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Time Out London Ranks the 100 Best Comedies of All Time and They're Doing It Wrong!

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (49)

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Time Out London, the English publication that likes to put out very extensive movie lists — which is cool, but what does it have to do with tourism? — has released the 100 Best Comedies of All Time, a list that’s based upon the votes of 200 folks, like Edgar Wright, Dan Aykroyd, Richard Curtis, and Stephen Merchant. You can even see how each of those individuals (and 196 more) voted.

The results are … well, look: Comedy is very subjective. Therefore, any list that attempts to rank the top 100 comedies is probably not going to …. what? How the fuck in Napoleon Dynamite ranked ahead of … 62 other comedies and … Austin Powers that high? And why are Caddyshack and Raising Arizona so low and you’re really going to put Borat ahead of Ghostbusters? And what is Sister Act and BASEketball even doing on this …


OH MY GOD THIS IS THE WORST LIST EVER.

Here it is.

100. Sister Act (1992)

99. Carry on Screaming (1966)

98. Brazil (1985)

97. Swingers (1996)

96. BASEketball (1998)

95. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

94. Midnight Run (1988)

93. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

92. Nuts in May (1976)

91. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

90. Mean Girls (2004)

89. The Great Dictator (1940)

88. Arthur (1981)

87. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

86. Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)

85. Caddyshack (1980)

84. Galaxy Quest (1999)

83. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

82. The Pink Panther (1963)

81. Raising Arizona (1987)

80. Clockwise (1986)

79. Bridesmaids (2011)

78. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

77. Stir Crazy (1980)

76. Old School (2003)

75. Bananas (1971)

74. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

73. The Party (1968)

72. Bedazzled (1967)

71. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

70. The General (1926)

69. Clerks (1994)

68. The Kings of Comedy (1982)

67. His Girl Friday (1940)

66. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

65. Elf (2003)

64. Coming to America (1988)

63. Kingpin (1966)

62. Hot Fuzz (2007)

61. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

60. Sleeper (1973)

59. Happy Gilmore (1996)

58. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983)

57. The Hangover (2009)

56. A Night at the Opera (1935)

55. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

54. The Blues Brothers (1980)

53. Way Out West (1937)

52. Young Frankenstein (1974)

51. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

50. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

49. Love and Death (1975)

48. Play It Again Sam (1972)

47. The Apartment (1960)

46. Harold and Maude (1971)

45. Office Space (1999)

44. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

43. Tootsie (1982)

42. The Ladykillers (1955)

41. The Odd Couple (1968)

40. ¡Three Amigos! (1986)

39. Waiting for Guffman (1997)

38. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

37. Top Secret! (1984)

36. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

35. Zoolander (2001)

34. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

33. In the Loop (2009)

32. The Man with Two Brains (1983)

31. The Princess Bride (1987)

30. The Producers (1968)

29. Rushmore (1998)

28. Wayne’s World (1992)

27. There’s Something About Mary (1998)

26. Best in Show (2000)

25. The Castle (1997)

24. Four Lions (2010)

23. Ghostbusters (1984)

22. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

21. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

20. Trading Places (1983)

19. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

18. The Naked Gun (1988)

17. Duck Soup (1933)

16. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

15. Blazing Saddles (1974)

14. Dr Strangelove (1964)

13. The Big Lebowski (1998)

12. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
(2006)

11. Team America: World Police (2004)

10. The Jerk (1979)

9. Some Like it Hot (1959)

8. Groundhog Day (1993)

7. Withnail & I (1987)

6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

4. Annie Hall (1977)

3. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

2. Airplane! (1980)

1. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)









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Comments

What's wrong with BASEketball? Zucker brothers + Matt Stone and Trey Parker + the soundtrack from Reel Big Fish = a pretty solid movie.

I do agree that the ranking order is a bit off. Napoleon Dynamite should be way, way, WAY lower.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at September 16, 2011 10:40 AM

I just can't with this list. Anchorman is #6?!?! Really? it should be in the middle of the list but not that high. The Dude should definitely be higher.

Posted by: jjrox at September 16, 2011 10:42 AM

Yeah...I saw this the other day I thought it was weird. But what I think is funny, I know other people don't find as funny.

Posted by: Candee at September 16, 2011 10:44 AM

Dear Time Out London:

You want me to punch-a-size your face? For free?

Posted by: TK at September 16, 2011 10:45 AM

I almost looked to see who voted for Sister Act, but then I got scared. How could I ever watch anything they've done again? It's probably best not to find out.

I posted this comment in yesterday's thread, but it bears repeating:

I can think of 100 movies that deserve to be on that list more than Sister Act.
Stripes (is not on this list?!?!)
Fargo
M*A*S*H
Uncle Buck
The Fortune Cookie
Cactus Flower
Spaceballs
The Sunshine Boys
The Road to Utopia
High Anxiety

You get the idea.

And I do love a good Woody Allen movie, but six of the top 100 comedies of all time?

Posted by: Three-nineteen at September 16, 2011 10:45 AM

I love The Naked Gun, but at #18? Ahead of Ghostbusters and Young Frankenstein?! And Tootsie, all the way down at #43? Is this list SUPPOSED to be ridiculous?

Also, I will never understand people who think Life of Brian is better than The Holy Grail. NEVER.

Posted by: Todd at September 16, 2011 11:19 AM

The rankings are screwed up but at least there are some movies in there that are wonderful that would never even make it on to a US list.

Kind Hearts and Coronets is my favourite movie of all time so I like to see it get a little recognition.

I'm also amazed to see only one Carry On film on there; they were true classics in their time.

Posted by: PaddyDog at September 16, 2011 11:21 AM

You pompous, stuck-up, snot-nosed, English, giant, twerp, scumbag, fuck-face, dickhead, assholes!

Posted by: branded at September 16, 2011 11:26 AM

This has to be the worst list of this type I have ever seen.

Seriously? this looks like a list compiled for no other reason than to create controversy as it does not appear to make an attempt to even come close to reality.

Posted by: Kerminy at September 16, 2011 11:27 AM

I saw Withnail and I and never realized it was a comedy. Maybe I needed to watch it in England.

Posted by: Norm Schrager at September 16, 2011 11:38 AM

One day later and I still don't get Airplane!

Posted by: Joanna Robinson (Don't Call Me Shirley) at September 16, 2011 11:42 AM

I think some of these just reflect different cultures. Two Python movies in the top five. (Not that it's not deserved but in the US, I doubt anything other than Holy Grail makes the list.) Ali G/Borat/Sasha Baron Cohen originated in England as well I think.

Doesn't explain a lot of the head-scratchers though. For instance, I never knew Whoopi had such appeal across the pond.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at September 16, 2011 11:49 AM

Someone should go back in time and stop this list from every happening.

It looks more like a random movie title generator.

Posted by: OldSchool60 at September 16, 2011 11:54 AM

Where the FUCK is Back to the Future??

Posted by: Camytaru at September 16, 2011 12:04 PM

I know the British tend to value Life of Brian over the Holy Grail, but as a Monty Python fan, Brian is downright unfunny. I was bored. A lot.

I actually think this list has some positives. I mean, In the Loop and Four Lions are very high. That's good. And, I guess the top ten isn't totally terrible...

is it possible I don't hate a movie list? Maybe it's because I was being prepped to hate it, but it's not as bad as a lot of similar lists I've seen. I mean, yes, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles should be in the top ten, maybe top five. But I can get behind Annie Hall at 4, even Spinal Tap at 1. Replace Life of Brian and Withnail & I with Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, and find room at least somewhere on the damn list for Modern Times, then bump Sister Act for Scott Pilgrim (just went there), and I might even say this is a really solid list.

Hm. My anger is missing. Need to start drinking.

Posted by: ChristianH at September 16, 2011 12:21 PM

Oh, and find a place in the top twenty for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and yes I'm serious.

Posted by: ChristianH at September 16, 2011 12:23 PM

Team America at #11?? Annie Hall at #4???? Uh...sorry, but no.

Posted by: Littlejon2001 at September 16, 2011 12:28 PM

A Fish called Wanda is #87, while Anchorman is #6? What the !@#$^?

Posted by: True_Blue at September 16, 2011 12:29 PM

The Graduate

Posted by: Guru at September 16, 2011 12:44 PM

I look at some of the voters, who are these people? This a strange list indeed.

Posted by: Doreen at September 16, 2011 12:45 PM

Napoleon Dynamite was a comedy? I thought it was an act of revenge against movie audiences everywhere.

Posted by: Craig at September 16, 2011 12:45 PM

I know the British tend to value Life of Brian over the Holy Grail, but as a Monty Python fan, Brian is downright unfunny. I was bored. A lot.

ChristianH

How in the what now?

Posted by: cockroach at September 16, 2011 1:04 PM

Next time, pick 200 people with taste. Like us.

Posted by: logar at September 16, 2011 1:09 PM

Little Miss Sunshine? Fuck right off, there aren't even any jokes in it.

Posted by: Steph at September 16, 2011 1:13 PM

Team America I thought was horrible and any list that has The Royal Tennenbaums #61 lower than Animal House #66 should be placed on the list of the worst lists of all time.

Posted by: ehass at September 16, 2011 1:14 PM

Wow. One film for the entire silent era, and they put it at #70? BUSTER KEATON BLEW UP A FUCKING BRIDGE FOR HIS COMEDY, TWERPS.

Posted by: jeem at September 16, 2011 1:42 PM

Remember, this the nation that made Benny Hill a star.

Posted by: Guru at September 16, 2011 1:45 PM

I know the British tend to value Life of Brian over the Holy Grail, but as a Monty Python fan, Brian is downright unfunny. I was bored. A lot.

I'm not sure you were watching it right. Were your eyes open? Were you looking at the screen?

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at September 16, 2011 1:45 PM

At least number 1 is an acceptable choice.

Posted by: Bert at September 16, 2011 1:51 PM

The only, only reason I can see for Sister Act making this list is because there is a version currently on stage... but that's all I got.

And mind you, that ain't a lot.

But Team America and freakin' Borat at numbers 11 and 12 respectively? That makes me want to stab small bunnies with scissors.

Posted by: faintingviolet at September 16, 2011 1:59 PM

I don't understand what Napoleon Dynamite is even doing on the list, it's probably one of the least funny things I've seen in my entire life. That film was just awful.

Also, A Fish Called Wanda in 87th place? This list was clearly voted for by crazy people.

Posted by: Malin at September 16, 2011 2:10 PM

Remember, this the nation that made Benny Hill a star.

Actually I've heard he's not really that big in England, at least not as much as Americans think he would be.

Posted by: Todd at September 16, 2011 2:17 PM

I think I saw at least one movie on that list starring Will Ferril, thus the list is invalidated.

Posted by: Salad_Is_Murder at September 16, 2011 2:25 PM

24. Four Lions (2010)

Four Lions???

checks IMDB

Oh, right, the jihadist comedy.

Hmmm, off to Netflix instant view to watch it.

I'll be back, top 100 list.

Posted by: Soylent Green is Sheeple at September 16, 2011 3:09 PM

I stand by my support of Sister Act. It's a fun, well-acted musical comedy with great vocal arrangements. It's silly and non-threatening and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Whoopi's charm and ass shaking really sell it.

And believe me, the stage version probably stopped this from ranking higher on the list. The music and book are far worse than what happened in the film. There's all of three songs that come close to anything in the film. Three. It's a 2.5 hour show and 10 minutes come close to the movie. That's a sorry excuse for a nun musical.

Posted by: Robert at September 16, 2011 4:29 PM

Brazil is a comedy?

Posted by: The Mutt at September 16, 2011 5:10 PM

Uh, "What about Bob"?

Posted by: Obst N. Gemuse at September 16, 2011 5:15 PM

Agree with 1-5. Borat and Wayne's World 1 deserve to be higher.
Overall, great list, messed up rankings.

Posted by: Adrien at September 16, 2011 5:30 PM

This list is a weak streak of pish
and some of time out London's film reviews are tedious to say the least (their love for whatever is the latest French 'screwball comedy' deserves nothing but ridicule)
but
its 1million times better than dustin's list of '25 best remakes' which included tim burtons Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (otherwise known as the slushy, ashen slurry that gurgles out of the person at the end of the human centipede).
So I think it's a case of
quis trolliet ipsos trolles

Posted by: bobby at September 16, 2011 8:15 PM

I'm sorry, but Life of Brian is brilliant in so many ways. Admittedly, there was never a moment when I felt asphyxiated with laughter, but there are situations/juxtapositions in it that are comic genius --- "Blessed are the cheesemakers" comes to mind, because, if you think about it, acoustics must have been DREADful, and then, I think of all the popular music lyrics that I've gotten wrong over the past few decades - --" The chair is not my son!"--- and I can completely understand "cheesemakers."

Sometimes, comedy is considered "genius" because of the possibilities it opens up for the masses. Just the fact that Jesus was presented as an unwitting Messiah brought the Western Hemisphere to its knees, comedically-speaking.

It seems likely that Eddie Izzard could not have gotten away with "A-zuhs, B-zuhs, C-zuhs... Je-zuhs" if there had not been a Life of Brian before him.

Posted by: Stinky at September 16, 2011 8:54 PM

71 years later, #67 is the greatest comedy ever, followed by #17. 'Bringing Up Baby, Philadelphia Story... but I guess that's Dustin's point...

Posted by: periscope at September 16, 2011 11:34 PM

Stinky,

People's Front of Judea vs. Judean People's Front.

And "How shall we fuck off, O Lord?"

And, of course, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Brilliance, indeed.

That said ...

Only one Marx Brothers? Only ONE?

Well ... at least they got the right one.

Posted by: , at September 17, 2011 11:18 AM

The list is fairly ridiculous, but I'll admit I'm happy to see Three Amigos so high up on the list. Goddamn I love that movie.

Posted by: TurnipTheRadio at September 17, 2011 3:46 PM

This list is terrible but I must say that seeing This is Spinal Tap in the top spot is still pretty nice.

Posted by: Erin is Scrumtulescent at September 17, 2011 7:30 PM

I've never been able to understand why The Apartment ends up on so many comedy lists. There are a handful of funny moments, but overall the first three quarters are completely soul-crushing*. I always look at those lists and think that it must be the funniest movie ever made about adultery, depression, isolation, loneliness, suicide and the various ways people use each other. Laugh riot.

*Don't get me wrong, I love the film like crazy (and the last fourth is really uplifting), but a comedy it ain't.

Posted by: Lois at September 18, 2011 12:55 PM

The holy trinity of comedy is:
blues brothers
animal house
caddy shack

none of these are in the top ten

Posted by: kfukeith at September 19, 2011 10:44 AM

@Joanna Robinson - I love everything you write for this site, but after that comment about Airplane! we're in a fight.

Posted by: PerpetualIntern (What's our vector Victor?) at September 19, 2011 1:18 PM

Anchorman better than Groundhog Day? Team America better than Lebowski? Dumb and Dumber better than The Producers? This is bullshit.

Posted by: Robin at September 21, 2011 12:20 AM

Play the YouTube quiz - you might like it more than the website feature!!

Play here:
http://youtu.be/KyKm_AjUfrg

Posted by: Craig at October 17, 2011 11:28 AM