Yesterday, the BBC dropped their list of the 100 best comedies of all time. Billy Wilder’s 1959 classic,
Some Like It Hot took the top spot, and while the list skews towards the oldies, it also made room
for movies like Step Brothers, Anchorman, Zoolander and not one, but two Wes
Anderson films, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Based on input from 253 critics, from
52 different countries, the list is definitely credible, and quite possibly definitive.
Still, though we aren’t as wonky about movies as the critics who made these lists, we had our gripes with the rankings. Herewith, their most egregious errors…
Shutting out Judd Apatow
They clearly chose some movies based on how influential they were rather than their pure comedic values, so how the hell does Judd Apatow not made it even once? The dude’s name is at adjective status by now. I don't love or even like all his movies, but he's probably the most significant comedy film figure of this millennium. And 40 Year Old Virgin is a fucking classic. But don’t take my word for it. Take A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis’s.
A Woody Allen-related flub
I don't think I want to live in a world where Zelig made this list and Manhattan didn't.
The inclusion of Hot Fuzz
British much?
O Brother Where Art Thou? should take the place of the overrated Big Lebowski
I have it on good authority that two other editors who have contributed to this article but fear retribution agree.
Pulp Fiction is not a comedy
Yes, it’s a great movie that’s hard to pin down genre-wise, but is it more a comedy than anything else?
There should be some Vince Vaughn on this list
Look this isn't about Oscars or critical acclaim. This is about comedy. Try and pretend you didn’t laugh at a ridiculous frequency during Wedding Crashers, or Old School, or even Dodgeball. Not even any love for Swingers?
--Geoff Rynex
The exclusion of Wet Hot American Summer
A postmodern cult classic that helped launched the career of some of comedy’s biggest names. It's its own thing.
What is Clueless doing on this list?
Sure, Clueless is a seminal teen movie, and even a seminal LA movie. But on comedy chops alone it has no place on this list at #34, between Singin’ in the Rain and Anchorman.
As an aside, I think the world should know that The New Yorker’s Richard Brody included Norbit on his top ten list here.
I love Richard Brody. That is just such an absurdly hot take.
--Sam Eichner
That last aside only further solidifies my hunch that 50% of these so-called critics were not taking this very seriously and the other half were taking this far too seriously.
And I can't tell which are which.
It also leads me to believe that Eddie Murphy is somehow criminally underrated.
Especially '80s Eddie. Coming to America is an unimpeachably classic film, let alone comedy film. And it's nowhere to be seen. Okay, fine, I do see they gave Trading Places a nod at #73, but come on. That was literally the least they could do. (Not to mention this list is sorely lacking diversity in general, ahem, #BBC100SoWhite.)
And while we're making up hashtags on the spot: #BBC100SoSober.
Aside from Lebowsky (which, yep, I'd take O Brother over), The Hangover and Animal House this list is lacking in some good old fashioned mind-altered romps like Half Baked, Old School, Knocked Up, Superbad, etc.
Dumb and Dumber should be on this list.
And Wayne's World. And more Steve Martin. And more Robin Williams. And so on and so forth.
–Najib Benouar
The Dumb and Dumber quandary
Imagine channel-flipping onto Groundhog Day and someone saying something along the lines of: "Ah, Groundhog Day. Definitely in my top-five comedies, right in front of 1933's Duck Soup."
And to that you say, "Well, you also flipped right past Dumb and Dumber. Wouldn't you rather watch that for a few minutes? A more funny, engaging movie?"
And to that, the person smugly says, "Please... I don't even have Dumb and Dumber in my top-100!"
You automatically dislike that person, right? Or at the very least, question why they are in your living room in the first place.
--Thompson Brandes
Mark Harmon’s Summer School...
...should be number one on this list, let alone not included at all.
--Hadley Tomicki
Still, though we aren’t as wonky about movies as the critics who made these lists, we had our gripes with the rankings. Herewith, their most egregious errors…
Shutting out Judd Apatow
They clearly chose some movies based on how influential they were rather than their pure comedic values, so how the hell does Judd Apatow not made it even once? The dude’s name is at adjective status by now. I don't love or even like all his movies, but he's probably the most significant comedy film figure of this millennium. And 40 Year Old Virgin is a fucking classic. But don’t take my word for it. Take A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis’s.
A Woody Allen-related flub
I don't think I want to live in a world where Zelig made this list and Manhattan didn't.
The inclusion of Hot Fuzz
British much?
O Brother Where Art Thou? should take the place of the overrated Big Lebowski
I have it on good authority that two other editors who have contributed to this article but fear retribution agree.
Pulp Fiction is not a comedy
Yes, it’s a great movie that’s hard to pin down genre-wise, but is it more a comedy than anything else?
There should be some Vince Vaughn on this list
Look this isn't about Oscars or critical acclaim. This is about comedy. Try and pretend you didn’t laugh at a ridiculous frequency during Wedding Crashers, or Old School, or even Dodgeball. Not even any love for Swingers?
--Geoff Rynex
The exclusion of Wet Hot American Summer
A postmodern cult classic that helped launched the career of some of comedy’s biggest names. It's its own thing.
What is Clueless doing on this list?
Sure, Clueless is a seminal teen movie, and even a seminal LA movie. But on comedy chops alone it has no place on this list at #34, between Singin’ in the Rain and Anchorman.
As an aside, I think the world should know that The New Yorker’s Richard Brody included Norbit on his top ten list here.
I love Richard Brody. That is just such an absurdly hot take.
--Sam Eichner
That last aside only further solidifies my hunch that 50% of these so-called critics were not taking this very seriously and the other half were taking this far too seriously.
And I can't tell which are which.
It also leads me to believe that Eddie Murphy is somehow criminally underrated.
Especially '80s Eddie. Coming to America is an unimpeachably classic film, let alone comedy film. And it's nowhere to be seen. Okay, fine, I do see they gave Trading Places a nod at #73, but come on. That was literally the least they could do. (Not to mention this list is sorely lacking diversity in general, ahem, #BBC100SoWhite.)
And while we're making up hashtags on the spot: #BBC100SoSober.
Aside from Lebowsky (which, yep, I'd take O Brother over), The Hangover and Animal House this list is lacking in some good old fashioned mind-altered romps like Half Baked, Old School, Knocked Up, Superbad, etc.
Dumb and Dumber should be on this list.
And Wayne's World. And more Steve Martin. And more Robin Williams. And so on and so forth.
–Najib Benouar
The Dumb and Dumber quandary
Imagine channel-flipping onto Groundhog Day and someone saying something along the lines of: "Ah, Groundhog Day. Definitely in my top-five comedies, right in front of 1933's Duck Soup."
And to that you say, "Well, you also flipped right past Dumb and Dumber. Wouldn't you rather watch that for a few minutes? A more funny, engaging movie?"
And to that, the person smugly says, "Please... I don't even have Dumb and Dumber in my top-100!"
You automatically dislike that person, right? Or at the very least, question why they are in your living room in the first place.
--Thompson Brandes
Mark Harmon’s Summer School...
...should be number one on this list, let alone not included at all.
--Hadley Tomicki
