Comedy Movie Primer

This month, one of the genre primers I wanted to take on was the Comedy Movie Primer. Comedy is one of the toughest genres to do, as humor is extremely subjective. It is much easier to make an action or sci-fi film that appeals to a large audience, but with comedy, there are many different types of humor. What makes one person laugh may not make another person laugh. For example, my Dad and I think 'Airplane' is hilarious, but Sarah and my mom think it is stupid. There are a few comedy legends that were huge inspirations of the genre, but didn't make movies, such as the Three Stooges and Abbot and Costello. They laid the groundwork for slapstick humor that featured in many early comedies. But they didn't make full movies and thus aren't on the list. With all that said, here is the Comedy Movie Primer.

1. The Great Dictator (1940)

The Great Dictator is the Charlie Chaplin representative on this list. Charlie Chaplin is one of the most famous comedy icons. He was a star in the silent film era with his comedies as The Tramp. The Great Dictator furthers Chaplin's career by being his first full sound film. The Great Dictator is groundbreaking as it pioneered political satire in cinema. This was the first film to openly make fun of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during a time when the USA was still neutral in WWII. This film is also one of the big slapstick comedy films of the era, while also blending with serious themes about fascism and unchecked power. Even today, this film has a lasting impact on culture with influence in films like Jojo Rabbit and The Dictator, as well as being cited as inspiration by many filmmakers, comedians, and artists.

2. Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Dr. Strangelove is a hit by Stanley Kubrick and is one of the rare comedies that is considered to be a masterpiece. Much like The Great Dictator, Dr. Strangelove utilizes satirical comedy to comment on the growing landscape of fear during the Cold War. Where they differ is that Dr. Strangelove utilizes dark humor, whereas The Great Dictator was more slapstick. This is one of the rare films that, in its time, pushed the boundaries of humor to take on tough topics such as the military establishment and irrational thinking. The movie also challenged conventional narrative structures and societal norms, making it more of a groundbreaking film. This film laid the groundwork for comedies, viewing anything as fair game. If Stanley Kubrick could make fun of the very real threat of Nuclear War, then anything was fair game.

3. Young Frankenstein/Blazing Saddles (1974)

This spot is a bit of a cheat, as there are two films here. However, I decided to group them together as they both came from Mel Brooks in the same year and are equally prevalent in film history. Mel Brooks pretty much established the parody genre for comedies, and these two films are the peak of that. Young Frankenstein is a parody of the classic monster movies, specifically Frankenstein, while Blazing Saddles is a parody of the classic Western. Both starred Gene Wilder, an iconic star at the time. Young Frankenstein was a love letter to classic films, which is a style still being used today. Blazing Saddles takes more of a satire approach, parodying the classic western while also providing commentary on the ingrained racism in the US around the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Blazing Saddles was also one of the first films to play with the idea of breaking the fourth wall. Even with their differences, both films are often cited as two of the greatest comedies ever made.

4. Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (1975)

This film is probably one of the most quotable films on this list. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a very groundbreaking film as it blends multiple styles of comedy. There is parody/satirical comedy, breaking the fourth wall, absurdist humor, slapstick comedy, and highbrow humor. The movie also uses innovative filmmaking and fourth-wall breaking to constantly remind the audience that it is a film. This is also one of the best films to use a more witty style of humor and clever wordplay. This movie also has a huge cultural impact with quotable lines such as "it's just a flesh wound" as well as a heavy influence on numerous comedies such as Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, South Park, and Rick and Morty.

5. Airplane (1980)

Like with Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, Airplane is also incredibly quotable. Much like Mel Brooks, Airplane was a pioneer of the spoof genre. While Mel Brooks' parodies are more seen as love letters to their genres, Airplane directly parodies the 1957 film Zero Hour and establishes that humor can come from directly parodying specific aspects of a genre. Something that would later be used in films like Scary Movie, Spaceballs, The Naked Gun, and Austin Powers. The movie also set the gold standard for being a nonstop release of jokes and for how many jokes a movie can fit in. The movie also established the style of deadpan humor where an actor can deliver a funny line with a serious face, something that would launch Leslie Nielsen's career. The movie has also had a lasting impact on culture, with quotable lines like "Surely you can't be serious" as well as being constantly cited as one of the best comedies ever made.

6. Trading Places (1983)

Trading Places was the breakout role for Eddie Murphy and helped establish him as the comedy legend he is today. After this film, Eddie Murphy would go on to make films like Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop, as well as a voice acting icon in Mulan and Shrek. Aside from Eddie Murphy, the film also featured career-defining performances from Dan Akroyd, who would go on to make Ghostbusters, and Jamie Lee Curtis, establishing her as more than just a horror star. The movie also had a huge influence on the world of insider trading, causing the creation of acts that would regulate insider trading. The movie was also helpful in the revival of elements of the screwball comedy.

7. Ghostbusters (1984)

Ghostbusters is probably the biggest comedy on this list. This film was groundbreaking in that it launched a huge franchise consisting of sequels, animated series, and video games. The film is also extremely prevalent in popular culture, with countless spoofs and references in other media. Similar to some of the other films on this list, Ghostbusters was a great genre blender, bringing in elements of horror, science fiction, action, and comedy. The film also features an iconic set of characters, whose personalities are still used as templates for characters today. The movie was also groundbreaking in its visual effects for the way it portrayed the ghosts, as they were very impressive for the time. The film also brought a catchy theme song that is still widely popular today.

8. Groundhog Day (1993)

Groundhog Day is another comedy that has been embedded in pop culture. The movie features Bill Murray, another icon of the comedy genre. The movie is what pioneered the top loop concept, causing it to be the prevalent storytelling device used today. There are so many movies that are described as Groundhog Day but blank, such as Happy Death Day (Groundhog Day as a slasher) and Palm Springs (Groundhog Day at a wedding). The premise is also used in countless TV show episodes. The term Groundhog Day has also been used to describe a repetitive or monotonous situation.

9. Mean Girls (2004)

Mean Girls is an instrumental film in the teen movie genre. This movie laid the groundwork for the modern-day high school movie, influencing films like Pitch Perfect and Easy A. The movie also features so many iconic lines still embedded in pop culture, such as "Get in loser" and "Fetch". The movie is also groundbreaking in its portrayal of high school cliques and drama. The movie has also inspired spin-offs, a Broadway musical, and a musical film. Tina Fey's style of writing in this movie has also been a huge influence on other comedies over the past 20 years, with dense humor full of one-liners, fantasy sequences, and physical comedy as well, and paved the way for her to write other sitcoms such as 30 Rock.

10. Bridesmaids (2011)

Bridesmaids was important in the breakthrough of all-female comedies. Before this film, studios were hesitant to green-light all-female comedies. However, Bridesmaid's success ($300 million on a $30 million budget) proved that women could make comedies that were just as funny as men. This movie was also crucial in breaking the genre models of females in comedies, moving them from ditsy or "sex objects" to actual fleshed-out characters. The movie also caused the careers of comedy stars Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson to skyrocket. Bridesmaids also helped spark a sub-genre of women-led comedies such as Girls Trip and Babes.