Dear Comedy Fans,
Making a video about the greatest comedies of all time is serious stuff. Well, we took it seriously, anyway.
This is the second instalment in our Greatest Movies A-Z series with WatchMojo, and it might have been the hardest of all. As tempting as it is to just stick to Will Farrell movies that make us laugh, we had the whole history of cinema to contend with. A rich, hilarious history which we hope this video serves as a nice reminder. Enjoy.
Again, we gave ourselves some guidelines:
- One film per letter
- Articles don’t count (the, an, a, etc.)
- Final list should encapsulate the genre
The last rule dictated a lot of our hardest decisions. Sometimes you have to go with beloved movies even if you don’t personally love them (looking at you, Caddyshack).
So here’s some take-aways from our decision-making process. If your favorite movie isn’t in our final video, there’s a very good chance it’s a decision, and not an omission.
LESSONS FROM COMEDY A-Z
Now that this first video is out, here’s some take-aways from our decision-making process. If your favorite movie isn’t in our final video, there’s a very good chance it’s a decision, and not an omission.
TOP DECADE: 1980s
The 1980s have the most films on the list, suggesting some generational bias. The 70s and 90s are also well represented. The last 20 years have it rough: there’s not a single movie here from the 2010s. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to! And by that, we mean in the 20s and 30s (it’s not nostalgia - those movies we included are still great).
HARDEST LETTER: G
G, didn’t expect that! If a Charlie Chaplin vs Buster Keaton face-off wasn’t enough (The Great Dictator vs The General), what about the 1-2 punch of Bill Murray’s all-time classics Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters? Or maybe we meet halfway in the timeline with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Instead, we played some politics, giving Keaton the G film and pushing Groundhog Day to another genre, and having Marilyn Monroe “settle” for the still pitch perfect comedy Some Like it Hot. Ghostbusters just didn’t make the call of a pure comedy - it’s so much more.
Runner-up: A. Anchorman vs Ace Ventura vs Austin Powers - come on!
2nd Runner-up: B. Blazing Saddles vs The Big Lebowski vs _Bridesmaids_… see why we said this genre was the hardest??
CHEATED OUT: Lost in America
It’s a Criterion Collection comedy (which is pretty rare), and just a hell of a funny ride. But the video was getting a little bro-centric. Even though Reese Witherspoon double dips with Election, Legally Blonde was just too big and beloved not to recognize.
BEST BATTLE: Wayne’s World vs What’s Up, Doc?
Wayne and Garth would probably claim they aren’t worthy of taking out screen queen Barbara Streisand in What’s Up, Doc?, but _Wayne’s World_really holds up. Still, we banged our heads against the wall for a while, then just went with our gut. Asphinctersayswhat?
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: Dumb and Dumber
You’re either thinking hell yes! this movie made the cut, or what the hell? The film snob in us definitely fought for Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The film historian part of our brain mounted a solid argument for the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup. But at the risk of our pets losing their heads, we just had to respect the biggest comedy star of the 90s in one of the dumbest, funniest movies of a generation
Think your list would be better? More balanced? Less heart-breaking? Let us know.
Sincerely,
Dear Cast & Crew
