Ten Comedies You Should Have Seen (But Probably Never Heard Of)

I'm presenting you with this highly original premise for a blog post because I keep having the same interaction with people: referencing or bringing up a movie that the other person has never heard of. Usually there's a good reason for this; I have seen a LOT of movies and frequently make the incorrect assumption that these movies are as popular as I wish they were. Never the case.

Obviously my taste in movies is hugely subjective but I feel like there are some films that should get a little more recognition and I'm going to start with comedies because who doesn't love comedies? So I have a list of movies that, if you can't decide between re-watching Anchorman or Knocked Up, you should give a chance. Not all are fall-off-your-chair laugh riots but I think each carries a certain charm that make it worthwhile.

But really I just hate explaining the plots to obscure movies over and over. Keep in mind, these are films that I've found most (not all) people I've talked to haven't seen or even heard of. So here they are.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

"You taste like a burger. I don't like you anymore."

This is at the top of my list because Wet Hot American Summer is that one movie that I am constantly recommending to people. The film's humour is almost entirely derived from this extreme sense of ridiculousness that does more than merely verge on surrealism; from talking soup cans to crashing satellites and one of the best motorcycle chase scenes in movie history (I stand by it), the film simultaneously gets a laugh while making you wonder what the hell is going on. It's one of those films that you'll need to watch twice if you want to catch all the jokes because there are many "blink and you'll miss 'em" moments including the revelation of where the characters go after they've walked off screen.

The other reason I recommend this film is because it is one of those ensemble films that features a huge amount of talent before any of them were household names (Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks to name a few) and there's a certain pleasure in seeing them on screen and (as my mother would do) pointing excitedly at the screen yelling how it's "that guy from that thing" every few minutes.

Ruthless People (1986)

"I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!"

Ruthless People is one of my favourite movies from when I was growing up, but that might be due solely to the opening credits. The credits set up for a quintessentially 80s comedy that balances black comedy (mistaking a dead black man for Bette Midler) with screwball antics (Judge Reinhold trying to escape the police by climbing out a third story bathroom window that is MUCH too small for him).

Like most of the comedies on this list the magic of Ruthless People comes from the little things. The supporting cast just about steal the show, most notably Bill Pullman as Danny Devito's mistress's dimwitted lover who thinks Haiti is a romantic getaway spot. Though special mention also goes to one of the detectives for his delivery of the line "We need you to identify the body." Or maybe I'm the only one who enjoys that. 

Black Dynamite (2009)

"I'd like to take the credit, but dig, mama, there's no I in revolutio..., in team."

If you've ever watched any low budget, schlock B-movies and loved the poor acting, cheap effects and laughable production values then you'll love Black Dynamite. Perfectly sending up the blaxploitation movement of the 1970s, Black Dynamite captures every element that makes those $1000 movies cringe worthy and yet infinitely entertaining. 

The laughs in Black Dynamite come thick and fast, and from every angle imaginable, from the subtlety of the nameless militants speaking their stage directions as dialogue, to the titular Black Dynamite "pimp slapping" the First Lady into a china cabinet. What really makes this film for me though is the supporting cast, most notably their monikers. When you're watching a film in which the villains include "Chocolate Giddy-Up", "Mo Bitches" and "Fiendish Doctor Wu" you know you've found something special. 

Blazing Saddles (1974)

"O Lord, do we have the strength to carry off this mighty task in one night? Or are we just jerking off?"

If any of the films on this list shouldn't be here it's Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. I wish I could say this is a classic comedy film no matter who you ask, but if you ask most people they'll respond with "Blazing whats?". It's criminal that out of his magnificent catalog of films, Brooks' most well known seems to be Robin Hood: Men in Tights. By no means a bad film, it just doesn't match the masterpiece and my favourite of his films, Blazing Saddles. 

Mel Brooks is known for nonsense and Blazing Saddles is no exception. But while the humour in Robin Hood is painted in broader strokes, Blazing Saddles mixes the ridiculous sight gags with a satire on social values in classic Hollywood, even breaking the fourth wall at the end of the film, literally bringing the film's social commentary into the society it is lampooning. While maybe not as poignant now as it was then, the film's portrayal of racism is still as undeniably funny as it is both obvious (the black sheriff tricking the simple minded white townsfolk into thinking he is holding himself hostage) and subtle (all the of the townsfolk in Rock Ridge have the same last name, coincidence?). 

The Slammin' Salmon (2009)

"Como se dice Cleveland Steamer?"

It's hard to miss the appeal of comedy group Broken Lizard with hits like Super Troopers and Beerfest under their belt. But their most recent film The Slammin' Salmon hasn't seemed to have garnered much recognition at all despite being absolutely hilarious and more down to earth than their previous hits. When I say down to earth what I really mean is relatable. While most of us haven't participated in an international drinking competition or been the victim of a psychopathic resort director, the majority of people have at some point worked in the service industry, and that's what this film is about. 

Granted this isn't a typical restaurant; The Slammin' Salmon (the film's titular establishment) is owned by an ex boxing champ who once killed a man in the ring and has been hit a few to many times in the ring, and now owes the Yakuza $20,000 after losing a bet on Japanese Albino hunting (yes, that's hunting people). The server at the restaurant who makes the most money for him wins a prize: let the games begin. The Slammin' Salmon is full of the memorable characters and outrageous moments that Broken Lizard seem to do so well, but the real reason this makes this list is because of the line I quote so often that never seems to get the reaction I want: "See, when you assume things, it makes an asshole out of yourself."

Finishing the Game: The Search for the New Bruce Lee (2007)

"You have offended me. You have offended my family."

Simultaneously the least ridiculous and most ridiculous film on this list, Finishing the Game is one of those love it or hate it films that I frequently find myself loving. The concept is simple enough, Bruce Lee has died before finishing his last film and the studio is casting a replacement to finish the film "The Game of Death". Mockumentaries I find quite often fall short of the watermark left by This is Spinal Tap in terms of quality, but for me Finishing the Game comes very close. 

While most people probably won't enjoy the slower pace or lack of leather pants and 18" tall Stonehenges, the characters in Finishing the Game more than make up for it. While you won't be rooting for them, the two standout characters are the casting director Eloise who thinks she has found the Vietnamese Gene Hackman, and Breeze Loo, the very obvious Bruce Lee ripoff with delusions of grandeur. By the end of film you'll be referring to everybody as "cats". 

Orgazmo (1997)

"Let's see how you like my... COCK ROCKET!"

Brought to you by the guys who did South Park, Orgazmo is exactly what you'd expect just by reading the title. Joe Young is a mormon missionary in LA who, while going door to door spreading the love of Jesus, ends up the star of a low budget porn about a sex superhero. The producer/director turns out to be a criminal and Joe assumes the role of Orgazmo outside of the film. While it is funny to see the ultra-conservative Joe thrown into the seediest environment imaginable the real laughs come from (again) the supporting cast, most notably Ben ("Choda Boy"), Dave the lighting guy, G-Fresh (the Japanese sushi restaurateur who thinks he's black) and the anonymous slew of ass-slapping "stunt cocks".

Orgazmo was released shortly after the debut of South Park so the creators didn't have nearly the fanbase they do now which might account for the lack of recognition outside of diehard fans, but if that sort of thing is your bag then you'll love Orgazmo with the noteable exception of the "pornstar" T-Rex who is truly the stuff of nightmares. Ultimately though I don't want to sound like a queer or nothin', but I think this movie is kick ass!

Galaxy Quest (1999)

"Remember yesterday at the convention, those people dressed like aliens? They were aliens! They were termites or... or dalmations. I can't really remember cause I was kinda hungover."

I love Galaxy Quest. It's a fantastic parody of nerddom and I think if it had been released now with fandom in its heyday that it would be a film with a lot more recognition. This isn't to say the film wasn't successful and it is for sure one of the better known films on this list but I still find that the majority of people haven't seen it. This is a shame because Galaxy Quest is as funny as it is accurate in portraying the Trekkie mindset and lampooning the ridiculousness of its source material.

One of the best "mistaken identity" films I've ever seen, the washed up cast of a Star Trek style show called Galaxy Quest find themselves aboard their ship recreated exactly by a race of aliens who mistake the show's broadcast as "historical documents" and believe the cast to be real heroes. Each cast member plays their part perfectly but my favourite is Sam Rockwell as "Guy", the former "red shirt" from the show who believes he is destined to die just because he did on the show. 

Mystery Team (2009)

"There's something fishy going on down at the sardine factory! I think it's fish!"

While a lot of people give up on their childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut or a firefighter or a transformer, some people keep those dreams alive as they grow up. Others keep those dreams alive but never grow up. Mystery Team is about the latter group of people, three friends still running their mystery solving business from when they were seven. You can hire them for a dime or a fruit roll up and they will find out who stole that pie, find the baseball card that fell down the storm drain or solve your parents' murder. Wait, what?

Derrick Comedy's Mystery Team is a coming of age comedy that never really comes of age. It is endlessly quotable and as disgusting as it is innocent. Each character takes their archetype to beautifully idiotic levels and it's hard to understand how they've ever solved a mystery in their lives. Even the eight year olds are more mature than the Mystery Team. It's this clueless innocence that drives the film and where most of the laughs originate. Some might find the jokes get repetitive, or the characters' inability to get a clue irritating, but if you can empathise with their childlike spirit you should be on the floor in stitches. 

Best in Show (2000)

"And to think that in some countries these dogs are eaten."

Best in Show is one of those films with a premise that makes you wonder who decided that was something that a movie needed to be made about. Dog shows. I couldn't really think of a more boring subject, I'll never watch a dog show. I just don't care. Best in Show isn't about dog shows, it's not about the dogs or why they should win. Best in Show is about the dog owners and what kind of people would enter something as inane as a dog show. And let me tell you, that is a good idea for a movie.

Boasting a terrific ensemble cast that has created other great comedic films like Waiting for Guffman and A Mighty Wind (which you should also see), the film follows different dog owners from the high strung couple whose lives revolve solely around their dog to the flamboyant gay couple in it for fun and the simple country soul who just loves his bloodhound. All of the laughs come from the characters and their backstories and amazingly it's enough to just listen to these lunatics fawn over (or go ballistic over) their dogs. The standout performance for sure is Fred Willard's dog show commentator who knows absolutely nothing about dogs or dog shows and isn't afraid to ask the important questions, like what the dogs would look like if you put jockeys on their backs and raced them.