Ishmael Williams's Top Ten Comedies
| 10 | Let's Do It Again
stars Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier in a romp worthy of any of the great
comedic teams - Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello. Cosby and Poitier's
chemistry and ability to play off each other is terrific to watch, and John
Amos proves why he is one of the most underrated black actors in
hollywood.
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| 9 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Sondheim music and a slapstick farce to boot, this stands for me as one of
the most watchable comedies ever. Zero Mostel does an excellent turn as
the slave who wants to be free, and his machinations to make this happen
engage you throughout the entire movie.
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| 8 | Scrooged
I love this one, really I do. It is yet another telling of the charles
Dickens classic, beautifully updated to modern times. Very few can play
the snide, sarcastic uncaring Scrooge the way Murray does. And the cameos
are priceless. Watch out for the toaster...
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| 7 | Great Race
Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn, Vivian
Vance, Larry Storch, Ross Martin....
Need i say more? Okay, in case i do i think this one is pure fun. an
outrageous premise made to work by the talents of Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh,
Peter Falk and Jack Lemmon. The Lemmon \ Falk duo gave us the animated
Dastardly and Mutley in later cartoons. Go see who did it first.
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| 6 | Fortune Cookie
Lemmon and Walter Matthau made fame and, forgive me, fortune, with their
chemistry in The Odd Couple. but this one really gives us some solid
looks at their individual and combined talents. Lemmon is the
quintessential nice guy, while Matthau is terrific as the sleazy ambulance
chasing lawyer.
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| 5 | Roxanne
I probably should have stuck with pure comedies, but Steve Martin's
updating of Cyrano is a great watch. He handles many of the Bergerac
cliche's with wit and sensitivity. Watch the 20 insults scene carefully...
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| 4 | Princess Bride
Another romantic comedy with true wit, heart and soul. Cary Elwes is
lyrical as the hero, with Mandy Patinkin supporting him like a
perfect...um, foil. The casting of Andre the Giant is a wonder to behold.
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| 3 | Silver Streak
Another fabulous duo from an unlikely pairing. This movie runs slowly with
Wilder and Clayburg. But it picks up speed when Pryor joins the story, and
rockets like the proverbial runaway freight train. Again, though, it's the
chemistry of the two actors that really make it work. Need lessons on
ethnicity?
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| 2 | Addams Family
The most romantic and loving of the romantic comedies, this loving tribute
to the 60's series, which itself was based on the darkly comedic ghouls of
Charles Addams imagination, has more going for it than just being a remake.
Originality abounds amongst standard cliche's we remember well, and blends
magically with the original workings of charles addams' cartoons. Watch it
with someone you love.
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| 1 | Ghostbusters
Anyone who knows me knows this is my number one favorite comedy. The jokes
come on a regular basis, and aren't pushed or contrived. There is an
excellent balance between Murray's skeptical acceptance, Ramis' serious
research, and Aykroyd's earnest belief. Add Sigourney Weaver as the
distressed damsel, and Ernie Hudson as the "sane, audience representative"
in the film, and you have a story that will grab you every time.
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Ishmael I. Williams is a fan of both movies and television, and
doesn't get to see as much as he'd like in any given year. Still, what he
does get to see he enjoys writing about, and hope people will stop by from
time to time to see what he has to say. He also thinks he's going to be a
pretty good foil for Tim Wick, fellow board member and with whom he often
disagrees on a film (ask Tim and Ish about Wild Wild West sometime).
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