Best Comedy Movies Ever: Part 3 (1980s - Present)

The final instalment of my rundown of the best all-time comedy movies as I see it. Part 3 takes us from the 1980s to the present day (March 2011 at the time of writing). Again, there's a very strong chance a few of them have slipped my mind, but I will update the list at some point..

The other two parts: Part 1 (1920s - 1960s) & Part 2 (1970s)

Please note that some of these comedy films contain material that some people are likely to find offensive, and that is not suitable for children.

Here we go then:

Airplane is a 1980 disaster movie starring a host of comedy greats including of course Leslie Nielsen. An exercise in fantastic absurdity, the film is set on roughly the same plane of reality as the magnificent Police Squad TV series (and the subsequent Naked Gun movies). Highlights include Lloyd Bridges in the control tower and the cockpit scene with little Joey.

Airplane on IMDB

Comedy about comedy again in Martin Scorsese's The King Of Comedy from 1982. Robert De Niro conjures up the darkness, vulnerability and utter desperation of the archetypal stand-up character. The stereotype of the damaged comedian may be an overplayed one at times, but it's an unnervingly convincing portrait in this case.

The King Of Comedy on IMDB

In 1984, with This Is Spinal Tap, a new genre of comedy was effectively born, the influence of which you can still see across today's TV schedules. The fictional English rock band Spinal Tap are the subject, and there are an insane number of classic comedy scenes crammed in, not the least of which is the fantastic sandwich conversation.

Spinal Tap on IMDB

The 1992 Belgian film Man Bites Dog is an extremely dark work of satire in which a documentary crew follow a serial killer as he goes about his daily business. If my experience is anything to go by, you start off laughing and then are appalled at yourself for laughing.. This is definitely not for the faint hearted.

Man Bites Dog on IMDB

The 1994 movie Clerks was the low budget project that kickstarted Kevin Smith's film career, as well as introducing the world to long-running comedy characters Jay and Silent Bob. Highlights include the general joy of Jay and the scene involving a video order, which is really not for anyone who is easily offended.

Clerks on IMDB

The 1999 South Park movie took the already notable animation show to a new level of greatness. Despite a surprisingly pleasant ending, the opening part of the film includes a gratuitously sweary Terrance and Phillip song, which is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in the cinema..

South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut on IMDB

Christopher Guest again.. In 2000, Best In Show turned the mockumentary style the director pioneered to the world of dog shows. Highlights include Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock's story (below), Eugene Levy's two left feet, and every moment with Fred Willard or Jane Lynch in it..

Best In Show on IMDB

Another beauty from Christopher Guest, 2003's A Mighty Wind is ostensibly Spinal Tap for folk music. Highlights include Fred Willard's showbiz anecdotes, the genuinely lovely Mitch and Mickey storyline (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) and Harry Shearer's feminine side.

A Mighty Wind on IMDB

In 2005, The Aristocrats film attempted to document the history and continuing life of a joke. It may be an old joke, but it continues to evolve with each new telling, scaling new heights of obscenity along the way - that's kind of the point.

Please note, when I went to the cinema to see The Aristocrats, which was certified 18, I was warned when I bought the tickets, when I went into the cinema screen, then by a member of staff before it started, and as part of the introductory film sequence, that it contained offensive material. When the film started, almost the entire audience still got up and left within ten minutes. You have been warned..

The Aristocrats on IMDB

With Team America in 2004, the team behind South Park again created a celebration of the same unashamedly filthy, obscene and bodily-function hijacking funny stuff that they had already by then repeatedly demonstrated. Particular highlights include the massacre of the actors and the many excellent musical numbers.

Team America on IMDB

As with his other characters, with Borat in the 2006 film, Sacha Baron Cohen demonstrates an astonishing ability to get people to openly make statements that reveal their ignorance and bigotry in often alarming ways. There's quite a bit of unfortunate hairy male nudity too if you like that.

Borat on IMDB

The 2009 film spin off from Armando Iannucci's wonderful BBC TV series The Thick Of It, In The Loop is a fast-paced, satirical look at the run-up to war, exploring the fact that politicians are essentially as clueless as the rest of us, except their cluelessness sometimes has more serious consequences. Oh yes, it also contains lots of really great swearing, especially from Peter Capaldi as monstrous spin doctor Malcolm Tucker.

In The Loop on IMDB

Four Lions is the 2010 feature film debut from the mighty comic figure that is Chris Morris. It echoes the Ladykillers and even the Three Stooges but with the provocative subject of suicide bombers. The film wasn't actually what I expected it to be, as it's characterised by an overwhelming sense of pathos (even compassion) and a mindless waste of life, rather than the savage tone you might associate with the director's TV work The Day Today, Brass Eye and Jam. Most importantly, it'll change the way you see Mini Babybels forever.

Four Lions on IMDB

So that's it for comedy films from the eighties to the present (or March 2011 at least), although I've probably forgotten loads of other great comedy movies. Feel free to add your own picks in the comments, and who knows, I might get around to adding more to the list myself at some point.

Go back to the other two parts: Part 1 (1920s - 1960s) & Part 2 (1970s)