Sleeper (1973)
Political satire and screwball comedy have never been quite so well combined than in this film, which is made even funnier by a highly kinetic Jazz soundtrack. Miles Monroe played by Woody Allen, a health food store owner, is forcibly placed in cryogenic sleep for 200 years after a botched gall bladder operation and wakes up in a future governed by a ruthless dictatorship.
He goes on the run in search of the resistance, having numerous misadventures along the way. In terms of pure slapstick, “Sleeper” is an unforgettable experience that constantly bombards the viewer with hilarious chase scenes, wacky dialogue, and plenty of sci-fi parodies. Everything from sexual relationships to corrupt government is touched upon and presented in ways that play for ingenious social commentary with very funny results. For anyone who loves the Fox television show “Futurama,” this is absolutely worth watching.
Strange Brew (1983)
This is perhaps among the most obscure comedies ever made but it’s also an unrelenting piece of cartoony goodness, almost like Cheech and Chong with beer instead of marijuana. The plot focuses on two lazy brothers named Bob and Doug McKenzie who try to get free beer from a brewery by putting a mouse in a bottle. Ironically, the plan works but it also gets them involved in a conspiracy orchestrated by the evil Brewmeister Smith, who plans to take over the world by giving everyone mind-controlling beer. A comedy like this is full of laughs and essential viewing for the average college student simply for the way it dishes out seemingly endless gags. It’s not often you find a good film where people consume large amounts of beer and then put out a fire in the most convenient way.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
“Iron Man” is often considered Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback role but this movie would have definitely filled that position instead had more people seen it. Downey plays Harry Lockhart, a man who accidentally lands a part in a movie after hiding out from a botched toy store robbery. Consequently, he moves to Los Angeles and starts working with a private investigator to research the role, which also gets him involved in a criminal plot that involves an old childhood friend. This is easily one of the funniest movies in recent memory, mainly because of its comedic performances and insane amount of black comedy. The laughs just keep coming with every mind-blowing moment and there’s no shortage of pop culture references to consistently drive the plot. It’s also a suitably intriguing and complex crime thriller.
Black Dynamite (2009)
Spoof films have essentially been dead for the last twenty-five years, so it comes as quite a relief to see one today that actually knows how to do it right. A parody of Blaxploitation films from the 1970s, the plot follows Black Dynamite, a former CIA operative who begins investigating a secret organization after they kill his brother, while also declaring war on the local drug dealers. In the process, he uncovers a conspiracy to force black people into submission using a special brand of malt liquor. Perhaps the reason “Black Dynamite” works so well is because it plays itself straight with intelligent humor rather than just being randomly comprised of pop culture gags like spoofs today. The result is a very funny flick that never lets up on the jokes and even pokes fun at modern African American stereotypes.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)
For those of you who loved the movie “Zombieland,” this is the probably the closest thing you’ll get to a sequel in terms of comedic style. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine play Tucker and Dale, two lovable and completely harmless hillbillies who decide to fix up their old cabin in the woods. A group of teenagers are camping nearby and the duo saves one of them from drowning. What follows is an unlikely role-reversal where several weird coincidences cause Tucker and Dale to become besieged by the confused teenagers and must fight for their lives. There are plenty of laughs combined with violence to watch as the plot unfolds, with people dying in ways so profound and mind-blowing they can’t help being absolutely hilarious. Horror movie clichés are effortlessly subverted and parodied in this most idiotic, yet refreshingly intelligent piece of cartoony violence.
