January 11, 2005

Funniest, Schmunniest

Okay, for those two of you that are waiting for part two of the dating thing, never fear. I'm working on it, but carefully. I'm trying to be as honest as possible with it, while not simply vomiting words up in some kind of purging therapy session. In the meantime, I have to thank Ken for pointing out how I have shirked my duties. This top ten comedy scenes list from the previous post is simply atrocious. And it's no excuse to say that this was a British poll. The Brits may have absolutely awful food (toad in the hole???), but when it comes to comedy, they've given us Chaplin, Benny Hill, Monty Python, Peter Cook, Peter Sellers, and Irish jokes (bastards!) among others.

Ladies and gentlemen, we can do better.

That's right, I'm taking suggestions, either publicly or privately, for the top ten funniest scenes of all time. I'm sure this small group of us can come up with a list that will make all time proud. When submitting, consider the following criteria:

1) How funny was it? This is all time, so...you know...you better have milk coming out your nose, or something coming from some orifice.

2) How memorable is it? It should probably be one of the first things you think of when you think of that film. That's why I had trouble with trying to justify The Jerk or Airplane!--They're so overall funny that it's tough to pick out one scene.

3) Will it have broad comedic appeal? (This means that except for the Christopher Walken driving scene in...Annie Hall(?), and some of Take the Money and Run...no Woody Allen!) Theses scenes should be at least somewhat funny to everyone, so don't send in something like "I thought the witticisms in the ballroom scene of Le Pretentious Fuck were simply charming!"

4) Has it been oft imitated? This certainly is not a requirement to get on the list, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

So send in the suggestions, folks! I've got some ideas of my own to throw in, and ultimately I'm going to decide the final content of the list, so don't worry--if your choice isn't included, that just means you really don't have much of a sense of humor.

9 comments:

  1. That is a pretty funny scene. I remember being such a big fan of Anderson's when that came out, and trying to explain the humor in the film because it IS very subtle. Thank you for your contribution.

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  2. WIll Ferrell yelling out "I'm not dead, just badly burned" in Austin Powers 1 after Dr. Evil presses the trapdoor (trapchair?) button. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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  3. Or the "if you can dodge wrenches you can dodge balls" moment in dodge balls.

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  4. If you're accepting scenes from TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, I think the scene of Allen playing Cello in the marching band is some of the best slapstick ever.

    Other nominees:
    - The chase scene through the grocery store (and other areas) in RAISING ARIZONA, or the scene in the same film where Nathan Arizona gets fingerprinted.
    - The Jesus scene in THE BIG LEBOWSKI
    - Harpo Marx's scene with the lemonade vendor in DUCK SOUP
    - "Uncle Fucka" from SOUTH PARK THE MOVIE
    - Chaplin's translation scene in THE GREAT DICTATOR
    - Madeline Kahn's confession speech as Mrs. White in CLUE

    That's all I can think of for now.

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  5. Oh, and, of course, the Knights who Say NI and either "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" or "Bigus Dickus" from LIFE OF BRIAN.

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  6. Anonymous3:56 AM

    FANDANGO : The scene where they all pile into the car after lasso-ing the back of the moving train for a tow (note how the big preacher student nonchalantly, skips over the taught rope). Just before the rope draws tight on the car, Judd Nelson in the backseat says, 'but how do we stop?' The resulting facial expressions are precious.

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  7. LOVE fandango, and that is a great (and largely unrecognized) scene, but isn't it Costner who asks "I just thought of something. How we gonna stop?"

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  8. Was it Costner? Sorry, it has been a while since I saw it. Imdb Memorable Quotes didn't have it, so I guess I will need to get that movie again. (I posted my comment from an industry blog earlier: Emissions Trading. Apologies.)

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  9. The Jerk: And that's all I need. And this lamp, and that's all I need. And this ashtray, and that's all I need.

    Duece Bigalow: when Duece's girlfriend's leg pops off during there first intimate evening.

    Houseguest: Sinbad has just taken over driving the car from the airport and Phil Hartman asks about the accident. Sinbad tells him about "his eye! his eye was on me!"

    Young Frankenstein: When the blind man lights the monster's thumb on fire.

    Rush Hour: "Okay, which one of you kicked me."

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