Det Jim McLeod Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Is there one movie that makes you laugh the most no matter how many times you see it? One you would like to share with others? For me it's easy to choose... Duck Soup (1933) The Marx Brothers at their peak. The film is only about 70 minutes long but has non stop jokes and gags and nearly all of them work. Groucho's machine gun delivery is at it's best with rapid fire insults and one liners. Harpo has some of his most hilarious visual gags. Chico's scheming character and fake Italian accent provide many of his best scenes as well. Zeppo doesn't have much to do but it doesn't matter when the other three are at the top of their game. There's not much plot but it's not really needed. Groucho becomes ruler of fictional country Freedonia and ends up declaring war on neighboring Sylvania. Louis Calhern is great as Sylvania's exasperated leader who employs Harpo and Chico as spies. It's hard to pick out a favorite scene but two stand out. There is Harpo and Chico's battle with a short tempered lemonade seller (played by Edgar Kennedy) and the hysterical mirror sequence with Groucho and Harpo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Yes Jim, definitely. Hail, Hail Freedonia! (...but overall, the Bros' other comic masterpiece, the Opera flick, has always made me laugh just a little more somehow) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Monty Python and the Holy Grail Raising Arizona Dr. Strangelove This is Spinal Tap Airplane! Young Frankenstein The Jerk Duck Soup Caddyshack Life of Brian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Somnambula Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Well Mister Gantry, I watched The Jerk at a video store and they had it playing on LaserDisc. It was an early version of the technology and the film was processed in CAV, which means 30 minutes per side. CLV could yield 60 minutes per side. I would have to say RV with Robin Williams. The emergency brake on the RV didn't work, and the results made me laugh out of control. While I know it changes, I really like your Elmer Gantry LawrenceA. Also like how you use text top and bottom. My favorite Burt Lancaster is Airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 A Night at the Opera (1935) was by far the best theatre movie going experience I have had. College crowd in a packed theatre in the 70's. Those were the days when you could smoke in the cinema and it wasn't only tobacco! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 The funniest movie, or at least the one where I laughed nonstop, was IL SORPASSO (1962). It's considered one of the best examples of Italian style comedy. Everything Vittorio Gassman does in this film is a riot. I think one of the reasons it impresses me is because Gassman is a good looking leading man, he doesn't even seem like a comedian. But he's really great in this movie. The whole thing just moves along brilliantly, and the laughs get bigger. I was literally exhausted from laughing so much, when I finished watching it. I'd never had that experience before, where my rib cage hurt after watching a movie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Sorpasso 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Markoff Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 From probably two or three dozen good candidates for top honors, I really have to stick with Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad. Mad, Mad, Mad, World". That film simply creates an alternate universe all its own. The surreality of California at that timeperiod and the things these people did. Crazy cars and bouffon hairdos and martinis and beatniks; the backdrop for an epic comedy plot where Americans are pushed by greed to the brink of sanity. Flying an airplane through a billboard, running each other off the road ...just astounding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Det Jim McLeod Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 17 minutes ago, Bogie56 said: A Night at the Opera (1935) was by far the best theatre movie going experience I have had. College crowd in a packed theatre in the 70's. Those were the days when you could smoke in the cinema and it wasn't only tobacco! I know many people prefer this one to mine, and I do like it, I feel there are not as many laughs. "Duck Soup" is pure 100% undiluted Marx madness. Whereas "Night At The Opera" has a bit too much music (even the music in DS is funny) and romantic subplot. Harpo is also made into a more child like victim rather than the wild madman of the Paramount films. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Det Jim McLeod Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 1 hour ago, LawrenceA said: Monty Python and the Holy Grail Raising Arizona Dr. Strangelove This is Spinal Tap Airplane! Young Frankenstein The Jerk Duck Soup Caddyshack Life of Brian I am big fan of Monty Python also. But my favorite of their movies is "The Meaning Of Life". It has many of their most hilarious sketches and well as some great comedy songs. I like "Holy Grail" and "Life Of Brian" but while it has many very funny scenes, there are some draggy moments as well in between the hilarity. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 A fun montage: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Det Jim McLeod Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, TopBilled said: A fun montage: Thanks, the montage makes it look like an artistic "Beach Party" movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 1 minute ago, Det Jim McLeod said: Thanks, the montage makes it look like an artistic "Beach Party" movie. Yes, because of the music and that particular era (early 60s). Gassman's character has a record player in his convertible. So various songs are heard on the soundtrack. It's actually a road movie. Early on he picks up another aimless guy and they drive from town to town along the coast, messing with women and getting into road wars with other vehicles. We learn that Gassman is very lonely and has no friends. So this stranger he picks up suddenly becomes a much-needed friend. But Gassman is very impulsive, likes to drive 120 miles an hour, likes to flirt with danger with no regard for consequences. The scenes with him harassing other motorists on the road are hysterical. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Somnambula Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 This probably belongs in the Car thread, but I couldn't resist. Car record changer in a nice looking ride. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukhov Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 2 hours ago, Det Jim McLeod said: I am big fan of Monty Python also. But my favorite of their movies is "The Meaning Of Life". It has many of their most hilarious sketches and well as some great comedy songs. I like "Holy Grail" and "Life Of Brian" but while it has many very funny scenes, there are some draggy moments as well in between the hilarity. Yeah, I definitely agree with you. Meaning of Life is my favorite. "I've decided to sell you all for medical experiments!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 My next ten choices (the numbering system won't allow you to start with any number but 1, so regard these as # 11-20 following my previous post): The Kentucky Fried Movie A Night at the Opera I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Monty Python's The Meaning of Life Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Team America: World Police The Foot Fist Way Wet Hot American Summer UHF The Man with Two Brains 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt_Markoff Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 another ten or so? okay The In-Laws Fire Sale Where's Poppa? Foolin' Around Return of the Pink Panther The Producers MASH Slap Shot Animal House The Sunshine Boys The Odd Couple Murder by Death Harold and Maude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 18 minutes ago, Sgt_Markoff said: Fire Sale Where's Poppa? I've haven't seen these two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 So, how about Plan 9 from Outer Space, or maybe The Creeping Terror ??? (...I don't know YOU folks, but I can't stop laughing whenever I happen to catch those on my TV set, anyway) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukhov Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Yeah, or Manos: the Hands of Fate or Teenagers From Outer Space. Another so bad it's good film I love is Violent Sh1t. Just thinking of the name "Karl, the Butcher Sh1tter" makes me laugh. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedya Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Imitation of Life (1958). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagebrush Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 For me, THE COURT JESTER proves to be the most consistently funny film, no matter how many times I watch it. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is also up there with it. For something more current, I love SHAUN OF THE DEAD. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, Fedya said: Imitation of Life (1958). Really? You find it laugh-inducing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LsDoorMat Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 Good Morning Vietnam (1987) - the film that got Robin Williams out of B list material and showed that he could do good dramatic work as well as comedy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 the last great comedy imo to come out of Hollywood... what about bob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted April 6, 2019 Share Posted April 6, 2019 35 minutes ago, sagebrush said: For me, THE COURT JESTER proves to be the most consistently funny film, no matter how many times I watch it. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is also up there with it. For something more current, I love SHAUN OF THE DEAD. The Court Jester always makes me laugh no matter how times I've seen it. Love this film. Bringing Up Baby, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Duck Soup, Night at The Opera, Pat and Mike are the first ones that come to mind. I love What About Bob and Tootsie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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