My Thoughts On Black Panther

So, with how densely populated the superhero genre is, you think that it'd be easy for releases to blend together and get lost. And while that is an issue for some, safe to say that it's something that Marvel rarely struggles with. I do understand the complaints about the MCU, and their essential mass-production of superhero blockbusters. But for me, they do it with a surprising amount of personality. I'm not some rabid fanboy leaping to defend the MCU, because I have my problems too. Some of their films do exist just to serve the interconnected universe (Thor: The Dark World), and sometimes the writing can be sloppy (Avengers: Age of Ultron), but the thing is, these movies, for the most part, are hugely enjoyable blockbusters. And one thing that Marvel has been doing is giving pre-established filmmakers free reign over how they tell their stories (except for the ice cream guy. The ice cream guy didn't get to tell any stories). It's a step in the right direction, because they can bring their own voice to the table, and subvert the expectations you would have for an action blockbuster.

So, yeah, the MCU is pretty good in my books, and with Infinity War always looming on the horizon, what better time to review Marvel's latest, Black Panther? This film has been making waves and breaking boundaries. And rightfully so. Ryan Coogler takes the no nonsense approach he used with films like Fruitvale Station and Creed and applies it to the superhero film, and it absolutely works. Coogler takes the idea of the superhero story and films it through a lens of cultural identify that's rarely been seen. And that's a shame, because Black Panther's take on heroism is an absolute breath of fresh air in the MCU.

Having already gotten the general idea of the character in Civil War, as well as knocking out most of his origin story in the process, Black Panther is able to forgo the exposition in favour of an on the move, thrilling and inventive plot. This isn't an origin story, it's a continuation. We know this guy already, so instead Coogler just pulls us into his world and shows us what he's going through post Civil War. And I love that. It's not a sequel that just exists to be another part of this franchise, it's a chronicle of a part of this universe that absolutely feels like it's just another story going on in the world of Marvel. And it would have been easy to just introduce a character purely to serve the brand, which the MCU did kind of do initially. But instead Coogler takes what we know about the world and shifts it to another part of this universe. It's not tied to the other movies, but it's not entirely separate either; it runs alongside them, and that's what makes a universe. That idea that outside of this film, other things are going on. In this time of cinematic universe fatigue, the fact that we get an organic expansion to the MCU is pretty great.

And the plot itself, which centres on T'Challa becoming king after his father's death in Civil War, is very good. It always reminds us that, yeah, he's a vigilante who's also the king of a small nation who's got a shedload of gadgets, but he's also human. Before anything else, he's just a man. And that'd something that Coogler always reminds us. It would have been easy to have this unkillable hero who can't be stopped *cough* DCEU Superman *cough*, but instead he's flawed. He's imperfect. One of my favourite ideas here is T'Challa being stripped of his superhuman ability to accept the challenge of the throne. He's got a clearly defined arc that acts as the backbone of the film. That's the core: T'Challa's progression over time and his ultimate acceptance of his responsibilities. He's far from perfect, but with Chadwick Boseman's nuanced and patient performance, he's likable and real.

Micheal B. Jordan is great as the villain, Killmonger. He's menacing and evil, but Jordan plays him with a surprising amount of pathos. His backstory, plan and motivation allow the audience to pity him, but his methods still make him an effective antagonist. He's almost a tragic villain, but is unlikeable enough for us to want to see him defeated. Or rather, we can sympathise with him, but understand that he needs to be defeated. Which is a great archetype for a villain. Because like how T'Challa is a human feeling hero, Killmonger is a completely real villain. He's not the simplistic personification of evil commonly seen in superhero fare, he's just a guy who feels like he needs to bring order and equality. That's his basic motive, but is built upon incredibly well with sketchy methods and debatable morals.

The rest of the cast thrills too. Lupita Nyong'o is an awesome foil to Boseman,  and an incredibly protagonist in her own right. But it's Letitia Wright who consistently steals the show. She's a great gadgetmaster, and her one liners brim with humour and wit. Andy Serkis is suitably seedy, and Martin Freeman is great as a fish out of water CIA agent. I wasn't a huge fan of his character in Civil War, but he's great here, essentially acting as the audience, experiencing Wakanda for the first time.

So, problems? Well, despite being one of the MCU's more accessible films, it does help to have seen most of the previous installments before this one. Especially some of the end credits scenes which depend on your knowledge of previous movies to really understand them. Some of the CGI is occasionally kinda ropey, and for every action scene with a clever set piece and good choreography, theres some of the scenes in the climax that don't really have the visceral and crunchy feel of some of the other fights.

But overall, this was the perfect direction for the MCU to go in. It takes the superhero genre in a fresh and richly cultural direction, while also being a solid fleshing out of a character that we didn't really know too well first time around. The villain is strong, the supporting cast nail it, the plot is simple but pretty effective and the action is fluid and fast paced for the most part. Yeah, not everything works, but it's still one of Marvel's best in ages. It's something that we don't see much of in comic book films; an identity and personality that goes beyond just acknowledging that it's based on a comic. It's not just serviceable, it's great in it's own right too. Strong solo outing.

Infinity War can't come soon enough if you ask me.

My Top 11 Favourite Movies of 2017

Okay, so it's that time of year.  The time in which everyone who talks movies unveils their best of list. And 2017 was quite a year for movies. From big awards hitters like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, to indies like Free Fire, blockbusters like Baby Driver and even made to stream films like Okja, 2017 offered up a selection that's as great as it is varied. And ranking them is a daunting task indeed. I mean damn, this was a fantastic year, and the Oscars are no doubt going to be interesting.

Now, the rules for this list couldn't be more simple. As long as the film got its first wide theatrical release in 2017, it counts. And if the film was made for streaming, it counts as long as it started streaming in 2017. And that's it. Yep. It's that simple.

Also there were some films that I wanted to see that I just couldn't get around to seeing. Hopefully I'll catch them soon enough but for now, here they are:

Call Me By Your Name
Phantom Thread
The Florida Project
Detroit
Wind River
It
Logan Lucky
mother!
The Big Sick
The Death of Stalin
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
My Life as a Courgette
Wonder Woman
Mudbound
The Lost City of Z
Mindhorn
Good Time
Blade of the Immortal
Paddington 2

So yeah. I may have missed them, but fear not. I'll try to catch them as soon as I can!

Now, some honourable mentions:

Dunkirk- Yeah, everyone's film of the year doesn't even make my list. But don't get me wrong, this film is awesome. Christopher Nolan creates scenes with this great intensity and atmosphere,  and as a result he never gives you a moment to rest. The action is incredible, and the emotion is always felt in the film's more intense scenes. The only thing that holds it back for me is the nonlinear time. And I know it's kind of Nolan's thing, but it takes me out of the scene more often than not, and sometimes it felt quite unnecessary. But that's a nitpick. Dunkirk is a strong film overall, and one that deserves the acclaim it's generated.

Downsizing- This one's split opinions, and I'd be lying if I said it was perfect, but it is still an interesting watch. The first 35 minutes are incredibly slow, but the film picks up steam after that. Actually, once Hong Chau is introduced, things get good. I do really like Alexander Payne as a filmmaker, with The Descendants and Sideways both being awesome movies. Now, the idea of this guy doing a sci-fi may sound odd, but he takes his themes of mid life frustration, insecurity and masculinity, and channels them into a film that hits more than it misses. A mixed bag, but worth seeing to see where it ends up going

Logan- Proving that comic book films could have grit. It's a fantastic end to the story of Wolverine. It's kind of like a western-science fiction-action-drama film, and pleasingly does not hold back on the blood and gore. Which makes sense. There was an obvious effort made to be as faithful to the character of Logan as possible, and the result is a piece of grim, gritty and weighty cinema that thrills from beginning to end. Okay, maybe parts of it are a bit sloppy, like with the Wolverine clone, but overall it's a fitting swansong for this animalistic antihero.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore- Netflix released some humdingers last year, pushing the boundaries on what can be considered a film. And while this film isn't quite as good as some of the others, it's a decently thrilling crime comedy. Elijah Wood is awesome as always, and the ending is gleefully violent, but something's missing. It's a good movie, but it lack weight for me and that holds it back. Like Downsizing, it's worth seeing for where it goes rather than how it gets there, but it is still well worth a watch

Thor Ragnarok- I've ranted and raved about What We Do in the Shadows, so I do love Taika Watiti. And as someone who didn't like Thor, and hated Thor: the Dark World, hearing that Watiti was making Thor 3 was fairly exciting. And while it gets lost in its jokes sometimes,  when they work, they're gut busting. It's the exact place that Thor needed to go, and seeing it repeatedly parody itself was pretty hilarious. Okay yes, the jokes take away from the plot, and the climax is marred by its reliance on subversive humour, but overall, Thor Ragnarok is so much damn fun.

And now, without further ado, my top 11 films from 2017!

11. Okja

First of all, the Cannes controversy (Cannestroversy?) thing was stupid. Okja is a film. Yes it was made for streaming, but it's still a piece of cinema. It doesn't matter what platform it was made for. Regardless, Okja rocks. This weird sci-fi satire tale of a girl and her giant pig was one of 2017 's happy surprises. It's a weird little idea, but one that goes a very long way. The movie it starts off being is pretty different to the one it finishes as. It starts off as being cute, fun and overly sweet as we see the girl and the the pig play around, but when the pig gets captured, things get good.

The whole animal rights thing is smart, legitimately funny and never preachy. It could have been in your face, and obnoxious, just trying to get a message across, but there's this air of self awareness that the film has that just makes it work. The transition between cutesy comedy and dark satire works surprisingly well. There's a scene near the end that takes place at a slaughterhouse that I can't spoil, but is fantastic without words. It's a beautiful and satisfying payoff to an interesting piece of work.

Bong Joon-Ho did a fantastic job with this one. It's weird as hell, but with Jake Gyllenhaal going way over the top (in a fun way) and Tilda Swinton playing entrepreneur twins, it was never going to be normal. But both of those performances become highlights under Joon-Ho's careful direction, which is over the top and farcical without being overly silly or stupid. And that's pretty impressive, considering it's a film about a giant pig. Okja rocks, plain and simple. Check it out if you haven't already.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

Marvel put out thee movies last year, and while Spiderman Homecoming was a great direction for its title character (and a strong coming of age tale to boot), and I've already said that I loved Thor Ragnarok. But it's the sequel to a movie that I already loved that gets onto my list. Guardians 2 may not be the most complex or layered film on the list, but it has to be one of the most purely enjoyable pieces of entertainment I saw last year. I mean yeah, the story's on the lighter side, and the humour is something of a crutch, but damn it I don't care.

This film is hilarious. I'm a well documented lover of comedy, and the lines here are witty and legitimately funny. The characters are so strong and able to support the huge string of gags, and if the film does rely on its jokes, you can easily forgive for just how strong they are. I wouldn't say that they take away from the story, because the story is written in a way that facilitates the comedy, so it works nicely. The gags with Kurt Russell's too good to be true human planet in particular had me in stitches.

And the soundtrack. Fleetwood Mac, George Harrison, Silver, Cat Stevens, ELO, the list goes on. The songs are fantastically edited into each scene they play in, and work not only by connecting Peter to his mother, but by telling the story with their lyrics. The use of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain to describe Peter's troubled relationship with Rocket is perfect, as is its return in the climax. The opening credits with Baby Groot dancing to Mr Blue Sky are beyond awesome; a single shot that encapsulates the fun and joyful nature of the film.

It's also nice to see the characters develop. Not just the Guardians themselves, but also the relatively underdeveloped side characters like Yondu and Nebula, both of whom are brought to the forefront and given some pretty great moments. They're both wonderfully fleshed out here. Mantis is a solid new addition, and she brings out a side to Drax that allows his admittedly simple character to move forward.

Overall, Guardians 2 is a riot. It's fun without sacrificing substance or derailing it's pre-established characters. It improves on the first film in all the right ways, and deviates from it in all the right ways too. It's less of a sequel, and more of an equal. But, I'd be lying if I said that it was 2017's best followup.

9. Lady Bird

I think that this goes without saying, but Saoirse Ronan is awesome. In Lady Bird and in general, she's just really fantastic. And she kills it in the sweet, gentle, yet legitimately heart warming coming of age story. It's a simple premise, a girl in her last year of school and her turbulent relationship with her mother (the incredible Laurie Metcalf), but in Greta Gerwig's capable hands, the film becomes so much more.

Okay, Lady Bird doesn't say anything about adolescence that other coming of agers haven't already, but it's really a matter of how this story was told rather than the plot itself. Gerwig's script and direction and Ronan's acting seem like they were made for each other. It's how well that these aspects compliment each other that makes Lady Bird work. Greta Gerwig takes the familiar aspects of coming of age films (doubts about college, strained relationships with parents, worries about losing virginity), and remixes them with a more personal touch (a lot of this film was based on Gerwig's own life and upbringing). This approach is near perfect in its execution. It's an old story, but through new eyes, and as such it's a fresh take on the subject matter.

And the acting makes it. I mean, I've already said that Saoirse Ronan is great, but it's something I can't stress enough. She makes this film what it is. She's funny, she's sympathetic, she's relatable, she's just fantastic. And one thing I love is that Gerwig isn't afraid to make her occasionally unlikeable. She does things that aren't right, and she makes mistakes, and she acts out, but the film states that that's all a part of growing up. But ultimately she does have a good heart, and you do root for her all throughout the film. She's a wonderful protagonist.

And the rest of the cast are great too. Laurie Metcalf knocks it out of the park as Lady Bird's mother, Timothée Chalamet oozes pretentious indifference, Tracy Letts does a fantastic job as a man struggling with his unemployment, everyone is just fantastic. You believe these characters exist, and you believe the way that they interact. Come the end of the film, you feel like you know these people.

Lady Bird isn't anything groundbreaking. It's not a revolutionary piece of cinema. But it is great. It's a sweet, honest and ultimately feelgood coming of age story that never sugarcoats anything, but still manages to be uplifting. This is one that stands alongside the likes of American Graffiti, The Breakfast Club and Dazed and Confused.

8. Coco

I love Pixar. It's impossible not to love Pixar. And their latest is one of their strongest in a while. This was one that I had high hopes for, and safe to say that they were met, if not exceeded. Coco is Pixar's visual best in my opinion. The land of the dead is so vibrant and beautiful and richly colourful. Every frame in that place is glorious. I love colourful animation, and Coco more than delivers on that front. I also love the character design. Not just the dead characters, but the living ones too. They're in this middle ground of cartoonish realism. That sounds odd, but if you've seen Pixar's human designs, you'll have an idea of what I mean.

Coco also has one of the best stories that Pixar has done. The rules of the land of the dead make complete sense in context and add tension, conflict and urgency to Miguel's quest. The story beats, while occasionally predictable, still have a big impact when they occur. I did see one central twist coming from quite some way, but when it did happen it worked. The story balances a simple message (family love and support each other no matter what), with smart and fresh twists and ideas that really make it work. The core twist that I was talking about that I did kind of predict was massively improved by one key factor that gives it so much more impact and weight. I'm not gonna spoil that here, but trust me, it adds a lot to this film.

It's also Pixar's first musical. Music is central to the film, and the way that songs are used as storytelling beats is really great. The use of Remember Me in particular is fantastic, and the way that it gradually changes meaning over the course of the movie is really something special. It's this key emotional moment foreshadowed from the first moments. The rest of the music is great too, scored by the irreplaceable Michael Giacchino. It's soulful and full of heart, like the film.

Overall, Coco is awesome. It's a strong story that, while occasionally predictable, succeeds on the strength of its characters and emotional beats, and does so with a cultural richness that hasn't really been seen in a film like this (except for The Book of Life, which is pretty good too, and won't be the last mention of Guillermo del Toro on this list). Visually it's stunning, it's story is solid, it's characters are very well fleshed out, it's music is great, it's just one of Pixar's best. Remind me to talk about these guys in the future, I love them too much not to.

7. Free Fire

Ben Wheatley is one of the most original and interesting filmmakers in the industry today, and his sixth film definitely proves why. It's a shootout. No, seriously. The whole film is just a shootout. Sound dull? It really, really isn't. It is in fact, one of the year's strongest action films. An arms deal goes wrong, leaving a group of criminals locked in a Mexican standoff that unfolds in real time. That's the whole plot, but thanks to Wheatley's tight direction, there's a sense of danger to Free Fire that is never lost. Without that constant claustrophobic tension, the film would fail, but it works so damn well because everything has consequences. Every bullet fired feels like it's going somewhere. It has an impact. Its going to hit someone. That's something I love in this film, the madcap danger and intense risk that makes it such a fantastically adrenaline packed 90 minutes.

Not that it's all action. The dialogue is equally fast paced. The quips and wisecracks are delivered in the same manner as the bullets are fired, and often have the same violent intentions. This makes it incredibly funny and stylised in a way that enhances the instant cultishness that this film revels in. It's unlike anything else that came out in 2017. It's pure style, but it's not style over substance. The razor sharp and lightning fast script utterly cement this film in stylish bliss. That it's all delivered by actors like Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Cillian Murphy, Micheal Smiley and Jack Reynor who can carry it off perfectly is just the cherry on top.

The thing that disappoints me is how far this flew under people's radar. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but it's so unlike anything else we got in 2017 that it needs to be seen. And especially in this time of overblown, bloated, generic, messy and hollow action blockbusters, we need this brand of glorious simplicity. I have no doubt that Free Fire will gain a cult following, and it honestly warrants it. It's a pure thrill ride. It may owe a lot to Reservoir Dogs, but considering that's one of my favourite films of all time, I have no problem with this. Definitely check it out. It's one of 2017's underappreciated gems. Although in fairness, 2017 did see some other good action films released.

6. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

So, something insane happened in 2017. Something unprecedented. Unpredictable. Borderline unfathomable. It blew my mind, it took my breath away, it damn near changed the way I view the world. What was this strange occurrence, you ask?

Adam Sandler gave a fantastic performance.

Not passable, mediocre or just okay, legitimately one of the best performances I saw last year. It's nuanced, it's complex, he expresses subtle emotions pitch perfectly, he is excellent. He's great as this man who, while funny, is funny in a way that seems completely natural and human. He's also vulnerable, frustrated, exhausted and achingly insecure about his life. He's layered, he's three dimensional, you root for him, you want to strangle him, you pity him, you laugh at him, you want him to succeed but above all, you believe him. You believe that this man exists, that he's struggling, that he needs a break. You believe the good things that happen to him as well as the bad things. He's human. And that's more than you can say for other Sandler performances.

But I'm ahead of myself, what is The Meyerowitz Stories? Put simply, the best thing Netflix put out last year. Noah Baumbach is a filmmaker that I really like. The Squid and the Whale is pretty good, and while Meyerowitz doesn't say much that that film didn't, it says those things much better in my opinion.

Squid and the Whale was good, but I did feel that it was missing something. And this film kind of showed me just what it lacked. Because that film, while great, lacked the humanity that this one has. It's still great, but the characters here feel real. Don't get me wrong, I recognise Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Emma Thompson, but I also believe that these people are people. Their performances are all wonderful, oozing a natural, real, empathetic charm.

It helps that Baumbach knows how real people talk. The dialogue all sounds like real people talking, especially in the way Baumbach writes these two way conversations, with two characters talking about different things, but communicating regardless. Or not communicating, in some cases. And there's a wonderful understated drama and tragedy in the dialogue. The characters don't say how they feel, they express it by talking about random shit. And you know why? Because that's what people do. Baumbach gets it, and that allows him to make the characters seem like real people having real conversations about the things that matter, and the things that don't. And it's a seriously great slice of neurotic drama with the comedy of day to day life. And Sandler should have gotten the Oscar nod. I'm not even kidding

5. Get Out

So, Get Out was one that came right out of nowhere, and my god its come some way. For a film with a surprisingly low budget (a modest 4.5 million dollars), this is one that did incredibly well. It was always going to be one of my favourites of 2017, and is definitely one of the best horror films of recent years. It's basically Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, but with kidnapping and strange happenings that I'm loathe to spoil. It's a simple film yes, but one that unfolds in such a way that each reveal hits more than the last. No spoilers here, but once you find out why the family have kidnapped him, it becomes unlike any other horror you're likely to see this year.

Jordan Peele has created this piece of film that's not just terrifying, but smart and darkly satirical too. I wouldn't call it a comedy horror, but it has this wickedly humorous edge to it that makes it a uniquely scary experience. The humorous aspects are subtle. They're understated, existing not just to lighten the mood, but to sharpen the critique that the film presents. And it balances tone in a such a fantastic way. Even the purely funny scenes have a place, and often actually come from the same source as the horror; the dark absurdity of the situation and the grim outcome of its characters.

The slow buildup to each devastating reveal is truly marvellous. Peele keeps the truth just under the surface, only keeping the sense of unease apparent. When the truth comes out, it's so insanely unpredictable, but actually makes a great deal of sense. Small details in the storytelling cleverly foreshadow that reveal, and when it does hit, the film becomes excellent. Pure tension. My heart was in my mouth for the entirety of the climax. Jordan Peele keeps key details hidden, so when you think that you have everything worked out, it turns out that you really didn't, and there's something even nastier waiting to be revealed. And suburbia has never looked scarier. The nice, pleasant facade hides truths that are so wonderfully rich and dark. And once out, you're left with an experience that is truly something.

Subtle, smartly put together, freaking terrifying, dreamlike, surreal, oddly comic, warped, honest, true, sharp, relevant, poignant, entertaining, rich with symbolism and just damn awesome. Get Out is a landmark for modern horror, one that went beyond its low budget to entrance and frighten audiences, but also stirring discussion and provoking contemplation. Nerve wracking. Utterly, devastatingly nerve wracking. Nothing like it came out last year, and I'm not sure an awful lot like it will come out this year. Superb stuff for a first timer.

4. Baby Driver

Edgar Wright is the movie nerd's filmmaker. He has an attention to detail that perfectly compliments his deep love of film and penchant for homage. As I said, he's the filmmaker for film buffs. Which means I adore him, and his work. The Cornetto Trilogy is superb, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a sublime adaptation of the graphic novel series. But it's Wright's incredible ode to film like Bullitt, The Driver and The French Connection that utterly captivates.

Baby Driver's opening sequence says it all. It's pure visual storytelling, perfectly set to Bellbottoms by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. It sets this insane, thrill ride of an action film up perfectly. The action and stunt work is phenomenal. Mostly practical and set to 2017's best jukebox soundtrack. The editing is fast paced and exhilarating, just what you'd expect from Wright.

The film as a whole is a jolt of adrenaline. It's a film that demands to be seen on the big screen. Everything from the aforementioned opening to the insane climax is so damn fun. It's joyfully fast and energetic, but there's this stylised glee to it that sets it apart from some of the other blockbusters we got in the summer. It's just awesome, with a wide variety of rythmic and flowing shootouts and chases. It's not just action for the sake of it, it's absolutely necessary.

And the plot is written in a way that fully supports the stylish action. It's a simple "criminal tries to go clean but it's not that simple" kind of deal, bit the way it's structured makes the action feel impactful. What happens to Baby at the end of the film won't be spoiled here, but it subverts your expectations in a fantastic way that makes so much sense. The characters are larger than life and bursting with personality but you can actually get invested in them. Even minor characters and antagonists are thoroughly likable in Wright's hands.

So yeah, 2017's best action film? Quite possibly. Baby Driver is pure cinematic fun. With its excellently put together set pieces, great performances (Jon Hamm is superb as the rascal thief Buddy, never without a quip and a shit eating grin), fabulous soundtrack, surprising amounts of weight in the quieter, slower moments and an overall atmosphere of adrenaline packed action, this movie is one that goes from nought to sixty pretty damn quick, and gets away scott free.

I'm not even sorry for those puns.

3. Blade Runner 2049

I love the first Blade Runner. How could you not, what with its dark ambiguity, thought provoking science fiction ideas and surprisingly deep and complex antagonist ("I've seen things you people wouldn't believe"). It's one of the greatest sci-fi films ever, with a fiercely dedicated following. So following it up isn't actually a bad idea in theory. I was really excited for this movie when I saw the trailers, but the closer we got to its release, the more worried I got that it would let me down. So, does Blade Runner 2049 disappoint?

What do you think.

THIS FILM IS FREAKING INCREDIBLE. As far as followups go, few match the original like this one. None of the complexities of Ridley Scott's film are lost, quite the opposite actually. Through the eyes of K, Ryan Gosling's replicant blade runner, we see the themes and ideas of the original in a different way. It goes from just a sequel to a film that matches the original's musings on humanity, dreams, memories and origami. Well, wood carvings in this case.

Gosling is great in the lead role. He's different from Deckard in all the right ways, and as a protagonist you do really enjoy watching him. The fact that he's a replicant takes the themes of the first film and reinvents them with a completely fresh perspective. That's what a Blade Runner sequel should do, and K makes that all possible.

And Ford as Deckard. Oh my. Harrison Ford is one of my all time favourite actors, and Rick Deckard was one of my favourite roles of his. And seeing him reprise it makes me so happy. There's this great closure of his character that comes from his performance. It evokes the first film in all the right ways but at the same time it's organic and independent of the original. His introduction is organic and natural. It's not like he's only there because he was in the first one. Instead, it feels like even without the first one, he'd be here. And that's impressive. A film that runs independent of its sequel. Unrelated in all the right ways, and a lot of that comes down to Ford.

Visually it's utterly stunning. The mouth wateringly gorgeous cgi with beautiful cinematography and incredible set design makes this one an absolute treat for the eyes. Zimmer and Wallfisch's score provide a treat for the ears. And Villeneuve's direction is a treat for the brain.

2049 is the year's best sequel. Expands on the first in all the right ways, deviates from the first in all the right ways, expands the world, updates the ideas for the 21st century, it's fantastic. It's everything you could want from a Blade Runner sequel. I'm happy that it's didn't suck. I'm pleased that it was good. I'm delighted that it's excellent. It was guaranteed a spot in the top three for sure. Considering films like Kingsman: The Golden Circle were massive disappointments for me, this was the sequel I needed. One that isn't just a serviceable sequel, but and outstanding film in its own right. Wonderful stuff.

2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

I loved In Bruges. It was dark, funny, intricate, quirky and just a blast to watch. It cemented Martin McDonagh as one of my favourite filmmakers, and as such I was quite excited to see what his latest film would be. The result is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, a masterful southern parable of rage, grief, guilt and sorrow. I suppose tonally it's similar to In Bruges, but it contains this great compassion that that film didn't really have. And it's that sense of love that makes Billboards work.

It's not a film about hate. It's about anger and grief, and how they compel us to commit hateful and bigoted acts. And McDonagh's handling of this is truly something wonderful. This tale of a grieving mother seeking a development in the investigation of her daughters murder is fantastically scripted. There's a great deal of anger and insult in the dialogue (it's a Martin McDonagh film), but there's also black humour, and empathy and even a sort of kindness. Sort of. McDonagh scatters that love under the bitter and visceral dialogue, and that changes it from a preachy morality tale to a wickedly funny, honestly moving and unbelievably relevant story about, among other things, the pursuit of justice, and how far people will go to obtain that justice.

It does help that the acting is nothing short of masterful. Frances McDormand is sensational as Mildred, the grieving mother who erects three scathing billboards to.... motivate? Yeah let's say motivate. To motivate the police department to continue the investigation. With McDormand's performance you always get an sense that all of this is coming from a place of sorrow, guilt and regret rather than a place of hate. She's not exactly likeable, but she's such a fantastic protagonist. You root for her to succeed, even if you don't necessarily agree with the things she'll do to succeed. Her performance is fantastic, it's three dimensional and effortlessly expresses huge amounts of emotional depth. Throughout it all, you feel everything she feels. Even when you do the agree with her, you absolutely empathise with her.

And it would have been easy to portray the police as vindictive, cruel and fairly dim men who don't do an awful lot of good, but McDonagh forgoes that simplistic portrayal in favour of Woody Harrelson's Chief Willoughby. Granted, he does use that character type for Sam Rockwell's vindictive, cruel and fairly dim Officer Dixon, but he then proceeds to subvert that stereotype later on.

Harrelson's Willoughby is actually the more level headed of the three leads, and instead of being any sort of antagonist, he's just a man doing his job. One scene when he reads three letters is fantastically emotional and incredibly done. Over the course of the film, it becomes apparent that Willoughby does actually care about the case, billboards or not, and you do want to see him crack that case. Which is also something McDonagh subverts, but that's for another day.

Rockewll is magnificent as Dixon. As I said, McDonagh initially takes the easy option with his character, making him the vindictive and cruel cop that you may have expected from this story, but as you get to know him you see that that isn't the case. He's got his own problems. He's not as bad a guy as he first appears. His development is natural and organic feeling. He's no hero at any point in the story, but by the end you believe in him, and you believe that he is actually a halfway decent guy.

So yeah, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri. A social commentary that tears into the issues affecting America right now. It's one that I know I'll come back to over time. McDonagh's direction is understated and tight. Carter Burwell's score is incredible. McDormand is fantastic; an empathetic and fleshed out lead that we identify with but are never expected to like. Harrelson and Rockwell provide ample support that prevents the issues portrayed from ever feeling simplistic. It's McDonagh's best. It's such a great film, a relevant and emotionally charged social comment that leaves the viewer thinking about it long after its finished. Absolutely glorious.

But what could top it?

I have a feeling you know already....

1. The Shape of Water

I love Guillermo del Toro and his odd beasts, I really do. Pan's Labyrinth is absolutely incredible, one of my favourite ever movies. But everything this guy has done has been pretty good so far. He approaches classic fairy tale tropes and ideas in such an unusual and interesting way. His films at thir best are pure love letters to both fairy tales and the motion picture. They explore historic themes and ideas through a lens of fantasy and wonder, and sometimes even horror. He's no doubt one of the most interesting voices we currently have in cinema.

And his latest film is a goddamn masterpiece.

The Shape of Water was a tough one to place because it's so unlike anything else we got last year. But the I realised that that's what makes it special; it's so beautifully unique and fantastic and intricate. It's a love story at its core. But the deep and passionate romance between Elisa, the mute cleaner of a government facility and the fishman living within its walls is so incredibly wrapped in cold war intrigue, social commentary, McCarthyism, eggs, science fiction allegories and so much more. del Toro does everything he can to express the passion felt by these characters.

The outsider love is fantastically realised. Without words, del Toro says it all. The love these two share is wonderful. At first it's just an odd couple romance, but over time you realise that you're watching two people who don't really belong, who have found each other and finally have a purpose. And the way every aspect of their love is explored is marvelous, creating this portrait of deep passion, brought to us by a man who evidently cares a great deal about the story and the two leads. Their chemistry is so fantastic that even when there's a freaking dance number, it doesn't feel out of place. That's impressive.

And the acting is sublime. Sally Hawkins acts entirely without words, but you always know exactly what she's thinking. The one scene when she's trying to convince her neighbour that the fishman is just like her is heartbreaking. Doug Jones wows as the (surprisingly randy) fishman, even under all of that makeup he still oozes longing and passion. Richard Jenkins is great as the neighbour who feels like he lacks a place in the world, while Octavia Spencer is fantastic as Elisa's brash best friend and provides great support. Michael Shannon nails his all American colonel. A man who has such a terrifying dedication to maintaining perfection. Who provides a tense and terrifying portrait of Cold War paranoia. He's a magnificent villain, menacing and evil. The true monster of the piece.

Shape of Water is such a lovingly rendered and passionate film. I was incredibly excited for this one for some while before I saw it. I was worried that it would fail to live up to expectations, but it absolutely surpassed them. And that's something that I do far too much. Get too excited, only to end up let down. But this seriously lived up to my expectations. In a time of big budget studio cash grabs that make hollow fluff about lifeguards and emojis, a film that's so phenomenally and deeply passionate is so refreshing. A pure passion project for del Toro, and his love can be felt on screen. Throw in Alexandre Desplat's score and some jaw dropping cinematography and you've got a wonderful piece of movie magic. It's stuff like this that makes me love the movies. An incredible film for sure.

So, that's my list. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am while I catch up on the must sees that I missed. But seriously, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what 2018 has to offer. For now, The Shape of Water is my favourite film of 2017.

My Thoughts on A Futile and Stupid Gesture

So while I was reflecting on last year's best films, Netflix released a movie that I've been anticipating for quite some time; A Futile and Stupid Gesture. Regardless of how you feel about the increase of made for streaming movies recently, you have to admit that it is having an effect on cinema. Some hate this development, and others are fine with it, and I must say that I'm in the latter category. I think that it's a good thing that film is evolving in this way, and these streaming services are producing films that deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as big-budget studio productions. I enjoyed several Netflix original films last year, and when the trailer for A Futile and Stupid Gesture came out, I was pretty excited. Anyone who has spent even a minute on this blog will know that comedy is my favourite genre, so I'm very familiar with National Lampoon.

Or so I thought I was. See, as a lover of comedy movies, I was only really familiar with the films associated with National Lampoon. I actually knew very little about the magazine or Doug Kenney. And what a biopic. When it was announced, I was certainly interested. When I saw the trailer, I was really looking forward to it's unconventional, humour filled approach to telling Kenney's life story. When it was released? I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I know that it's only the first major release of 2018, but hot damn, this is a strong start to the year.

At the start of this film, a brilliantly clever joke is told on the people who don't really know about Douglas Kenney (myself included). What the movie does won't be spoiled here, but trust me when I say that it's used to great effect. Those who do know about Kenney's life can appreciate  how the story is told, and the payoff of that opening scene. As I said, I knew very little about Douglas Kenney going in, and I was totally fooled by the reveal. A twist in a biopic isn't the most common thing, but it's used to such a phenomenal effect, but more on that in a bit.

First things first, the casting. Will Forte is surprisingly good in the lead role. Again, I don't really have anything to compare him to, but he really captures the essence of a man who is completely isolating himself from those around him. And yet he's hilarious. He's so much fun to watch, and never turns the film into anything overly serious. I mean yes, there is drama, but it's never overly heavy, and the film never gets caught up in the unpleasant details of Kenney's life, a lot of which I think does come down to Forte. He creates this great sense of self destruction, one in which he masks his inner turmoil with banter and comedy. But where Forte excels is at portraying the man beneath the humour. He'll be cracking you up and breaking your heart all in the same scene.The supporting cast really succeeds at portraying the people in Kenney's life too. I'd have never thought that Joel McHale would have been a good Chevy Chase, but hey, I guess four seasons on the same show results in a pretty decent impression. Domhnall Gleeson (who I swear appears in every film being made now) is a fantastic foil to Forte, playing Henry Beard, who I'll admit I knew nothing about. He's such a great counterpart to Kenney, simultaneously his best friend, gretest critic and ultimately, an object of envy for Kenney.

I also love the fourth wall breaking style. Having modern Douglas Kenney appear to comment on certain events really gives the film an edge, and enhances the reveal at the end. It really gives the dramatic moments a comic edge, and hell, it makes the ending so much smarter than its probably should be, because the stupidity of what happens at the end is suddenly combined with a cleverly subversive joke that delivers one of the strongest finishes to a film in recent memory.

And the film really succeeds at leaping between tones. It's quite hard to do a good comedy drama, as one can overpower and undermine the other very easily. But by telling a story that's both inherently funny and fairly tragic, the film can operate between the two. It's never just funny and then just dramatic, it does them simultaneously and really succeeds. It undercuts dramatic moments with sharp one liners, and grounds funny moment with heartbreaking truths. The end of the film is a good example. It's a fairly sad moment, but it never gets caught up in its own tragedy, instead immediately switching to a joke that really, really works and brings this hilariously melancholic story to a fitting close.

All of this builds to create a fairly strong film, one that'll probably be hard to top in 2018. I mean, near perfect balance of comedy and drama, performances that cycle between hilarity, charm and melancholy, subversive and smart fourth wall breaks that never get obnoxious and one of the smartest reveals I've seen in a while. Netflix has quite a few excellent original films so far (I'm especially fond of Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories), but this may be their best yet. A great biopic is a special thing. It can provide an insight into the life of a well known figure, but with a personal touch that gives it a human edge. A Futile and Stupid Gesture goes above and beyond, being so much smarter than I would have expected a biopic to be. And so much funnier. I have a feeling that the filmmakers knew that not too many people actually know who Doug Kenney is, so instead of enlightening the audience though conventional means, they turn it into a massive joke that laughs at the people unfamiliar. And for those who do know, it's a fantastic gag that fits Kenney's character so well. And in general it leads to a fantastic experience. Odd as it is to say, this biopic makes fantastic use of it's reveal, which might actually be the best thing in the film. That's not me exaggerating, it's so good that it massively enhances the already excellent film. The only complaints I have are that sometimes the comic interludes in the quiet dramatic scenes are a little too in your face. The fake infomercial about being Doug Kenney in particular is so poorly placed that it actually cheapens the effect of that scene. They do actually do it well with Kenney's wife leaving him via a comicstrip, but it's when they just shove a joke into what should have been a quiet moment of reflection that it becomes slightly problematic. But that's honestly about the only flaw that really effects the film in any significant way. Everything else seriously works here. The bar has been set. Your move, 2018.

Favourite Christmas Special- Part 2

Welcome back! This is a part two so please read the first post if you haven't! If you have, read on!

So Community.... exists. I love this show, and I've wanted to talk about in some way for a very long time. I've had so many ideas for posts about this show, but honestly, how can you talk about it as a whole? This show is so wildly varied in terms of episode plots and structures, that it's covered everything.

The huge amount of variety is one of the main reasons this shown is one of my favourites. And naturally, it's had its fair share of Christmas episodes. And of the four of them, three of them are some of my favourite episodes of the show. Comparitive Religion is awesome, Regional Holiday Music is fantastic, and Intro to Knots is... not great, but is still one of the best episodes of the fourth season, which isn't saying much, but it's still pretty good.

But it's in the golden run that is the show's second season that you'll find the best Christmas episode, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas. Abed is my favourite character in the show. His episodes are subversive and meta, but often have huge amounts of heart at the same time. Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas is both. The episode is stop motion animated. And there's actually a reason why. And that's why I recommend stopping reading this and watching this episode if you haven't. I will be spoiling this episode. I can't explain why this episode is great without spoiling it. If you haven't seen it, do it and come back. It's definitely worth your time.

So if you're still reading, you either have seen it or don't care about spoilers, so let's keep going!

In this episode, Abed wakes up one December day to find that everything is in stop motion. Or at least it is for him. Nobody else can see that the world is animated, and it's all in Abed's head. So the study group and Duncan band together to give Abed a therapy session and figure out why he's seeing this.

First of all, the animation is absolutely glorious. It's beautifully constructed , and each of the models actually look like the characters they're based on. Clay Chevy Chase in particular is pretty spot on. The design of "Planet Abed" is great too, and full of inventive imagery and fantastic designs.

The songs are great too. Community has a surprising amount of musical numbers, and all of these are pretty great. Brittabot, That's What Christmas is For and the opening theme in particular are charming, funny, and fitting of the genre that this episode is parodying. But all of them have a place within the story, and all of them are fairly funny in their own right too.

The real joy here though is how the story tells it's message. Abed's relationship with his mother really fuels the conflict, and seeing the study group rally together to comfort him is really sweet. For all the jokes they tell about Abed and his festive hallucinations, they do manage to bring it back and use it to generate some serious feels. The final musical number is perfect, not just because it's an absolute earworm and packed with funny moments, but because it brings everything full circle. Seeing the study group push their beliefs and values aside and stand up for Abed is really sweet.

Each character is fantastically represented too. Shirley is entitled and judgemental, Jeff is cynical and doesn't take the situation seriously at all, Britta always turns everything into a therapy session, Annie just wants to be supportive of Abed and help him work through his problems, Troy stands by Abed no matter what and takes it 100% seriously and Pierce just came for the cookies. John Oliver as Duncan is perfect too. He's sly, petty and is blatantly exploiting Abed and his problems. Everyone is great, and their role in the story fits with their personality perfectly.

And in the end, despite their differences, their friendship with Abed unites them. And that may sound overly sweet or obvious, but it's done in such a way that it seriously works. Once we find out that Abed is seeing this due to his mother's absence, the study group coming together to support Abed becomes something special. This is one of the big indications that these characters are becoming a family. It's heartwarming, but never unnecessarily sentimental. It's message is one that's undoubtedly festive, to stand by and support those you love.

This has to be one of my all time favourite Christmas episodes. In any show. Unique visual style and catchy soundtrack combines with strong heartwarming messages and ideas and a typically hilarious script makes Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas an absolute gem. Community is a show with many great Christmas episodes, but this episode has to be the best because I feel like it executes it's idea better than any other. It's also one of the strongest Abed-centric episodes. It really develops his character and showcases how he relates to each member of the study group. As far as this show goes, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas is near perfect. A festive favourite for sure.

Favourite Christmas Special- Part 1

Merry Christmas! Considering last year I celebrated my absolute favourite time of year by talking about Aliens... for some reason. This year I'm going to celebrate the holidays by talking about the Christmas episodes of two of my all time favourite shows. Nicecapades from Bob's Burgers and Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas from Community. Both of these shows have multiple Christmas episodes, most of which are awesome too, but these two in particular are definitely ones I'll try to catch every year if I can. For me, these two are the gold standard of Christmas episodes. They're so good in fact, that I'm splitting this post into two. One now and one later. Right now I'm going to tackle Nicecapades from Bob's Burgers!

Bob's Burgers is a show that I've been meaning to tackle since I started this blog. It's easily one of my favourites ever, what with it's incredible sense of humour, beyond lovable characters and huge amounts of quirky heart. The show can do heartwarming without ever being overly sweet, and I think that's one of the reasons it's mastered the Christmas special: it knows exactly how much heart to put into it's episodes, and more importantly how to put it in.

Any of the Christmas episodes showcase this very well. God Rest Ye Merry Gentle Mannequins is delightfully odd, if slightly lacking in the heart that makes a good Christmas special, Christmas in the Car is a wonderful Duel parody with an incredibly funny subplot, Father of the Bob runs Nicecapades close as the series best holiday episode, and The Last Gingerbread House on the Left is a typically odd concept done as well as you'd expect from a show where a rent protest turns into a water balloon fight.

But it's in the show's sixth season, which I found slightly disappointing, that you'll find the shows absolute best Christmas episode. Bob's Burgers has no shortage of episodes about Louise and how morally questionable some of her antics are, and this is episode is the best showcase of that. I mean the whole naughty-nice thing makes Christmas the ideal setting for an episode about Louise's mischief as it is, and it's clear from the start that that's the direction they're going with this episode, but as I said, Christmas provides the perfect catalyst for Louise to question her morals. I'll get into that later though.

The episode basically begins with Tina, Gene and Louise kicking an old man out of a massage chair. He turns out to be Santa...ish. He's the Santa in the shopping centre. He threatens the kids by saying that he'll report them to the real Santa (Santa Santa as Louise puts it), and so it's up to the kids to prove that they're good kids. And because this is Bob's Burgers, they put on an ice show. Nicecapades! That's the basic plot, but it's the way that everything unfolds that really works.

See, this episode focuses mainly on Louise, who happens to be my favourite character. What I love about Louise is that yes, she's always up to something and isn't afraid to hurt other people to get what she wants, but we're always reminded that she's a legitimately good kid. That's something that's hard to do by the way, justify the actions of a character that causes huge amounts of trouble. But Bob's Burgers does it well by always having Louise realise how her actions have affected those around her. These episodes appeal to me so much because each one reminds me why Louise is my favourite character to begin with. She's not one dimensional, and she's not a bad person. She often forgets to consider the people around her, but she still has a good heart underneath it all.

Nicecapades has Louise being the one who comes up with most of the ideas of the Nicecapades, and this leads to some really great moments. She basically lies about all of the good deeds she did over the year, and encourages her siblings to do the same. This leads to the performance of Nicecapades, where Louise realises that she's not a good person, because a good person wouldn't have to create an ice show that showcases every good thing they did, and that roping Gene and Tina into her scheme wasn't the best idea either, because they're legitimately good kids. I love this moment so freaking much. It's one of Louise's best character moments, and it's improved by what happens immediately after.

The Belchers assure Louise that she is a good person, and it showcases how well the show balances heart and humour. The Santa then tells Louise that she cares more about what she thinks of herself more than what Santa thinks of her. I love this moment, because it perfectly sums up Louise's arc in this episode. Louise is such a fantastic schemer, so it's believable that she'd doubt herself in this way. But in her time of insecurity, her family is there for her, assuring her that she is indeed a good person. That the Santa also comforts Louise is just the cherry on top.

It's an awesome special because it perfectly captures what Christmas is: a time for love and acceptance. Add that in with the show being sweet but never sentimental, as well as some fantastically funny jokes, and you've got the best Christmas episode from a show that has pretty much mastered them. This episode is a perfect highlight of what Christmas is, and especially what it is in Louise's eyes. Her combination of naivety and savviness is odd,  but it's what allows this episode to be sentimental, but not sickeningly sweet. It's a masterpiece, and one of Bob's best, any day.

Tune in next time to receive a course on how to make a stop motion animated existential crisis. Where can you find this course? Why Greendale of course! We're tackling Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas next!

My Top 10 Favourite Comedies- One Year Anniversary

So, this blog is one year old. A whole year ago, I started this blog. So how about we celebrate? Now I did think about doing a list of my favourite movies, but I think I'll save that for an even more special occasion. It wouldn't be right to not celebrate though, so what about the next best thing? My favourite movies in a particular genre? Now I know my last post was something similar, but that wasn't ranked, and this will be. And it's my favourite comedy movies. It seems I can't go a post without mentioning this, but comedy is still my favourite genre, so it just feels right to celebrate with a list of my favourite comedies. Some of these I will have talked about, hell,  some of you probably know my number one, but some are new, and there might even be a surprise or two in there.

And no, Rat Race will NOT be on this list. Yeah it's a great time, but these will be movies I love that aren't just really funny, but also favourites of mine too. And some of these are all time favourites of mine. Not just ones that make me laugh, but ones that I always come back to. Movies I could just talk about for hours on end. So this is, in a way, a list of my favourite movies. Because all of these are favourites. And if you haven't seen these movies, drop everything and do so now.

But before I start, here's an honorable mention. I don't really know if this counts as a movie, but Eddie Murphy: Delirious is one of my favourite stand up shows ever. It's not a film as such, but it did make me say "hang on, Eddie Murphy is actually freaking hilarious". Watching him lampoon racism, hauntings and ICE CREAM! is an absolute blast to witness. Raw is pretty great too, but Delirious for me is funnier, and I just prefer the routines from this show over Raw. What else can I say but "I GOT MY ICE CREAM, I GOT MY ICE CREAM!"

So let's proceed with my one year celebration!

10. Father of the Bride

Now, I'm talking about the Spencer Tracey film, not the Steve Martin remake. For me, this film is one of the funniest films from the golden age of Hollywood. It's all about Spencer Tracey, who plays a man whose beloved daughter is about to get married. There's not much of a plot, instead we just watch Tracey get himself into a variety of shenanigans. His character is so damn stubborn, and this is part of what makes him great. He refuses to stop arguing, without realising that he never had a say to begin with. He's a comedic force of nature, and the witty dialogue compliments his sharp delivery perfectly.

Because of this, most of the funniest moments of the film are just him being a general curmudgeon. One scene that always cracks me up is when he's trying to force a door open, only for his jacket to split up the back. His dream sequence at the end also kills me. It's all about him here, and he makes the film truly special. Even when he's just talking to other people, his general grouchy demeanour makes everything way more difficult than it should be.

The film really breaks down the whole process of organising the wedding, but because it's from the point of view of someone who REALLY doesn't want it to happen, and the natural comedy that stems from that is nothing short of wonderful. It actually feels like the wedding is getting closer, and it plays up the anticipation through Spencer Tracey's eyes. And Stan Banks himself is such a lovable asshole. He's nor even really happy for his daughter until near the end, and even then, I think that's more relief that everything's over. He's impossible to hate though. If you haven't seen this one, or you've only seen the Steve Martin film,  you have to see this. It's a real treat.

9. It Happened One Night

Here's one that's kind of special to me. Why? Because it was the first movie I ever talked about on this blog. I had wanted to talk about movies for awhile, and then decided to set this blog up. I just kind of wrote about the first movie that came into my head, which was It Happened One Night, which I saw just a little while before starting this. And then I just kind of kept blogging, and now I'm here. But it's not just here for sentimental value. It's one of the sharpest, funniest and most charming comedies ever. Now obviously I have talked about it before, so I kind of am going to repeat myself. But I will try to change up what I say about this film.

It's kind of the quintessential road trip movie. There are road trip comedies I like better, but this one for me is the classic. The classic tale of two opposites who find each other on a bus and fall for each other. While bickering constantly, of course. It's the generic romantic comedy before generic romantic comedies existed. It invented so many tropes that are still used to this day, and they hold up phenomenally. Okay one or two jokes have dated I'll admit, but the film is still so fresh and original. And it's damn funny too.

Gable and Colbert have great chemistry. He's a smart alec and she's the straight man. He'll always have a dozen quips and she'll always counter that with a wonderfully unimpressed reaction. It works so well, and it's even better when they flip it, and she's the one with the one liner, while he plays the straight man. It's simple but it's so effective, and unlike most romantic comedies, the humour never slows down because of the romance. In fact, they blend quite well, actually. It becomes apparent quick that the two of them are using sarcasm to deny their feelings for each other. That works well to develop the romance, but the humour is still so sharp on top of that. That's one thing from this film that I find is rarely copied, actually. It's funny but it's also genuine, and that balance is hard to do.

The pacing works well too. I love how you really feel them developing and changing over the journey, and kind of dealing with their pride and stubbornness when it comes to their feelings. The back and forth is something special here, and the more time these two spend together,  the better the movie gets, and it honestly feels like a road trip. It's a truly great film, and I'm happy it kickstarted most of tropes associated with comedy movies today. 

8. Groundhog Day

So I love Bill Murray. And I really could have picked most of his movies for this slot. I love Stripes, and always will, but Groundhog Day for me is slightly stronger. If you've never seen it, a weatherman is sent to cover the groundhog day festivities in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania. He wakes up to find himself stuck living groundhog day over and over again. Every day is the same, but it's how he develops over the course of the movie that makes it special. It's actually a little bleak at times, and it does show how nightmarish this scenario would be.

What I love is how he goes through every single arc possible before finding the right one. From taking advantage of the loop, to using it to seduce his producer over and over, to not giving a shit about anything, to killing himself over and over, to being a godlike being, to helping everyone possible, then finally learning every skill possible and improving himself in every way. It goes through everything here, until he finally develops. I think what stops the loop is him finally becoming a better person. I've heard people say that he's making the most out of a bad day, but that doesn't make as much sense to me. He's learning how to appreciate the things around him.

The film doesn't mess around though when highlighting how serious the loop is. The scene when he's powerless to prevent the old man's death is particularly strong. It's often a black comedy actually, but it's written in a way that's ultimately optimistic. Bill Murray is awesome here. He's constantly changing, yet somehow he's the same guy. He never loses that sarcastic spark that became his trademark. Watching him pretty much being so many alternate versions of the same guy is insanely fun, and when he finally wakes up on February 3rd, it's a genuinely cathartic moment.

It's a damn clever movie. The story is always moving forward, and it often moves in the last direction you'd expect it to. It's so fantastically written, and smart and incredibly creative. It's got this knack for laughing at the little details in life, and it uses its fantasy elements to do it. It's an awesome movie, and one that begs to be watched over and over. And over. And over. And over.

7. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Oh boy. As I've established, I love Monty Python, and their movies. I've talked and Holy Grail before, which I adore for its simple silliness, and I stand by that. Life of Brian I love for it's sharp satire and no holds barred approach. But my favourite is the third and final Python movie, The Meaning of Life. It's weird because I rarely hear this one talked about beyond being the movie with the exploding fat man. The other two frequently get on lists of the greatest comedies, and while I agree, neither is is the one that I love the most. It's an anthology film, and comedy anthology films are usually.... not the best, and that's being kind.

I think two things keep this one funny. First, it's got a common theme running between the stories: the search for the meaning of life. Not the answers, the questions. It doesn't spoof the actual meaning of life, more the fuss people make about finding it. And it's freaking hilarious. Each segment poses the question, and then uses its punchline as the answer. It's crass, stupid and in bad taste, but it's always funny. In fact, it's in such bad taste, that, much like Life of Brian, it was actually banned in Ireland for many years, only being released when It came to VHS. There's a crass creativity to it, and because it's spoofing literally everything that ever happened, I feel like it has slightly less limitations the other two films. Not that that they were held back or anything,  but because the spoofs were more specific, there wasn't as much of a variety as there was with Meaning of Life. Everything, from religion to death, war to school, obesity to birth was relentlessly parodied. And it. Is. Glorious.

I suppose the other reason I love it is because it's like Flying Circus: the Movie. It's just a huge collection of sketches, and unlike something like And Now For Something Completely Different, which kind of was just the Flying Circus film, everything here was original, made from the ground up. And because it was made on a much larger budget, they can up the spectacle and lose none of the silliness. And that's what I love. It's sheer ridiculousness with no limits. It doesn't have to make sense, because it's spoofing a subject with no easy answers. It's easily the group's silliest film. Things happen here that come right out of nowhere, but if you just roll with it, it's awesome.

So no, Holy Grail and Life of Brian don't make this list, because Meaning of Life was ever so slightly funnier for me. There's just more here for me. More of what makes me love these guys. More of what made me a fan in the first place. Life of Brian may be a stronger satire, and Holy Grail may be more memorable, but Meaning of Life is just the one that makes me laugh the most. So look, if Mr. Creosote is the only thing you know of this film, or the only thing you can remember,  l highly recommend you watch it, or watch it again. I'll never understand why so many people dismiss this one. 

6. A Night at the Opera

Okay, list of favourite comedies. Bill Murray is a definite, so are Monty Python, and the Marx Brothers of course. The Marx Brothers. Okay, let's see. Animal Crackers,  Duck Soup,  Horse Feathers. Hmm. I love all of those movies. I guess I'll pick.... Monkey Business? No.... A Day at the Races.... or maybe The Coconauts? Damn it, I think this list was a mistake.

Okay, okay I'm just kidding,  but seriously, HOW DO YOU PICK JUST ONE MARX BROTHERS FILM. These guys are awesome, and all of their films are some of the greatest older comedies ever. Their writing was spot on, their silliness sharp, and their charm never matched. These guys are seriously some of the greatest comics ever. So this pick is kind of a representative pick. A movie that sums up everything great about the Marx Brothers. Because you can't say one is the best. So I'll just talk about A Night at the Opera.

Okay, so I don't really have a favourite. This is just one that showcases why the Brothers hold a special place in my.... funny bone?  I don't know. But it's them at their best anyway. There's not really a plot here. There's a widow, her accountant, an opera, and a boat. That's kind of it. But it's in the witty dialogue and silliness that this one succeeds. Every exchange packs some laughs. Every silly scenario cracks me up. The film runs off Marx Brothers logic, which is its own kind of logic where anything can happen. The things that make sense are the silliest, the things that should make sense don't, the things you think will happen never do. It's silly but it's smart.

And every brother is at his best here. Groucho is at his wittiest, Chico is at his sleaziest, Harpo is at his *honk*-iest. They all work fantastically here. They bounce of each other so damn well, and the film's best exchanges are just these guys trading excellent quips. They're the characters they always play, but at their best here. They're given the room to go nuts here, and I think that most of the stuff is improvised here. These guys were just so naturally funny, that even when it's just them talking about freaking legal contracts, they get a laugh. Because after all, there ain't no sanity clause.

And the cabin scene. One of the all time funniest movie moments ever. It's so simple, a cabin that gets progressively more crowded, but it's the dialogue and physical comedy, and the way it melds together that makes it work. Groucho kills me all the time, but especially here. It's just the way he invites everyone in, and the way he talks to the stewart, and the way he steals this scene. I come back to it quite often, because I just love it. So while there isn't a best Marx Brothers film, A Night at the Opera is a good place to start if you've never seen one of their films.

5. The Blues Brothers

Now we're talking. We're getting to the good stuff now. I was raised on this film. I watched it at a young age, so it's always been one I really, really love. John Landis is one of my favourite filmmakers, and between this, Animal House and Trading Places, the guy knows how to get a laugh. It's hard to put my finger on why The Blues Brothers works, because it just kind of does. Two brothers need to raise money for the orphanage they grew up in, so they get their band back together. That's it. But it's how needlessly complicated everything gets that makes it a favourite. These guys get chased by everybody. The police, the army, ex-lovers, Illinois nazis, everyone is after these two. And the sheer destruction that follows is nothing short of great.

It's so simple, but so crazy that I have to love it. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, but then again the film itself is just so much fun, which is helped massively by the soundtrack. This has to be one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. And what really gives the soundtrack a boost is that many of the characters in the film are actual musicians. The musical portions of the film are too much damn fun.

The deadpan delivery really balances out the fast pace and constant motion. That's not an easy balance to get right, but John Landis really excels at it, not just here but in all of his work. The Blues Brothers is especially good at this though because it never slows down. It's constantly throwing more destruction and craziness at you, and never once does it even start to slow down. It's infectious fun, and the over the top-ness of it all makes it impossible to not laugh. Carrie Fisher as Jake's scorned ex-lover is the highlight for me, and it showcases this film's insanity perfectly.

It's a really great film, and for me it's so funny not just because of how over the tip all the destruction is, but how deadpan and sarcastic the dialogue is. The characters are great, the music is great, the humour is spot on, and it's just awesome. It's one you could find me watching at any time. It's infinitely rewatchable, and every time I've seen it, I've seen something new in it. Something I didn't notice before that often makes me laugh even more. Always a classic.

4. The Muppet Movie

And now for a fact: I hated The Muppets growing up. Yeah, I don't know why, but I went out of my way to avoid anything Muppet related, for some reason. So I only became a fan of The Muppets recently. And thank God for that. I don't know why I avoided The Muppets for so long, they're freaking hilarious. And most of the Muppet movies could have made this list. Movies like Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper or Muppets Most Wanted are arguably funnier than the original Muppet Movie, but for me, this one's hands down the best.

Bear in mind, I have zero nostalgia for this movie. It's one of my favourite comedies however, because it's surprisingly smart. There's a lot of surrealism, and meta humour, and fourth wall breaking. These gags really caught me off guard first time I saw them, and had me laughing long after. It may not have the fast pace of the three movies I mentioned above, but I think why I favour this one is because I think that, while it doesn't have as many gags, it knows how to tell it's jokes in a way that you won't even notice. It's so amazingly self aware, and that's what makes me love it. It knows it's a movie, and it embraces it.

It's fantastically clever, while also fully embracing it's own stupidity. It's the Muppets at their best. And the cameos man. Steve Martin, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks (more on him later), and ORSON FREAKING WELLS.  Yep. The guy who made Citizen Jane,  the greatest movie ever made, is in The Muppet Movie. This film is effortlessly charming, ridiculously clever, lovably stupid, and nothing short of one of my all time favourites. So if I love it that much, what does that day about these next three?

3. What We Do in the Shadows

Oh hey, another one I've already talked about. This is one I only saw this year, but it's grown on me quick. I've watched it four or so times since I wrote about it, and it just seems to get funnier and funnier. And yet it's such a simple premise. This is one that I think is really aided by the style. It's a mockumentray, and I think that sets it apart from other vampire comedies. I'm not going to go too in depth, since I think I summed it up pretty well in my review, but I'll still sum it up for those who haven't read that.

What We Do in the Shadows is a New Zealand made vampire mockumentray about four friends sharing a flat in Wellington, who are all vampires. The film centres around the four in the weeks leading up to the Unholy Masquerade, a huge party for vampires, witches, and demons. But what I think makes it so special is how it especially focuses on the mundane things these guys do. They're just kind of living normal-ish lives, and it's about these characters trying to function in modern society. And because their so likable,a just following them around is a great time. It's a really clever little movie that I stand by as being one of the best of the decade so far.

2. Arsenic and Old Lace

Finally I get to talk about the great, great Cary Grant. God I love this guy. And Arsenic and Old Lace is easily his best for me. It's one of the best black comedies I've seen. If you haven't seen it, a man gets married, and visits his two elderly aunts at the inn they run. He inadvertently discovers a dark family secret, which ends up spiralling out of control when his long lost brother turns up. I won't spoil it, even though it's 73 years old, but the twist is too good here. Watch it if you haven't.

But just because I won't spoil it doesn't mean I can't talk about it. See, for me it works because it's just like any other screwball comedy for the first twenty minutes, until the twist brings the first dark joke. It doesn't throw you straight into the dark humour, it drops it on you when you think you have the movie figured out. Cary Grant gives what I honestly believe to be one of the greatest performances I've seen. He's the master of the double take, and he can sell shock and disbelief like few can. It takes some serious acting chops to have this much onscreen presence, but Grant makes it look easy. Everyone's awesome though. Peter Lorre and Raymond Massey make great villains, while the aunts and uncle get many laughs too. Especially the uncle,  who's so mentally unstable that he thinks he's Theodore Roosevelt. That gets serious laughs as the film goes on, and it's just an excellent, excellent, film.

1. Young Frankenstein

Okay, okay, here's the thing. I poured my heart and soul out during June Jokefest about why I love Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, and everything else. The funny thing is though,  if this was a list of my favourite movies, Arsenic and Old Lace would actually rate higher. Because as a movie, I prefer Arsenic and Old Lace. But as a comedy? Young Frankenstein is the shit. I saw it again in the cinema recently, and it's still hilarious. The entire audience was united in losing their shit laughing. Unlike It Happened One Night and What We Do in the Shadows, I think I'll let my post on this film speak for itself. It's more recent, and I think I summed everything up really well there. It's still a perfect spoof, and it's still my favourite comedy of all time.

My Top 10 Favourite Comedy Movies- One Year Anniversary

So, this blog is one year old. A whole year ago, I started this blog. So how about we celebrate? Now I did think about doing a list of my favourite movies, but I think I'll save that for an even more special occasion. It wouldn't be right to not celebrate though, so what about the next best thing? My favourite movies in a particular genre? Now I know my last post was something similar, but that wasn't ranked, and this will be. And it's my favourite comedy movies. It seems I can't go a post without mentioning this, but comedy is still my favourite genre, so it just feels right to celebrate with a list of my favourite comedies. Some of these I will have talked about, hell,  some of you probably know my number one, but some are new, and there might even be a surprise or two in there.

And no, Rat Race will NOT be on this list. Yeah it's a great time, but these will be movies I love that aren't just really funny, but also favourites of mine too. And some of these are all time favourites of mine. Not just ones that make me laugh, but ones that I always come back to. Movies I could just talk about for hours on end. So this is, in a way, a list of my favourite movies. Because all of these are favourites. And if you haven't seen these movies, drop everything and do so now.

But before I start, here's an honorable mention. I don't really know if this counts as a movie, but Eddie Murphy: Delirious is one of my favourite stand up shows ever. It's not a film as such, but it did make me say "hang on, Eddie Murphy is actually freaking hilarious". Watching him lampoon racism, hauntings and ICE CREAM! is an absolute blast to witness. Raw is pretty great too, but Delirious for me is funnier, and I just prefer the routines from this show over Raw. What else can I say but "I GOT MY ICE CREAM, I GOT MY ICE CREAM!"

So let's proceed with my one year celebration!

10. Father of the Bride

Now, I'm talking about the Spencer Tracey film, not the Steve Martin remake. For me, this film is one of the funniest films from the golden age of Hollywood. It's all about Spencer Tracey, who plays a man whose beloved daughter is about to get married. There's not much of a plot, instead we just watch Tracey get himself into a variety of shenanigans. His character is so damn stubborn, and this is part of what makes him great. He refuses to stop arguing, without realising that he never had a say to begin with. He's a comedic force of nature, and the witty dialogue compliments his sharp delivery perfectly.

Because of this, most of the funniest moments of the film are just him being a general curmudgeon. One scene that always cracks me up is when he's trying to force a door open, only for his jacket to split up the back. His dream sequence at the end also kills me. It's all about him here, and he makes the film truly special. Even when he's just talking to other people, his general grouchy demeanour makes everything way more difficult than it should be.

The film really breaks down the whole process of organising the wedding, but because it's from the point of view of someone who REALLY doesn't want it to happen, and the natural comedy that stems from that is nothing short of wonderful. It actually feels like the wedding is getting closer, and it plays up the anticipation through Spencer Tracey's eyes. And Stan Banks himself is such a lovable asshole. He's nor even really happy for his daughter until near the end, and even then, I think that's more relief that everything's over. He's impossible to hate though. If you haven't seen this one, or you've only seen the Steve Martin film,  you have to see this. It's a real treat.

9. It Happened One Night

Here's one that's kind of special to me. Why? Because it was the first movie I ever talked about on this blog. I had wanted to talk about movies for awhile, and then decided to set this blog up. I just kind of wrote about the first movie that came into my head, which was It Happened One Night, which I saw just a little while before starting this. And then I just kind of kept blogging, and now I'm here. But it's not just here for sentimental value. It's one of the sharpest, funniest and most charming comedies ever. Now obviously I have talked about it before, so I kind of am going to repeat myself. But I will try to change up what I say about this film.

It's kind of the quintessential road trip movie. There are road trip comedies I like better, but this one for me is the classic. The classic tale of two opposites who find each other on a bus and fall for each other. While bickering constantly, of course. It's the generic romantic comedy before generic romantic comedies existed. It invented so many tropes that are still used to this day, and they hold up phenomenally. Okay one or two jokes have dated I'll admit, but the film is still so fresh and original. And it's damn funny too.

Gable and Colbert have great chemistry. He's a smart alec and she's the straight man. He'll always have a dozen quips and she'll always counter that with a wonderfully unimpressed reaction. It works so well, and it's even better when they flip it, and she's the one with the one liner, while he plays the straight man. It's simple but it's so effective, and unlike most romantic comedies, the humour never slows down because of the romance. In fact, they blend quite well, actually. It becomes apparent quick that the two of them are using sarcasm to deny their feelings for each other. That works well to develop the romance, but the humour is still so sharp on top of that. That's one thing from this film that I find is rarely copied, actually. It's funny but it's also genuine, and that balance is hard to do.

The pacing works well too. I love how you really feel them developing and changing over the journey, and kind of dealing with their pride and stubbornness when it comes to their feelings. The back and forth is something special here, and the more time these two spend together,  the better the movie gets, and it honestly feels like a road trip. It's a truly great film, and I'm happy it kickstarted most of tropes associated with comedy movies today. 

8. Groundhog Day

So I love Bill Murray. And I really could have picked most of his movies for this slot. I love Stripes, and always will, but Groundhog Day for me is slightly stronger. If you've never seen it, a weatherman is sent to cover the groundhog day festivities in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania. He wakes up to find himself stuck living groundhog day over and over again. Every day is the same, but it's how he develops over the course of the movie that makes it special. It's actually a little bleak at times, and it does show how nightmarish this scenario would be.

What I love is how he goes through every single arc possible before finding the right one. From taking advantage of the loop, to using it to seduce his producer over and over, to not giving a shit about anything, to killing himself over and over, to being a godlike being, to helping everyone possible, then finally learning every skill possible and improving himself in every way. It goes through everything here, until he finally develops. I think what stops the loop is him finally becoming a better person. I've heard people say that he's making the most out of a bad day, but that doesn't make as much sense to me. He's learning how to appreciate the things around him.

The film doesn't mess around though when highlighting how serious the loop is. The scene when he's powerless to prevent the old man's death is particularly strong. It's often a black comedy actually, but it's written in a way that's ultimately optimistic. Bill Murray is awesome here. He's constantly changing, yet somehow he's the same guy. He never loses that sarcastic spark that became his trademark. Watching him pretty much being so many alternate versions of the same guy is insanely fun, and when he finally wakes up on February 3rd, it's a genuinely cathartic moment.

It's a damn clever movie. The story is always moving forward, and it often moves in the last direction you'd expect it to. It's so fantastically written, and smart and incredibly creative. It's got this knack for laughing at the little details in life, and it uses its fantasy elements to do it. It's an awesome movie, and one that begs to be watched over and over. And over. And over. And over.

7. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Oh boy. As I've established, I love Monty Python, and their movies. I've talked and Holy Grail before, which I adore for its simple silliness, and I stand by that. Life of Brian I love for it's sharp satire and no holds barred approach. But my favourite is the third and final Python movie, The Meaning of Life. It's weird because I rarely hear this one talked about beyond being the movie with the exploding fat man. The other two frequently get on lists of the greatest comedies, and while I agree, neither is is the one that I love the most. It's an anthology film, and comedy anthology films are usually.... not the best, and that's being kind.

I think two things keep this one funny. First, it's got a common theme running between the stories: the search for the meaning of life. Not the answers, the questions. It doesn't spoof the actual meaning of life, more the fuss people make about finding it. And it's freaking hilarious. Each segment poses the question, and then uses its punchline as the answer. It's crass, stupid and in bad taste, but it's always funny. In fact, it's in such bad taste, that, much like Life of Brian, it was actually banned in Ireland for many years, only being released when It came to VHS. There's a crass creativity to it, and because it's spoofing literally everything that ever happened, I feel like it has slightly less limitations the other two films. Not that that they were held back or anything,  but because the spoofs were more specific, there wasn't as much of a variety as there was with Meaning of Life. Everything, from religion to death, war to school, obesity to birth was relentlessly parodied. And it. Is. Glorious.

I suppose the other reason I love it is because it's like Flying Circus: the Movie. It's just a huge collection of sketches, and unlike something like And Now For Something Completely Different, which kind of was just the Flying Circus film, everything here was original, made from the ground up. And because it was made on a much larger budget, they can up the spectacle and lose none of the silliness. And that's what I love. It's sheer ridiculousness with no limits. It doesn't have to make sense, because it's spoofing a subject with no easy answers. It's easily the group's silliest film. Things happen here that come right out of nowhere, but if you just roll with it, it's awesome.

So no, Holy Grail and Life of Brian don't make this list, because Meaning of Life was ever so slightly funnier for me. There's just more here for me. More of what makes me love these guys. More of what made me a fan in the first place. Life of Brian may be a stronger satire, and Holy Grail may be more memorable, but Meaning of Life is just the one that makes me laugh the most. So look, if Mr. Creosote is the only thing you know of this film, or the only thing you can remember,  l highly recommend you watch it, or watch it again. I'll never understand why so many people dismiss this one. 

6. A Night at the Opera

Okay, list of favourite comedies. Bill Murray is a definite, so are Monty Python, and the Marx Brothers of course. The Marx Brothers. Okay, let's see. Animal Crackers,  Duck Soup,  Horse Feathers. Hmm. I love all of those movies. I guess I'll pick.... Monkey Business? No.... A Day at the Races.... or maybe The Coconauts? Damn it, I think this list was a mistake.

Okay, okay I'm just kidding,  but seriously, HOW DO YOU PICK JUST ONE MARX BROTHERS FILM. These guys are awesome, and all of their films are some of the greatest older comedies ever. Their writing was spot on, their silliness sharp, and their charm never matched. These guys are seriously some of the greatest comics ever. So this pick is kind of a representative pick. A movie that sums up everything great about the Marx Brothers. Because you can't say one is the best. So I'll just talk about A Night at the Opera.

Okay, so I don't really have a favourite. This is just one that showcases why the Brothers hold a special place in my.... funny bone?  I don't know. But it's them at their best anyway. There's not really a plot here. There's a widow, her accountant, an opera, and a boat. That's kind of it. But it's in the witty dialogue and silliness that this one succeeds. Every exchange packs some laughs. Every silly scenario cracks me up. The film runs off Marx Brothers logic, which is its own kind of logic where anything can happen. The things that make sense are the silliest, the things that should make sense don't, the things you think will happen never do. It's silly but it's smart.

And every brother is at his best here. Groucho is at his wittiest, Chico is at his sleaziest, Harpo is at his *honk*-iest. They all work fantastically here. They bounce of each other so damn well, and the film's best exchanges are just these guys trading excellent quips. They're the characters they always play, but at their best here. They're given the room to go nuts here, and I think that most of the stuff is improvised here. These guys were just so naturally funny, that even when it's just them talking about freaking legal contracts, they get a laugh. Because after all, there ain't no sanity clause.

And the cabin scene. One of the all time funniest movie moments ever. It's so simple, a cabin that gets progressively more crowded, but it's the dialogue and physical comedy, and the way it melds together that makes it work. Groucho kills me all the time, but especially here. It's just the way he invites everyone in, and the way he talks to the stewart, and the way he steals this scene. I come back to it quite often, because I just love it. So while there isn't a best Marx Brothers film, A Night at the Opera is a good place to start if you've never seen one of their films.

5. The Blues Brothers

Now we're talking. We're getting to the good stuff now. I was raised on this film. I watched it at a young age, so it's always been one I really, really love. John Landis is one of my favourite filmmakers, and between this, Animal House and Trading Places, the guy knows how to get a laugh. It's hard to put my finger on why The Blues Brothers works, because it just kind of does. Two brothers need to raise money for the orphanage they grew up in, so they get their band back together. That's it. But it's how needlessly complicated everything gets that makes it a favourite. These guys get chased by everybody. The police, the army, ex-lovers, Illinois nazis, everyone is after these two. And the sheer destruction that follows is nothing short of great.

It's so simple, but so crazy that I have to love it. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, but then again the film itself is just so much fun, which is helped massively by the soundtrack. This has to be one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. And what really gives the soundtrack a boost is that many of the characters in the film are actual musicians. The musical portions of the film are too much damn fun.

The deadpan delivery really balances out the fast pace and constant motion. That's not an easy balance to get right, but John Landis really excels at it, not just here but in all of his work. The Blues Brothers is especially good at this though because it never slows down. It's constantly throwing more destruction and craziness at you, and never once does it even start to slow down. It's infectious fun, and the over the top-ness of it all makes it impossible to not laugh. Carrie Fisher as Jake's scorned ex-lover is the highlight for me, and it showcases this film's insanity perfectly.

It's a really great film, and for me it's so funny not just because of how over the tip all the destruction is, but how deadpan and sarcastic the dialogue is. The characters are great, the music is great, the humour is spot on, and it's just awesome. It's one you could find me watching at any time. It's infinitely rewatchable, and every time I've seen it, I've seen something new in it. Something I didn't notice before that often makes me laugh even more. Always a classic.

4. The Muppet Movie

And now for a fact: I hated The Muppets growing up. Yeah, I don't know why, but I went out of my way to avoid anything Muppet related, for some reason. So I only became a fan of The Muppets recently. And thank God for that. I don't know why I avoided The Muppets for so long, they're freaking hilarious. And most of the Muppet movies could have made this list. Movies like Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper or Muppets Most Wanted are arguably funnier than the original Muppet Movie, but for me, this one's hands down the best.

Bear in mind, I have zero nostalgia for this movie. It's one of my favourite comedies however, because it's surprisingly smart. There's a lot of surrealism, and meta humour, and fourth wall breaking. These gags really caught me off guard first time I saw them, and had me laughing long after. It may not have the fast pace of the three movies I mentioned above, but I think why I favour this one is because I think that, while it doesn't have as many gags, it knows how to tell it's jokes in a way that you won't even notice. It's so amazingly self aware, and that's what makes me love it. It knows it's a movie, and it embraces it.

It's fantastically clever, while also fully embracing it's own stupidity. It's the Muppets at their best. And the cameos man. Steve Martin, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks (more on him later), and ORSON FREAKING WELLS.  Yep. The guy who made Citizen Jane,  the greatest movie ever made, is in The Muppet Movie. This film is effortlessly charming, ridiculously clever, lovably stupid, and nothing short of one of my all time favourites. So if I love it that much, what does that day about these next three?

3. What We Do in the Shadows

Oh hey, another one I've already talked about. This is one I only saw this year, but it's grown on me quick. I've watched it four or so times since I wrote about it, and it just seems to get funnier and funnier. And yet it's such a simple premise. This is one that I think is really aided by the style. It's a mockumentray, and I think that sets it apart from other vampire comedies. I'm not going to go too in depth, since I think I summed it up pretty well in my review, but I'll still sum it up for those who haven't read that.

What We Do in the Shadows is a New Zealand made vampire mockumentray about four friends sharing a flat in Wellington, who are all vampires. The film centres around the four in the weeks leading up to the Unholy Masquerade, a huge party for vampires, witches, and demons. But what I think makes it so special is how it especially focuses on the mundane things these guys do. They're just kind of living normal-ish lives, and it's about these characters trying to function in modern society. And because their so likable,a just following them around is a great time. It's a really clever little movie that I stand by as being one of the best of the decade so far.

2. Arsenic and Old Lace

Finally I get to talk about the great, great Cary Grant. God I love this guy. And Arsenic and Old Lace is easily his best for me. It's one of the best black comedies I've seen. If you haven't seen it, a man gets married, and visits his two elderly aunts at the inn they run. He inadvertently discovers a dark family secret, which ends up spiralling out of control when his long lost brother turns up. I won't spoil it, even though it's 73 years old, but the twist is too good here. Watch it if you haven't.

But just because I won't spoil it doesn't mean I can't talk about it. See, for me it works because it's just like any other screwball comedy for the first twenty minutes, until the twist brings the first dark joke. It doesn't throw you straight into the dark humour, it drops it on you when you think you have the movie figured out. Cary Grant gives what I honestly believe to be one of the greatest performances I've seen. He's the master of the double take, and he can sell shock and disbelief like few can. It takes some serious acting chops to have this much onscreen presence, but Grant makes it look easy. Everyone's awesome though. Peter Lorre and Raymond Massey make great villains, while the aunts and uncle get many laughs too. Especially the uncle,  who's so mentally unstable that he thinks he's Theodore Roosevelt. That gets serious laughs as the film goes on, and it's just an excellent, excellent, film.

1. Young Frankenstein

Okay, okay, here's the thing. I poured my heart and soul out during June Jokefest about why I love Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, and everything else. The funny thing is though,  if this was a list of my favourite movies, Arsenic and Old Lace would actually rate higher. Because as a movie, I prefer Arsenic and Old Lace. But as a comedy? Young Frankenstein is the shit. I saw it again in the cinema recently, and it's still hilarious. The entire audience was united in losing their shit laughing. Unlike It Happened One Night and What We Do in the Shadows, I think I'll let my post on this film speak for itself. It's more recent, and I think I summed everything up really well there. It's still a perfect spoof, and it's still my favourite comedy of all time.