We asked: What are the funniest movies of all time? The films fans of Australia voted en masse (1,467 votes cast) and answered…
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Holy Grail of big-screen comedy takes Monty Python’s masterful brand of absurdity and applies it to a medieval quest. A stubborn black knight, a hand grenade blessed by God, a Knights of the Round Table musical number – if the mere thought of these elements doesn’t get your brain giggling, then you haven’t experienced this comedy legend for the first time. And we envy you for that.
“Strange women lyin’ in ponds distributin’ swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.” -Dennis
2. Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Before their breakout hit There’s Something About Mary, Farrelly brothers Peter and Bobby made their debuts with this comedy that put Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey in the vacant heads of dim-witted buddies Harry and Lloyd. This is a win for morons in comedy with laughs coming from the idiocy of our heroes, or slapstick stupidity that tips its hat to The Three Stooges.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!” -Harry
3. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
With an armada of talented funny people – Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and Christina Applegate – this media-mocking comedy takes a fish made of one-liners and slaps it across your face over and over again. Combine that with a news-team battle-to-the-death and a hilariously sudden dog-kicking incident and you’ve got a comedy legend that will be told throughout the ages.
“I love lamp.” -Brick
4. Life of Brian (1979)
The Python’s made a career of pointing out the ridiculousness of institutions, so what better topic for their third film (and second on this list) than religion – the Grand Poohbah of institutions (and ridiculousness). Non-Python Kenneth Colley is Brian, born on Christmas in the stable next to Jesus, who spends his life being mistaken for the messiah.
“He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy. Now, piss off.” -Brian’s mum
5. Bridesmaids (2011)
“Women aren’t funny” can join “women don’t swear” and “women don’t do disgusting craps” in misogynist screen myths burst by Bridesmaids. Some die-hard lady-haters will cling to the fact that director Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow made this funny because they have external genitalia, but the formula for success is pretty simple: put funny people in a funny movie, let them go nuts on the material, and form a winning onscreen camaraderie. Maybe next time we won’t even remark on their gender, but for now that’s the big win here – if you don’t count every single laugh enjoyed by audiences along the way.
“Are you an appliance?” -Annie
6. Zoolander (2001)
The illustrious world of male modelling is spoofed in writer/director/star Ben Stiller’s Zoolander. Parades non-stop jokes at the expense of the fashion world, pop culture, fame and mermen, plus stand-out performances from Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Jon Voight.
“I can Dere-lick my own balls, thank you very much.” -Zoolander
7. Superbad (2007)
Before Pineapple Express, This is the End and the upcoming The Interview, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg made their feature writing debuts with this coming-of-age comedy. Aside from the gags and genius dialogue, what really hit hard with audiences was the genuine sense of honesty in regards to sex, alcohol and teenagehood. There’s also a lot of dick drawings.
“You know when you hear girls say ‘Ah man, I was so shit-faced last night, I shouldn’t have fucked that guy?’ We could be that mistake!“ -Seth
8. Airplane! (1980)
The gold standard of spoof films, Airplane! also holds a record as the funniest ever film, based on laughs per minute. As subjective as this may seem, it’s hard to refute, so jam-packed with jokes is Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker’s airborne disaster parody. Sight gags, puns, slapstick, smut and absurdity jostle for attention within the film, itself a joke having been stolen wholesale from Zero Hour!, a 50s plane pic.
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.” -Steve
9. This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Ever-quotable, Spinal Tap nails artistic hubris and the ridiculousness of rock n’ roll like no other film. Popularising the mockumentary form as well as warning of the dangers in wearing vegetables in your pants through airport security, this improvisational gem remains the go-to skewering of the music industry. Even though real-life band Anvil tried to go one better in their recent doco, This is Spinal Tap remains the most pitiful – and therefore accurate – depiction of a band ever. Even if the songs are bloody brilliant.
“As long as there’s, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.” -Mick
10. Blazing Saddles (1974)
Mel Brooks’ parodies haven’t all stood the test of time (some missed the mark upon release too). But like his Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles has plenty of genre tropes to riff on, as well as a ton of zingers, and the sort of social commentary you’d expect from a Jewish filmmaker making a pic about a black sheriff in the Wild West. The use of the n-word does get a bit excessive, but the same could also be said of the farts that pepper one of Blazing Saddles’ most memorable scenes.
“My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.” -Hedley
11. Borat (2006)
The accent. The filthiness. The “beachwear”. For a while there, Borat was inescapable, and like iconic characters before him, Sacha Baron Cohen’s creation suffered serious overexposure. Don’t let the imitations put you off – Borat still boasts an anarchic charm riddled with moments of hilarity, even if you can never experience the audacity for the first time again. It didn’t hurt that Borat was usually making fun of unpleasant bigots, or at the very least, the clueless. After a necessary break, Kazakhstan’s favourite export is funny again – don’t believe us? Try saying “my wiiiiife”. He’s back.
“Kazakhstan is number-one exporter of potassium / Other Central Asian countries have inferior potassium.” -Kazakhi national anthem
12. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
Gross-out comedy came of age with the Farrelly brothers’ 1998 hit (that’s jizz in Cameron Diaz’s hair in case you forgot, which I suspect you didn’t). A rom-com too, the genius of Mary was its ability to combine sweetness with several bullseye comedy set-pieces. This is both the Farrelly’s and Ben Stiller’s second appearance on the list.
“How’d you get the beans above the frank?” -Mary’s dad
13. Office Space (1999)
In what may be the most relatable comedy on this list, 1999’s Office Space takes the tiny, depressing realities of a common workplace, inflates them, and pops them like a kid with a needle in a bouncy castle filled with balloons. The premise is elegantly simple – office drone becomes hypnotised to not giving a fuck and shoots up the corporate ladder – but it’s the scenarios Office Space mines from this farce that makes it a comedy gold mine. Rest in eternal hell, uncooperative printer.
“PC load letter! What the fuck does that mean?” -Michael Bolton
14. Some Like it Hot (1959)
Billy Wilder capitalised on the talents of Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe for his 1959 cross-dressing comedy (considered by some as the best American comedy ever). The list of great directors who have stumbled on attempting a comedy is long, but Wilder – from the ’50s on – specialised in, and elevated, the genre with his absolute control of the medium.
“Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold.” -Sugar
15. The Castle (1997)
Rob Sitch’s quintessential Australian comedy with Michael Caton, Anne Tenney and Eric Bana’s brilliant big-screen debut. The Kerrigan’s plight to save their home is cringe-worthy, belly-laughing gold. Amazingly, the film was written in two weeks and shot in ten days.
“Dad reckons fishing is 10% brains and 95% muscle, the rest is just good luck.” -Daryl
16. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
This back-stabbing heist comedy – the third appearance of writer/star John Cleese in this list – has a very macabre honour: in 1989, Danish man Ole Bentzen actually died laughing while watching it. A cardiac arrest struck him down, as his heart rate reached an estimated 250-500 beats per minute. Watch with caution.
“To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people. I’ve known sheep that could outwit you. I’ve worn dresses with higher IQs.” -Wanda
17. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The only film here that’s not strictly a comedy, the Coen brothers’ combined a Chandler mystery, a confused stoner and an aggressive Vietnam-vet to construct this masterpiece. Still a film-fan favourite, The Big Lebowski delivers laughs via brilliant dialogue and pitch-perfect performances from Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.
“This is a very complicated case. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you’s… Luckily I’m adhering to a pretty strict drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.” -The Dude
18. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
A missing dolphin, a gridiron legend, and butt-flap ventriloquism make up Jim Carrey’s career-making comedy. Most comedic actors would crumble under the pressure of maintaining maximum silliness for a feature film, but Carrey jumped into a cannon and shot for the moon.
“Alrighty then.” -Ace
19. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
A holidays comedy showcasing the huge talents of Steve Martin, John Candy and director John Hughes. Martin is trying to get home for Thanksgiving when a blizzard and a series of unfortunate events land him with the obnoxious Candy as a travelling companion. This simple premise concocts endless frustration, most famously epitomised by this foul-mouthed rant.
“Are you all right? I’ve never seen a guy get picked up by his testicles before.” -Samuel
20. 21 Jump Street (2012)
The 20th spot on this list was a tight one indeed with Austin Powers, Groundhog Day, Pineapple Express and Caddyshack all vying for position. But, by a single vote, Jonah Hill’s unlikely 21 Jump Street reboot took it. The fact this was based on a largely forgotten ’80s TV show had little to do with its success, instead it was the smart critique of today’s high-school cliques and reboots themselves, plus the Hill-Tatum chemistry, that had them rolling in the aisles.
“We’re reviving a cancelled undercover police program from the ’80s and revamping it for modern times. You see the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of ideas, so all they do now is recycle shit from the past and expect us all not to notice.” -Hardy
