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Top Ten Comedies

post #1 of 65
8/13/08 at 1:47pm
Thread Starter 
Pretty self-explanatory. List your Top 10 comedies of all time. Though not as hard as a general top-10, this is still going to be tough. Here's my list of the films I can come back to time and time again, and still laugh as hard as the first time.

(in no particular order)
1. The Big Lebowski
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. Planes, Trains, & Automobiles
4. Caddyshack
5. American Psycho
6. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
7. Airplane!
8. Monty Python and The Holy Grail
9. Best In Show
10. Sideways
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post #2 of 65
8/13/08 at 1:50pm
Ghostbusters
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Young Frankenstein
A Fish Called Wanda
Tootsie
Airplane!
This Is Spinal Tap
The Producers
Duck Soup
Animal Crackers
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post #3 of 65
8/13/08 at 1:53pm
No order. Also composed in under one minute - the logic being that the quicker it comes to mind, the more I like it, unless I really hated it. In that case it's set aside and urinated upon.

GOD OF COOKERY
GHOSTBUSTERS
ARMY OF DARKNESS
BLUES BROTHERS
TAXI 2
MODERN TIMES
THE GENERAL (Buster Keaton)
STRANGE BREW
FREDDY GOT FINGERED
MEN SUDDENLY IN BLACK
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post #4 of 65
8/13/08 at 1:54pm
Annie Hall
Animal Crackers
Dr. Strangelove
Back to the Future
The Big Lebowski
Trading Places
Airplane!
Ghostbusters
The Thin Man
Shaun of the Dead

I'd like to throw up To Be or Not to Be (1942), Blazing Saddles, Manhattan, Sideways, The Meaning of Life, and Rushmore as honorable mentions.
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post #5 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:00pm
In no order (and my list is going to look a lot like the ones already posted)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Big Lebowski
Ghostbusters
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Dr. Strangelove
Baseketball
Best in Show
This is Spinal Tap
Shaun of the Dead

Some people may question the inclusion of Baseketball , but I don't care. I love that movie, and it gets funnier as time goes by.

ETA: Super Troopers, Galaxy Quest and Hot Fuzz get honorable mentions
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post #6 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:02pm
Used Cars
Top Secret!
Duck Soup
The Lady Eve
Trouble in Paradise
Ball of Fire
Trading Places
Blazing Saddles
Sleeper
Wet Hot American Summer
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post #7 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte View Post
Used Cars
Top Secret!
Duck Soup
The Lady Eve
Trouble in Paradise
Ball of Fire
Trading Places
Blazing Saddles
Sleeper
Wet Hot American Summer
Crap! How did I forget Top Secret? That would get an honorable mention as well.
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post #8 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:09pm
I don't have a lot of comedies in my collection, but these are the ones that I always come back to, in no order.

Caddyshack
Smokey and the Bandit
Anchorman
Kingpin
There's Something about Mary
40 Year Old Virgin
Dumb and Dumber
Trading Places
Duck Soup
Three Stooges shorts

These are the ones that I can always rewatch and still find funny. I might throw Eddie Murphy's Delirious and some stand-up from Pryor and Carlin if that counted.
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post #9 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:38pm
Here's mine:

Coming to America
Office Space
Ghostbusters
Top Secret!
Raising Arizona
The 40 Years Old Virgin
The Party
The Big Lebowski
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Shaun of the Dead


Honorable mentions: Blazing Saddles, Baseketball (yes Chris, it's also a favorite), Life of Brian and Dumb and Dumber.


How the fuck are American Psycho and Freddy got Fingered are considered comedies by some people?
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post #10 of 65
8/13/08 at 2:44pm
In no particular order

The General
Young Frankenstein
The Court Jester (Danny Kaye)
Spinal Tap
A Night at the Opera
Airplane
40 Year Old Virgin
Animal House
The Mouse that Roared
Dr Strangelove

ETA: Ehhhh...forgot the Python. Toss Holy Grail or Life of Brian in there instead of the Mouse movie. And maybe tack on a Pink Panther flick or two
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post #11 of 65
8/13/08 at 3:05pm
Top Twelve (no order):

This is Spinal Tap
Wet Hot American Summer
Anchorman
Animal Crackers
Blazing Saddles
Dr. Strangelove
Airplane!
The Big Lebowski
The Blues Brothers
Ghostbusters
Swingers
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Other Favorites:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Clue
The Apartment
Dazed and Confused
The Seven Year Itch
PCU
Wayne's World
Zoolander
The Naked Gun
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Trading Places
Coming To America
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post #12 of 65
8/13/08 at 3:09pm
1. Blues Brothers--cool

2. It Happened One Night--king of the romantic comedies

3. Ghostbusters-"We came, we saw,..we kicked its ass!"

4. Smokey & The Bandit-it's all about Burt.

5. Used Cars--anarchy! What happened to this Zemeckis?

6. Big Lebowski----perfect party movie

7. Lost In America--"Just like Easy Rider!"

8. Annie Hall--ultimate Woody

9. Groundhog Day--Hilarious & Oh, the theological implications

10. Raising Arizona----Live action Looney Tunes

Honorable Mention: ANIMAL HOUSE, WHAT'S UP DOC?, THE LADY EVE, BOTTLE ROCKET, SWINGERS, TRADING PLACES, SHOT IN THE DARK, BACK TO THE FUTURE, DOWN WITH LOVE, VACATION
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post #13 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:39pm
In no real order:
Brazil
Shaolin Soccer
Fight Club
Re-Animator
Shaun of the Dead
Robocop
Rushmore
Ghostbusters
Dr. Strangelove
Big Lebowski

Honorable Mentions: Evil Dead 2, Ichi the Killer, Big Trouble in Little China, Just about every Pixar movie EVER, Deathrace 2000, Ed Wood, Fargo, Final Destination 2, Hot Fuzz, Mr. Vampire, Raising Arizona, Repo Man, American Movie, Kung Fu Hustle, God of Cookery, Man Bites Dog, Q: The Winged Serpent, Ravenous, and every Buster Keaton, Marx Brothers, and Charlie Chaplin film.

Goodfellas, Jackie Brown, the Right Stuff and Dawn of the Dead (78) are also films I love and find particularly funny, but they fit into so many other genre categories that I can't bring myself to include them here.

Deep Blue Sea and Dante's Peak get huge laughs out of me, but I'm not sure they were intended...

And I'd like to add that I thought American Psycho was pretty obviously a comedy.
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post #14 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe Powers View Post
Re-Animator
Robocop
Goodfellas
I know there are a lot of diverse genre that includes funny, but these are NOT comedy. Unless...
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post #15 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:46pm
ROBOCOP is definitely a comedy.
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post #16 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
I know there are a lot of diverse genre that includes funny, but these are NOT comedy. Unless...
Well, I said that I wasn't including Goodfellas, so there's that.

Robocop is nothing but satire, and I'm still confused as to how people miss that,

Re-Animator is the big shock here. How is Re-Animator NOT a comedy? Have you seen Re-Animator?
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post #17 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe Powers View Post
Well, I said that I wasn't including Goodfellas, so there's that.

Robocop is nothing but satire, and I'm still confused as to how people miss that,

Re-Animator is the big shock here. How is Re-Animator NOT a comedy? Have you seen Re-Animator?
Yup. I'd classify that as horror. Unlike Shaun of the Dead, which has horror in a comedy movie, Re-Animator is a horror movie with funny elements in it. Same as Robocop, but that one is indeed pure satire. Following that logic, is Starship Trooper a comedy?
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post #18 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:56pm
Boundaries, man it's the 21st century. Why does a movie have to be one or the other?
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post #19 of 65
8/13/08 at 4:59pm
1. A Fish Called Wanda
2. Quick Change
3. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
4. Team America: World Police
5. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
6. Bedazzled (remake) sue me...
7. Big Trouble in Little China
8. C’est Arrive Pres De Chez Vous (Man Bites Dog)
9. Fletch Lives
10. Raising Arizona
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post #20 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte View Post
Boundaries, man it's the 21st century. Why does a movie have to be one or the other?
I'm all good with multi-boundaries movies, but I seriously tried to pick movies I viewed as pure comedy. I might have to rethink my list.

Powers has some good ones, but stand by my judgment that Freddy Got Fingered is not a comedy. It has no funny in it. It's daring, yes, but not fun.
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post #21 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
I'm all good with multi-boundaries movies, but I seriously tried to pick movies I viewed as pure comedy. I might have to rethink my list.

Powers has some good ones, but stand by my judgment that Freddy Got Fingered is not a comedy. It has no funny in it. It's daring, yes, but not fun.
Don't like GOING BERSERK. But be hard pressed to argue it's not a comedy. Taste is a funny thing.
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post #22 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
Following that logic, is Starship Trooper a comedy?
I consider Starship Troopers a comedy over everything else, but if I ran a video store I'd stick it (and Robocop) under Sci-Fi. I have a lot of trouble with the term comedy I guess.

As for the Re-Animator, I really see it as a comedy with horror elements because so few of the horror elements are played straight.

I think one-liners are a good cue for me and comedy, and Re-Animator has a million of them.

I'd be willing to argue that Goodfellas is largely a comedy, but a lot of people seem to take that stance as some kind of downgrading of the film's greatness.
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post #23 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:37pm
Though the problem with my argument is that one could argue that almost any movie is a comedy. I actually can't think of a single movie I couldn't argue was a comedy, though I'd have to pretend to have a pretty sick sense of humour for something like Men Behind the Sun, Irreversible or Schindler's List
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post #24 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe Powers View Post
Though the problem with my argument is that one could argue that almost any movie is a comedy. I actually can't think of a single movie I couldn't argue was a comedy, though I'd have to pretend to have a pretty sick sense of humour for something like Men Behind the Sun, Irreversible or Schindler's List

Well, Man Bites Dog has a fuck load of comedy, thought a part of it lost in translation and context, and it's one that's tough to classify in any category.
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post #25 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:48pm
Goodfellas is a comedy now?
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post #26 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:49pm
So is The Pianist.
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post #27 of 65
8/13/08 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
Freddy Got Fingered is not a comedy. It has no funny in it. It's daring, yes, but not fun.
I laughed my ass off at this movie. A bunch of abused children sitting around watching TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is funny. The "I brought you jewels" scene is sweet and funny and clinically deranged all at the same time.
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post #28 of 65
8/13/08 at 6:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Savage View Post
So is The Pianist.
I can't argue that one because I still haven't seen it. But Adrien Brody's nose is pretty funny.
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post #29 of 65
8/13/08 at 6:31pm
Not gonna add much here, but I'll throw in all the same:

The Big Lebowski - just a great character comedy, with nary a bad turn. Even Tara Reid works.
when harry met sally... - I'll never get bored of watching it. Its funny, astute and moving.
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut - A brilliant musical, a brilliant satire and a brilliant laugh riot.
A Night at the Opera - split the difference between Duck Soup and this. Had to at least mention this for the "sanity clause" skit.
Raising Arizona - the film i've watched more than any other and can still reduce me to fits of giggles.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - again, i'd trade this out for Spinal Tap, but this has to be mentioned just cos I love it so damn much.
Super Troopers - its loses its way after "shenanigans" but up til then, its about the funniest film of the last ten years.
The Life of Brian - again, a brilliant film and way better than Holy Grail, if not as surreal.
Dr Strangelove - still scary, still hilarious, comedy genius.
Top Secret - the best of the Zucker films for me. Wins by virtue of Kilmer alone.

Not necessarily my top ten, considering the ones i've pointed out that i'd trade, but I wanted to try and bring something else to the table. Have at it.
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post #30 of 65
8/13/08 at 7:03pm
I would call Robocop a satire for sure, but I don't think being a satire necessarily makes it a comedy.

No one mentioned LA Story. That's up there for me.
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post #31 of 65
8/13/08 at 7:16pm
1. Caddyshack
2. Animal House
3. Ghostbusters
4. The Blues Brothers
5. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
6. Up In Smoke
7. Office Space
8. The Pink Panther Returns
9. Austin Powers (the first one)
10. Billy Madison
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post #32 of 65
8/13/08 at 7:23pm
I'm pissed that I forgot SHAMPOO. A Brilliant classic!

It was heartbreaking working at a video store and pimping this hard, only to have people come back and complain. Shit, if someone can't at least appreciate it for Jack Warden's performance, don't know what to tell them.
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post #33 of 65
8/13/08 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
I would call Robocop a satire for sure, but I don't think being a satire necessarily makes it a comedy.
I guess I assumed the two went hand in hand.

I looked up the definition of Comedy, and the first entry states:

Quote:
A play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
If that's the case, then my assumption of funny=comedy is wrong.
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post #34 of 65
8/13/08 at 7:43pm
In no order and only cheating with one tie:

This is Spinal Tap
Young Frankenstein
Shaun of the Dead
Hot Fuzz
Knocked Up
American Psycho/The Rules of Attraction
Fight Club (thanks Gabe, somehow I forgot this one)
Annie Hall
Raising Arizona
Ghostbusters

I classify Starship Troopers under sci-fi, but it is certainly among the funniest movies I've ever seen.

Robocop and Re-Animator as well.

Can't believe nobody mentioned Return of the Living Dead yet.

The Marx Brothers and Animal House are in the Netflix queue so don't tag me for those please, I'm working on it.
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post #35 of 65
8/13/08 at 9:50pm
-Ghostbusters
-The Big Lebowski
-Evil Dead 2/Army of Darkness
-Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
-Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz
-Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
-The Blues Brothers
-Monty Python and the Holy Grail
-Trading Places
-Raising Arizona

Honorable mentions to stuff like the "best of Verhoeven"(Robocop, Starship Troopers, the TV edit of Showgirls) that most people don't consider comedy, and stuff like American Psycho and Fight Club.

I also have a soft spot for moments in otherwise shitty films such as Ace Ventura/Dumb and Dumber(lots of really dumb shit that played on Carrey's silly strengths, even though Dumb and Dumber isn't technically bad), Cabin Boy(the tobacco-spitting cupcake, Letterman), and UHF(wheel of fish, spatula city). When they're funny, they have me in stitches like few other movies ever manage.

I own most of the stuff I've listed, and a few others such as National Lampoon's Vacation, but in general I'm a shit-head when it comes to comedies. People have a really hard time getting me to watch them. I'm too big a fan of depressing stuff I guess(and Pixar!).
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post #36 of 65
8/14/08 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe Powers View Post
If that's the case, then my assumption of funny=comedy is wrong.
Correct. Look at Shakespeare's comedies - they are simply not tragedies, not necessarily funny. But for the sake of this thread, I would go with the funny option.
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post #37 of 65
8/14/08 at 9:01am
Shit, I can't believe I forgot UHF.
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post #38 of 65
8/14/08 at 9:16am
Robocop is a satire, but not a comedy. It's a sci-fi action film. Much like Lethal Weapon is an action adventure film, not a comedy. Both films are very funny, but at the end of the day, i don't think that means they are comedies. At some point you do have to categorize a film so you know where to look for it. if i went to a store and was looking for Robocop, I wouldn't be looking on the comedy shelf. Conversly, The Blues Brothers is a comedy that has some great action elements, but i wouldn't call it an action film.

Seeiing as how i have completely avoided the subject of this thread, i'll just say that the Blues Brothers is easily high up in the top 10. Fuck that movie still cracks me up everytime i see it.
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post #39 of 65
8/14/08 at 11:44am
no order:
Ghostbusters
UHF
Mystery men
Young Frankenstein
40 year virgin
Holy Grail
Office Space
Blues Brothers
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Beerfest

Nominations:
MST3K the movie
The General
American Pie 1 & 2

I'm sure I'm leaving a ton off
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post #40 of 65
8/14/08 at 11:45am
UHF! I forgot that one too!

"Turtles. Nature's suction cups."
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post #41 of 65
8/14/08 at 11:47am
Had no idea Weird Al was so well regarded.
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post #42 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:14pm
Speaking of Weird Al, I really like the Naked Gun series too, which boggles my mind considering I dislike most similar offerings such as Hot Shots, Airplane!(that might be blasphemy around here), and most of Mel Brooks' films.

My comedy taste is very weird in general though. I'm not sure if the Naked Gun thing is nostalgia speaking. The first one still cracks me up, haven't seen the sequels in a long-ass time.
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post #43 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:24pm
No Particular Order:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (although I've killed it)
Office Space (the first half is near perfect)
A Fish Called Wanda
Real Genius
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (still the hardest laughs in a movie theater)
Ghostbusters
40 Yr Old Virgin
Anchorman
This is Spinal Tap
Animal House
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post #44 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:27pm
Thread Starter 
Who DOESN'T consider American Psycho a comedy? I know, you could argue it's not I guess, but I seriously laugh my ass off for 99% of that film every single time I watch it.

I also was torn over whether to include Wet Hot American Summer on there, but my 'classic loving' side took over. There is a shit-pile of honorable mentions I could come up with.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas should probably be on my list, but it didn't seem to cross my mind when I was making it. Maybe it's because my brain files that in the "love of drug use" category. It's actually probably more because though I laugh my tits off for most of that film, it makes me feel some serious emotions during parts of it (the monologues from Thompson/Depp).
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post #45 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
Real Genius
"I was hot, and I was hungry."


"You're laborers! You're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education."
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post #46 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeypants View Post
"You're laborers! You're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education."
William Atherton: when you absolutely, positively, HAVE to cast an asshole.
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post #47 of 65
8/14/08 at 12:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (still the hardest laughs in a movie theater)
Same here, I don't know why I didn't think of it. I had tears streaming down my cheeks for a full 5 minutes after "Uncle Fucka".
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeypants View Post
Who DOESN'T consider American Psycho a comedy? I know, you could argue it's not I guess, but I seriously laugh my ass off for 99% of that film every single time I watch it.
This is somewhat off-topic maybe, but there's a moment in American Psycho that fucking slays me. It requires good use of slow motion skills though to truly appreciate.

When Bateman is leaving the dry cleaners(where he had the blood-stained sheets and ran into the friend), slow it down after he says his last line and turns and leaves. Bale's face goes from his extremely fake smile to PURE EVIL in a millisecond. It's really amazing. To me, anyway.

That movie is the single reason Bale's smile has never felt sincere in any movie I've seen him in since.
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post #48 of 65
8/14/08 at 1:40pm
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Blazing Saddles
Ghostbusters
Airplane!
Clue
The Blues Brothers
Dr. Strangelove
Annie Hall
Coming To America
Clerks
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post #49 of 65
8/14/08 at 4:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeypants View Post
Who DOESN'T consider American Psycho a comedy? I know, you could argue it's not I guess, but I seriously laugh my ass off for 99% of that film every single time I watch it.
I think the business card scene is one of the funniest scenes in the history of cinema. Seriously. And his reaction to blowing up a car? Feed me a stray cat? His speaches about terrible '80s music?

The problem with labling the film a comedy is that Harron is sure to make some of the scenes from Guinevere Turner's P.O.V. very frightning, and the scenes with Chloë Sevigny heartbreaking. It's the same thing Takashi Miike does with his 'comedies', he'll make the violence funny 75% of the time, but the other 25% is revolting, depressing, and straight faced. I think in Miike's case he's sort of playing a joke on the audience, whereas in Harron's case she's just trying to make a more multi faceted movie.
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post #50 of 65
8/14/08 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I definitely see what you're saying, and I wouldn't freak if someone tried to argue against it being a comedy. It's really an "eye of the beholder" type thing. Which... I suppose makes me a sick fuck. So be it.

I just feel the comedy in American Psycho far, far outweighs the serious business.

"Is that Ivanca Trump?"
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