Bad comedy films you find hilarious

[up_the_hampipe]

Just watched Austin Powers: Goldmember again. Found it very funny.

"There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch"

I think it's a solid trilogy overall. Got some good laughs out of all of them. It's a shame that a lot of people only think the first one is any good.

[Glebe]

There's top stuff in all three Powers movies, it's just that they kinda got increasingly desperate... too self-aware, too much mugging and "Ooh, behave!" stuff.

The Creature Wasn't Nice (AKA Naked Space or Spaceship) is a bit of a giggle, lots of deliberately bad timing and general absurd behaviour from Leslie Nielsen, Patrick Macnee and co.

Kennen Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Get You Sucka is one I recall being particularly good overall, but having some amusingly silly scenes like this.

Most of Adam Sandler's output up to at least Mr. Deeds.

Oddly enough, I've only actually seen three Sandler movies all the way through - Happy Gilmore (which I recall having an amusing bit on a golf course), The Wedding Singer (pretty good, if I recall correctly) and Punch Drunk Love (which is more comedy-drama, and actually pretty decent, despite not being considered one of Paul Thomas Anderson's best). But going through his filmography, there's so much shit I couldn't really be bothered delving into his 'oeuvre'.

Loaded Weapon I - National Lampoon effort with Samuel L Jackson, Jon Lovitz and Emilio Estevez

Dracula: Dead and Loving It - overblown Mel Brooks indulgence

Loaded Weapon was fairly low-brow, but there were a some genuine laughs in there... the bits of Dracula: DaLI I once caught on TV were fairly bad, as I recall. I've read Spaceballs described as Brooks "last great film" and that... it's really not great at all, but there are certainly numerous real chuckles in there, including this silly moment with Yogurt doing the Wicked Witch of the West ... I remember watching it on video in a friend's house, we kept rewinding the scene and were literally on the floor laughing.

Top Secret isn't considered bad. Plenty of good reviews and beloved by many comedy nerds.

Indeed, it's not quite up there with Airplane! or Naked Gun, but it's loaded with funnies and very much underrated... I mean, come on, it's really not a "bad movie"!

And, on the Vacation note, I also nominate Vegas Vacation.  It's generally the weakest of the bunch[NB]what do you mean Christmas Vacation 2?  I'm sorry, you must have imagined that...[/NB] by far (although I personally think it has more individual LOL moments than European Vacation), but I still love it.

I've not seen Vegas Vacation, but I have to admit, I do have a soft spot for Christmas Vacation.

The much-maligned Airplane 2: The Sequel has plenty of good bits. So does The Naked Gun 33 and 1/3.

There's certainly some funny stuff in Airplane 2 (mainly involving William Shatner), but it repeats a lot of gags (though often with a knowing wink) and lacks the archness and style of the first one. The ZAZ team had nothing to do with it, unsurprisingly. Naked Gun 33⅓ has some very funny moments, like the opening and the sperm clinic stuff, but it's pretty lackluster overall. The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, which I initially found disappointing, proved extremely rewarding with repeat viewings over the years, there's a lot of fantastic stuff in there. Definitely one to stick on with yer mates round.

Has anyone here seen Weekend At Bernie's? I always hear about it and the plot sounds like something I'd enjoy, but it also looks very shit and had some pretty rotten reviews at the time. It's a cult classic and all, but that's not always a good sign. Is it worth a watch?

I only saw it once a long, long time ago, I think I thought it was funny (certainly the basic conceit of the film is)... definitely one in need of a revisit for me.

[Shaky]

The Creature Wasn't Nice (AKA Naked Space or Spaceship) is a bit of a giggle, lots of deliberately bad timing and general absurd behaviour from Leslie Nielsen, Patrick Macnee and co.

Holy shit! I considered myself a pretty big Nielsen/spoof fan back in the day (I even have a copy of this abortion) but I'd never heard of this. Essential viewing - cheers, Glebe.

[Large Noise]

The worst comedy film I've ever actually enjoyed is Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. An absolute fucking mess of a film, doesn't make any sense, massively self-referential to the point of ridiculousness, full of bad cameos and terrible callbacks to the previous Kevin Smith films. But I remember enjoying it as a piece of pure self-indulgent pissing about. Having said that, I haven't seen it in about 10 years and the only bit I can actually remember making me laugh was Jay's "YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE THE BALL-LICKERS" speech.

I grew up on the likes of this and Freddy Got Fingered, so I probably cut it more slack than it deserves. Nevertheless, myimpression, on watching it recently for the first time in about 12 years, was that it's borderline unwatchable, but if you sit through it, it actually delivers the requisite number of laughs for a comedy film[nb]Mark Kermode has some quota or other, is it 5 proper laughs?[/nb].

[SavageHedgehog]

Happy Gilmore (which I recall having an amusing bit on a golf course)

Isn't that a bit like saying "Star Wars (which I recall having a good scene on a spaceship)"? ;)

2001: A Space Travesty is indeed terrible (if at least having the grace to be forgettable) but for some reason the bit with "The Three Tenors" singing In the Navy (video is out of synch and dubbed, but you get the gist) cracked me up, even if (maybe partly because) they thought it was worth including a George H W Bush caricature in a film made in fucking 1999. At the time it was made I was a big enough fan of the Nielsen oeuvre, and too young to really know a Spy Hard from a Naked Gun, that I remember being quite excited about it, reading (probably fake) reviews from preview screenings and wondering when it would come to cinemas(!) etc. I remember he was also working on something called Titanic Too: It Missed the Iceberg. Heavy times.

[madhair60]

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, arguably. It reduces me to tears of laughter at how stupid it is. It's either a masterpiece or the worst film ever made.

Both Austin Powers sequels, but especially Goldmember, which has just the right amount of disdain for its own premise, and an all-time great Sellers-level performance from Mike Myers as Dr Evil. I genuinely believe this.

If Baseketball is considered bad, then that. I remember being helpless at this. I think it was the dog mauling the midget twice.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is staggeringly poorly-made in places but coasts by with likeable performers and fun songs.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back has already been mentioned. I'll add Mallrats, which is trash, but also very funny and "quotable".

I've met a lot of people who think Talladega Nights is shit, but it's probably my favourite comedy of the last... whenever it came out. Since then.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

A lot of people seem to really dislike Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but it's a damn masterpiece, I say.

I've met a lot of people who think Talladega Nights is shit, but it's probably my favourite comedy of the last... whenever it came out. Since then.

I watched that on the telly a while ago and, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but there just didn't seem to be any jokes in it, which was odd. It seemed to be what led John C. Reilly to doing comedy though, so that's good.

[Dr Rock]

The Kevin Smith who now gives every single comic-book movie a massive thumbs up is not the same Kevin Smith who even told those stories about Prince and Bruce Willis. I don't like this new guy. But all his Jay & Silent Bob stuff might leave some people cold, or they might be in some movies with a few problems, (Dogma, Mallrats), but I don't think any of them are bad comedies. At all. Mewes alone is just too funny.

This thread is 'problematic.' If you found a film hilarious, it's not a bad comedy is it? Unless it's that the hip kids consensus is it's bad but you disagree. Like if you think Cannon & Ball's Boys In Blue is funny I suppose.


edit:

Well, not objectively bad, but comedy films not well received by critics and the like.

ok, that'll teach me not to read the opening post.

[Glebe]

A lot of people seem to really dislike Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Yes, it's rather unfairly maligned around these here parts. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but I found it to be a huge amount of colourful fun and quite funny with it.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

National Lampoon's Movie Madness.

[mobias]

Indeed, it's not quite up there with Airplane! or Naked Gun, but it's loaded with funnies and very much underrated... I mean, come on, it's really not a "bad movie"!

Top Secret is far superior to Naked Gun. Naked Gun is basically just a kind of 'best of' gags from Police Squad. Naked Gun also starts to edge into the sort of naff comedy that came to be ubiquitous with the Zucker brothers later films.

As a piece of cinema I know Airplane is a superior movie to Top Secret but to sit down and watch time and again I prefer Top Secret. Maybe in part its because its lesser known and in part because more the jokes start bordering on the outright surreal. Its a far more unique film in some ways. Its more of a connoisseurs spoof movie I think.

[Glebe]

Top Secret is far superior to Naked Gun. Naked Gun is basically just a kind of 'best of' gags from Police Squad. Naked Gun also starts to edge into the sort of naff comedy that came to be ubiquitous with the Zucker brothers later films.

As a piece of cinema I know Airplane is a superior movie to Top Secret but to sit down and watch time and again I prefer Top Secret. Maybe in part its because its lesser known and in part because more the jokes start bordering on the outright surreal. Its a far more unique film in some ways. Its more of a connoisseurs spoof movie I think.

I wouldn't put Top Secret! over Naked Gun, but I would rather watch Police Squad!.

If there's one thing about Airplane! it's that it's one of those great films you watch so many times that you can't be expected to sit through it and crack up laughing every time it pops up on TV or wherever. And you kind of feel like you're 'meant' to enjoy it.

[Steven]

Has anyone here seen Weekend At Bernie's? I always hear about it and the plot sounds like something I'd enjoy, but it also looks very shit and had some pretty rotten reviews at the time. It's a cult classic and all, but that's not always a good sign. Is it worth a watch?

I did recently.. It still holds up (a bit like Bernie himself.)

[mobias]

One of the things I love about both Airplane and Top Secret, and this is something I remember Charlie Brooker remarking upon when he was making A Touch of Cloth, is just how well made they are. They're so well directed and produced. Everything about them is done as if they're really serious films. Top Secret even has a sound track by Maurice Jarre. Yet they're both utterly ridiculous movies. I like how silly some of the gags are but made even more silly by the sheer amount of effort that must have gone into doing them. The production is just flawless.

[up_the_hampipe]

There's certainly some funny stuff in Airplane 2 (mainly involving William Shatner), but it repeats a lot of gags (though often with a knowing wink) and lacks the archness and style of the first one. The ZAZ team had nothing to do with it, unsurprisingly. Naked Gun 33⅓ has some very funny moments, like the opening and the sperm clinic stuff, but it's pretty lackluster overall. The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, which I initially found disappointing, proved extremely rewarding with repeat viewings over the years, there's a lot of fantastic stuff in there. Definitely one to stick on with yer mates round.

Got a lorra love for Airplane 2 and all the Naked Gun movies. The final sequence at the awards show in the third one was pretty funny, I thought. RIP Frank and Ed.

This thread is 'problematic.' If you found a film hilarious, it's not a bad comedy is it? Unless it's that the hip kids consensus is it's bad but you disagree. Like if you think Cannon & Ball's Boys In Blue is funny I suppose.


edit:

ok, that'll teach me not to read the opening post.

Never question my threads. They are airtight!

One of the things I love about both Airplane and Top Secret, and this is something I remember Charlie Brooker remarking upon when he was making A Touch of Cloth, is just how well made they are. They're so well directed and produced. Everything about them is done as if they're really serious films. Top Secret even has a sound track by Maurice Jarre. Yet they're both utterly ridiculous movies. I like how silly some of the gags are but made even more silly by the sheer amount of effort that must have gone into doing them. The production is just flawless.

Really enjoyed Touch of Cloth. Angie Tribeca over in 'Merica is currently doing that style. It doesn't always hit, but you have to respect the density of jokes expected from a style like that. It's good that there's finally a proper ongoing sitcom doing it.

[neveragain]

Wow, thanks for those extra Nielsens! I also found out there was another Zuckerish spoof doing the rounds that I'd missed out on - Johnny Dangerously, a 1920's mob number.

I'd also put the early Peter Jackson trilogy in here - Bad Taste, Braindead and Meet The Feebles; aliens, zombies and what-the-fuck.

[Dr Rock]

[QDRPHNC]

Like a lot of Will Ferrell movies, Talladega Nights runs out of steam in the final third, but that crepes scene is one of the best things I've ever seen.

The Other Guys was very underrated too, I thought.

[Gulftastic]

Love it to bits! A real VHS staple of my teen years. I can pretty much recite the whole film as I watch it. I'll even give them a pass for the rampant trans phobia. It was the 80's.

And FF nudity, which was the holy grail of any 80's rental.

[Shaky]

I'd also put the early Peter Jackson trilogy in here - Bad Taste, Braindead and Meet The Feebles; aliens, zombies and what-the-fuck.

Again, though - surely no-one thinks of those films as "bad" per se? Even the ultra low budget, creaky Bad Taste is well done considering all it's limitations. Things like the shoddy but enthusiastic acting are part of the appeal.

And I will fight and kill anyone who says anything negative about Braindead.

[up_the_hampipe]

The Other Guys was very underrated too, I thought.

Very underrated, yes. But it's not considered bad. Well received at the time but largely forgotten in Ferrell's oeuvre.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Not Another Teen Movie was excellent, but may have suffered from being misidentified as part of the awful ____ Movie franchise, which it isn't.

[sillymisslily]

Walk Hard:  The Dewey Cox Story is hilarious and underrated. Best thing Judd Apatow's ever done by far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnZh1fgk8wk

[DukeDeMondo]

Do people think Walk Hard is bad? It's got near 80% on the rottentomatoes and the only bad review I remember at the time came from either Mojo or Uncut, and that was because the Johnny Cash stuff offended the critic.

I've only ever watched the extended version, and I thought it was right good. Wouldn't say it's the best thing Apatow's been involved with, though.

[up_the_hampipe]

No, it's not considered bad. People are starting to use this thread for underrated comedies. Bastards.

[Alberon]

Kennen Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Get You Sucka is one I recall being particularly good overall, but having some amusingly silly scenes like this.

I was going to mention this. I saw this many years ago, and I must admit, the obvious stunt double gag is all I remember of it.

Top Secret is a work of genius and I and a friend can still endlessly quote the damn thing.

I've a soft spot for Airplane II. It is just a retread of the first film mostly, but I do think its Shatner's finest hour. If only for the 'viewer' joke and Ted Striker's record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEte83dA2q0

Loaded Weapon 1 is a guilty favourite. There's some quite good stuff there.

As to stuff I somewhat like with no redeeming features. For some reason National Lampoon's Class Reunion sticks in my head from the first time I saw it on some late night ITV region showing. I don't know why, by all standards it's a woeful film.

The whole thing is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx7q0rh6dPo

Absolutely dreadful film. Not even so bad it's good. It punches right through that into plain fucking awful. I don't know why the film looms so large in my memory.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Watched a film last night where Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman swap bodies (forget the name). It really isn't a good film at all, the usual comedy first half, race to fix things with everyone happy at the end having learned something about themselves. Maybe because of the lead actors ut some funny moments. Not hilarious though.

[neveragain]

Rewatched Repossessed last night. It's actually pretty damn good. Linda Blair's great and there are many chucklesome lines and unrelated parodies, including one for the only-in-America clap-on clap-off device The Clapper commercial, in which an old lady claps off her life support. Genuinely hilarious.
Certainly better than that Space Travesty even if that had Peter Egan.

And as for Jacko's early films, yes, I would say they're bad... most of the acting, some of the dialogue, occasionally a naff effect... but I still love them for the love and effort, and skill displayed in storytelling and direction; Braindead especially, it's about the only gore I can stand these days.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Anyone mentioned Fatal Instinct? Straight to video Fatal Attraction/Basic Instinct/Sleeping With The Enemy spoof starring Sean Young and Sherilyn Fenn, saw it in the mid 90s with low expectations and it was pretty good actually, even though I hadn't seen most of the films it was spoofing.

[mr beepbap]

Used to love the Police Academy sequels 2-4 , was a real event taping one of them off the telly. 5 was the beginning of the end though.