The Funniest American Comedies

Our Hospitality
      1923 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A young man travels to a faraway town where he has inherited an estate. But he is the target of a century-old family feud, and he is soon hunted by the father and brothers of the young lady he has befriended on the train. Although this film won't make 21st century viewers laugh, it is surprisingly easy to watch, partly for its scenery and historical interest, partly because of its cute plot and descent pace. If you've got an hour to kill, don't let the age scare you. (Last viewed: June 2013)

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Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
      2002 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

In the tradition of Woody Allen's What's up Tigerlily, this film lays new dialogue over a B-movie, in this case a Hong Kong martial arts flick. New footage was added. The film must have been very funny to make, but it's certainly not funny to watch, unless perhaps you are a fan of underground "cult" movies. Do yourself a favor and watch Enter the Dragon instead. It's not a comedy (though it has quite a bit of humor), but it's an excellent film for the martial arts, the characters, the 1970s costumes and the social commentary. (Last viewed: July 2012)

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Crazy Rich Asians
      2018 | USA | Laughs: 1.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

An economics professor from New York follows her boyfriend on a trip to Singapore, where she realizes he's heir to a gigantic fortune. This is not a great rom com, but the theme makes it original. The title says it all. (Last viewed: November 2018)

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Accepted
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 0.8 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.4
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

To fend off his anxious parents, a young man who has been rejected by several colleges prints out an acceptance letter from a fake college with a fake website. Things get out of hand when a hundred "students" offer him tuition. This movie is surprisingly not crass. By the same token, despite everyone's good intentions, it is surprisingly unfunny. I can't think of a good reason to watch it. (Last viewed: July 2015)

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 0.8 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I avoided this movie for years as the sound of cartoon characters mixing with live people sounded like an awful premise, then a podcast of learned cinephiles convinced me to give it a go.

The first ten minutes were unbearable. After the rabbit left the scene I gave it a go for another fifteen, but the rabbit's return brought the movie to new heights of "can't watch" this, so I gave up.

This might be interesting if you're in film school… Otherwise, forget it. (Last viewed: May 2019)

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Ruthless People
      1986 | USA | Laughs: 0.8 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This hour-and-a-half movie is about ninety minutes too long. It may have been okay in its day, but its public was a breed which has since vanished from this Earth.

Delighted that kidnappers are threatening to kill his wife, a business man does his best to disobey their instructions. Meanwhile, the kidnappers (a sweet couple) struggle to get along with their hard-headed victim.

There's nothing particularly annoying about the movie in itself — it has likeable actors doing their best. It's just unbelievably dull.
(Last viewed: May 2019)

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Don't Think Twice
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 0.8 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

When one of the members of a troupe of stand-up comedians gets a job on a comedy show, tensions arise among old friends.

Despite the theme and setting, this was one of these classic stories about friendship rather than a funny movie. Watch it if you're craving second-hand comradeship, but not if you're hoping to laugh. (Last viewed: February 2019)

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The In-Laws
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Just Awful) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This is a remake of a funny 1979 movie by the same name. Days before his daughter's wedding, a risk-avoiding podiatrist meets the groom's father, who entangles him in the cross-border sale of a nuclear submarine. Albert Brooks slides right into Alan Arkin's shoes, but Michael Douglas can't hold the candle to Peter Falk. The movie can't decide whether it should be about plain comedy or espionage, and ends up settling on a formula of beautiful people and special effects on expensive sets. Alan Arkin and Ryan Reynolds are grossly underused, while Michael Douglas is grossly overused. We couldn't get past the first half. (Last viewed: August 2015)

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Melvin Goes to Dinner
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

I'm not sure how this ever came to be classified as a comedy. Maybe it's so edgy you have to live in the New York City subway to understand it. The movie (what I saw of it) seems to wander around a group of young adults having dinner at a restaurant. Seeing that the first twenty minutes didn't raise my interest on any level, I gave up. Save yourself time, go have dinner with your own friends. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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The Other Woman
      2014 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 | imdb: 6.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A wife and two mistresses team up to punish their unfaithful man. I decided to watch this movie because of an imdb review from someone stating that they couldn't stop laughing. It saddens me, then, to have to report that I couldn't start laughing. The theme is certainly perfect for comedy, and I would love to watch it properly executed. Perhaps that film already exists in the vast repository of world comedies—I hope to hear about it someday from someone writing from a place such as France, Italy or Egypt. (Last viewed: December 2017)

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Smorgasbord (a.k.a Cracking Up)
      1983 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Just Awful) | imdb: 5.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

For the longest time, I thought that the frequent American sneering at the French for finding Jerry Lewis funny was a symptom of ignorance on the part of the accusers (did the French really find Jerry Lewis funny?) and of their lack of sense of humor, in keeping with the general lack of appreciation for British humor on the western side of the Atlantic. You see, I hadn't yet watched a Jerry Lewis movie, and I assumed that he had to be terribly funny in a way that most Americans just didn't get.

Some say that this film is Jerry's funniest, but it was one of the least funny comedies I'd ever watched, confirming part of the popular wisdom that I'd so long rejected. I still don't know whether the French find Jerry funny; true or not, the idea that they do is certainly amusing.

I'm sure the man was a genius of a kind and I'm glad he found his public. (Last viewed: December 2018)

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Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy
      1978 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This short film is a series of skits which have the funny feature that they all fail to make me laugh. Maybe it's the forty years that have elapsed, but my suspicion is that Steve Martin and I are not on the same wavelength. Next I'll go try some his stand-up. (Last viewed: August 2018)

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What To Expect When You're Expecting
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Just Awful) | imdb: 5.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Several couples plan to have a baby, expect a baby, have a baby. Although there were a few chuckles, this was by far the worst comedy I've watched all year. At an early stage they turned the sappy tap on and never turned it off—it kept dripping, dripping, dripping. The last twenty minutes or so felt like an unending baby-fest. I don't mind indulging my partner in a chick flick sometimes, but gentlemen, do not concede on this one or the hair under your arms will fall out. (Last viewed: November 2015)

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The Three Stooges: Dizzy Doctors
      1937 | USA | Laughs: 0.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 8.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Some comedy ages poorly as culture evolves. This comedy short, one of the highest ranking of the three stooges, features no humor other than people getting poked in the eye or bumped on the head. It's resolutely unfunny but serves a purpose: after seeing this one, you know you never need to watch another Three Stooges again. (Last viewed: March 2013)

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Wonder Boys
      2000 | USA | Laughs: 0.2 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Not a laugh-out-loud comedy but a light-hearted movie in which an iconic writer struggling with his second novel deals with his lover, his editor and gifted students of his.

I'm not usually a huge fan of Michael Douglas but he was perfect for the role, as was the rest of the cast, making this a surprisingly pleasant watch.

(Last viewed: January 2019)

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