Top 100 Comedies of All Time

Hey everybody, one of my favorite podcasts, Talking Pictures, is back for another season. You know this. It's from TCM and HBO Max. It's a podcast all about movies and memories hosted by Ben Manquitz and he gets to sit down with some of Hollywood's most influential actors and filmmakers to discuss the movies that inspired him. I've been on the show. It was the most fun and this season he is talking to people like Edgar Wright about pacing and montages in film and Rosie Perez about her acting career and how it kind of just began on accident. He's also talking to Pat Nozwald, Susan Sarandon, Hiramurai, who is a director who did a lot of Atlanta and the great new show Widows Bay, Sally Field, Tony Goldwyn and so much more. This season Ben and his guests are on camera so you can also watch Talking Pictures on HBO Max and Spotify or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Selected saver menu bagger, medium fries, selected medium drink and a selected bonus side. Price and participation may vary. The best comedies of all time. According to Variety. Okay, let's get into it. Hello everyone and welcome to Unspooled. Yes, welcome to Unspooled. This is a podcast about good movies, critical hits, fan favorites, must sees and in case you missed them. We have covered the AFI Top 100 and now we are checking out movies from three major lists. The Letterbox top 250 films with the most fans, the IMDb top 250 and the New York Times 1000 essential films and what is that? It is the breaking news alert for a new list that has dropped Variety this year dropped the 100 best comedies of all time. Let's go through this guy. That's right. I am Paul Shearer. I'm an actor, a writer, a director and a person that has a lot of opinions about this comedy list. I'm Amy Nicholson. I'm the film critic for the Los Angeles Times, which means I'll be taking this list deadly seriously. Amy, when this list dropped, I was so excited to chat about it with you because this is a subject we talk about a lot on the show. These are not often represented on major lists. There are always like the ones that kind of walk the line. Obviously a Charlie Chaplin, potentially a Fargo. We might even see a Borat on that list. But you know, we often push comedy to the side when we are making best of film lists and I don't understand it. It doesn't make any sense. And when I saw this list, I was so excited for some justice, for some, you know, true comedy to shine through. And I got to say, I am disappointed. Are you? I am not a thousand percent disappointed. I actually think there's some pretty interesting picks on here that I will go to Batfell or any day. Like I got my boy John Waters on here twice. Are you kidding me for Pink Flamingos and Hairspray? To me, that has a good sign. So I'm more open-hearted to this list than you are. Let's go. OK. I 100 percent agree. There are great films, a hundred films on this list. And by the time we get done with this, I'm going to give you 20 that should be on there, or at least you can follow our substack to find out my full list of the ones that should be on there. But let's just go through this. The number one greatest comedy film of all time. 1988's The Naked Gun from the Files of Police Squad directed by David Zucker. Now, you know, I love this movie. I do. I think it's great. Is it the number one comedy of all time? You know why I will stand up for the right to have that, at least there? Because, of course, I do love The Naked Gun. I absolutely love The Naked Gun. The fact that The Naked Gun is one and number two is some like it hot, pleases me to know it because I usually think a prestigious list like this would put some like it hot one by default. A film that you and I both think is actually not that great. It's fine. To me, some like like it hot just feels like kind of I like comedy. I like prestige. This will be the one that I pick that synergizes both into the same breath. And nobody really is questioning the fact that it isn't even that funny. And I don't find it that funny. So the fact that it lost to Naked Gun, there is something so amazing about that to me. It makes this list have a punk energy that I respect. Well, look, we have found one thing to be true. Whenever you are making a list, you have to put a controversial title at number one. It's the only way you get people talking. And I do believe that there is some recency bias with Naked Gun. I think that The Naked Gun is a great film. We love Naked Gun, but I don't think that you can lead a list of the best comedy films with a parody. How about that? How about that? That's what I'm going to say. I think that you need to go with an original voice, an original comic voice. And that would be my reason to knock it out of the number one slot. I'm not saying it doesn't belong even in the top 10, but number one, it's big for a movie that I think. I don't know, is just parodying something else. I think comedy or the success of comedy is about being completely original, making people laugh in a way that we would never expect. OK, I'm listening to your argument and I am absorbing it. And I'm looking at the top five on this list. Right? Yes. Number one, Naked Gun. Number two, some like it hot. Of course. Three, Annie Hall. Number four, dictator. Number five, waiting for guffman. And of those five, I don't see how Naked Gun doesn't take it, honestly. And that's only because I love Annie Hall. I don't think any list in the post Woody Allen career can put a Woody Allen film. Number one, even though you and I have both agreed a thousand times over, I'll say this till I die. Annie Hall is Diane Keaton's film. Absolutely, absolutely. And I think we have to just look at the art, not the artist in this one, but that. But Annie Hall is an influential movie. I don't mind it in the third spot. No, I wouldn't even mind it. Number two, honestly, I just think nobody could say Anna Woody Allen film is number one and not get murdered. Now, number four, the great dictator. I find really interesting because usually Charlie Chaplin's filmography gets pointed in the direction of modern times, a film that is probably my favorite of his modern times is on this list. And the great dictator is a great dictator is all the way up at number four. I find that a really interesting kind of upending of the film canon. When we talk about Charlie Chaplin, I don't have you seen the great dictator? I have, actually. And look, you know where I stand. I don't often have a soft spot in my heart for silent film. This podcast is opening me to it. And I coming to it and I'm curious about why it's so high. I feel like that's a little bit of a comment on our political climate right now. Probably. Yeah. I mean, I guess what I would say is would you put the general before the great dictator? And I think I would. Well, you know, it's funny about this list, speaking about upending the canon. The general's not on here either. Junior is at number 11, which is actually a Buster Keaton that I think I like as much as the general, if not more, it just doesn't have the famous stunts that people think of when they think of Buster Keaton. So putting Sherlock Junior on here, I'll say it again, I think is a punk rock choice. So you just like that the list is different than what you expect. I just appreciate a list that doesn't feel obligated to maintain the same classics over and over again, because I think a lot of these lists tend to have the Gimmie slot. And, you know, well, obviously modern times is on there. And I appreciate that they're like, what if it wasn't? And I love modern times. I just appreciate that it has a fresh thought behind it. All right. What if I was to tell you that what I would put as the number one comedy on this list is Groundhog Day? OK, so here's where I want to go with this. OK. In the top five, I don't see any of those that would beat naked gun. But in the in the number six to 10, I would put pretty much all of these on top of naked gun. I think the funniest comedies here are the last six. Money, Python, duck, soup, Fargo, Young Frank, a Senate nine, Groundhog Day at 10. I mean, that's a really solid list. And I feel like that's a perfect list because you're not worried about where they're falling. You once you get past the top five, then we start just taking it all in. Again, it's a list type of thing. But I'm looking at this and I see waiting for Guthman at five, which I love. But then I look down the list a little bit more and I see a spinal tap at 18. Do we need both? Interesting. I mean. For all the movies that are not here, do we need both? Part of why I like that we have spinal tap on the list is because big sigh in this list, we should say came out before Rob Reiner's untimely passing. Yes, the director who has the most films on this list, our boy, Rob Reiner. Rob Reiner has three on there. So I kind of want spinal tap just so Rob can win this list. He also has one here in the Prince's Bride. I mean, I'm fully for that. And even before his tragic death, I would have also have felt that same way. I guess I just feel like this list. And when I look at this list, it feels like. They confused the term like influential with like critically acclaimed or something like that, right? Because we don't see a lot of the bigger, dumber things like, yes, you have waiting for Guthman on this list. Critics love Christopher Guest. I I do too. But then you have things like Ghostbusters nowhere on the list. I know you don't like Ghostbusters, but like I do feel like this list does have a little bit of a like a populist problem. Like they don't really like embrace the really dumb movies. The movies that I think are big comedy. You may not think that they are great films, but they are influential comedies. I mean, they do have the waterboy on here, which I'm angry about. I mean, why waterboy? Why waterboy? Like out of all of Adam Sandler's movies, you're going to say waterboy is the best one. And it's at 50. It's like fairly high up there. I mean, the fact that Happy Gilmore is not on this list and Waterboy is to me is absolutely dumb. Wait, what is the bigger travesty? No modern times or no Happy Gilmore? Happy Gilmore. Really? Because yes, only because if you are putting one of Adam Sandler's films on here or like one of his wedding singer on this list, I've got to look. I don't think that Waterboy is representative of him in that same way. I also don't think it's a movie that is as beloved as Happy Gilmore. You watch what happened with Happy Gilmore over the summer when Happy Gilmore 2 came out. It like it shut down the Netflix server. It was the biggest thing since the Stranger Things Christmas release. All I'm saying is I don't think Waterboy has that kind of longevity. I think Waterboy is a movie. It's like putting Big Daddy on the list. It's like, yeah, those are popular Adam Sandler films, but like those early Adam Sandler films, those let him make this movie. I mean, I'm open to that point because you're right. When I picture Adam Sandler's filmography, I don't even think of the Waterboy for like two or three movies at least. I wonder if they do some sort of genre distinction under the surface that we're not seeing because stuff like Back to the Futures in here either. And I wonder if Back to the Future Ghostbusters are counted more in the world of fantasy or adventure. Well, but then then you got to take off being John Malkovich or or or Big Pretty Woman. Yeah, or Fargo. Yeah. It's like, you know, that's what I kind of think is so interesting about this list. I I think there's a lot of argument here over what is the defining movie for an actor, right? And it's influential comedy. So I keep on going, what's influential? What changed the dynamic? And yes, Coming to America is an influential Eddie Murphy movie, but I would argue. Beverly Hills Cop has more influence over the state of movies like that action comedy, that comedy lead in a movie. I think that that brought Eddie Murphy to our attention is. I mean, this is a tough one to fight over because I also love Coming to America. I think it's a really great film, but Beverly Hills Cop is an influential movie. I mean, it's interesting that they put Eddie Murphy Raw on here instead. I thought that was an also raw, Amy, not delirious. Raw is not as good as delirious. It's it's it's just, I mean, ask anyone about that. Like, Raw is not the stand up movie that you put on. And then you're putting a stand up movie on here. Come on now. Come on. Come on. I'm angry. I'm angry at this list. I I mean, look, this is a hard list because sense of humor is obviously very personal. So I'm trying to look at it in a way where I'm not judging the comedy, but I am judging, you know, what I think is something that has a big, a big footprint. I am surprised at a movie called Safety Last. Are you familiar with that movie number 55 in the list? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Harold Lloyd, it's even referenced at the very beginning of Back to the Future. OK, now do you believe that that belongs on the list? Well, I'll roll with it. I'll roll with it. I think it's the oldest film that we even have on the list. Chronologically, yeah. I would hate for the silent air to be overruled to be forgotten. I agree. And I respect that this list did a fairly decent job spreading the wealth decade wise. I mean, if you had to guess with your gut, what do you think the funniest decade is according to this list? I would say the 80s. Yeah, the 80s. The 80s had 21 movies. I think after that, the 2000s had 18 movies, but the 2000s kind of count everything from like 2000 to 2020 in my calculation of how they work. And then the 90s had 17. So it's a little bit of a recency bias, but I like that they went and did some digging. No. And look, I really want to be clear that there are things in this list that I was really excited to see. I'm going to get you sucka number 96. Keen and Ivory Waynes. I think that that's an influential movie. I love seeing, you know, movies that we talked about here on the show, like Anchorman and Idiocracy, What Hot American Summer, like Team America World Police, a movie that I really want to do on this show. Oh, absolutely. Blazing Saddles at 77. While I was upset about the placement, I was, of course, that has to be on this list. You know, I see a movie like Blazing Saddles has to be top 10. But then I mean, would you be like upset that there are two male brooks in the top 10? Potentially. I mean, and look, and that's the Rob Reiner problem, right? He made great films, you know, but then I'm looking at like me, you and everyone I know Miranda July's movie. I love Miranda July. I'm not totally feeling like that's one of the most influential comedies. Same way, I don't really agree with Private Benjamin as being like one of the most influential comedies. But I love that Preston Sturges is on this list. That's great. Yeah, twice. He's on it with the miracle of Morgan's Creek, too, which is a really wacky one. I love that one. I love that one. And, you know, and I think that we have a lot of or some we have a bunch of female directors on here or more than often is represented, right? Like I think we see. You have got Elaine May up at 17 with the heartbreak kid. You know, and I think that there's there's a weird thing going on here because I'm trying to wrap my arms around this list. And when we talk about Eddie Murphy, raw, that's a standup special and not even the best one. Then we're going with that. The only standup special that we're putting on this list, that's the only one. Take it off so we don't even question it. Because I don't think it's the best standup special of all time. But then if we're going to do that, then we put poor things on this list. I love poor things, but is that like a comedy? I don't know. I don't know how I feel about that. Like, you know, I wouldn't list it as a comedy as the first genre. I've listed more like sci-fi and then I guess that's higher. But satire is bleeding into comedy. It's all the way at number 65, which I was like, whoa, but maybe that's recency bias on my part. Maybe I don't see it with a perspective that I would. If it's like 20 years from now and I'm looking back and I'm like, oh, yeah, I laughed a lot. I guess because when I think about poor things, now I think about the ending, which I don't love and I forget how funny the beginning is. I agree. Now, let me ask you this. There's a Albuquerque film on this list, Lost in America. Now, are you putting Lost in America on a list and not putting Defending Your Life on it? Now, Lost in America, I think speaks to culturally things that are going on. But Defending Your Life is, to me, a defining comedy film that influences so many other stories. Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs. Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand, marketing tools that get your products out there, integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time from startups to scale ups online, in person and on the go. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com. Slash setup. This is your latest project. It's heavy with information, data and exactly 36 pages of waffle. But with Acrobat Studio, you can create a PDF space, an AI powered workspace that turns documents into summaries and insights and even generates reports or presentations out of it. So you can cut through the waffle, work smarter and save time. Do that with Acrobat. Learn more and try it out on Adobe.com. You know, now I am wondering if this really is a properly, properly, properly done list. Where you just see the evidence of somebody not putting their thumb on the scale. Because I think there are lists where somebody is like, oh, obviously modern times, but for them not to put modern times, or maybe everybody's assuming everyone's going to put defending your life on there. Maybe people just assume somebody else will put it on and they didn't. And then they got played. Maybe it was like a double Zoink attack. Right. I hear you're saying it's like you are trying to go, well, look at this other movie that doesn't get enough attention. Exactly. You can't make a list that says the 100 most influential films and then have something like, I don't know, my best friend's wedding. I mean, maybe that is an influential film, but I don't know if that's in the in the top 100. I'd love that with nail and I is on this list. I think that that's a great, that's a great, interesting comedy choice. You know, in the loop is on here. Like there's just, I think that this list also fluctuates so heavily between like romcom and comedy. And I think it's trying to do too much. And what I'm kind of realizing is that may be the problem that comedy has with these lists, because it covers so many genres. Like, you know, it's very rare to say, Oh, well, that's a horror, a horror movie or a comedy movie, but comedy movies can kind of be anything. It could be satire. It could be parody. It could be a character based thing. Like there, there's a lot of versions of it. Rocky Horror Picture Show is here, you know, which is sort of a comedy, but it's every genre. Right. And I feel like this is the problem of, of always putting together a list. But when I'm looking at it, I'm also just trying to think of, I'm going to read a couple out to you. I wrote a couple down. Okay. And just thought, let me hear your thoughts. There's something about Mary. I do love that movie. I mean, it kind of redefines comedy in the nineties, right? That like like it or not, it's big. That is a big, big movie. Right. You're right. I had to notice its absence. Ouch. Wait. Yeah, that stings. I just assumed that was here and I, my eyes glazed over it, but it's not. Right. Um, how about, I think, oh, wait, wait, hold on. We need to really keep talking about this because when I even just picture on my head, what if I walked into a movie theater and I had posters of all the movies? I just see Cameron Diaz there immediately with her bangs. Right. I mean, that's a, that's a big one. And I feel like there is this kind of, you know, we're not even seeing Dumb and Dumber on this list. Those two movies, I kind of put hand in hand, obviously they're fairly brothers films, but they represent a certain kind of doofy, big comedy that I think, you know, is big, is worthy of, you know, of, of being talked about. You're right. Now I'm just picturing if Green Book was on here instead. And that would be the kind of Pongrock ethos that would then drive me nuts. Um, I will say another one. If you had to choose on a list of the best comedy, Raising Arizona or Fargo, Fargo is on the list, but is that, I mean, it is funny. I love you. Yeah, but I'm a Raising Arizona girl. I actually think of the first Raising Arizona over Fargo on any list. Well, that to me actually represents exactly what we're talking about. If you're going to put your finger on the list and kind of switch up what we're expecting, put Raising Arizona, not Fargo. You see, this list kind of wants it both ways. They're giving you Fargo, but then they're taking off defending your life. Right. Um, you know, it's, it's tricky. I mean, there's a couple of movies on here that I also feel like didn't get enough love. I could be the only person here on this, but Plains, trains and automobiles, not on the list is a bummer for me. Um, Galaxy Quest, not on the list is a bummer for me. Um, yeah, I don't think there's any John Candy film on here at all. And again, I'm trying to keep my eyes on this list. And I believe that Dr. Strangel is the only Peter Sellers movie on this list. Like there's a part of me. It's like we should put one of the pink panthers on here, right? A shot in the dark at least. Yeah. Home alone is not on here either. Surprise. But are you ready for the biggest one? Yeah, go ahead. No, John Hughes films. Oh, interesting. I don't think I'd done the math on that. Huh. Right. I mean, that to me is shocking. Which one would you put on though? Okay. So if I'm looking at this, well, I already said Plains, trains and automobiles, that's one that he directed. But there's a part of me that I think I would put home alone on this list. I feel like home alone would go on here. I would take off in a heartbeat to see. Right. Yeah. I mean, that it's interesting, right? I mean, I do think that this list does celebrate people that just change the game. And we're talking about Buster Keaton, right? Mark's brothers, sure. You know, it happened one night. I love it. Like these are the movies and I think you're right. We have to always look back. You know, the graduate, I have a hard time saying that that's a comedy comedy, but it's a coming of age. I'm going to put it, I'm not going to argue with the graduate. It's great. I'll argue with it. I'm glad it's not here. Yeah. But, but you know, like I think that this list, I think what it forgets. Is kind of like the gross out, kind of like the, the other style of comedy, the ones that don't get all the attention, although we do get it a little bit, which is super bad, the hangover and bridesmaids. I was really excited that that's on the list with Anchorman and Borat. I feel like they're representing something there, but maybe it was. Oh, hangover is not on. Wait, it isn't. Oh my gosh, you see, this is what I'm looking at. Like, all right. So again, talk about influential hangover. I think redefines comedy again, like brings back the R rated comedy or like, you know, or, or it's not brings back, but like that movie is huge. And if just in the world of, of comedy, I don't know, from a box office point of view, from a star launching point of view, right? That that's one of the biggest. Oh yeah. And 40 year old versions not on here either. Interesting. I mean, I was impressed that super bad was all the way up at number 20, which made me also feel like we really do have to do that on the show. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, 20 is high. I think super bad is like the highest new comedy, I would say, because yeah, it's got like Alexander Payne sideways on here at number 14. I don't really feel like sideways is that much of a comedy. No, I don't either. And so yeah, and I don't, I don't count as the comedy. And also it doesn't feel new. There's something about super bad that feels of this era and something about sideways that feels of a past era. Maybe the, maybe the world changed around 2005. I think it did. But super bad feels like the most newest of the today comedies. That's a really backwards way of saying I was impressed to see it up at number 20. Well, I guess what you're always going to come to. And what I think the New York Times did really well was have people vote on these things. Right. Like who made this list? We don't know. Is this a list that's an aggregate made out of like the best reviewed films? And by the way, I was wrong about Rob being the only stand up comedy film on the list. I'm seeing now that Richard Pryor's live and concert is also there, which, you know, great. Again, I think you start to confuse this list when you put stand up specials on it because I just think it's a different thing. I don't know. I mean, maybe, maybe I'm, maybe I'm being too tough on it and you be like, well, Paul, what stand up special is missing from it? I don't know. But I think you start to. I think it's they're huge, right? Because they were stand up films in theaters and that's a big deal. So I don't know. Now I'm like, I I'm just looking at it and I'm having a hard time. I guess I'm understanding what these people were going through. Yeah, I think every list is really impossible. I mean, the LA Times, we just did a gigantic list that I loved working on. The 101 best LA movies, you know, movies shot in LA that capture something about LA. And even in there, there's a tiny bit of gamesmanship, like I didn't put Chinatown on my list just because I was like, everybody's going to put Chinatown on their list. I'm going to put my something else on that list. I want to save that spot for a movie that I can stand up for. I mean, if you were coming up with let's even use LA was as example, you're coming up with a list with a group of people. Everybody gets to submit a ballot. Are you going to bother putting Chinatown on your list? Are you going to think somebody else will have it? I don't need to. Oh, I see what you're saying. Like you're kind of like sitting down for the big movies because you're kind of a wasted vote because you know it's getting on there. Exactly. Exactly. OK, I see that. And now I will also say I did this thing with Doug Benson one time that drove me nuts. It was a list of the top 10 movies in San Francisco. And guess what was not on that list? Was it Bullet? Bullet. And I'm like, come on, like, like, Bullet is like, you know, you just say like, right, so I guess maybe is this list successful for exactly what we're doing? Arguing over it, right? When they do the list and Rolling Stone of like the best SNL performers and drop people in different spots, like there always has to be a 99 and there always has to be a number one. And I feel like we look at those and then as long as we see about 10 that we agree with, we're kind of OK. No one gets in the real nitty gritty. No one's like, wait, Devil Wears Prada's at 81. That should definitely be higher than Private Benjamin. Like no one gets into the weeds in that kind of stuff. I enjoy being in those weeds. The weeds of like what's Shawn of the Dead doing at 75, you know? I like I like the little bit of shifting around stuff. Because you think that there's a one to one level. Yeah. Are you going to put Shawn of the Dead over Private Benjamin? Just to pick 75 and 74. Well, I mean, and this is what I get down to, like I'm looking at the bottom five and the bottom five makes me want to scream because you have. I'm going to get you sucka. Born yesterday, pretty woman, Wayne's World and Bridget Jones Diary. Those are the final five. And I'm like, huh, it does feel like a junk bin of movies. I would definitely move Wayne's World up a little bit higher, but as it is probably arguably the most successful SNL movie. And I think that that does mean something. But looking at that list, I'm like, OK, I get. Like I don't know. I don't even know if I have the energy to argue those. Like, sure. And you're putting like Brazil next to I'm going to get you sucka. And I'm like, wait, does Brazil even belong on this list? And then I'm like, this top this bottom ten is a mess. A mess. I'm just like, well, it's not a mess that they're bad, but I'm like, the rankings are just all over the place. I mean, the fact that people remember my hairspray enough, my 1988 hairspray, not the Jamba Volta hairspray to put it at 93 that anybody else cares about that movie as much as I do, heartens me. You know that that is one of my favorite movies ever made. Well, look, I told you I'm with you here. I'm on board, but I'm also looking at the jerk at 92 and going. The jerk is way higher than the devil wears Prada. Like, I mean, or, you know, going places. The bird, Mike Nichols, the bird cage. Come on. I mean, you know, I get like, you know, and I guess like, well, you don't know. I mean, and it's Harold and Maude on here, just shampoo. Shampoo's on here. I don't know about Maude. I mean, I wonder if we're getting into the weeds too on this list of comedies that make you laugh and comedies that make you go, oh, because there's a lot of comedies that make you go, oh, on here or comedies that make you go, like Brazil. I don't think I laugh out loud at Brazil, but I smile. Right. And does that count as a comedy if you're smiling? I don't know. I feel like when you're saying it has to be a comedy, it's like, I can't, I don't think it's just like, I don't think it's just a smile. I think you got to kill. I mean, it's only a hundred. And like, I will say that I saw Beverly Hills cop in the theater. It kills. I've seen Ghostbusters in the theater. It kills, right? Dumb and Dumber kills. You know, these are movies that people go bananas for raising Arizona. I mean, like, you know, I'm just listening to these movies that aren't even there. The apartment's not on this list. And that's a movie that probably is more than it is. Ha, that is true. Huh. And I feel like going, huh, about the fact that the apartment isn't on here. But then we're a podcast. We're supposed to be a verbal medium, but sometimes I don't like using words. A great story like Monsters, Inc. stays with you forever. And Disney Class is where you'll find your next great story. From the return of the award-winning hit series, Rivals. Welcome to the naughtiest show on television. To the unmissable crime drama, High Potential. Got a dead body, got a go. A lifetime of great stories awaits. This spring on Disney Plus, 18 Plus, subscription required. T's and C's apply. Hey, everyone, I'm Josh Radner, and I am so excited to tell you about how we made your mother a rewatch podcast looking back at how I met your mother. And I'm here with Craig Thomas, who co-created the show along with Carter Bay's. Hi, Craig. Hey, Josh. Somehow it has been 20 years since the show premiered. That's I'm going to check the math on that. 10 years since it went off the air. And we thought that made this a perfect time to look back, see what the hell we did and why the show still seems to resonate with fans around the world today. Follow and listen to how we made your mother wherever you get your podcasts. Unsouled. OK, let me ask you this, then. What is your number one? If you were going to reorder this, what is your number one? OK, well, I may have showed my hand a little bit too early because. I said it and then I'm like, it kind of works perfectly. I do. Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day. You could make a very solid argument that anyone and everyone will like Groundhog Day and I will like Groundhog Day and I think that Groundhog Day has stood the test of time. I think it will continue to stand the test of time. And I think it's a universal idea. Like I'm with you, honestly. I love these just looking at the top 10. If I was going to block one of those out and put it at number one instead, it would definitely be Groundhog Day. And then I would probably do Money Python and then any haul the naked gun. OK, interesting. So if we're just picking out of the top 10, I probably would do. Hmm, this is hard. You know what, Amy, looking at this list, it's really hard to start organizing them. And I wonder if this list would have been better served to have done it by decade, right, because I'm looking here and I'm like, OK, I don't know. I don't know if any of these in the top 10 feel like they are worthy. Like I would put Groundhog Day in my top 10. I would put Blazing Saddles in my top 10. I would definitely put a Charlie Chaplin if it's the great dictator, because that's what they selected. I will agree to that. I also think that, you know, when I'm looking at movies that that change the game, I think the jerk goes up pretty high, too. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I don't know. It's like I'm trying to also try to take myself out of it. I think that Preston Sturges films go up way higher. I think without Preston Sturges, we don't have Judd Apatow and a certain degree. Yeah, we have Sullivan's Travels all the way at 32. Morgan's at 71. I hope a Sullivan's in my top 10 easily. I also think that Apatow on here. It's interesting. There's Apatow produced ones on here. Yeah, I don't know if there's an actual Apatow. That's fascinating, because I think people would say who defined comedy in the 2010s. Apatow. That's really interesting. He's his producerial work has way more representation, probably the most representation out of anyone on this list, because it's Bridesmaid's. Because it's Bridesmaid's. It's super bad. It's Anchorman. There's so much here that he was involved in. I am glad that Bridesmaid's is up pretty high. I love that movie. I do like that. I also think that Elf should go a little bit higher too. I'm trying to think of those movies that are universally loved. I think Harry Met Sally goes up high. Yeah, Harry's at 29. That's a little low for me. Yeah, I also think that Hard Day's Night can go up higher too. You know, it's sort of to me, what is the film that you put on that you're going to get everybody on board with? And I think that this movie is a little smarter than that. I think that I guess maybe I find comedy to be like the great equalizer. Like it and it's hard to rank anything. I think that lists are inherently a fool's errand. Are you calling our life's work a fool's errand? No, but it's like, I think it's like, I think it's always it's it brings up discussion. Right. And I feel like every list should come with another side of the list that you can reorder and write your own list. Maybe, you know what, Amy? I don't trust myself. Let me go to what the people think. And by the people, I mean the people of IMDB. I'm going to go to another list to go talk about this list. Would you like to hear the IMDB's top five comedy films? Would I ever? OK, get ready. At number five, Deadpool. OK. I look, I'm laughing already. All right. Number four, The Truman Show. Oh, that'd be good. Number three, Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't laugh at that movie. I find it so trickly. I think it's very funny. Number two, Back to the Future, which we again, that would be in my top three. Yeah, not on the list, though. Yeah, not on the list. And then number one, one of your favorite comedy directors of all time, Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. Look, I see I'm getting such a good laugh and my ads are working. I love it. And now, by the way, when you go on the bottom of that list, when you go from like six to 10, it's all animated. It's up, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. It's like it's a wild list. Maybe the reason why comedies are hard to gauge is because for for for for the world, or I guess we're saying like a majority of people, a grand majority of people are saying their number one comedy of all time is Wolf of Wall Street. Wolf of Wall Street. Well, then there you go. What do we know? What do we know? I don't know what we know. I don't know what we know. But I do know that looking at this list makes me excited about a bunch of movies that we have yet to cover. Honestly, I agree. Let's add it to the docket. Yeah, I don't know if we could ever do Pink Flamingos. I don't know if I could get you. Have you seen Pink Flamingos? No, but I understand what it would be. Yeah, I deeply love Pink Flamingos. If you're ever in a real cookie mood, please let us put that on. All right. I mean, I'm there for you. And, you know, till then, we look to IMDB and we say, what's your number 100 of the best hundred movies ever? And the answer is simple. Madagascar. Oh my God. What? Madagascar. And Madagascar is holding one side of the bread in a Borat sandwich. It's brave Borat Madagascar. Brave? Brave isn't even that funny. What? Now I'm laughing. This is great. Another omission on this list, by the way, Tropic Thunder, I think it should be on there. OK, Amy, what a blast to break down this list. Is it bad? No. Is it complete? No. A good starting point, a good conversation starter. If you're still around your family or on a vacation, I think this is a great place to start, a good argument that is fruitful and productive with your family and friends for this holiday season. I agree. And just off of the top of my head, Paul, I want to see an episode on Brazil, Devil Wears Prada, Napoleon Dynamite, Brock and Snooze, Rob Leece, Edward. We got some stuff in here. We haven't done super bad. Or sideways. I am down legally blonde at all. We could do it in so many movies, so many things. We've done legally blonde. Are you being blonde? Are you having a blonde moment? Oh my gosh, I totally forgot. Yeah, we did. I live in, I'm living legally blonde because my wife is in the legally blonde prequel show, which is going to be hitting the airwaves soon. So I'm like, I've forgotten where my legally blonde knowledge is coming from. Anyway, Amy, what a pleasure to break this list down with you and thank you for attacking it critically. My pleasure. Do you know what I put on my best LA films ballad since I didn't put China to go for it? I was like, you know what? Fuck it. I'm going to put on Babylon, the Davion Chazelle movie. And it got on it number 101, I think, because I was the only person who voted for it. But oh my God. What can I give you? I love Babylon, man. I love Babylon. Let me give you a couple of my best LA films to see if any of them made the list. OK. Uh huh. Swingers. Yes. Boys in the hood. Yes. OK. Falling down. Yes. Oh, all right. This is a cool list. I can't wait the player. Yes. Speed. Yes. All right. This is good. This is a good list. This I like it. I like it. See a list maker already. By the way, I got to tell you, I was watching just a couple of days ago, Letha Weapon, a great LA movie. And I just have forgotten how great like buddy cop movies could be, like and how good it looks like I have a 4k Blu-ray. And I was like, man, I've gotten so used to the streaming shit. Watching that movie in 4k was pretty great. Oh, by the way, I should tell you, do you know what Blur by insisted on writing for the LA film's top 100 101 in your honor? Yeah. What? Early Hills Cop, because I know you. Yes. I did that for you, baby. I wrote that for you. I appreciate that. And I was going to say, I wasn't even going to bring it up because I was afraid I was going to not, I didn't want to end on a sour note. Good. I am glad Beverly Hills Cop is on the list. Amy, happy new year. Happy new year, buddy. And you know what to get ready for the new year. Let's give you a big assignment. Your assignment is to watch Kill Bill, the whole bloody affair. You can see it in the cinemas. You can even just watch both films back to back because there's only a few subtle differences in the giant four hour epic. It might even be streaming right now. So check out Kill Bill, the whole bloody affair, because that's what we're going to be talking about next week on the show. And make sure you check out our sub stack each and every week to go a little bit deeper on the movies that we talk about here. It's always free. So join in the conversation on school. This produced by Amy Nicholson, Paul Shear, Molly Reynolds and Harry Nelson sound engineered by Corey Barton. Music by Devin Bryant, episode art by Kim Troxell. Show art by Lee Jameson and social media production by Zoe Applebaum. This is a Rome production. See you next week. Bye for now. From the parents behind law and order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom, everyday mysteries. Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11 year old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling indigmas and solves clever cases. Patrick Picklebottom, everyday mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now wherever you get your podcasts. The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world. Praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time. And when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow dark. Every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on YouTube.com slash the Glass Cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark.