels like that scene.

1) Ghostbusters (1984)

It's the same concept as Strangelove: the funniest thing in the world just may be the end of it. And therein lies the nexus of my own sense of humor: to point and laugh at the face of danger, all the while in the face of danger.
I've always thought of it as an efficient and effective horror movie, and that + the attention to detail, the seriousness of (most) of the monsters, and the weight of the plot only added fuel to the funny. Because, in reality, when the real-life apocalypse hits, it'll be just as dumb and confusing as a 100-foot marshmallow man.