100 Funniest Movies (Part 10 ~ # 55-51)

When I first compile a list, and for the first time rank them in order, I can right away tell when the really strong choices end and give way to my sentimental favorites for filler. There are 55 really solid films on this list, which means that you are now entering the Biggies Section. The Really Good Stuff, okay.

The next point I want to make is that the previous 45 films have all been "good but not great" in that they are either dated or they are quirky independents, or little-known treasure type stuff.

This is the end of that era. This is the last hub that will feature any movie in it that does not aim to make you laugh in every single scene. Again, if it isn't a bona fide beginning-to-end comedy, it won't appear in the Top 50. So hear it is, the last of the freewheelin' bottom half of the countdown.

Did you know that Jason Schwartzman is the son of Talia Shire (a/k/a Adrian Balboa) and the cousin of Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola? Yup, he's Francis Ford Coppola's nephew and he's also the former drummer and songwriter for the lame band Phantom Planet. Since Rushmore in '98 he has gone on to star in these cool films...

1. Spun ~ 2002

2. I ♥ Huckabees ~ 2004

3. Shopgirl ~ 2005

4. Marie Antoinette ~ 2006

5. The Darjeeling Limited ~ 2007

Rushmore - 1998

Max Fischer is a 15-year-old playwright / director and most known for being the king of extra-curricluar activities and clubs at Rushmore Academy, even if he his failing most of his classes. When he meets and befriends the bitter and angry Herman Blume the fun begins. They are both in love with the recently-widowed Ms. Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Their friendship quickly transforms into a rivalry and eventually...practical warfare. This movie changed the way people perceived Bill Murray too. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and now the tragic-comic characters just keep on rolling in.

Dave Chappelle co-wrote and starred in the movie that made him a household name. Since Cheech and Chong movies are so dated and slow that you can't really watch them sober, they are replaced here by this ode to cannibus. Guillermo Díaz who was also in #73 Party Girl is on this list more than Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Martin Short and the Wayans brothers combined! One guy on Youtube called me the funky Jim Breuer who can be seen above in a peaceful Tie-dye.

Half-Baked ~ 1998

After their pal and roommate Kenny kills a police horse by feeding it junk-food Thurgood, Brian and Scarface set out to get him set free...by selling herbs. Not just any weed either, some chronic medicinal shit. Problem is, their new product (which is called MR. NICE GUY in honor of Kenny) is attracting attention of not only celebrities but pissed-off druglords and worst of all -more cops. Chappelle's girlfriend is a character named...are you ready for this? MARY JANE POTMAN. Cameos by comedians Steven Wright (as the guy they don't really know but who sleeps on their couch.) and Jon Stewart (featured in the clip ^^) are both rediculously funny. Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson and (from beyond the grave) Jerry Garcia also lend a hand in saving the gang from missing another 4:20. So pack up Billy Bong Thorton with some sweet haze because Dave and his stoney buds wanna talk to Sampson!"

The Last of the Art-House Independents. The final chance for me to get my smug on. Whichever way you cut the deck is fine because we've still got a stacked deck of 52 Cards left and they are all coming up Aces. The Coen Brothers' ode to the Hula Hoop is one of the funniest movies ever but I had to be fair in ranking it. It is a cult classic but not to the degree of success as say...Spinal Tap or Office Space though. This film is so beautifully shot too, it is pure eye-candy for the thinking mind. Props to Tim Robbins who has successfully overcome two the worst movie titles in history between this one and The Shawshank Redemption.

The Hudsucker Proxy ~ 1994

Norville Barnes is a naive chump from the mail room who is put in charge of a large company in order to drive down it's stock on purpose. The problem for his employers and Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), a ruthless member of the board of directors in particular, is that Norville may not be bright, but he's got one great idea. A circle. Ya know for kids! Charles Durning, plays the late Waring Hudsucker who jumped from the 44th floor, (or 45th counting the mezzanine). Meanwhile, across town, Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a reporter for the Manhattan Argus, is assigned to write a story about the previously-unknown newcomer. She is there to expose Norville as a fake, but she meets him and instead falls for his Muncie charms. You simply can not miss this film. The rapid fire dialogue scenes between Leigh and her cohorts at the paper, played by Bruce Campbell and John Mahoney are priceless. You also might not realize that a brief cameo was made by the late Anna Nicole Smith as Barnes trophy girl Za-Za. Rent it NOW!

A brain, a princess, an athlete, a criminal and a basket-case are all detained one Saturday for detention in this John Hughes 80s teen classic. We are trained to see them as the stereotypes I just described but we learn quite a bit more about who these five misfits are before this one is done. For example, the most dangerous one is probably the nerdy kid (who brought a flare gun to school one day) and the biggest wimp in the group is the muscular wrestler. We learn the best secret of all too, which is that the twisted dandruff girl Allison doesn't even have to be there. "She just had nothing better to do."

The Breakfast Club ~ 1985

Co-starring 16 Candles' Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald as well as St. Elmo's Fire's Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy, this movie is a certified Brat Pack Flick! It is also a coming-of-age story which was director Hughes' signature genre. By the way, that is the same school they shot Ferris Bueller in which means Ferris Bueller went to the same HS as The Breakfast Club. Whoa! Shermer High School can be seen in both films. So Jeffrey Jones's Dean of Students Mr. Edward Rooney answers to Principal Richard "Dick" Vernon played here by Paul Gleason. Gleason is most known as the jackass Deputy in DIE HARD and is also in TRADING PLACES as Clarence Beeks.

Because they are the essentially the same funny movie in two different settings. The original takes place in the home of ultra-conservative Dan Burns. The second is at the laid-back freakshow of the Focker household. The cast is the same and the laughs are pretty consistent for both. Why waste two spots on the same movie when they can share it. What I liked best is that all the lovers of the first one (who were Conservative types) had to follow us into the home of Barbra Streisand & Dustin Hoffman who gave fantastic new energy to the rehashed mix. Both films are in DJ Funktual's Circle of Trust, so deal with it!

Meet The Parents ~ 2000 / Fockers ~ '04

Greg 'Gaylord' Focker meets the Father-in-Law from hell and after various tests are done, (be they drug or lie-detector) he eventually earns the old man's trust because of his love and devotion to his daughter. Mr. Jinks also has got to get a mention as he's probably the best use of a house-pet in a comedy ever. Owen Wilson is also very funny as the all-too-perfect runner-up for the heart of whatshername? This DeNiro comic film & sequel are much more consistent and well-written than his 'Analyze' movies with Billy Crystal.

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

and now

suddenly

a new horizon...

One last thing if I may. These are a lot of work and my only/biggest motivation to finish comes from your comments and enthusiasm. Please, if you are enjoying this series, do me a solid and Digg it, or Thumbs Up it but by all means leave a comment. Even if it's just a smilie.

Thank You for Your Time and Out Your Head I Climb.