Photo Credit (Greety Images)
As moviegoers, we seem to focus so much on our favorite filmmakers or trends that it can be hard to find the time to try something we’re not sure we’ll like. It just makes more sense to spend your time on something you know you’ll appreciate.
It is hoped that this list will help you save time by allowing you to return here whenever you wish to try something new and see where it might lead. Since comedy is so individualized, it’s difficult to suggest that one person could truly like every entry, but there ought to be something here for everyone!
- Jerry Lewis’s 1961 book The Ladies Man
The Ladies Man (1961)
Jerry Lewis’ whole career is, to put it mildly, bizarre, making it one of the list’s stranger entries. He is fascinating to investigate more because of his bizarre behaviors, which seem to bore some people to sleep while utterly captivating others.
Perhaps his most bizarre film is The Ladies Man, which is also the most difficult to understand. It has almost no plot (the plot serves only as a means of connecting gags), and Lewis constantly surprises the audience by eschewing humor and going straight to the heart (for instance, the scene where he has a heart-to-heart with one of the women in the house instead of continuing to goof around like only Jerry Lewis does).
Even though it’s unpredictable madness and moves so quickly that it’s hard to avoid whiplash at the conclusion, its innocence and inventiveness make it absolutely entertaining. From the amazing beginning scene to the very end, it’s always entertaining, but occasionally it’s also very touching. and it might even be Jerry Lewis’ best work, which is quite remarkable.
- Danny DeVito, “Throw Momma From The Train” (1987)
In many respects, this is an unexpected pick. It’s up to you whether that surprise is due to the Danny DeVito director credit, the frequent allusions to Hitchcock, or simply how entertaining this movie is.
The movie Throw Momma From The Train is amazing. It’s hilarious, a lot of fun, masterfully performed, and the writing is so unforgettable that it almost aches. The comedy, which centers on Billy Crystal’s character Larry Donner and one of his students, Owen (played by Danny DeVito), as they inadvertently find themselves in a situation that is practically lifted from Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, features one of Crystal’s most captivating performances.
This picture is so simple to watch that it’s almost ludicrous. It’s captivatingly tongue-in-cheek, so brilliantly humorous that it almost aches, and full of wonderful small nods to Hitchcock and a wide variety of other classic mystery thrillers.
There is also a surprising degree of style in DeVito’s direction, with numerous subtle nods to Hitchcock woven throughout for the added pleasure of being able to spot his references to the Master of Suspense’s methods. I’m having a terrific time.
- Jean Renoir’s 1932 painting, Boudu Saved From Drowning
It should come as no surprise that Boudu Saved From Drowning is one of the most relentlessly funny films ever made, but it also has a satirical bite! Jean Renoir is primarily known for his beautiful films, such as A Day in the Country, and his hilarious satirical nature, such as The Rules of the Game.
The main character of Boudu, as the name suggests, is a homeless man with a dog who, after losing it, dives into a river before being rescued by a bourgeoisie family who run a library. The picture, which at times reminds one of Luis Bunuel’s work, has the fun of Tati and the rage of someone like Spike Lee (more on him later), all set against the backdrop of one of the greatest physical performances of all time by the amazing Michel Simon as the title character Boudu.
It is one of Jean Renoir’s greatest works and incredibly intelligent, which is really saying something considering the impact that many of his films have. One of the funniest movies ever made, and a fantastic film from a filmmaker that is larger than life.
- Hong Kong Countess (Charlie Chaplin, 1967)
It makes sense that this one has received a more mixed response. There is a shocking lack of similarity between Charlie Chaplin’s final picture and his wildly successful silent films from the 1920s and 1930s. Chaplin doesn’t even reveal his face in A Countess From Hong Kong, and there isn’t even a famous Tramp character. Rather, the picture is dominated by Marlon Brando, who plays the American Ogden whose stateroom is occupied by Natascha, a Russian countess who was forced into prostitution in Hong Kong.
It’s one of the best movies ever made, even if it doesn’t have almost any indication of Chaplin’s involvement. To the extent that even the saddest events are rendered bittersweet rather than merely bitter, it is absolute delight, total and utter joy.
Even though it becomes monotonous, it’s completely deliberate and only serves to emphasize the point Chaplin has been making for a long time: that people frequently forget to be themselves because they are too preoccupied with maintaining appearances. Chaplin’s swan song conveys this lovely message in a beautiful way. Even though Chaplin never appears on screen, the picture is tender and heartwarming, and it successfully conveys his values.
- Hickox, Douglas (1973)’s Theatre of Blood
The Blood Theatre
Despite the grim concept, Theatre of Blood is one of the lighter films on this list. It centers on an actor who, when his performance isn’t given the recognition he desires, takes revenge on his cynical critics in a variety of savage ways.
This horror comedy, which stars Vincent Price as the Shakespearean actor who turns into a serial killer, is a lot of fun. The fact that it can produce both real laughter and real gore back-to-back without ever making the error of alienating the audience through these switches makes it one of the most amazing mashups of comedy and horror.
Even though that last kill might be too much for some audience members with weaker stomachs, Price is simply amazing in it—possibly his most entertaining and pleasurable performance because he seems to be having a great time. Some of the killings are so hilarious, so gory, and so satisfying that it’s nearly impossible not to enjoy this.
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