The Tuesday Diversion: The Funniest Movie You've Ever Seen

In a The Tuesday Diversion entry from a couple of years ago, I asked about funniest scenes in a movie. This time, I'll just ask "what is the funniest movie you've ever seen."

I know that there's a wide variety of movies I find funny, from the silliness of "Blazing Saddles" or "Young Frankenstein" to small but quirky and off-beat gems like "Local Hero" and "Raising Arizona." Some think the Marx Brothers genius, but I never really understood the attraction. Chaplin and Keaton, on the other hand, still amaze me.

So, what's the funniest movie you've ever seen?

•  tips

  You'll notice I didn't really answer the question myself. It's a tough one.

  by The Centerfielder on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:36:30 AM PDT

•  Kevin James on Tweety's show.

  Oh, you mean real movies. They've been ruined for me now, by that 10 minute clip of pure comic joy.

  by pat208 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:37:03 AM PDT

  •  GOOD ONE

    IMAGINE HAVING TO GO THROUGH LIFE SHOUTING ALL THE TIME. IT MUST BE TERRIBLE.

    by The Centerfielder on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:38:14 AM PDT

•  Show Girls

  but does that count? It wasn't supposed to be funny.

  by krnewman on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:39:21 AM PDT

•  The Exorcist

  I've seen it 52 time and it keeps getting funny each time.

  by Phlogiston Junkie on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:42:35 AM PDT

  •  interesting... mine is TCM

    Interesting how horror movies change if you see them enough times.  The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has a few truly terrifying scenes, but much of it was very funny.  All the scenes in the van.  And every scene with the Franklin character in the wheelchair is hilarious.  That guy was great.

    by wvhillrunner on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:19:17 AM PDT

•  I'll nominate

  Animal House and Spinal Tap as my favorites. Oh, and Caddyshack.

  I remember seeing a movie discussion that came up with a list of ten "best comedies" and a completely different list of "funniest movies", I was never sure how they drew that distinction.

  by esquimaux on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:42:54 AM PDT

  •  We must be the same age.

    This one goes to 11.

    by Tracker on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:21 AM PDT

  •  Probably cuz

    the "best comedies" would likely refer to the entire story line and everything of a movie and "funniest movies" would just be for the biggest laughs.  That's my thoughts, though I may be completely wrong.

    by jcil5 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:47:56 AM PDT

  •  Caddyshak but not Stripes?

    But you're correct.  Animal House is the cinema's greatest achievement.

    by ThirstyGator on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:12:44 AM PDT

  •  How'd you like to mow my lawn? Hmm Hmm?

    by cometman on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:26:27 AM PDT

•  Pink Pather

  Lots of movies have made me laugh. Probably the Pink Panther movies and the comedic genius of Peter Sellers more than just about everthing.

  Maybe it was just the crowd or the night I saw it, but I cried laughing at Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" I don't know it would be have the same effect today.

  by cadejo4 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:43:30 AM PDT

  •  "Return of the PP" Struck Me as the Gem

    of the series. I still love to see the female lead collapse laughing out of character as Sellers carried on with his phun rhapairman bit.

    by Gooserock on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:43 AM PDT

•  Monty Python and the Holy Grail

  by BlueStu on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:44:01 AM PDT

  •  I second this.

    I first saw it as a kid and still quote it whenever possible.

    by cybrestrike on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:04:05 AM PDT

    •  Same here.

      Well, the quoting part anyway.

      by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:12:46 AM PDT

  •  The winnerby many lengths

    Young Frankenstein, Raising Arizona, and Local Hero (more sweet that merely funny) are good suggestions, but this one is a freak of nature.

    by Seneca Doane on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:45:30 AM PDT

•  Two in my Top Five are

  Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday.  Screwball, yes, with a brilliant combination of razor-sharp dialogue and good physical comedy.

  by Youffraita on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:44:06 AM PDT

  •  Two of my favorites as well

    I'm also quite fond of The Lady Eve.

    by milkbone on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:48:14 AM PDT

    •  try "The Shop Around the Corner"

      Jimmie Stewart

      by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:01:05 PM PDT

      •  it was remade into

        "You've Got Mail"

        by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:02:15 PM PDT

  •  Cary Grant had

    a great sense of timing.  Add Arsenic and Old Lace.

    by newfie on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:58:03 AM PDT

•  Animal House

  Still and always.  It doesn't matter how many times I watch it.

  by get the red out on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:44:13 AM PDT

  •  Interesting observation

    I work at a big state university. I've seen the kids wear that "College" T-shirt that John Belushi wore.

    I wonder how many of today's college students are in on the joke.

    And Belushi's rant is classic..."Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!"

    by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:51:42 AM PDT

    •  Sadly...

      I'm waiting for Hillary to use the same line as Belushi any day now.

      by BenderRodriguez on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:57:31 AM PDT

      •  Great username!

        Brilliant! Good ol' Bender Bending Rodriguez, made in Mexico.

        Bite my shiny metal daffodil!

        by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:58:23 AM PDT

    •  you know ...

      Citibank or one of the big cc companies was handing those "college" t-shirts out for completing a cc application for a couple of years.

      by ThirstyGator on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:14:12 AM PDT

  •  I love Animal House

    Others that come to mind include:

    My Cousin Vinnie
    Annie Hall
    Office Space

     

    by NY John on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:29:23 AM PDT

•  Funniest on First Viewing: "Go West" Marx Bros.

  "Drop that cannon!"
  http://img258.imageshack.us/...

  But I was a teen boy, and their humor is definitely boy oriented.

  Local Hero was urged on us by a number of immigrant Scots friends, and hanging around in those circles we agreed it was amazingly on the mark.

  But hands down, the most enduringly funny movie for me is Life of Brian.

  
  Yeah, she's a virgin!

  Republicani ite domum.
  
  Now write that down a hundred times.

  by Gooserock on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:44:41 AM PDT

  •  Even funnier

    That I saw LoB after the rigors of high school Latin.  My teacher screamed at me just like John Cleese as the centurian did.

    by Tracker on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:47:36 AM PDT

  •  He's not the Messiah!

    He's a naughty boy!

    by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:49:01 AM PDT

  •  ROMANES EUNT DOMUS!

    n/t

    by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:53:17 AM PDT

  •  First time I saw it

    I walked out of the theater and realized it was Good Friday. I drove home waiting for a bolt of lightning to smite me.

    by milkbone on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:49:44 AM PDT

•  There's Something About Mary

  The first time I saw this movie, I quite literally, was down in the isle at the theater rolling on the floor.  I saw it again later on video and it wasn't nearly as funny.  Got my money's worth that first time though.  

  by Nathan in MN on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:44:58 AM PDT

•  My top ten

  10.  Spies Like Us

  9.   Anchorman

  8.   Kingpin

  7.   Broadway Danny Rose

  6.   Tommy Boy

  5.   Office Space

  4.   Fletch

  3.   Monty Python and the Holy Grail

  2.   Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

  1.   The Jerk

   

  by el bandito on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:45:00 AM PDT

  •  Office Space - a classic!

    not laugh out loud funny for me, but I find myself quoting it all the time.

    I was in Outback a couple of weeks ago and noticed all the pieces of flair!

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:50:29 AM PDT

  •  Tommy Boy

    I would put "Tommy Boy" at #1, but I'm glad to see it on someone's list!

    by archkcmo on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:54:03 AM PDT

•  Dr. Strangelove

  Or How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb.

  Awesome movie.

  by ryan81 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:45:19 AM PDT

  •  Just saw the other night for the first time

    Brilliant!

    by on2them on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:48:24 AM PDT

  •  "How does it end?"

    I friend and I were telling our project leader about Dr. Strangelove, which he had never seen.  He wanted to know how it ended.  We didn't want to spoil it for him, so we started singing:

    We'll meet again,
    Don't know where,
    Don't know when...

    A perfectly accurate answer, and utterly useless to him.

    by Caelian on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:29:35 AM PDT

•  Paper Moon

  Tatum O'Neal won the oscar, but the late Madeline Kahn stole the show IMO.

  Young Frankenstein has some great lines, like when Gene Wilder is being strangled by the monster and tries to convey a message through charades to his assistants, and Marty Kaplan comes up with "give him the sedagive!"

  by perky mcjuggs on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:45:42 AM PDT

•  There is a scene from

  Never Again (2001) with Jill Clayburgh and Jeffrey Tambor that is the funniest SCENE I've ever seen in a movie.  I can't nominate the movie for your diary (although it's a quality movie) but the scene is worth the price of rental, at least.  How many times watching TV alone, have you really laughed out loud?  For me, almost never.  I did, at length, and you will; I'm sure it would be much more deliciously hilarious if watched in a group.

  by ceebee7 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:10 AM PDT

  •  Have you (or anyone here) seen the kissing scene

    from "My Stepmother is An Alien"?  

    OMG!!!!!

    I mean, of course, the movie is lame in general, but the scene where they first kiss is so hysterical that every time I see it I cry from laughing so hard!

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:48:02 AM PDT

•  Offbeat movie

  Quickchange with Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid. The jousting scene is simply insane.

  by corwin on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:32 AM PDT

•  Johnny Dangerously...

  the first time I saw that in a theatre, I was belly-laughing so hard I kept missing the next joke!  I had to see it a few times to get them all!

  :D

  by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:37 AM PDT

  •  fargin iceholes.....

    by Mr Right on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:13:36 AM PDT

    •  it's fargin war!

      by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:28:16 AM PDT

    •  you know your name is an adverb? n/t

      by krnewman on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:31:56 AM PDT

  •  How 'bout

    "My father recommended this movie to me.  Once!"

    by FultonDem on Tue May 20, 2008 at 12:09:20 PM PDT

•  when I first saw it: Airplane

  saw it again recently and parts seemed very dated, but still funny.

  Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein seem to have withstood the test of time a little better.  :)

  by Debbie in ME on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:46:45 AM PDT

  •  how could I forget?

    The Princess Bride

    by Debbie in ME on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:51:44 AM PDT

    •  Hilarious and quotable. n/t

      by llamaRCA on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:55:46 AM PDT

      •  Inconceivable!

        n/t

        by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:56:38 AM PDT

        •  I do not think it means what you think

          by Debbie in ME on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:58:23 AM PDT

          •  Prepare to die. n/t

            by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:15:26 AM PDT

            •  You'd make a wonderful

              Dread Pirate Roberts.

              by Debbie in ME on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:19:59 AM PDT

              •  There's a shortage of perfect breasts

                in the world, it would be a shame to ruin yours"

                and Peter Cook's great line

                Mawwage is a nobuh institution, not to be entuhed into wightwy

                by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:25:24 AM PDT

                •  And wuv

                  ... twue wuv, wioh fowwow you, foweveh.

                  by Laughing Vergil on Tue May 20, 2008 at 12:34:53 PM PDT

        •  that's "incontheivable"

          by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:06:52 PM PDT

    •  Liar! Liar!

      "this man is only mostly dead"

      "have fun storming the castle"

      by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:17:51 AM PDT

    •  Have fun storming the castle!

      by Pappalardo on Tue May 20, 2008 at 01:01:05 PM PDT

•  In no particular order

  Young Frankenstein
  Blazing Saddles
  What's Up Doc?
  Raising Arizona
  Bringing Up Baby
  Duck Soup
  The Bank Dick
  Office Space

  Speaking of Mike Judge, please go out and rent or buy Idiocracy.  While not the funniest movie I've ever seen, there are a couple of jokes that had me laughing so hard, I fell out of my chair. The main reason I'm recommending it is because Fox tried mightily to kill it, releasing it in "select cities" on very few screens, with zero promotion. They know that Mike's vision coming true is there best chance for their news channel's success.

  by Blue Intrigue on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:48:04 AM PDT

  •  You and I

    would always get along on movie night.

    by perky mcjuggs on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:50:31 AM PDT

  •  I'll second the recommendation for Idiocracy

    Mike Judge is insightfully hilarious.

    by el bandito on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:52:51 AM PDT

  •  I keep thinking of more...

    Bowfinger
    Election
    Annie Hall
    Take the Money and Run
    Sleeper

    by Blue Intrigue on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:53:19 AM PDT

  •  Oh - I had forgotten about

    "What's Up, Doc?"  That was VERY funny!

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:03:40 AM PDT

  •  Raising Arizona, yes.

    "Rushmore"
    "Bottle Rocket"
    "The Royal Tennenbaums"

    by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:08:00 PM PDT

•  Seriously,

  Duck Soup.

  I haven't seen it again in a long time, but A Fish Called Wanda left me in tears from laughing.

  by melvin on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:48:59 AM PDT

  •  For me?

    I'm partial to Night at the Opera, but Duck Soup works for me.

    by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:52:46 AM PDT

•  Besides the classic ones,

  "Airplane"
  "Champagne for Ceasar"
  "Little Miss Sunshine" was pretty darn funny in many spots

  by FoundingFatherDAR on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:49:12 AM PDT

•  Spinal Tap . . .every other time.

  The first time I saw ST, I kinda got it.  The second time I was on the floor for much of the movie.  The third time, it was OK.  Fourth time, brilliant, etc. up to 24.

  by dditt on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:49:37 AM PDT

•  A couple of my favorites

  Blazing Saddles
  Monty Python and the Holy Grail

  by FishBiscuit on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:49:41 AM PDT

•  You and I

  would always get along on movie night.

  by perky mcjuggs on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:49:50 AM PDT

  •  oops posted in wrong place n/t

    by perky mcjuggs on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:50:57 AM PDT

•  Big Business

  Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler

  by on2them on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:50:09 AM PDT

  •  I loved "Ruthless People"

    with Midler and Devito.

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:02:53 AM PDT

•  Tough choice

  I'd be hard pressed to name one "funniest", but my last memory of a movie that had me laughing nonstop from beginning to end, so hard I couldn't breathe, was probably "A Fish Called Wanda".

  A more recent one that's right up there: "Little Miss Sunshine"

  But how can anyone not get Chaplin?

  And I've probably forgotten a bunch in the "laughing so hard I can't breathe" category.

  by rppa on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:51:30 AM PDT

  •  I rewatched "A Fish Called Wanda" last week

    and it is still really, really funny.

    by llamaRCA on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:56:47 AM PDT

•  I love the screwball comedies

  of the forties -- Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, etc.  They don't write witty scripts like those very often these days.

  by seenaymah on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:52:10 AM PDT

  •  If you liked "His Girl Friday"

    check out Billy Wilder's "The Front Page"

    It's a remake, and it stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

    by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:10:05 PM PDT

•  Read My Signature Line

  Dude.

  by kaleidescope on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:53:50 AM PDT

  •  I'm so clueless...what's this from?

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:00:28 AM PDT

    •  The Big Lebowski, perhaps?

      Not that I've seen the entire thing.

      by Inland on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:02:21 AM PDT

      •  Ishtar is SOOOOO bad, that it is

        actually hillaryous. damn, I must change my spell checker back.

        the B&W movies are great, so well written, and well acted,
        and so are some of the early color films,
        walk don't run
        Operation petticoat
        Father Goose
        Mr. Blandings

        and these are just the cary grant flicks.

        any of the marx bros, animal house, airplane (1 only)

        by agnostic on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:10:59 AM PDT

      •  The Short Version

        Just in case you didn't have time to watch the whole movie here's a link to the one minute version. Warning not work compatible.

        by kaleidescope on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:32:19 AM PDT

•  I loved....

  'It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world'.
  Laugh every time I watch it.
  Also 'The Long Long Trailer' with Lucy and Desi.  Every time she loads up on the rocks I start to laugh.

  by Lilyvt on Tue May 20, 2008 at 10:59:14 AM PDT

•  Add, "Producers", "A Funny Thing Happened on

  Way to the Forum" if you skip the musical numbers.

  by Inland on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:03:41 AM PDT

•  Here are a few that haven't been mentioned...

  "Love Story," "Schindler's List"...

  Oh, wait a second. You asked for funny movies. I seem to be trapped in Hillary's Bizarro Land, where everything is opposite. Please help!

  Okay, how about "Naked Gun," (although the sight of O.J. Simpson is a total laff-kill) "Airplane," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and "La Cage Aux Folles"?

  by BenderRodriguez on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:05:05 AM PDT

  •  A review of La Cage aux Folles

    It's a good thing this movie has subtitles, because you'll be laughing so hard you won't be able to hear the lines

    by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:23:32 AM PDT

•  "Sideways " and "It's a Gift "(W.C.Fields)

  by mem on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:05:44 AM PDT

•  What about funniest YouTube?

  I like Hu's on First.
  Also any films with the great Madeline Kahn.

  by Cottagerose on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:09:02 AM PDT

•  Eraserhead.

  On second viewing.  First time, it was terrifying.

  by Crashing Vor on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:09:29 AM PDT

  •  The best part of Eraserhead

    was convincing other people to go see Eraserhead.  It was playing every friday at the midnight show, and that made people curious, so I would describe as "unforgettable" and "really different" and, my favorite, "I can't describe it, you've got to see it for yourself".

    by Inland on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:16:33 AM PDT

  •  interesting,

    because it's said that while Lynch is making his films, he is usually laughing out loud.  He finds them very amusing.

    by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:11:34 PM PDT

•  This is Spinal Tap

  is the only DVD I own.  Spaceballs: The Movie and Monty Python and the Holy Grail would be the second- and third-most-watched comedies for me--and I've never failed to laugh at any of them.

  I think I could end friendships based on failure to find any of these hilarious.

  by Gray on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:10:04 AM PDT

•  Monthy Python's Search for the Holy Grail.

  ..bring out your dead...

  by Mr Right on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:10:16 AM PDT

•  Young Frankenstein and Holy Grail

  really stand up over time, which is very hard for comedies.  I'd also have to second an earlier vote for Kingpin.  I've only seen it once-I'm almost afraid to see it again for fear that it wont be as awesome the second time around.

  Also never get tired of:

  Life of Brian
  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  Anchorman
  The Court Jester (old Danny Kaye movie)
  Animal House (required for UO alums)
  Caddyshack
  Airplane
  Raising Arizona
  Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
  Wedding Singer
  Happy Gilmore
  Death at a Funeral

  And lastly, not the whole movie, but Alec Baldwin's scene in Glengarry Glen Ross always strikes me as great black comedy.  My girlfriend and I both were laughing our asses off during that scene (and got more than a few quizzical looks from our fellow moviegoers).  "Coffee is for closers!"

  by ksduck on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:10:54 AM PDT

  •  Court Jester

    the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true, the chalice with the palace has the potion with the poison....

    if I am thinking of the right Danny Kaye movie

    by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:20:50 AM PDT

  •  Young Frankenstein

    is my wife's favorite funny movie.  (Do you want to go for a roll in the hay?)

    I like it too, but I think I like Blazing Saddles even more. (Where the white women at?)

    by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:27:03 AM PDT

•  "All of Me"

  Many Eddie Murphy movies.
  Chaplin, Marx Bros.

  by LNK on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:11:19 AM PDT

  •  There's another great movie I'd forgotten about..

    All of Me!

    Oh, my dad loved that movie too!

    by Pandoras Box on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:37:13 AM PDT

•  Without a doubt,

  Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail.

  by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:11:46 AM PDT

•  The Big Lebowski!!!!!!!

  I am shocked no one has mentioned this great movie!!!!

  by drshatterhand on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:12:46 AM PDT

•  Horse Feathers (1932)

  There are many, many very funny movies, with different targets and different approaches to humor. But among all of them, I would have to say that the Marx Brothers' "Horse Feathers" may have been the funniest for me when I saw it.  A commenter uplist opined that the Marx Brothers were for teenage boys and I might agree.  I was probably about 12 when I first saw it and I laughed so hard I couldn't breath.

  by Justus on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:13:10 AM PDT

•  In more recent vintage

  The Rat Race

  by on the cusp on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:15:50 AM PDT

•  Many great ones mentioned

  one that's overlooked: Clockwise, with the stunningly good John Cleese.

  by plf515 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:19:31 AM PDT

•  Some of the funniest movies

  are ones that were not intended to be.  Of these movies, I highly recommend Gymkata.  If you haven't seen a fight scene using a pommel horse, you should.

  by mrchumchum on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:22:05 AM PDT

•  Die Bergkatze (The Wildcat)

  I have never seen any movie ever that took itself less seriously.  Die Bergkatze (The Mountain Cat, or The Wildcat) is a broad farce directed by Ernst Lubitsch in 1921 (a so-called "silent").  It satirizes German military culture and the mountain films that were popular at the time.  Pola Negri plays the title character, the fierce but romantic  daughter of a fierce mountain brigand.

  One of the best parts is the set design for the mountain military fort.  You've seen German Expressionism, but you've probably only seen Dark German Expressionism such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and M.  Well Die Bergkatze is all about Happy German Expressionism, which looks like Dr. Seuss on acid.

  Kino has a good DVD with a decent music track, but it's much better with live music and a live audience.  The movie also makes lots of fun of German miliary music, such as when a patrol goes out to attack the brigands and it has far more musicians than soldiers.

  And snow!  Lots of fun with snow and people sliding down hills on their butts.  And a great wedding scene.

  by Caelian on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:23:52 AM PDT

  •  Privates on Parade

    Ties Die Bergkatze as funniest film.  Privates on Parade is about the expoits of the Song And Dance Unit - South East Asia (SADUSEA), a British troop entertainment unit in post-WWII Malasia.  Commanding SADUSEA is Major Giles Flack (John Cleese), who is clearly in charge of SADUSEA because his superiors needed to put him somewhere he couldn't do any damage.  Cleese takes himself utterly and completely seriously, convinced his silly unit is on a quest from God to stamp out Communism.

    But the best part is the SADUSEA entertainers.  Due to a shortage of women, some of the men have to dress in women's clothing for some of the numbers.  Actually, a number of them prefer to dress in women's clothes.

    This total farce is juxtaposed with the horrors of war and a beautifully shown romance.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll want to see it again and again.

    by Caelian on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:48:03 AM PDT

•  I lean toward stand-up

  I don't know if these count as "movies"  (for comedy movies I tend toward stuff like Borat or the Jackass movies (I ain't proud of it, but they do hit me as funny)), but I go more for stand-up.  The following aren't necessarily movies, but they're highly reccommended:

  1.  Bill Hicks (either of his DVDs, Bill Hicks Live - Satirst, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian or Sane Man.  These are must-haves, especially for Democrats)

  2. Patton Oswalt - Feelin' Kinda Patton.  (The DVD that comes with his "Werewolves and Lollipops" CD is also great)

  3. Doug Stanhope - Deadbeat Hero DVD, Word of Mouth DVD, No Refunds DVD.  (Just seeing this guy on Girls Gone Wild commercials and "The Man Show" I thought I'd hate him... but his stand-up is abso-frickin'-brilliant!)

  4. Mitch Hedberg - the DVD that comes with his "Mitch All Together" CD.  

  5. Any Richard Pryor concert film

  6. Jesus Is Magic (I have a major crush on Sarah Silverman for every possible reason.  I also love her TV show)

  7. Henry Rollins stuff (he's not always funny, but he's always worth listening to)

  8. Demetri Martin - DVD that comes with his "These Are Jokes" CD

  9. Stephen Wright - anything

  10. Chris Rock's stuff

  I also really like The Young Ones (an old British TV show)...

  by shadetree mortician on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:24:19 AM PDT

  •  check out:

    Billy Connolly - Live in New York
    Eddie Izzard - anything

    by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:13:18 PM PDT

•  Danny Kaye in The Court Jester

  Comic Genius.  "The pellet with the poison is in the flagon with the dragon, the vessel with the pessel has the brew that is true."

  by All Together Now on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:25:44 AM PDT

  •  The Inspector General

    Give'em the fist...
    Give'em the wrist...
    Give'em the finger!

    by enoch needles on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:32:17 AM PDT

  •  you've got it wrong...

    The pill with the poison is in the chalice from the palace. The flagon with the dragon holds the brew that is true.

    I think.

    But I could be wrong. ;-)

    by Keith Pickering on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:54:48 AM PDT

•  Something About Mary

  1.  When Ben Stiller accidentally zips his willy in his fly after being "caught" by his prom date and her mom.

  2.  When Ben Stiller pulls off the road to take a leak and he accidentally trips over someone in the tall grass and then is caught by the police in a very embarassing position.

  3.  When Matt Dillon accidentally overdoses the dog and has to shock it back to life with the lamp wires.  He then lights the dog on fire and has to put it out with the vase of water.

  by Bri on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:26:16 AM PDT

•  Whats Up Tiger Lilly

  I am not a huge Woody Allen fan but there is some funny dialogue in this.  Woody Allen takes a japanese detective action flick and dubs it over with english dialogue that is at times very funny.

  by Bri on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:30:01 AM PDT

•  Fast Times At Ridgemont High

  Lately when I see the FreeCreditReport commerical with the singing pirates I think of that Movie.

  Spinal Tap is also a fav

  by Jimmy Crackcorn on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:31:38 AM PDT

•  That is tough

  There are so many every decade has a couple.. at least.

  For current movies "Grandmas Boy" was very funny.

  of course there is always

  Old School, Blazing Saddles, SpaceBalls, Best In Show, Moving, Caddyshack, Anchorman, Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask, Very bad Things, A Christmas Story, The Jerk, The Big Lebowski, Kingpin, Clerks, Half Baked, Office Space, Friday, I'm gonna get you sucka, Zoolander, super troopers, Jim Carrey Movies, The Producers, Grumpy Old Men, Christmas Vacation, Beetlejuice, Planes,trains&automobiles, Rat Race, Team America, South Park bigger,longer,uncut, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, They call me bruce,  Dodgeball, Orgasmo, Orange County, Freddy Got Fingered,  Superbad....

  Ok there are just too many, Don't know how you could pick just one...

  by Pappalardo on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:32:33 AM PDT

•  The Loved One

  billed as the movie "with something to offend everyone", will make you think twice about burial, cremation, or dying in general.

  by enoch needles on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:35:19 AM PDT

  •  I thought that was

    South Park: The Movie?

    by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:47:26 AM PDT

•  Airplane!

  With such classic lines as:

  "I guess I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."

  "Surely you can't be serious!"
  "I am serious.  And don't call me Shirley."

  "We've got to get these people to a hospital, and fast!"
  "A hospital! What is it?!"
  "It's a big white building with doctors in it, but that's not important right now..."

  "Excuse me, Stewardess.  I speak Jive."

  I could go on and on.  Side-splittingly funny.

  by Donkey Underpants on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:39:24 AM PDT

•  Some Like It Hot

  Don't see it mentioned anywhere, and it really doesn't get funnier than Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon running from the mob (in heels).

  Entirely situational, but the funniest movie-watching experience I ever had was the film version of "Noises Off" with Carol Burnett, Christopher Reeve, and John Ritter. It's not really a great movie, mostly because it's a play and very "boxy." But my college roommate and I watched it at a friend's house while the friend was writing an important term paper and her parents were asleep in the other room. Something about having to be quiet made it that much harder to keep the laughs from pouring out.

  by harrije on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:45:13 AM PDT

  •  nobody's perfect nt

    by enoch needles on Tue May 20, 2008 at 12:25:27 PM PDT

•  Richard Pryor Live in Concert

  From his 1979 tour filmed in Long Beach. First saw it in a student-packed campus theatre on a Sat night and I've never been the same. Pauline Kael called it the single greatest performance she'd ever seen or ever hoped to see.

  Runners up:

  Gates of Heaven (Errol Morris)
  Living in Oblivion
  Duck Soup
  Dr. Strangelove (good double bill w/Duck Soup)
  Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Buster Keaton)
  Some Like It Hot
  Raising Arizona
  The Bank Dick (W.C. Fields)
  The Last Detail

  by vanlingle on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:46:24 AM PDT

  •  wow, I wanna party with you, cowboy.

    Hey, that reminds me....."Stripes"

    by AlyoshaKaramazov on Tue May 20, 2008 at 05:15:04 PM PDT

•  The Man with Two Brains.

  I still remember the DUI test as a hilarious scene.

  by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:46:56 AM PDT

  •  yuck yuck

    That was a strangely funny movie. Remember Steve Martin doing 2 brain surgeries at once.

    by Casper46 on Tue May 20, 2008 at 12:00:03 PM PDT

•  Have we already forgotten

  Team America, World Police?

  I'm so ronry...

  by Phil N DeBlanc on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:48:44 AM PDT

  •  Nope

    I put it in my endless list.  The Blowjob scene is the best.  Take it for the country.

    by Pappalardo on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:51:45 AM PDT

•  The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

  From the first moment to the last, a total hoot. Alan Arkin nabbed an Oscar nomination for his first screen role. Plus hilarious performances from Jonathan Winters, Paul Ford, Carl Reiner, and many many others, including the town drunk and a horse.

  They even loved it in Moscow.

  by Keith Pickering on Tue May 20, 2008 at 11:52:02 AM PDT