100 Funniest Movies (Part 14 ~ # 35-31)

The Coen Brothers, a/k/a Ethan Coen & Joel Coen are responsible for some of the most original films in American history. Their offbeat sensibilities are the perfect antedote to the boring movie blues. Others of theirs that did not make this list are..

1. Barton Fink ~ 1991
2. Fargo ~ 1996
3. O Brother, Where Art Thou? ~ 2000
4. The Man Who Wasn't There ~ 2001

This is the second Coen Brothers movie on our list after The Hudsucker Proxy (#53) and we'll be seeing them again once more.

Raising Arizona ~ 1987

When ex-con H.I. McDunnough falls in love and marries Edwina or "Ed" the cop, they decide to have a baby. Trouble is...they can't conceive. So they decide that one of the quintuplets who were born to furniture magnate Nathan Arizona will do just fine. When Mr. Arizona hires a mercenary on a Harley to retrieve the lil' tyke, the real adventure begins. Hi's convict friends, his boss, and even the Lone Biker Of The Apocalypse become involved in the ever-twisting plot in the quest to own the baby. And the funniest thing about the kidnapping is that the one they is take is named Nathan Jr.

Steve Martin is a comic master but not all his movies could make this list so here they are...the rejects.

1. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid ~ 1982
2. The Man with Two Brains ~ 1983
3. All of Me ~ 1984
4. ¡Three Amigos! ~ 1986
5. Roxanne ~ 1987
6. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels ~ 1988
7. My Blue Heaven ~ 1990
8. Father of the Bride ~ 1991
9. HouseSitter ~ 1992

p.s. - He hasn't made a good one in years...

The Jerk ~ 1979

Navin Johnson (Steve Martin), was adopted as an infant by a poor rural southern Black family. When he turns 18, he is inspired to leave the family in order to find his place in the world. While working at a gas station for his overtly Jewish boss (Jackie Mason), Navin discovers an invention "The Opti-Grab" for people who wear glasses. A random assassin is after him because his name is in the phonebook, <chuckle> so he flees to hide among the carnival folk. There he meets his future wife Marie (Bernadette Peters) and they are wed by the Black Witch Doctor. His invention then becomes a huge success and Navin becomes a rich tycoon. This doesn't last long however as soon he being sued by owners of the 'Opti-Grab' who claim his invention makes people cross-eyed.

Ice Cube and Chris Tucker have gone on to make a lot of comedies. With the lone exception of Barbershop they have all been a complete waste of time. The only films worth watching with either of these two guys in it are...

1. Boyz n the Hood ~ 1991
2. Three Kings ~ 1999 (FOR ICE CUBE)
3. Dead Presidents ~ 1995
4. The Fifth Element ~ 1997
5. Jackie Brown ~ 1997 (FOR CHRIS TUCKER)

Friday ~ 1995

Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) are gonna get high today. After all, it's Friday, they ain't got no jobs and they ain't got shit to do. Craig got fired on his day off and so his best friend is gonna share the good life with him. Too bad the good life involves robbing the neighbors, so Deebo won't kill you and getting $200 to pay back an angry drug dealer named Big Worm! The father is hilarious with his smelly bathroom and the midget across the street who catches the pastor (Bernie Mac) sleeping with his wife is so funny too. Props to a great supporting cast including Nia Long, Regina King, Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Tony Cox, John Witherspoon and Faizon Love.

I really hate the sport of Golf. I hate it for so many reasons that I can't even have a rational conversation about it. The reason I don't hate it 100% completely is this movie. I don't LOVE this movie by any means BUT come on! Leaving Caddyshack off a list of classic comedies is kinda like leaving Star Wars off your Sci-Fi list. No one will take you seriously with an omission so blatant. Between the DOODIE! in the pool and the gopher antics of Bill Murray you are off to a good start. Then you add the comic friction between Ted Knight & Rodney Dangerfield and you have no choice but to laugh a little harder. Then we throw in Chevy Chase for now all-too-perfect cast. This film was written by Brian Doyle-Murray (who is Bill's brother) and Harold Ramis.

Caddyshack ~ 1980

An exclusive country club must deal with rude new members and one pesky gopher. One eccentric millionaire wants to buy Bushwood only to turn it into new property development.

The Tagline: Scaling the Cliffs of Insanity, Battling Rodents of Unusual Size, Facing torture in the Pit of Despair. - True Love has never been a snap.

The Plot: A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing (as read by a kindly grandfather).

This is the third and final film on this list by former Meathead, Rob Reiner. He made some great comedies in the 1980s but had forsaken the genre for most of the 1990s instead focusing on dramas like Misery & A Few Good Men. He finally made a comedy worth watching last year in 2007 when he re-teamed with Jack Nicholson for The Bucket List which I thought was great.

The Princess Bride ~ 1987

Westley is on a mission to save his fair Princess Buttercup from having to marry the odious Prince Humperdinck. He must first get her free from a gang of three lovable misfits. One, an expert swordsman bent on avenging his father's death, a giant with a penchant for peanuts and finally the brain. Featuring a rediculous cast of Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Wallace Shawn and from the bedroom of reality we have Peter Falk and Fred Savage. Oh yeah, don't forget the comic relief in Billy Crystal and Carol Kane as Miracle Max and his wife Valerie. I could go on but we've all seen it. It's a classic modern-day fairytale.

100) Being John Malkovich

99) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

98) Private Benjamin

97) American Beauty

96) Brewster's Millions

95) A League of Their Own

94) Defending Your Life

93) Swimming With Sharks

92) Harold and Maude

91) The Bad News Bears

90) Shaun of the Dead

89) Ciao Professore!

88) About A Boy

87) Nobody's Fool

86) Ghostbusters

85) The 40-Year-Old Virgin

84) Moonstruck

83) The Snapper

82) Stripes

81) We're No Angels

80) Heathers

79) Much Ado About Nothing

78) Bottle Rocket

77) The Out-of-Towners

76) Finding Nemo

75) Pee Wee's Big Adventure

74) The Odd Couple

73) Party Girl

72) The Tall Guy

71) Say Anything...

70) After Hours

69) The Aristocrats

68) Made

67) Oscar

66) Bad Santa

65) Trading Places

64) The Money Pit

63) Private Parts

62) Young Frankenstein

61) Back to the Future

60) Better Off Dead

59) Frankie & Johnny

58) Crazy People

57) Welcome To The Dollhouse

56) Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

55) Rushmore

54) Half-Baked

53) The Hudsucker Proxy

52) The Breakfast Club

51) Meet The Parents / Meet The Fockers

50) Fast Times at Ridgemont High

49) This Is Spinal Tap

48) When Harry Met Sally

47) Wild Cats

46) There's Something About Mary

45) Napoleon Dynamite

44) Waiting for Guffman

43) Wedding Crashers

42) Small Time Crooks

41) I Love You To Death

40) South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

39) Clueless

38) Mr. Mom

37) Swingers

36) Tootsie

35) Raising Arizona

34) The Jerk

33) Friday

32) Caddyshack

31) The Princess Bride