Top 15 Comedies you should see

Slackers
• 2002
• Starring: Devon Sawa, Jason Schwartzman, James King
• Directed by: Dewey Nicks

2002’s biggest glory in the underrated movie department would have to come in the form of “Slackers,” starring Devon Sawa, James King and Jason Schwartzman (from Rushmore). While extremely vulgar at times, Schwartzman is the highlight of the film, constructing hair dolls from his obsession (King), flashing the peace sign incessantly and nicknaming himself “Cool Ethan” while driving around on his unicycle. Admittedly, Slackers is one of those movies you have to watch more than once to notice how funny it is, but after you watch twice, you’ll probably watch about 200 more. On second thought, people afraid to laugh at obvious drug and bodily humor need not apply.

Sixteen Candles
• 1984
• Starring: John Hughes, Molly Ringwald, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling
• Directed by: John Hughes

Samantha Baker wakes up on her sixteenth birthday to discover everyone, including her own family, has forgotten her special day. To make matters worse, she has a massive crush on Jake Ryan, an older guy who dates the prom queen and doesn’t even know she exists. It’s got all the stereotypical characters needed — the dork, the popular jock and plain old Samantha — to take you back to your own high school days.

Miss Firecracker
• 1988
• Starring: Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Robbins
• Directed by: Thomas Schlamme

This movie is about a small-town girl with a bad reputation who has turned over a new leaf in her life and decided to make something of herself. After being fired from her job at the fish plant Carnelle (Holly Hunter) enters a beauty pageant in hopes of winning just as her cousin did a few years before. The film is full of humor and quirkiness and will have you cracking up most of the time, especially if you have ever been in a beauty pageant.

Legally Blonde
• 2001
• Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair
• Directed by: Robert Luketic

Yes, it’s corny, but Reese Witherspoon is too adorable as Elle Woods. Heart-broken Elle tries to win back her boyfriend after he dumped her to find someone more serious. To achieve this, she applies for Harvard Law School and, surprisingly, gets in. Along the journey, Elle finds herself and finds what she is really good at — law. She defies all stereotypes of blondes and sorority girls and manages to do it all without breaking a nail.

Mallrats
• 1995
• Starring: Kevin Smith, Jeremy London, Jason London, Shannen Doherty, Ben Affleck
• Directed by: Kevin Smith

“Mallrats,” like all Kevin Smith movies, has an off-beat sense of humor that not everyone can understand or enjoy, making it even better. A protective dad tries to keep his daughter from her “loser” boyfriend, T.S. The better half of the movie takes place in the local mall and involves T. S. sabotaging a game show to try to win his girlfriend back. “Mallrats” combines real, adolescent emotions with zany actions and concepts, played out by Jay and Silent Bob.

The Royal Tenenbaums
• 2001
• Starring:
Gene Hackman, Angelica Houston,
Luke Wilson,
Ben Stiller, Gwenyth Paltrow
• Directed by:
Wes Anderson

Gene Hackman leads a superb cast as the recovering dead-beat dad, Royal Tennenbaum, tries to repent for his selfish ways and set things right with his estranged children and ex-wife who have long-since moved on with their lives. The quirky, unconventional film has a moral and sweet sentimentality that runs through it. Anderson digs into the weaknesses of all the characters, and despite their oddities, finds something quaintly humane about them.

Father of the Bride
• 1991
• Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams, Charles Shyer
• Directed by: Charles Shyer

When George Banks envisioned his daughter’s wedding reception, he imagined slinging burgers in a chef’s hat surrounded by crepe paper and balloons. He had no idea what the next few months of his life would be like. Steve Martin plays the hilarious dad who is emotionally and financially tortured in every step of his only daughter’s wedding plans. The excessive expenses, the swans at the reception and the fact that hot dogs come in packs of four while buns come in packs of six is all too much for George to handle.

Blazing Saddles
• 1974
• Starring: Mel Brooks, Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens
• Directed by: Mel Brooks

This movie is so absurd that it’s genius. It brings vastly different elements together and defies the norm. The movie features an African-American sheriff in the Old West, trying to win over an all-white town. “Blazing Saddles” has a culmination of shoot-outs, citizenship, flamboyant dancing and a movie within a movie, all mixed with comedic relief. Such random elements and varying plot lines can make the movie seem busy at times, requiring the viewer to pay full attention, but director Mel Brooks makes chaos look so good.

Zoolander
• 2001
• Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Jerry Stiller
• Directed by:
Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller is Derek Zoolander, a supermodel overflowing with charisma and no common sense. He is targeted by a dangerous crime organization that wants him to carry out some dangerous plans. Suddenly, Zoolander has to think fast — but with his head always in the clouds, Zoolander has trouble thinking at all. If you haven’t seen it, do.

Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• 1964
• Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden
• Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Psychotic, communist-hating Gen. Jack D. Ripper takes it upon himself to send the 34 B-52s under his command to attack the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons. When this is discovered by the President, he assembles 25 advisers in the War Room at the Pentagon to deal with the crisis. But it looks as though nothing can keep one of the B-52s, piloted by cowboy Col. Kong, from completing his mission.

Dogma
• 1999
• Starring: Linda Fiorentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, Selma Hayek
• Directed by: Kevin Smith

Two mischievous angels who were laid-off by God and banished to Wisconsin are determined to go home. They set out for New Jersey, determined to use a little-known loophole in church law that would allow them to get back into heaven and thus negate all existence. God is missing, so the heavenly forces dispatch an abortion clinic worker, who is a distant relation of Jesus Christ, Jay, Silent Bob and Rufus, the black, 13th Apostle, to stop them.

Caddyshack
• 1980
• Starring: Michael O’Keefe, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray
• Directed by: Harold Ramis

This movie revolves around the scheme of a vulgar land developer who wants to build condominiums on the site of a ritzy country club. Director Harold Ramis is content to let the comedy follow a variety of wacky detours, most notably Murray’s war with a gopher that has been digging up the golf course. Dangerfield ultimately steals the show, firing off a battery of one-liners, insults and tasteless gags.

So I Married an Axe Murderer
• 1993
• Starring: Mike Myers, Nancy Travis
• Directed by: Thomas Schlamme

A Mike Myers’ classic from the “Wayne’s World” days, Charlie Mackenzie (Myers) is a commitment-phobe who gives up on relationships for almost any reason. From the klepto who stole his cat, to the unemployed Mafia member, no girl will do. When Charlie falls for Harriet (Nancy Travis), a local butcher, he suspects that she may be the illusive Mrs. X, a murdering bride that kills her husbands on their wedding nights.

Princess Bride
• 1987
• Starring: Robin Wright Penn, Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon, Andre the Giant
• Directed by: Rob Reiner

Don’t be fooled by the sappy name. This classic comedy tells the hilarious tale of Westly, a dashing pirate-type character who must rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup. Several years after Westly is presumed lost at sea, his girlfriend Buttercup becomes engaged to the arrogant Prince Humperdink. The prince is planning to kill-off Buttercup in an attempt to create war with a neighboring country. Enter Westly, who was not dead, but carving out a successful career in pirating. He forms an odd alliance with a revenge-obsessed Spaniard, a gentle giant and a kooky “Miracle Man.” With great skill, teamwork and dumb luck, the group storms the castle to rescue Buttercup. A classic in its own right.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• 1975
• Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam
• Directed by: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Don’t expect this movie to make sense. That is why it is so wonderful. From the subtitled opening credits to the massive police bust at the end, it is 89 minutes of pure silliness. King Arthur and his loyal servant Patsy set out to find the Holy Grail and collect a strange assortment of knights along the way. King Arthur engages in a conversation about coconuts and swallows with a castle guard, Sir Lancelot accidentally rescues an effeminate man and a few characters are picked off by a killer bunny. Not your typical knight’s tale.