You have two iconic lead characters in"Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, great music and one of the best car chase scenes ever put on the big screen. Oh, did I mention the movie is funny? Ridiculously so. Director John Landis and co-writer/star Dan Ackroyd took the Saturday Night Live music duo of Ackroyd and John Belushi as the Blues Brothers to the big screen for some big laughs. The boys are on a mission from God and must face a nun named Sister Stigmata, pissed off rednecks, Neo-Nazis and a deranged Carrie Fisher wielding a bazooka. What's not to like? I believe it might have been the first "R" rated movie my parents let me see. And I had the sound track! (Wish I still did.)
Some of my friends can't understand why I love this movie so much. In truth, I don't know if I can explain it. In the opening scene you see Napoleon Dynamite standing at the curb waiting for the school bus. At the sight of Napoleon I burst out laughing, and I was the only one in the theater doing so. That's when I knew I was a complete fool for this movie. I've somehow managed to memorize several lines from the movie and have, on occasion, acted out parts of the movie while in the company of other Napoleon lovers. If I were to think about it I believe I could get embarrassed, but fortunately I don't. I still laugh myself to tears when Napoleon is electrocuted by the "time machine" and breathlessly exclaims over and over, "Oh, my pack, my pack." Love him or hate him, Napoleon Dynamite is a character not to be forgotten. If you'd like to see an unabashed dweeb's dance right all the wrongs in the world, Napoleon is your man.
Best In Show is Christopher Guest at his best. It's a mockumentary about five contestants and their "families" of a prestigious dog show. The movie acts like a documentary as it follows each dog and their owners as they make their way to the show. It has an ensemble cast that have been together for many of Guest's movies, each of which are simply riotous on-screen. The first time I saw Christopher Guest was in Rob Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap, which my son swears is Guest's best movie. I would put This Is Spinal Tap in my top ten, but alas, I'm only doing five. I fell in love with Catherine O'Hara, despite the fact she seemingly slept with every guy in the movie. And I still try to remember all the nuts Guest's character memorized.
The Coen Brother's Raising Arizona nearly made it to number one. Can you think of a better role Nicolas Cage has played? I can't. Has Holly Hunter ever been funnier? Not in my humble opinion. And the Coen Brothers seem to get the best out of John Goodman, no matter what the role is. When an ex-con and his "infertile" police officer wife decide to help themselves to one of the famous "Arizona Quints", you're in for a wacky romp through the unique comedic ramblings of the Coen psyche. I think these guys are comedic geniuses, along with other movies like, The Big Lebowski and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, both of which are top ten's for me. Their use of pathos in Raising Arizona simply sucks you in to the plight of H.I. and Edwina, despite the fact they stole a baby! I think the character Leonard Smalls is one of the most awesome looking bad guys on the big screen; riding his Harley, decked out in grimy leather, sporting twin sawed off shotguns and filthy baby booties dangling from his belt. Simply awesome! Oh, and the movie is as well.
This is the fifth installment of the Pink Panther franchise. Peter Sellers created one of the greatest movie characters of all time with his role as Chief Inspector Clouseau. With slapstick lunacy and Seller's nearly non-discernible accent, this one's a laugh a minute.
Now, you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, with all the great comedies to choose from, this one seems an odd choice." Remember, I said these were my favorites, and I have a reason for this one being my favorite. It's because it was my dad's favorite. You see, my dad had the absolute loudest, most jovial laugh of any human being I've ever been around. When we would watch this movie (which we did often), this thunderous cacophony of jocularity would burst forth from him and would seem to shake the house! When he laughed you laughed right along with him; it was that infectious. When he wanted to laugh he would watch this movie. When I want to remember my dad I watch this movie. When I laugh at this movie I remember his laugh, and I laugh all the more for it. With Father's Day coming up this Sunday, I like the idea of remembering his laugh. And that is why The Pink Panther Strikes Again takes the top of my list.
OK, so this post wasn't as frivolous as I let on. It is about comedies, just with a little father memorial thrown in for good measure. Hey, I thought I'd try my hand at a bit of pathos myself. Yet, all these movies are hilarious and worthy of your voluminous laughter. If you would like to share your favorite, go right a head, I always enjoy a good comedy and look for ones I haven't seen. And to you dads; Happy Father's Day, even if you don't deserve it (and you know if you don't!). Enjoy!
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