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Stupid Comedies

Yes I am a writer, and yes I do inject humor here and there within my story, and yes I love to read humorous tales. But I am also a devoted lover of movies. I like just about all types of movies, my entertainment bones tickled by everything from heavy dramas to action flicks to sweet romances to westerns to family/childrens and so on. But there is one category of movie – what we have dubbed “stupid comedies” – that can almost be embarrassing to admit watching. Hide your face in shame if you must, but let’s face it, sometimes a person needs to zone out for a couple of hours with mindless entertainment requiring zero brain cell usage, content in the knowledge that you will laugh until your side hurts and/or milk spurts out your nose. Here are a few of my favorites, proudly proclaimed!

Happy Gilmore – Gotta admit that I like Adam Sandler. Not everything, but most of them. Waterboy deserves an honorable mention and I liked Big Daddy, but Happy Gilmore is my favorite. Every time the golf ball goes flying and smacks the man in the house miles away I die laughing, even if I do feel a tad guilty.

Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles – Mel Brooks is the King of Stupid Comedies and hysterical sight gags. These two rule the world in hilarity. Partially it is the brilliance that was Gene Wilder, but of course everyone in these casts were terrific. Way too many lines to pick one to quote!
The Three Amigos – Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Chevy Chase. Need I say more? OK, how about the singing bush, the invisible swordsman, the serenading desert creatures, the My Little Buttercup saloon scene, the Nazi in Mexico……


Napoleon Dynamite - I admit I did not get it the first couple times I watched it. My teenagers were literally rolling on the floor but I was scratching my head. Then I kept hearing them quote the lines, constantly and in response to everything, and I began to see the humor of it. Then I watched again and let my inner child come out. Stupid comedy in the extreme, but man, it is funny!

Corky Romano – Loved Chris Kattan’s goofy vet assistant turned FBI agent. Do we still sing 80s songs loud and off-key in homage? Yep. Do we still die laughing when he gives the speech on anti-drugs to the kids while high on inhaled cocaine? Absolutely!

George of the Jungle – Brandon Fraser slick with sweat and totally hot may have something to do with why I LOVE this movie, but truly it is the innocent sweetness and insane hijinks that win me over each time. A talking ape? A toucan that can fly to NY from Africa? A monkey who pantomimes? An elephant who thinks he is a dog? Sure, why not!
Dodgeball – I am not generally a fan of slapstick humor where getting hurt is the main gag, but “if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball” gets me each time. And Ben Stiller’s obnoxious trainer spouting philosophy like, “Nobody makes me bleed my own blood! Nobody!” send me over the edge.

Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion – Absolutely hands down the dumbest blonde comedy of all time, but so danged hysterical. Arguing over who invented what part of post-its, discussions on dieting with Cheetos, flashbacks to 80s big hair – I am hooked completely!

Stripes – HUGE Bill Murray fan, but Stripes is his best and a classic. So many fabulous scenes, but I think my favorite is when he is messing with the obnoxious lady in the cab, finally leaving her stranded on the bridge! And then there is the whole “aaarrrmmmy training, sir!” sequence where the history of the American people is succinctly explained. LOL!



Caddyshack – Last, but not least on today’s list (gotta stop somewhere). I even loved Rodney Dangerfield for the one and only time. Bill Murray adding his comic brilliance to Chevy Chase was sheer genius. Throw in an adorable gopher and catchy tunes for a complete masterpiece of stupidity that has me gasping for air each time.

I think I will close there and head off for a stupid movie marathon. How about you? Brave enough to name you favorite guilty pleasure in inanity?

Comments

  1. Get Smart, High Anxiety (spoof on Psycho/Vertigo, etc), Young Frankenstein, etc. :) Great blog, Sharon!!!

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  2. Oh I think you covered the comedies great. I love Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and George of the Jungle. The only other one that comes to mind is the first Airplane. To me it was the funniest.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  3. You know the stupid comedy I thought was hilarious? Airplane!

    But I have to take exception to calling Blazing Saddles a stupid comedy--even though you're right. It belongs in the genre.

    To me, it totally transcends the genre to become art. While spoofing westerns, many of the gags offer profound, arresting, and moving commentary about illusion and reality.

    When I taught, I frequently used scenes from it to illustrate my points.

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  4. I haven't seen all of those, Sharon, but it's a great list!
    I'd forgotten about Airplane.
    "Do you like movies about gladiators?" LOL!

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  5. Oh yes! Airplane!! How could I forget Airplane? So hysterical. I have that on DVD too!

    You are quite right, MM, about all of Brooks' films. He pokes fun at everything in a way that truly can be profound. Although I am not sure the average viewer gets it, which, of course, is part of the joke!

    Get Smart is another great example of a stupid comedy. Thinking of Steve Martin I also was remembering The Jerk. Pretty classic stupid comedy there! My kids were talking about Animal House the other day too, and that sure is a fabulous example of the genre.

    Any more?

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  6. My boys love stupid movies, and so I've been watching them for years now. Gotta say, George of the Jungle was one of my favorites!

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  7. Here comes the wet blanket! I don't enjoy those kinds of movies, but obviously I'm by myself in this line. But I love the kind of humor in movies like Romancing the Stone, My Fair Lady, Something's Gotta Givea and there was another Jack Nicholson film where he had a compulsive disorder that was so funny.
    Amelia

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  8. I love Zoolander--I can watch it over and over and laugh at it like it's the first time I've seen it!

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  9. National Lampoon's "Family Vacation," plus "Christmas Vacation." I can watch those movies over and over and over. As a matter of fact, I have.

    Fun blog post!

    Tawna

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  10. Some GREAT choices here, Sharon!

    I'm not that crazy about Adam Sandler, but I LOVE The Wedding Singer. And Bill Murray in some of his older comedies was FABULOUS! I think my favorite was Groundhog Day. Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation has me rolling on the floor every time!

    As for George of the Jungle... Brendan Fraser in a butt-flap, what's NOT to love?!?! ;-)

    AC

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  11. LOL Amelia! Wet blanket or too shamed to admit you are a closet stupid comedy lover? Ha! Just kidding. It's OK, inane humor is not for everyone! :)

    Yes, Danielle, Zoolander is a great example. I am not a huge fan of that one, although my daughter loves it and my son does the Zoolander pose all the time to crack us up.

    Excellent, Tawna! I thought of Family Vacation too and almost put it on the list, but had to stop myself somewhere! I hoped someone would mention it. Another Chevy Chase classic. I almost added Fletch, but then I realized it didn't quite fall into the "stupid" category as it had a plot.

    The Wedding Singer is one of my favorite romantic comedies, Cindy, and definitely my favorite Sandler movie. We have that on DVD and honestly watch it at least once or twice a month. But both Wedding Singer and Groundhog Day fall into a different category, IMO, due to the plot having a tad more depth and the slapsticky antics minimal. I know, a grey area!

    I also thought of Robin Hood Men in Tights. Another Mel Brooks classic not quite of the brilliance as Blazing Saddles and YF, but close behind. My favorite Cary Elwes after Princess Bride.

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  12. Mel Brooks is a god. History of the World Part I is CLASSIC! He really needs to do part 2

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  13. I love Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, all of the Airplane movies and Pink Panther...But then there's the all of the Monty Python movies too oh, and A Fish Called Wanda. OMG, I laugh myself silly just thinking about them.

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  14. Hey Sharon. I love a good stupid comedy. I've seen some of the ones you've mentioned and yep they are funny and cringeworthy all at the same time LOL.
    My fav of your pics is George of the Jungle and yes Brendon Fraser is the main reason, but I think he pulls off the dopey Tarzan so well!
    I do enjoy Jackie Chan comedies as well such as "Shanghai Noon".
    I love romantic comedies the most (no surprise there).
    TSBO devotee
    Vee

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