LOL Faves

Agree or disagree, this is a list of movies that make me choke on my popcorn from laughing no matter how many times I watch them. The movies on this list are 1) funny beyond what was in the trailer and 2) something more than your run-of-the-mill slapstick or obnoxious comedy. This list is a living thing and I'm open to your suggestions, so add them in the comments. These are not necessarily in any order other than what popped into my mind at the moment of writing.

1. The Republic of Rick (2014) If you've ever bumped into one of those "Texas should secede from the Union" fanatics, you'll know exactly what Mario Kyprianou was thinking about when he wrote, directed and produced this little indie gem. Filmed on a shoestring budget, it's not formatted properly for traditional theater release, so you'll only catch it via a streaming service like Amazon. (Available free for Prime users at time of writing.) There is some strong language and an underwear scene, so not appropriate for viewers under 13.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Not exactly Oscar material, but what made this the #2 North American box office debut of all time (a record $94.3M) was an unprecedented ability of the writers and cast to weave the traditional summer-time heavy effects with an endless string of laughs. The real treat for me was Dave Bautista's deadpan performance as "Drax" juxtaposed against Chris Pratt's trademark snarky motor-mouth. If you're in North America and haven't seen this yet you must be living in a cave. Ages 10+
3. Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse (2013+) Okay, this is less a film than an animated online shorts series, but the dark, satirical wit behind this series deserves recognition. While most toy-driven CGI vehicles these days, whether full length films or episodic in nature, take themselves a little too seriously and tend to lean toward run-of-the-mill kid fare, "Life in the Dreamhouse" is the kind of funny that jerks me out of my work reverie while my kid watches it. The tongue-in-cheek treatment of the classic Barbie character and her fiends is not only relevant, but at times downright hilarious. And yes, it's totally clean and kid-friendly, without being nauseating.
4. Zoolander (2001) Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are at their absolute best in this parody of the super-model and high fashion world. You know a movie has touched a cultural nerve when you walk into one of the nation's biggest high end malls and find a wall painted with "Coming Soon: Derek Zoolander's school for kids who can't read good." While some of the jokes are a little less relevant in this age of phablets and electric cars, it's still lots of fun overall. Ages 13+
5. The Princess Bride (1987) This fairytale-esque classic still garners a cult-like following, and well it should. Pick up a sword around a crowd of adults and you're still likely to hear someone say, "Hi, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Inconceivable! Another rare find that is fun for adults AND kids. Ages 8+
6. Arthur (1981) A bittersweet but hilarious tale about a drunken playboy and his troubles with love, family and the loneliness of money. Stars Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli in career-defining roles that give us a peek into the sadness that drives the uber-rich to addiction in the first place. Honestly, only Dudley Moore could've pulled this one off. Ages 13+
7. The Birdcage (1996) Before gay marriage was a political buzzword, this incredibly funny film dealt expertly with the social stigma that surrounded "alternative families" while endearing audiences to it's main characters, Albert (Nathan Lane) and Armand Goldman (Robin Williams, in one of his most human performances). View original trailer. Ages 17+
8. American Pie (1999) Unlike the common high school sex romp that is more "ugh" than "ha ha" (for us ladies), this one is actually funny enough to have spawned a series of sequels almost worth watching. As to be expected, the original is the funniest of the whole series. Warning: this film is explicit enough to draw the attention of your average high school boy, but is really only appropriate if you're old enough for college. If you ever wondered why people start funny stories with the phrase, "One summer, in band camp...," you've obviously never seen this film. Ages 17+
9. Office Space (1999) Those of us who have prairie-dogged in our cubical farm and labeled our Swingline staplers so we could find them in our neighbor's cubes not only love but have lived this film. No, back to prepping those TPS reports. Ages 17+
10. Wayne's World (1992) This movie is packed with laughs from beginning to end, but no moment is funnier than when Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) sing along with Queens "Bohemian Rhapsody" while riding around in Garth's flame-accented blue Pacer. Underneath the childish humor runs a subtle commentary on the shallowness of 90's America and an almost innocent ignorance. Ages 13+

More to come...