Tim Wick's Top Ten Comedies

• Waiting for Guffman
  Absolutely fabulous mockmentary from Christopher Guest. Anyone who has ever been involved in community theater needs to see this movie. The film was primarily improvised by it's cast and what a cast it is. Guest is Corky Sinclair, the worst director in the history of theater. He is surrounded by the worst actors played by Parker Poser, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy and the always hysterical Catherine O'Hara. Unquestionably one of the funniest films ever made.

• Blazing Saddles
  I'm trying to avoid including movies from my existing top ten, so I intentionally left off Young Frankenstein. Blazing Saddles is the ultimate western parody and one of three compelling arguments for Mel Brooks to have continued collaborating with Gene Wilder (the other two are the aforementioned Young Frankenstein and The Producers). Wilder gets second billing to Cleavon Little's Sheriff Bart and rightly so. Little is the ultimate urban cowboy and he does a great job of taking the role seriously despite the wacky hijinks taking place around him. Harvey Korman as Hedey Lamarr (sorry, HedLEY Lamarr) is one of the great comic villains.

• Austin Powers, the Spy Who Shagged Me
  Speaking of great comic villains, this film is completely stolen by Mike Myers most brilliant creation - Dr. Evil. His parody of Blofeld is a bumbling idiot whose only lucky break was to have a nemesis only slightly smarter than he is. This movie gets better the more Bond films you see because you get more of the jokes. Just gotta finish by mentioning that Seth Green's Scott Evil is one of the great supporting characters of all times.

• Undercover Blues
  And speaking of supporting characters, how about Muerte (not Morty) from Undercover Blues? Maybe I shouldn't like this film so much, but Stanley Tucci is brilliant in his role of the bumbling would be killer. Not politically correct perhaps, but certainly very funny.

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  Part of me wishes to disqualify this film because of the annoying joke that everyone makes about my name as a result, but the fact is that it is darn funny. I could argue that Monty Python should be shunned because it is responsible for more awful English accents than Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, but the movie is really darn funny. I could point out that it has lost much of it's humor because everyone I know (and I do mean everyone) has successfully quoted the entire film at least three times in their lives, but that wouldn't change the fact that I still laugh at the jokes. Monty Python is the Apex of British humor. Benny Hill is the nadir. Learn the difference - it is important.

• A Fish Called Wanda
  What do I have to talk about beyond the fact that Kevin Kline is a comic god? How about the fact that John Cleese made the monumentally clever decision to play the straight man in this film? How about the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis can be smart and sexy and funny in the same movie? How about the fact that Michael Palin can act? How about lines like "We did not lose Vietnam! It was a tie?" Great movie.

• The Ref
  Dennis Leary hasn't really had a lot of success in movies. Except for this one. A true test of an actors ability is if he can be in a movie with Kevin Spacey and make you remember him. Leary did that here. He did not steal the film from Spacey (good call) but rather managed to assert himself where needed. Scripting is the key here and the dialogue is tight, sharp and wicked. Talk about a film that makes you laugh in spite of yourself, this is the one.

• Pulp Fiction
  Pulp Fiction a comedy? You'd better believe it. Think about the scene where Christopher Walken talks about Bruce Willis' favorite watch. How about the scene in the pawn shop as Willis contemplates the best weapon to use? This film was shocking and violent, but it was certainly a comedy. You felt really bad about laughing sometimes because such things should not be funny. But they can be funny - and in this film they are.

• Hot Shots
  This is a guilty pleasure. I know that I should pick something like Airplane! that was a far better example of the over the top screwball comedy, but I can't help it. Hot Shots makes me laugh every time I watch it and that is one of the best measures of a good comedy.

• The Princess Bride
  A great swordfight, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin and a wonderful score are part of what make this movie so much fun. Cary Elwes really had a breakout role here and all I can say is that he should have been in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Kevin Costner should have been in Robin Hood, Men in Tights. By the way, if you don't believe me about the score, listen to how it emphasizes the action in the great duel and the final battle scenes.

Honorable mentions

OK, who wants to tell me I'm wrong?????????????????????