SOXTALK'S TOP 50 FUNNIEST MOVIES

[knightni]

First of all, I'd like to thank the 23 individuals who took the time to send in a list (and the 24th who wanted to).

 

I said I'd mention everyone's #1, so I will. However, three #1 movies missed our top 50.

 

Here they are:

 

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The only hand on your pecker is going to be your own!

 

Diner (1982)

 

Voted #1 by FlaSoxxJim

 

Diner is a 1982 film written and directed by Barry Levinson which along with Avalon, Tin Men, and Liberty Heights constitutes

his series of "Baltimore films." Diner is the first film Levinson directed. His screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award.

 

Set in Baltimore in 1959, Diner tells of the story of a group of male, high school friends, now in their twenties, who reunite at the Fells Point Diner for the wedding of one of their group. The semi-autobiographical film explores the changing relationships among these friends as they become adults through what is mostly a series of vignettes rather than a traditional narrative. Much of the film is unscripted, Levinson preferring to use ad libbing to capture naturalistic camaraderie on the screen.

 

The film inspired a television pilot that aired on CBS in 1983 written and directed by Levinson. Mike Binder Starred as Eddie, Paul Reiser returned as Modell, Michael Madsen took over as Boogie and James Spader was Fenwick.

 

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I've always had a thing for Santa Claus. In case you didn't notice. It's like some deep-seeded childhood thing.

. . .

So is my thing for tits.

 

Bad Santa (2003)

 

Voted #1 by FlashTizzle

 

Bad Santa is a Golden Globe-nominated 2003 comedy film directed by Terry Zwigoff, produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner-in-crime. Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom, Ethan Phillips, Brett Kelly and Cloris Leachman are also featured.

 

The drunkard Willie and his partner, the midget Marcus, work once a year, near Christmas, dressed like Santa Claus and his helper elf in department stores. However, their intent is to rob the place in the Christmas Eve. When Willie meets a lonely fat boy and the hot bartender Sue, he learns the meaning of Christmas and gets in trouble.

 

The movie attracted bad publicity before its release from critics who likened the movie to an "evil twin" of Miracle on 34th Street and chided The Walt Disney Company for allowing such a beloved figure as Santa Claus to be trashed by its Miramax subsidiary.

 

Ultimately, the film maintains a rating of 7.2 at the Internet Movie Database, an aggregate "Certified Fresh" rating of 75% at Rotten Tomatoes, and a positive 3 1/2 stars out of four by critic Roger Ebert. The film was also a box office success grossing over $60 million at the US box office.

 

This was John Ritter's last live-action role—he died two months before the release—and it is dedicated in his memory.

 

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No, Colonel Sanders, you're wrong. Mama's right. You're all wrong. Mama's right. Mama's right!

 

The Waterboy (1998)

 

Voted #1 by Cowch

 

is a movie starring Adam Sandler, released in 1998. It co-stars Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, and Bill Cowher have cameos, as well as Rob Schneider, who in this movie originated the "You can do it!" guy seen in other Sandler movies. Sandler produced the movie and co-wrote the script with Tim Herlihy. It was directed by Frank Coraci.

 

The movie was extremely profitable, earning over $160 million in the United States alone and made Sandler a successful actor with Waterboy becoming his second $100 million film in a year, along with The Wedding Singer.

 

31-year-old waterboy, Bobby Boucher (Adam Sandler) is constantly tormented by the team he works for until he is fired by the coach. He then finds a new coach to work for. Here he finds a new talent, tackling people by pretending they're making fun of them. Soon, he becomes the best linebacker in college football, but he must keep it secret from his overprotective mother (Kathy Bates).

 

"Vicky Vallencourt"'s last name is a reference to "Tony Vallencourt" a character played by Adam Sandler on SNL. Her name also continues the tradition of the female lead in Adam Sandler movies have both her first and last name begin with the letter V.

 

The line "You can do it!" is referenced in "Original Prankster" by The Offspring. The line was used again in Sandler's movies Little Nicky and The Longest Yard and both times was said by Rob Schneider. It was used again in Rob Schneider's The Animal, this time spoken by Adam Sandler, as well as in Sandler's Anger Management, but spoken by then-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

 

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I'll start the official list in about a half hour.

[knightni]

What the flip was Grandma doing at the sand dunes?

 

50. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

 

 

(3 of 23 lists - 27 points - highest ranking #4 by Cowch)

 

'Napoleon Dynamite' is a 2004 independent film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as the main character, Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess's first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca.

 

Napoleon Dynamite was filmed in and near Preston, Idaho in the summer of 2003. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. In June 2004 it was given a limited release. Its wide release followed in August. The film's total domestic was US $44.5 million. Considering its budget of US $400,000, Napoleon Dynamite was a huge success, grossing over one hundred times its production cost.

 

The film centers around a teenager named Napoleon, his 32-year old brother Kip, his Uncle Rico, and his friends Deb and Pedro. Napoleon is an underachiever in school who prefers doodling fantastical creatures such as ligers over paying attention in class.

 

Napoleon soon meets Pedro, a new student at his school. Later on, Pedro decides to run for school president, and Napoleon becomes Pedro's "campaign manager." Meanwhile, Napoleon himself tries to get a date with Trisha, a "popular" girl he barely knows. Napoleon tries to win Trisha's affections by drawing a picture of her from the yearbook. The drawing is hysterically bad, but Napoleon is very proud of it, as he is of all his "artwork"; he seems to be blissfully unaware of how horrible his drawing skills really are. Trisha is forced to go to the dance with Napoleon because Trisha's mother feels bad for him, mostly due to comments from Napoleon's Uncle Rico. When Trisha leaves Napoleon at the dance to hang out with her popular friends, which include Summer (who also runs for president), Napoleon ends up with Pedro's date, Deb, who is willing to help him.

 

Meanwhile, Napoleon and Kip's Uncle Rico comes to stay with them while their grandmother is in the hospital with a broken coccyx. Kip and Rico soon try to make money by selling plasticware, and Rico goes on to humiliate Napoleon and estrange Deb by trying to sell her herbal enhancers, telling her that Napoleon said she could use them. Kip begins dating a woman named LaFawnduh, whom he met in an internet chatroom. Kip and LaFawnduh get married at the end of the film (after the credits). LaFawnduh has a mix tape of dance music that she lets Napoleon borrow.

 

When the time comes for all of the class presidential candidates to present their speeches, Pedro and Napoleon are taken by surprise when they discover that along with the speech, each candidate has to perform a skit. Thinking quickly, Napoleon takes the dance tape out from his tape player and hands it to the man playing the music. Just before Pedro decides to drop out of the election race due to not having a skit, Napoleon enters the stage with his practiced dance routine for Pedro, which unexpectedly generates enormous acclaim from the student audience and wins Pedro the election. The film ends showing Napoleon playing tetherball alone, as always, until Deb comes and joins in with him.

 

. . .

 

The name "Napoleon Dynamite" is a pseudonym used by Elvis Costello on the back of the album Blood and Chocolate (released 1986). On the cover of the album is a painting by "Eamonn Singer", another pseudonym of Elvis Costello. The painting titled "Napoleon Dynamite" shows an abstract of the general with what appears to be a stick of dynamite. The words "Napoleon Dynamite" appear in part. Jared Hess has denied that this was his source for the name, once claiming that the name came from an old Italian man he met in Chicago, and that the Elvis Costello connection is a coincidence.

 

Every dish shown during the opening credits is eaten by a character later in the movie.

 

Jon Heder was only offered $1000 for the role of Napoleon. The movie made over $46 million.

 

When the movie first came out, Hot Topic stores had wristbands that said "SKILLS", appearing to be sketching the way Napoleon would have.

[Felix]

Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny.

[knightni]

You are worthress, Arec Barrwin!

 

49. Team America: World Police (2004)

 

 

(3 of 23 lists - 28 points - highest ranking #5 mr_genius)

 

Team America: World Police is a 2004 comedy film, written by Pam Brady, Trey Parker and Matt Stone and directed by Trey Parker, who are also known for the popular animated series South Park. The film is a parody of romantics and their associated cliches and stereotypes, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the resulting war, with particular humorous emphasis on the global implications of American politics, unilateralism and jingoism. The title of the movie itself is derived from domestic and international political criticisms that the U.S. frequently and autonomously tries to "police the world".

 

The film, which features a cast entirely composed of marionettes, focuses on a fictional team of political para-militarists, or political policemen known as "Team America: World Police," who attempt to save the world from a violent terrorist plot led by Kim Jong-il. The film was primarily inspired by Thunderbirds, a popular television show created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson which also featured an all-marionette cast, though Stone and Parker were not fans of the show. Like Parker and Stone's South Park, the film was subject to much critical and political debate, receiving praise for its humor and satire while also drawing controversy for its simplification of current issues. The film also drew controversy due to an extended sex scene between two of the film's puppet characters.

 

Team America: World Police exists for the sole intention of stopping terrorists from performing evil deeds. The team, located within the structure of Mount Rushmore is composed of Lisa, a young psychologist; Carson, Lisa's love interest; Sarah, an alleged psychic; Joe, a typical all-American jock who is in love with Sarah; and Chris, a technological and martial arts expert who harbors a mysterious yet deep mistrust of actors. The team is led by Spottswoode, a United States government agent, and the team's information is received by I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E., a highly-advanced supercomputer. The film itself opens with the team interrupting the activities of a group of terrorists in Paris, France. During the ensuing gun-battle, the "Team" manages to lay waste to a good portion of the city, destroying the Eiffel Tower (which then collapses onto and destroys the Arc de Triomphe) and the Louvre among other things. Following the action, Carson proposes to Lisa, but the moment is cut short when a surviving terrorist guns Carson down.

 

In search of a new member, Spottswoode recruits Gary Johnston, a Broadway actor with college majors in Theater and World Languages; Gary is hired as a spy, utilizing his talents to infiltrate terrorist organizations. Unbeknownst to the team, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il is supplying international terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, planning a mysterious worldwide attack. I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E. is informed of a terrorist meeting in Cairo, Egypt, and Gary successfully infiltrates their group; during this time, Lisa and Sarah both become romantically attracted to him. Chris, however, hates Gary solely because of his resentment toward actors.

 

The team attempts to capture the terrorists, and although they successfully foil their plan, their actions again leave most of the city in ruin; the group is criticized by the Film Actors Guild (F.A.G), a union of liberal Hollywood actors. Meanwhile, the United Nations assign Hans Blix with the task of inspecting Kim Jong-il's lair, but the investigator is killed by Kim Jong-il's man-eating sharks. As the team relaxes following their victory, Gary expresses his guilt to Lisa, remembering a time where his acting talent caused his brother to be killed by gorillas. As the two express their feelings and have sex (after Gary promises that he'll never die), a group of terrorists blow up the Panama Canal.

 

The Film Actors Guild blames Team America, believing that they (rather than the terrorists or the person who supplied them with WMDs) are responsible for the terrorists' actions. Gary, realizing his acting talents have once again resulted in tragedy, abandons the team, causing considerable conflict among the remaining members. Believing the terrorists to be operating within Derkaderkastan, the original members depart, only to be attacked and captured by terrorists and the North Koreans. Meanwhile, Michael Moore infiltrates the team's base and destroys their equipment by suicide bombing the area. Kim Jong-il, upset with the terrorists' actions, expresses his frustration and despair ("I'm So Ronery").

 

Meanwhile, a very depressed Gary becomes an alcoholic, only to be reminded of his responsibility by a drunken drifter, who compares the world's three dominant personalities to human sex organs. He then profusely vomits for 56 seconds. In North Korea, Kim Jong-il reveals his plan to host an elaborate peace ceremony, inviting not only the Film Actors Guild but also the world's political leaders; during the celebration, a series of bombs will be detonated throughout the world, reducing every nation to that of a Third World country. Gary returns to Mount Rushmore and finds the area in ruin, although Spottswoode and I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E have survived. After regaining Spottswoode's trust by performing oral sex on him, and undergoing a one-day training course, Gary is sent to North Korea.

 

Gary proceeds to infiltrate the lair and frees the team. They are confronted by the Film Actors Guild and a violent battle ensues leaving most of the F.A.G.s brutally slain. Soon after, Chris confesses to Gary that his mistrust of actors is due the fact that he was gang-raped by the cast of Cats when he was 19 years old. They confront Kim Jong-il; although initially unsuccessful, Gary convinces the world's leaders to unite by reciting the drifter's emotional speech. Kim Jong-il is then defeated by Lisa, only to be revealed as an alien cockroach from another planet; Kim Jong-il flees in his spaceship and departs, promising to one day return. As Gary and Lisa begin a relationship, the team reunites, preparing to combat the remainder of the world's terrorists.

 

. . .

 

Famous people depicted as puppets in the film are: Michael Moore, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Helen Hunt, George Clooney, Liv Tyler, Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Janeane Garofalo, Matt Damon, Samuel L. Jackson, Danny Glover, Ethan Hawke, Kim Jong-il, Peter Jennings and Hans Blix. With the exception of Jennings, all are killed in dramatic and extremely violent ways (e.g. Moore suicide-bombing Team America's Mount Rushmore headquarters and Samuel L. Jackson getting his head split open by a kung-fu kick). None of the real-life actors lent their voices, although Alec Baldwin expressed an interest in doing so and realised his portrayal in the film was not to be taken seriously. Both Clooney and Damon are said to be friends with Stone and Parker, and according to a report, Clooney has stated that he would have been insulted had he not been included in the movie. Also, Damon was meant to be an intelligent person in the movie, but when Stone and Parker saw that his puppet "looked retarded", and from an anecdote from Damon in which he stated his fatigue with people coming up to him and shouting his name, they decided to have him only able to say his name.

[shipps]

Napoleon Dynamite isn't funny.

I thought it was.And if I would have taken more time to think I would have had it on my list.

[knightni]

Oedipus: [walking around collecting donations] Give to Oedipus! Give to Oedipus! Hey Josephus!

Josephus: Hey, motherf***er!

 

48. (tie) History of the World, Part I (1981)

 

 

(3 of 23 lists - 30 points - highest ranking #6 southsider2k5)

 

History of the World, Part I is a 1981 film written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. As he does in many of his other films, Brooks also gives himself a great deal of time in front of the camera, this time playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, and Jacques le garçon de pisse (the "piss-boy"). The large ensemble cast also features Sid Caesar, Shecky Greene, Gregory Hines, and Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Andreas Voutsinas and influential British comedy writer/actor and former The Goon Show star Spike Milligan. The film also has cameo appearances by Bea Arthur, Hugh Hefner, John Hurt, Barry Levinson, Jackie Mason, Paul Mazursky, and Henny Youngman, among many others. Orson Welles narrated the film, and briefly appeared on screen in that capacity. Because the film is broken up into short subjects, it is a package film, despite being live action.

 

The film's story, such as it is, is a parody of the "historical spectacular" film genre, including the "sword and sandal epic" and the "period costume drama" sub-genres. The four main segments of the film consist of stories set during the Dawn of Man, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution. The film also contains several other intermediate skits including reenactments of the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Last Supper.

 

The Dawn of Man

 

The film opens with several scenes depicting the early behavior of man. The opening shot is set to Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra, an obvious parody of the opening sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It features ape men standing for the first time... and immediately masturbating in a group (a play on the species name Homo erectus).

 

We then move on to the DAWN OF MAN section proper. A group of cavemen (led by Sid Caesar) go about their lives as Welles gives out narration. Memorable scenes include depictions of inventing fire, the first marriages (the first "Homo sapiens" marriage was swiftly followed by the first homosexual marriage), the first artist (which in turn gives rise to the first critic), and early attempts at comedy and music.

 

The Old Testament

 

Moses (Mel Brooks) is shown coming down from Mount Sinai after receiving the law from God (the voice of an uncredited Carl Reiner). When announcing the giving of the reception of the law to the people, Moses proclaims "The Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen..." (his proclamation is interrupted by his dropping and shattering of one of three tablets) "Oy!... Ten! Ten Commandments! For all to obey!"

 

The Roman Empire

 

The second act opens with a series of shots depicting comically nonsensical situations of life in first-century Rome such as a column salesman (Barry Levinson), an inventor giving a sales pitch for plumbing, an orgy (attended by Hugh Hefner) and a slave auction. Comicus (Brooks again), a stand-up philosopher, first appears trying to collect an unemployment payment (given out by an unbilled Beatrice Arthur) when his agent Swiftus (Ron Carey, a thinly veiled reference to "superagent" Swifty Lazar) informs him that he got him a gig at Caesar's Palace. En route to the palace Comicus meets and falls in love with a Vestal Virgin named Miriam (Mary-Margaret Humes) and befriends an Ethiopian slave named Josephus (Gregory Hines). The foursome rescue a horse from being beaten, only to discover that the horse is the famous racehorse Miracle (the horse figures prominently throughout the film, often rescuing characters from certain death). Josephus, initially condemned to death for assaulting Miracle's owner, is conscripted into the service of the Empress Nympho (Madeline Kahn) as a wine steward when Miriam pleads for him.

 

The scene at the Palace opens with Caesar (Dom DeLuise) holding court. He receives treasures from General Marcus Vindictus (Shecky Greene), returned in triumph from his victory over the Spartans at Crete (and not, as the joke plays out, the "cretins at Sparta"), and listens to Comicus's performance. Comicus starts off well, garnering huge laughs. He soon forgets his audience and begins to joke about tense subjects concerning Caesar, mainly jokes about obesity and corrupt politicians. Dismayed at his friend's plight, Josephus absentmindedly pours a jug of wine into the emperor's lap. Caesar is enraged and orders Josephus and Comicus to fight to the death in a gladiatorial manner. Both combatants are obviously unskilled and unwilling to kill each other. The fight ends with both agreeing to fight their way out of the palace. They are assisted in their escape by Miriam and Empress Nympho, who hides Josephus as a eunuch in her rooms, but he is foiled by an erotic dance performed by the priestess of Eros.

 

The group is chased by several Roman soldiers through the streets of the city. The soldiers eventually corner the group when Miracle comes to their rescue once more. The rest of the chase is done on chariot. The group makes for the port with the soldiers right behind them. It appears that the soldiers will catch the group, but Josephus spots a patch of plants by the road that turns out to be "Roman Red", and begins to burn it. When the soldiers come through the area, marijuana's well-known side-effects kick in leaving the soldiers incapacitated (and dancing the Lindy hop). The group then sets sail from the port to Judea on a ship bearing the El Al logo. Once there Miriam, Comicus and Josephus take jobs at a local restaurant while Swiftus goes to scout for gigs.

 

While waiting tables at the restaurant, Comicus blunders into a private room where the Last Supper is taking place, interrupting Jesus (John Hurt) repeatedly. Eventually Leonardo da Vinci arrives to paint the group's portrait: the result is shown, with the "halo" behind Jesus's head revealed to actually be a platter held in place by the broadly grinning Comicus.

 

The Spanish Inquisition

 

The Spanish Inquisition segment is performed in the style of a grandiose Busby Berkeley production. The segment is one long song-and-dance number featuring Brooks as the infamous Torquemada. Several instances of "comical" torture are shown including a spinning iron maiden and "water torture" re-imagined as an Esther Williams aquatic ballet. Jackie Mason has a cameo in this scene as a Jewish torture victim.

 

The French Revolution

 

The segment opens with a sequence depicting the squalor of Paris. On the Rue de Merde (literally "s*** Street") vendors are selling apple cores and rats for food and one vendor is shown selling "absolutely nothing." Beggars beg from beggars. The next scene takes place in the tavern of Madame Defarge (Cloris Leachman) where a mob of "scum" has gathered to discuss their situation. Madame Defarge rails that "... we are so poor we do not even have a language. Just a stupid accent!" Another plebeian chimes in, "She's right, we all talk like Maurice Chevalier, honh-honh-honh!" The final line from the scene belongs to Madame Defarge when she announces to the mob of "scum" "...And now, let's end this meeting on a high note." She then sings a high A which the rest of the "scum" join. The mob, thus incited, goes on to plot the French Revolution.

 

Meanwhile, King Louis of France (Brooks yet again) is having a great time at his palace. Surrounded by the beautiful ladies of the court whom he frequently grabs, he regularly remarks straight into the camera "it's good to be the king", breaking the fourth wall. He also has a snuffbox, but he sniffs like he is using cocaine, after which he says "everything's so greeeen...". Eventually, he is warned by his advisor, the Count de Monet (Harvey Korman), whose name is mispronounced by other characters as "Count-da-Money", as a running gag, with the news that the peasants do not think that he likes them. He responds to concerns that violence may arise by declaring "I hate violence, it's the one thing I detest", while simultaneously skeet shooting using peasants in lieu of clay pigeons. A beautiful woman, Mademoiselle Rimbaud (Pamela Stephenson), approaches the King and asks him to free her father, who has been imprisoned in the Bastille for ten years after for being overheard saying "the poor ain't so bad" (a possible reference to Charles Dickens' classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities). He agrees to the pardon under the condition that she have sex with him that night.

 

De Monet manages to convince the king that he needs to go into hiding and that they will need a stand-in to pretend to be him. In a moment of inspiration Monet claims "You look like the piss boy!", to which the king replies "And you look like a bucket of s***!" Thus Jacques (also Brooks in a fifth role), the garçon de pisse - whose job it is to carry a bucket in which the royals can urinate - is chosen to impersonate the real king. Later that night, Mlle Rimbaud, unaware of the subterfuge, arrives and offers herself to the "piss-boy" dressed as the king. As she lies supine inviting him to take her virginity, he wryly comments, "It's good to be the King" (see below), but after he realizes why she has come, he simply pardons her father without requiring the sexual favors. After Mlle Rimbaud and her senile father (Spike Milligan) return from the prison, the peasants burst into the room and capture the piss-boy "king" and Mlle Rimbaud. With the false King's head in the guillotine, at first the false king believes that he can die like a king despite not living or acting like one. But after seeing the Guillotine he asks for Novocaine to which the French reply "Such a thing is not known to medical science." the false king say's he wants to wait until it does. Mlle Rimbaud says, "Only a miracle can save us now!" The act and the movie proper come to a close with a classic deus ex machina when Miracle suddenly arrives, drawing a cart with Josephus driving. The last shot is of the party approaching a mountain carved with the words "THE END."

 

Previews of coming attractions

 

At the very end of the film, there is a teaser trailer for History of the World: Part II, narrated by Brooks, which promises to include Hitler on Ice, a Viking funeral, and Jews in Space. The melody for the "Jews in Space" song was later recycled by Brooks for the "Men in Tights" musical number in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The music that underscores the Viking Funeral segment is Vorobyaninov's Theme, composed for an earlier Brooks film, The Twelve Chairs. The "Jews in Space" sequence is thought by some to be a harbinger of the later Mel Brooks science fiction movie spoof Spaceballs.

 

Despite this, no sequel has been released, and the "Part I" of the film's title is merely a historical joke. The History of the World was a book written by Sir Walter Raleigh while prisoner in the Tower of London. He had only managed to complete the first volume before being beheaded. Sequel references occur in other Brooks movies: Spaceballs, according to the character Yogurt, is supposed to be followed by Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. And in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, in the rap reprise, saying something along the lines of "You'll see us again in Robin Hood 2, I say hey".

 

. . .

 

"It's good to be the King"

 

This popular catch phrase comes from its repeated use during the French Revolution segment of the film. Brooks, as Louis XVI, says this blatantly into the camera on several occasions as if to justify the King's wanton behavior. Brooks also portrays "Le Garçon de Pisse", "The Lowly Pissboy", who carries a bucket for royalty to urinate into and later impersonates the King. Brooks as Le Garçon delivers the same line with a sense of surprise when he is able to sample the King's luxurious lifestyle for the first time. Brooks recorded a hip-hop song of the same name which reached the 67th position on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The line would be used by Brooks twice more: once in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, when King Richard kisses Maid Marion, and later in his stage musical version of the film, The Producers, as a lyric in a musical number about a Broadway producer titled "The King of Broadway."

[knightni]

Feel free to make comments, guys.

[knightni]

We ain't in any rush, we just wanna get there in a hurry.

 

48. (tie) It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

 

 

(2 of 23 lists - 30 points - highest ranking #5 BigEdWalsh)

 

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 of stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers.

 

The film begins as the occupants of four vehicles on a lonely highway in the Southern California desert stop to help "Smiler" Grogan (Jimmy Durante in his last screen appearance), who has just careened off the highway in a spectacular crash.

 

With his dying breaths, he tells the bystanders, comedy writer Dingy "Ding" Bell (Mickey Rooney), his writing partner Benjy Benjamin (Buddy Hackett), moving van driver Lennie Pike (Jonathan Winters), dentist Melville Crump (Sid Caesar), and edible seaweed company owner J. Russell Finch (Milton Berle) about "three hundred and fifty G's" ($350,000) hidden in the city of Santa Rosita, less than a day's drive away, under a mysterious "big W”. Grogan then expires, literally kicking a bucket. The witnesses immediately begin arguing over how to divide the money, sparking a wild race. Each carload of characters races to be first to Santa Rosita and find the money. Many others, including Lt. Col. J. Algernon Hawthorne, a cactus-collecting RAF officer played by Terry Thomas and Otto Meyer, a sneaky con man played by Phil Silvers, join the race as it progresses.

 

Berle's character, J. Russell Finch, is recovering from a nervous breakdown. He continually pops pills for his nerves throughout the film. His mother-in-law, Mrs. Marcus (Ethel Merman) is loud, overbearing and opportunistic. Marcus' son Sylvester (Dick Shawn), a beatnik lifeguard, is introduced in a wild frenzied dance sequence with his girlfriend (Barrie Chase) to "31 Flavors", sung by the Shirelles.

 

Unbeknownst to the treasure hunters, Captain Culpeper (Spencer Tracy) of the Santa Rosita Police has been working on the Smiler Grogan case for years. He suspects the various people who heard Grogan's last words may know where the money is hidden and has their progress tracked by various police units, including helicopters.

 

Bell and Benjamin enlist the aid of Tyler Fitzgerald (Jim Backus), a wealthy pilot who has a penchant for drink, even while flying. Mr. Crump and his wife Monica (Edie Adams) charter a Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" World War I-era biplane which almost falls apart in mid-flight. They ultimately get locked in a hardware store basement once they arrive in Santa Rosita, eventually freeing themselves with dynamite. Peter Falk and Eddie Anderson (who played Rochester on Jack Benny's radio and TV shows) appear as Santa Rosita Yellow Cab drivers.

 

Otto Meyer stops to pick up the bicycling Lennie Pike, whose van is kaput, but when the dim-witted van driver reveals all he knows about the treasure, Meyer tricks Pike into getting out of his car. The clever Meyer leaves Pike on the roadside while speeding off to get the money for himself (Winters' facial expressions provide the bulk of the humor in his role, especially during this sequence). Pike later catches up with Meyer at a newly opened service station owned by two nerdy attendants, Irwin (Marvin Kaplan) and Ray (Arnold Stang), and tries to attack Meyer. Ray knocks Pike out with a bottle of oil and the two station owners tie him up with duct tape as Meyer escapes. Pike awakens, breaks out of the duct tape, goes on a rampage that destroys the station, and steals a Dodge Power Wagon tow truck.

 

Culpeper is anticipating a nice vacation since the Smiler Grogan case, which he has worked for 15 years, will be solved once the travelers find the hidden cash. He continues to monitor their progress as reports filter in from various police units. He starts to get ideas of his own about what should happen to all that money, however, spurred on by his imminent retirement and the low pension for his job.

Berle, Caesar, Rooney, and Hackett mug for the camera in the opening scene of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Berle, Caesar, Rooney, and Hackett mug for the camera in the opening scene of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

 

Leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, all the main characters eventually converge on Santa Rosita State Park. Culpeper hurries to intercept them, telling his officers to back off and let him handle the situation. The money is soon dug up under the "Big W," a group of four palm trees planted diagonally to resemble the letter. Culpeper quietly approaches (after they finish arguing about how the money will be divided) and requests that they turn themselves in. Obviously, the authorities will be more lenient if they go voluntarily. Everyone piles into two taxicabs and heads for police headquarters, while Culpeper makes a break for it with the money. Ironically, just as this happens, Culpeper's Chief, Aloysius (William Demarest) blackmails the mayor into trebling Culpepper's pension.

 

Culpeper has decided to flee to nearby Mexico (strongly hinted as he looks at a map of California and the camera focuses on a strip on the bottom labeled "Mexico" as instrumental Mexican music plays softly on the soundtrack). His plan is in place, including a fast boat to deliver him south. But the treasure-seekers realize that Culpeper has turned the opposite way out of the State Park, so they pursue him. Culpeper, driving his police-issue Dodge, is chased by the treasure-seekers and his scheme unravels. The pursuit is a great car chase on highways and through town resulting in the eventual destruction of all three vehicles at an old building in downtown Santa Rosita that is about to be torn down. Upon hearing of the chase, and failure to contact Culpeper, Aloysius realizes that his superior has become a criminal, and sadly orders that he be arrested.

 

In a madcap conclusion, all the men are tossed off a rescue ladder and the suitcase filled with cash spills open. The money flutters down to the excited crowd on the street below, and the male treasure hunters wind up in the hospital. The film ends as Culpeper and the other men are moaning and bandaged in traction, lamenting the loss of the money and facing punishment. Culpeper, in visible disgust, remarks in dark sarcasm: "The only reason that you ten idiots are gonna get off lightly is because the judge will have me up there to throw the book at!" Culpeper mentions a litany of troubles before him, including a divorce and his pension being revoked, doubting that he will laugh about anything ever again. Benjy Benjamin, who is eating a banana, then tosses the peel on the floor in disgust. The women from the story, dressed in prison uniforms, enter the hospital room. Loud-mouthed Mrs. Marcus, in the midst of another bombastic tirade, slips on the banana peel and falls hard on her rear end. All the men burst into hysterical laughter as she is taken away by orderlies. A smile slowly comes to Culpeper's face, and he finally joins in the laughter.

 

. . .

 

On January 9, 2007, Karen Sharpe Kramer, widow of Stanley Kramer, and film producer Edward Bass announced that a sequel entitled It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD World is in the works. The film would be, like the original, a large ensemble movie mixing comics and dramatic actors. The story follows the descendants of the characters from the first movie who are thrust into another madcap chase to find a cache of money after it is revealed that the bills found in the first movie were counterfeit. Original cast members Sid Caesar and Jonathan Winters, among others, may reprise their original roles.

 

 

[shipps]

I could tell you right now my list sucks the more I think about it.I knew that I would feel this way when I started to read other choices.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I could tell you right now my list sucks the more I think about it.I knew that I would feel this way when I started to read other choices.

 

 

i forgot my list and its not appearing in my PMs off sent messages

[knightni]

You guys gotta get me out of here! There's this guy Nasty Nate who wants my cocktail fruit, and everyone here likes fresh fish! Then The Squirrel Master came out of left field and told me I'm his b****!

 

46. Half Baked (1998)

 

 

(2 of 23 lists - 31 points - highest ranking #2 by rangercal)

 

Half Baked is a 1998 comedy film starring Dave Chappelle, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams and Guillermo Díaz. The movie was directed by Tamra Davis, and co-written by star Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan (Brennan was later a writer on Chappelle's Comedy Central show Chappelle's Show). Cameo appearances include Steven Wright, Tommy Chong, Janeane Garofalo, Willie Nelson, Tracy Morgan, Snoop Dogg, Jon Stewart, Stephen Baldwin and Bob Saget. Jerry Garcia was portrayed by actor David Bluestein, as Garcia had died three years before the film's release.

 

The film became a cult classic, heralded by many as Dave Chappelle's comic breakthrough. Chappelle's quote from the film, "I wanna talk to Samson!," has created a popular slang term for smoking marijuana with the term being used on J Dilla's track 'Crushin' (Yeeeeah!).

 

Thurgood (Chappelle) and his friends Brian (Breuer) and Scarface (Diaz) are forced into selling medical marijuana stolen from the lab where Thurgood works as a "custodian" (janitor) in order to bail their friend Kenny (Williams) out of jail, after he accidentally killed a diabetic police horse by feeding it junk food. Their business, named Mr. Nice Guy in honor of their good-natured incarcerated friend, becomes immensely popular, even attracting famous clientele. However, Thurgood's personal life is ruined once his adamantly anti-drug girlfriend, ironically named Mary Jane Potman (Rachel True), discovers that he works for Mr. Nice Guy. Soon, all of their lives are in danger once Sampson Simpson, a local drug dealer, learns that Mr. Nice Guy is costing him business, including his former client rapper Sir Smoka Lot. He threatens to kill them. Brian also buys a pouch that is supposed to contain the ashes of Jerry Garcia with all the money they are making.

 

However, Thurgood tells police about a meeting he has with Sampson Simpson after they arrest him for stealing marijuana from the laboratory. The police agree to drop the charges if Thurgood wears a wire, that way they can get the proof they need to arrest the druglord. During the interview Simpson discovers that Thurgood is wearing a wire and is about to kill them when Brian throws the pouch he bought earlier on the ground. Jerry Garcia comes out and hits Simpson with a guitar, knocking him out, and police rush in and recover all of the drugs, and arrest Simpson after he wakes up. Thurgood, Brian, and Scarface's deal with the police and also get Kenny a pardon from jail. Thurgood gives up smoking and is able to win back Mary Jane.

 

. . .

 

In an alternate ending available on the "Fully Baked Edition" DVD release as a deleted scene, it is revealed that after Kenny returns home from jail, all of the roommates sit down to smoke from "Billy Bong Thorton," an act that was thwarted earlier in the movie ("No Scarface. No 'Billy Bong Thornton' without Kenny, that would not be right, man. Use 'Wesley Pipes'! Yeah.") due to Kenny still being in jail. This scene also implies that it is Thurgood's last time smoking.

 

The next scene is an extended version of the theatrical ending, in which Thurgood meets Mary Jane on the bridge, and after a short talk with his "joint" he throws it over the side of the bridge, then walks off with Mary Jane. In this version, he has a longer talk with his "joint," throws it off the side of the bridge, and slowly walks away with Mary Jane until they almost disappear on the horizon, but then Thurgood comes running back yelling, "Hold on, weed, I'm coming!" as he hops over the side of the bridge at the spot where he threw the joint over.

 

In the same alternate ending, it is also revealed that Jan may not really be "a big dyke" as she is caught on the couch with Steven Wright's the "guy on the couch" character, when Kenny and the roommates return home from bailing Kenny out of jail.

 

The "Fully Baked Edition" also includes a segment called "Five Minutes with the Guy on the Couch." The five minute clip depicts a stationary camera filming a man who resembles Steven Wright, as he sleeps on the couch. As clouds of smoke waft in and out of the scene, he turns over several times, farts, scratches his head, removes his socks, and at the end of the scene, he rolls over and falls off of the couch. This feature is reminiscent of the Yule Log, in which a stationary camera films a burning log in a fireplace which is intended for people who do not have a fireplace.

[Milkman delivers]

When do you expect to have the entire list posted?

[Chisoxfn]

Napoleon and Half Baked definitely would have made my list.

[knightni]

I'm sorry, I just came by to thank you for WRECKING MY LIFE!

 

45. (tie) Rushmore (1998)

 

 

(3 of 23 lists - 32 points - highest ranking #8 SleepyWhiteSox)

 

Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) and his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. The soundtrack was scored by regular Anderson collaborator Mark Mothersbaugh and features several songs by bands associated with the British Invasion of the 1960s.

 

The film centers on Max Fischer, a precocious and eccentric 15 year-old, who is both Rushmore's most extracurricular and least scholarly student; Herman Blume, a disillusioned industrialist who comes to admire Max; and Rosemary Cross, a widowed 1st grade teacher who becomes the object of both Max's and Herman's affection.

 

Max's life revolves around Rushmore Academy, where he is a scholarship student. Max spends nearly all of his time on elaborate extracurricular activities, caring little how it affects his grades. He also feuds with the school's headmaster, Dr. Guggenheim.

 

Blume finds his operation of a multimillion dollar company to be unsatisfying and is frustrated that his marriage is failing and the two sons he's putting through Rushmore are unrepentant brats. He and Max become close friends; Max admires Herman's success while Herman is impressed by Max's cocksure attitude.

 

Ms. Cross arrives at the academy as a new teacher after the death of her husband (and former Rushmore student), and Max quickly develops an infatuation. He makes many attempts at courting her. While she initially tolerates Max, Ms. Cross becomes increasingly alarmed at his obvious obsession with her. Along the way Blume attempts to convince Max that Ms. Cross is not worth the trouble, only to fall for Rosemary himself. They begin dating without Max's knowledge.

 

Eventually, Max's friend Dirk discovers the relationship and informs Max, initially as payback for a rumor Max started about his mother. Max and Blume go from being friends to mortal enemies. The two engage in a back-and-forth series of pranks on each other. Max informs Blume's wife of her husband's affair, ending their marriage. Max also cuts the brake lines on Blume's car, for which he is arrested. Meanwhile, Blume destroys Max's bicycle with his car.

 

After Max attempts to break ground on an aquarium without the school's approval, he is expelled from Rushmore. He is then forced to enroll in his first public school, Grover Cleveland High. Attempts to engage in outside activities at his new school have mixed results. He eventually begins spending time as an apprentice to his father, a barber. A fellow student, Margaret Yang, tries to engage Max, but he pays little attention to her.

 

One day, Dirk stops by the barber shop to apologize to Max and bring him a Christmas present. In the process, Dirk suggests Max see his old headmaster in the hospital, knowing Blume will be there, as well. Max and Blume meet and are cordial, but Max finds out that Ms. Cross broke up with Blume. However, he does manage to bring Dr. Guggenheim out of his coma.

 

Max takes his final shot at Ms. Cross and is rebuffed again. Max makes it his new mission to win Ms. Cross back for Blume. His first attempt is unsuccessful, but then he invites both Herman and Rosemary to the performance of a play he wrote, making sure they will be sitting together. In the end, Ms. Cross and Blume appear to reconcile. Max and Margaret Yang also become a couple.

 

The movie ends with Max and Ms. Cross looking at each other enigmatically as they share a dance at the play's wrap party.

 

. . .

 

The famous shot of Max sitting on the go-kart used in the "Making Time" montage is based on a photograph by Jacques Henri Lartigue. Anderson would later reference Lartigue's work in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

 

In the scene where Max buys the dynamite, he holds an ID up to the salesman and says, "And could you make the order out to Ready Demolition, Tucson, Arizona?" This is the same line a character buying explosives uses in the 1995 Michael Mann film Heat. The film is also referenced during Max's production of Serpico, when the actor portraying Serpico snaps his fingers while saying "That you're gonna follow this thing all the way to the end...of the line...where I got to be." Not only is this line almost identical to a line spoken by Al Pacino in Heat, but Al Pacino also portrayed Serpico himself in the 1973 film.

 

The font used throughout the film is Futura, in particular, Futura Bold. Anderson also used it extensively in Bottle Rocket and in his subsequent films.

 

 

[kjshoe04]

Glad I got home just in time for the unveiling, even though I hate napolean dynamite.

[knightni]

When do you expect to have the entire list posted?

 

I'd say probably before the end of the week.

 

If anyone wants their lists, let me know.

[Controlled Chaos]

I'd say probably before the end of the week.

 

If anyone wants their lists, let me know.

The slow results are painful...I feel like I'm with a girl in a too long foreplay nightmare, by the time she is ready I'm so bored I don't even want the sex.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I'd say probably before the end of the week.

 

If anyone wants their lists, let me know.

 

Can you send me mine...i'll be curious to see where everything i had falls. Thanks

[knightni]

I did not achieve this position in life by having some snot-nosed punk leave my cheese out in the wind.

 

45. (tie) Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

 

 

(5 of 23 lists - 32 points - highest ranking #11 by daa84)

 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 comedy film written and directed by John Hughes who is a graduate of Glenbrook North High School where many of the movie scenes were filmed. It stars Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones and Jennifer Grey.

 

The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller, who, one spring day (after eight previous absences throughout the semester; nine total including this "day off"), decides to skip school again and spend the day in downtown Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane Peterson and his best friend Cameron Frye while creatively avoiding his school's dean of students Mr. Edward Rooney, his resentful sister Jeanie, and his parents. Bueller frequently breaks the fourth wall to explain to the audience his techniques and thoughts. In the opening scene, graphics appear onscreen illustrating his explanations.

 

Ferris Bueller is an irreverent high school senior from the fictional northern Chicago suburb of Shermer, Illinois, who decides to skip school (Glenbrook North High School, additional scenes filmed at the then closed Maine North High School) for a day on the town by pretending to be sick. We later learn that he has done this many times throughout the school year. He convinces his nervous hypochondriac friend Cameron to take his father's carefully restored 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California out for a spin, although Cameron's father has memorized the car's mileage. Ferris promises to erase any miles they put on the car by driving the car home in reverse. Masquerading as her father, Ferris springs his younger girlfriend Sloane from school on the premise that her grandmother has died.

 

Meanwhile, school dean of students, Edward Rooney, doesn’t believe Ferris's illness, as he has been tracking Ferris's many absences from school on his computer. Ferris remotely deletes these absences from the computer while Rooney watches helplessly. Lacking proof of the truancy, he sets out to catch him in the act, suffering injuries and humiliation in his quest. Ferris leaks a rumor to some 9th-graders that he is near-terminally ill, and he becomes the town's favorite son. A campaign by the students to "Save Ferris" is a running joke throughout the film. His twin sister, Jeanie, is outraged at Ferris's ability to defy authority unpunished and becomes as determined as Rooney to prove that her brother is lying. Her efforts lead to her being home when Rooney visits the house, which she misinterprets as an attempt to attack her. In response to the misinterpretation, Jeanie kicks Rooney in the face several times while screaming and running around the house, then she goes to the police. At the police station, she meets an attractive delinquent (Charlie Sheen) who tells her that she should get on with enjoying her life and stop resenting her brother.

 

The three friends enjoy a baseball game at Wrigley Field and dine at an upscale restaurant (with Ferris posing as Abe Froman, the sausage king of Chicago). Cameron and Sloane watch in awe as Ferris sneaks onto a float during the Von Steuben Day Parade to lip-sync "Danke Schoen" and The Beatles' version of "Twist and Shout". They also enjoy the view from the top of the Sears Tower and visit the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Board of Trade. In one of several running jokes, Ferris narrowly avoids meeting his father a few times. However, while the friends enjoy their day, two parking attendants borrow the Ferrari and take it on their own adventures, running up mileage dramatically in the process.

 

When the trio retrieve the car and Cameron spies the odometer reading, he enters a catatonic state. They return to Cameron's house, where Ferris and Sloane sit in the hot tub trying to figure out how to bring Cameron back to reality. Ferris muses to the audience about how little time is left in the school year and his concerns for Cameron's and Sloane's futures. Cameron does recover, but decides to scare his friends by falling into the pool. Ferris rescues him, feeling briefly angry and then relieved. Cameron laughs at him and reveals that he was faking it with the sarcastic quote "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero."

 

Ferris attempts in vain to reverse the Ferrari's mileage. Realizing that he will be caught, Cameron's rage comes to a head when he realizes how much contempt he has for his father. He realizes that his father cares more for the car than for his son. Cameron takes his rage out on the car by kicking dents in to the bumper and the front of the hood.

 

He finally calms down. He sees the minor damage that he has caused and accepts that he will now be forced to explain to his father what he did and why. He feels a weight lifted with the prospect of finally dealing with his father's coldness and distance.

 

However, the car remained in reverse throughout the beating and when Cameron rests his foot on the front bumper one last time, the car falls off the jack and bursts through the plate glass window in the back of the sterile garage, landing with a crash at the bottom of a ravine. Ferris offers to take the blame since Cameron's father hates him anyway, but Cameron decides it is time to stand up to his father.

 

Ferris sees Sloane home and realizes that he is late and begins dashing home. The audience's last view of Sloane as Ferris disappears out of her view, shows her thinking out loud to herself that she will marry him someday.

 

The action returns to Ferris running through neighbors' backyards and hopping fences in an attempt to get home before his parents catch him out of the house (during this sequence, though in a hurry, Ferris briefly stops to greet a pair of female sunbathers). He arrives back home and narrowly escapes Rooney, thanks to Jeanie, who thanks Rooney for driving Ferris home from the hospital. Jeanie then reveals that Rooney left his wallet on the kitchen floor during his earlier visit, leaving Rooney with a vicious dog. Ferris manages to get into bed in time for his parents to check on him. The closing credits play beside scenes of Rooney receiving jeers and odd looks while riding the school bus. At a point during this scene, a girl sitting next to him offers a "gummy bear" claiming that they have been in her pocket and they're "real warm and soft". Rooney looks depressed and sickened as she says "Bet you never smelled a real school bus before". After the credits scroll, we see Ferris expressing his astonishment that the audience hasn't left the theater; Ferris then commands everyone to accept that the movie has ended and beseeches them to go home.

 

. . .

 

If you listen carefully you can hear "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton many times by three of the main characters

 

Ferris when he sings it in the shower

 

Rooney hums the song when he waits outside the door to Ferris's house

 

Jeanie sings the song while she walks down the stairs after she meets Charlie Sheen's character

 

 

As an influential and popular film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off has been included in many film rating lists. This film is number 54 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies", and came 26th in the British 50 Greatest Comedy Films poll.

 

The film was short-listed by the American Film Institute as part of the AFI 100 Years... series celebration in the category of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs.

 

In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Ferris Bueller's Day Off the 23rd greatest comedy film of all time, and in 2005 an Empire magazine article declared Ferris Bueller's Day Off the number one teen film of all time.

 

US Vice President Dan Quayle stated that it was his favorite film.

 

 

 

[knightni]

The slow results are painful...I feel like I'm with a girl in a too long foreplay nightmare, by the time she is ready I'm so bored I don't even want the sex.

Well, it's 50 movies, each with a long post to them. It takes time.

[Controlled Chaos]

Well, it's 50 movies, each with a long post to them. It takes time.

I know...I know...

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Good stuff.

[knightni]

Man, I'm glad I called that guy.

 

45. (tie) Billy Madison (1995)

 

 

(6 of 23 lists - 32 points - highest ranking #10 3E8)

 

Billy Madison is a 1995 comedy starring Adam Sandler in the title role about a slacker who must go back to school in order to take over his father's company. The comedy also features Bradley Whitford, Josh Mostel, Bridgette Wilson, Chris Farley, Norm Macdonald, Steve Buscemi and Darren McGavin. It was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy and produced by Universal Pictures.

 

27-year-old Billy Madison (Adam Sandler) has spent his entire life reaping the benefits of his father's hotel chain. He spends his days drinking with friends Jack (Mark Beltzman) and Frank (Norm Macdonald), and creating disturbances across his father's estate. One day, Billy ruins a dinner meeting between his father Brian (Darren McGavin) and his associates by acting obnoxiously. This prompts his father to lose faith in his son, and choose Eric Gordon (Bradley Whitford), to become the next owner of the hotel. Billy despises Eric, and begs his father to reconsider his decision. However, his father states that Billy only managed to pass through school because he bribed his teachers. The two finally come to compromise; Billy must pass elementary and high school within the course of twenty-four weeks (two-weeks per grade), in order to prove his competence.

 

Shortly after enrolling into school, Billy becomes attracted to a teacher named Veronica Vaughn (Bridgette Wilson), who initially attempts to ignore him. Nevertheless Billy successfully progresses to his first two grades. He eventually finds himself as one of Vaughn's students in the third grade. He manages to earn her respect by defending Ernie, his friend and classmate. Billy becomes popular among the third graders, and misses them as he advances through school. Billy's development and progression alarms Eric, who becomes increasingly agitated as Billy completes each grade. Eric takes the offensive while Billy struggles in high school. He visits Billy's grade school principal, Max Anderson (Josh Mostel), and makes numerous references to his controversial past as a professional wrestler that could threaten Max's education career. Coerced, Max publicly states he took bribes from Billy in return for passing Billy to the next grade.

 

The announcement angers Brian, who chooses to give the hotel chain to Eric. Billy becomes distraught, and reverts to his original care-free lifestyle. Veronica, many school children, and other random characters from previous scenes come to Billy's aid, and forcefully motivate him to keep fighting Eric. He returns to school and begins to study again. However, Billy realizes that he must reclaim the hotel chain. His grade school friends visit Max at his home and convince him to retract his accusations. Brian, is now confused of who to leave to the hotel chain now. So Billy challenges Eric to an academic decathlon, contest of brains and brawn that will determine his father's successor. Although both men excel in different activities, Billy manages to take a single-point lead before the contest's final event, a Jeopardy!-style academic test. Billy attempts to win the contest by answering a question pertaining to the Industrial Revolution. Billy answers the question by presenting an elongated comparison to a children's book that was read to him earlier in the film. The contest's host voices disgust at the answer, telling Billy that "everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it," and awards Billy no points.

 

Eric is then given the chance to answer a question, and potentially win the contest. He is ironically asked to answer a question about business ethics. Eric cannot answer the question, and begins to break down. Refusing to admit defeat, he begins to brandish a gun. However, Max, clad in his wrestling suit, subdues Eric. The attack fails to keep Eric down; he makes a final attempt to get back at Billy by turning his gun to Veronica. Fortunately, rifle-wielding madman Danny McGrath (an uncredited Steve Buscemi), whom Billy apologized to earlier in the film for picking on him in school, disables Eric by firing a single shot at his buttocks. The film then moves to a graduation scene, where Billy is delivering a speech. He decides that he will pass the hotel business on to Carl Alphonse (Larry Hankin), one of his father's more polite businessmen, and announces he will attend college with hopes of becoming a teacher.

 

. . .

"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

 

In 2006, a U.S. bankruptcy judge quoted the contest referee in Billy Madison when he dismissed a defendant's motion on the grounds that it was incomprehensible.

 

In I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry, Adam Sandler is seen reading the children "The Puppy Who Lost His Way," the same story Ms. Lippy read to Billy Madison in the 1st grade.

 

 

 

 

[knightni]

Roy:Hey, I hope you don't mind, I got up a little early, so I took the liberty of milking your cow for you. Yeah, it took a little while to get her warmed up, she sure is a stubborn one, whew.

[Takes a drink from the bucket]

Amish Man:We don't have a cow. We have a bull.

 

42. (tie) Kingpin (1996)

 

 

(5 of 23 lists - 35 points - highest ranking #10 mr_genius)

 

Kingpin is a 1996 Farrelly brothers film starring Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, Vanessa Angel and Randy Quaid. It was filmed in and around Pittsburgh as a stand-in for Scranton, Amish country and even Reno, Nevada. As with typical Farrelly brothers movies, such as Dumb & Dumber, most of the film's humor is gross-out and slapstick.

 

Kingpin begins with Woody Harrelson as Roy Munson, a child bowling prodigy who won the 1979 Iowa state amateur championship. Young Roy is all set to leave his tiny hometown of Ocelot, Iowa to go on the professional bowling tour. He wins his first tournament, defeating a none-too-pleased Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray) in the finals. Roy is celebrated by adoring crowd.

 

The unhappy McCracken decides to get back at the young bowler, first by putting sugar in his gas tank, then convincing him to join him in as a bowling-alley hustler. Munson needs big money to repair his car engine, so he agrees. Everything goes horribly wrong. Roy is abandoned by the opportunistic McCracken and their "marks" shove Roy's right hand into a ball-return, amputating it.

 

In present day, a down-and-out Munson, sporting a hook which he covers with a fake rubber hand, sells bowling alley supplies with little success. He lives in a seedy apartment building in Scranton, Pennsylvania along with several winos and a landlady who constantly is after Roy because he never pays his rent on time.

 

On a sales call, Munson catches sight of Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid) rolling a respectable game. Munson tries to get him to turn pro, since he has a "265 or 270" average. The Amish man has little interest in worldly affairs, though -- he isn't even supposed to be bowling, as it is against Amish tradition.

 

Munson's troubles increase after he tries to scam his elderly landlady into a rent extension. In the end he has to pay in kind -- with sex. A headline on a bowling magazine alerts Roy to a $1,000,000 purse in a tournament in Reno, Nevada. Once again, he tries to convince Ishmael to become a pro -- this time by posing as an Amish from Ohio named "Hezekiah" Munson and visiting the Boorg family home. Ishmael again refuses, but soon receives news from his father that the family will lose their land unless $500,000 can be raised soon. The faithful Amish man reluctantly agrees to go along, only to earn enough to save his people.

 

It is soon apparent that Ismael isn't as awesome as his "270" average would indicate. He explains that he normally rolls a 15-frame game, since Amish do everything half-again as much as everyone else. Roy decides to take Ishmael home, because he no longer believes he can win the $1,000,000. Ishmael convinces Roy to take him to Reno, saying he didn't want to be "Munsoned" out in the middle of nowhere (meaning up the creek without a paddle, much like Roy).

 

After a little cajoling, Roy convinces Ishmael to bowl for money. Both end up at gangster Stanley's house in the middle of the night. Stanley will resort to anything to win, including using his girlfriend Claudia (Vanessa Angel) as a teasing distraction. It does not work, as Ishmael is incorruptible. Stanley quickly realizes that the two were betting with money they did not have. Luckily, they are able to escape (the luscious Claudia leading the way), and continue their journey towards Reno, with Ishmael's bowling skills and Claudia's ability to distract male bowlers gaining them a significant cash "stash."

 

Roy's and Claudia's relationship is testy. It comes to a head one night when Roy tries to escape with Ishmael. After seeing what they have planned, Claudia beats up Roy, causing Ishmael to run away.

 

On their way to find him, Roy and Claudia stop off in Ocelot, where Roy hasn't been since he left for the pro tour. The town has changed quite a bit since Roy left, and not for the better- most of the people have moved away, all the businesses appear to have been abandoned, and the town is desolate. Roy reminisces sadly while Claudia tries to convince him that his dad, who died 10 years prior (and whose funeral Roy missed), would be proud of him for what he's doing with Ishmael. After Roy insists that he wouldn't, they head back to find Ishmael...who is dancing in drag in a strip club.

 

They finally reach Reno. While dining at a buffet restaurant, Roy runs into McCracken, who by this time has become a bowling celebrity. McCracken insults Roy, reminds Claudia of an old affair, and infuriates Ishmael to the point where the Amish man injures his hand trying to punch "Big Ern." His hand is broken, so he cannot bowl.

 

At the same time Stanley, who has tracked Claudia to Reno, takes her with him. Claudia also takes all of their ill-gotten gains, leaving the two men again broke and confused.

 

Ishmael decides that they still have a chance to win the $1,000,000...if Roy bowls instead of him. Failing to convince Ishmael that his idea is stupid, Roy signs up for his first tournament as a pro since 1979...only to find out that his pro bowler's dues are 17 years in arrears and he can't come up with the $38 he needs to compete. Fortunately he is able to use his state championship ring as collateral.

 

Throughout the tournament, Big Ern rolls through everyone, as expected. He makes the finals...where he meets up with Roy, who has had a Cinderella run through the tournament, bowling with the prosthetic rubber hand and knocking off pro bowlers like Mark Roth and Randy Pedersen. The two bowlers are evenly matched and head into the final frame with Roy ahead by 9 pin margin.

 

Ishmael is found by his brother Thomas, who has traveled the country on a horse and buggy to find him. A distracted Roy rolls a 7-10 split. He is able to miraculously convert and then roll a strike on his next ball, forcing Big Ern to roll 3 strikes in his final frame...which he does, earning him the $1,000,000 prize and leaving Roy with nothing but a rubber hand.

 

After a final run-in with Stanley and his goons (Claudia claimed to have run off with Big Ern), Roy returns home to find a surprise visitor at his door...Claudia, who arrives with the money she stole(doubled, since Stanley bet on McCracken in the tournament). Though she tries to convince Roy to split it with her and Ishmael, Roy shows her an endorsement check from Trojan condoms for $500,000 (thanks to his fake hand, which earned him the nickname "Rubber Man").

 

He promptly gives the check to the Amish community and explains what had happened. Ishmael, who has just returned to the community, walks in and finds his friends. His father tells him what a hero he is to the community for what he has done. (Roy lied and described Ishmael's influence as nothing but positive.) In the end, the community is saved, Roy and Claudia hook up, and the movie ends with an Amish celebration.

 

. . .

 

As in the case with many of his films, Bill Murray ad-libbed every line he spoke.

 

There is a mistake in the tournament finals scene. When Roy Munson bowls the first frame of the final he begins on the right lane approach (lane 26) he then clearly shoots on the left lane (lane 25), but after the shot he is again on the right lane and the machine on the right lane is shown resetting a new set of pins. (as if it were the lane he just bowled on)

 

Ish walks alone along the highway, and joyriding Indians zoom past him and throw bags of garbage at him. The camera pans up from the trash to a profound close-up of Ish, one tear rolling down his cheek. This is a reference to the Public Service Announcements with Native American actor Iron Eyes Cody. In the commercial, Cody sees the waste the world is coming to and a lone tear trickles down his face.

 

The announcer at the tournament is played by John Popper, guitarist, harmonica player and lead singer of the group Blues Traveler. Popper and Blues Traveler are also seen as the Amish rock group performing But Anyway over the end credits.

 

Will Ferrell can be heard yelling, "Ernie, you da man!" right before Ernie McCracken bowls in the movie's climax.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

I luv Kingpin...can't remember if I forgot to put it on my list...