By Dave Siderski

I think everyone can relate to coming home from a long, hard day, turning on the TV and just wanting to find something that will make you forget about your troubles. I’m not saying these are the 10 best comedy films of all-time, because as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, I will say these are my 10 go-to movies that I put on the TV when I want a good laugh.

10. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983). Chevy Chase, as the eccentric Clark W. Griswold, is on a quest to lead his family of four on the vacation of a lifetime as they drive cross country from Chicago to Wally World in California. However, the loveable buffoon that is Clark completely screws up the trip from start to finish leading the family into a series of hysterical misadventures to the delight of the audience. Vacation also features Beverly D’Angelo, as Clark’s wife Ellen, a young Anthony Michael Hall, as son Rusty, and Dana Barron as daughter Audrey. It also includes notable appearances by Randy Quaid, as the whacked out Cousin Eddie, John Candy, as a geeky park security guard, and finally Christie Brinkley as the hot chick in the Ferrari who is the object of Clark’s fantasies throughout the movie. For those who haven’t seen this, this classic 1980’s comedy is a must watch.

9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). As San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell is a stud. His suave pickup lines such as: “You have an absolutely breathtaking henie” make women swoon.” The movie features the sophomoric hijinks of Ron and his trusty news team: reporter Brian Fantana, played by Paul Rudd, Sports anchor Champ Kind, played by David Koechner, and dim-witted meteorologist Brick Tamland, played by Steve Carrell. They all take turns hitting on the newsroom’s new female reporter Veronica Corningstone, played by Christina Applegate. Ultimately, it is Ron that wins the day (it must have been the pleats in the pants). However, Ron’s chauvinism costs him both Veronica and his job. In the end though, Ron gets a second chance when he and his news team save Veronica from a pit of angry bears. All ends happily. Ron Burgundy, you are the man!

8. Caddyshack (1980). Who ever knew golf could be so much fun to watch? Featuring comedic talent such as Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray, this movie produced countless lol moments. Caddyshack was Dangerfield’s breakout performance. Rodney, as obnoxious millionaire Al Czervik, torments and humiliates tight-assed Bushwood Country Club founder Judge Elihu Smails (played by Knight) throughout the movie. Other funny storylines includes Murray, playing the psychotic Carl Spackler, fantasizing about elderly women and trying to kill a pesky gopher. The sexy Cindy Morgan as Small’s niece, Lacey Underall, who horrifies her uncle with her voracious sexual appetites. And finally, you have one of the classic comedic scenes ever in film: “Doodie in the Pool”. Warning, don’t watch this one during dinner.

7. Good Morning Vietnam (1987). Robin Williams is both funny and poignant as Armed Forces DJ Adrian Cronauer in 1965 Saigon. Let’s just say that Airman Cronauer is not your traditional military man. He immediately turns the station on its head playing rock and rock music and doing hysterical impersonations of Ethel Merman, Walter Cronkite, and Richard Nixon among many others. Cronauer’s antics infuriate his superiors Sergeant Major Dickerson and the dorky Lieutenant Steven Hauk.
Dickerson resorts to subterfuge sending an unknowing Cronauer on a deadly mission into enemy territory. His best friend Tuan intervenes and saves him from certain death. However, what Cronauer doesn’t know is his best friend is an enemy terrorist. Adrian is forced to resign. His parting words to Dickerson are classic: “I’ve never seen a white man in such dire need of a [certain sexual act] in all my life”. In one final moment of justice, General Taylor, disgusted by Dickerson’s behavior, exiles him to Guam.

6. Spaceballs (1987). This Mel Brooks classic gave us the classic lines such as: “Give me paw” and “May the Schwartz be with you”. Spaceballs parodies everything from Star Wars to Nightmare on Elm Street. The storyline revolves around the efforts of the incompetent President Skroob, played by Brooks, conspiring with Dark Helmet, played by Rick Moranis to kidnap princess Vespa as part of a plot to steal the air from planet Druidia. Enter Lone Starr, played by Bill Pullman and trusty companion Barf, half-man, half dog, played by John Candy who rescue Vespa and thwart their insidious plan. Brooks also plays the ancient and wise Yogurt who teaches Lone Starr the power of the Schwartz. This cult classic is a laugh a minute and definitely warrants a place in the top 10.

5. Easy Money (1983). Rodney Dangerfield himself stated the character of “Monty Capuletti” was similar to his own personality. Monty is a middle aged man who has a taste for the good life, which his rich, stodgy mother-in-law, Mrs. Monaghan, played by Gerald Fitzgerald, views with utter contempt. She even fakes her own death, stipulating the family will inherit her estate but only if Monty gives up drinking, smoking and gambling.
What follows is a year of torture for Monty and countless moments of hilarity for the audience. This includes Monty and his best friend Nicky, played by Joe Pesci, visiting the snooty Monaghan’s department store and wreaking havoc, including Rodney/Monty uttering the famous one-liner: “Why don’t you two put your heads together and make an ass of yourself” to a bald clerk and look a-like mannequin. Monty survives the year only to find out Ms. Monaghan isn’t dead. As a reward for his good behavior, he now gets to move in with her. Talk about no respect!

4. We’re the Millers (2013). In this recent classic, David, played by Jason Sudeikis, is a small time drug dealer assigned to smuggle marijuana out of Mexico. Needing a cover, he hires a fake family including wife Rose (Jennifer Aniston), teenaged daughter Casey (Emma Roberts), and geeky teenaged son Kenny (Will Poulter).
Travelling in an RV, they hook up with the dorky Fitzgerald’s. The father (Don) is a DEA agent. In one crazy scene, Rose wraps a bail of weed up in a blanket and convinces them it’s a baby. Edith Fitzgerald demands to hold the weed baby, Lebron. In desperation, Rose throws Lebron into the street and gets run over to the horror of all. Kenny has a thing for Molly Fitzgerald. Mom (Rose) and sister (Casey) give him kissing lessons while Dad (David) takes pictures. A creeped out Molly walks in the middle of this, proving that kissing your mother and sister isn’t a way to impress your potential girlfriend. In the end, the Miller’s help Don to take down Pablo Chacon’s cartel and become a real family. Kenny don’t feel bad, I’d kiss Jennifer Aniston too.

3. Me, Myself and Irene (2000). Only Jim Carrey could pull off such an outrageous storyline. Carrey plays Rhode Island state trooper Charlie Baileygates, the wimpiest police officer you’ll ever meet. Enter Hank, Charlie’s alter-ego who represents all of the suppressed rage and frustration Charlie been keeping inside for years. Charlie and Hank both the hots for the lovely Irene (Renee Zellweger). The three of them are on the run from two corrupt cops who are seeking to kill Irene, giving new meaning to the phrase “threesome”.
Hank cons Irene into thinking he’s Charlie and scores with her first. She discovers his deception when Charlie yells out from the bathroom the next morning: “Irene why am I peeing like I’ve been up all night having sex?” Later in the movie, Hank and Charlie duke it out in one final showdown as bemused on-lookers watch. Ultimately, it is Charlie that steps to the plate, saving Irene from the two Keystone cops and her evil ex-boyfriend Dickie. This is with the help of his three genius adopted sons who have the ability to curse in multiple languages. It my opinion this is Jim Carrey’s funniest movie but probably not one that you want to let the kids watch.

2. Up in Smoke (1978). This was by far the best of the Cheech and Chong film series. Cheech (Pedro de Pacas) and Chong (Anthony “The Man” Stoner) smuggle a van made of “fiberweed” from Tijuana into the US. Up in Smoke’s version of the Keystone cop, Sergeant Stedenko, played by Stacey Keach, is hot on their tail. This leads to a series of hijinks including Cheech and Chong smoking a joint the size of a cigar and a stoner chick mistaking Ajax for a line of coke.
Stoned as usual, Pedro and “The Man” get pulled over by a police motorcyclist but catch a break when the cop gets stoned from the exhaust fumes emanating from the weed van. The stoned officer’s only request is for a bite of Chong’s hot dog. Stedenko and crew finally catch up to our dynamic duo at a battle of the bands. However, in the final ignominy, Stedenko’s planned bust goes awry when the Weed Van catches on fire. The cops become stoned themselves and are completely incapacitated. To quote Bob Dylan, “Everybody must get stoned!”

1. Airplane (1980). Ted Striker, played by Robert Hays, is a traumatized war pilot, who boards a flight to win back his estranged girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson, played by Julie Hagerty. Little did he know this would be the strangest flight ever. Elaine rebuffs him and Ted bores fellow passengers to death (literally) with his pedantic war stories.
All of the pilots become deathly ill due to a bad fish dinner. The flight is now in the hands of the horny, inflatable autopilot Otto, who can’t keep his hands off Elaine. The problem is that Otto cannot land the plane, enter a reluctant Ted, who hasn’t flown since the war. In the meantime we have hysterics such as two dueling airport PA announcers arguing about what to do about their impeding baby; the shit literally hitting the fan; Barbara Billingsley, best known as June Clever, trying to speak the “jive language”; And Captain Over’s wife carrying on an affair with a horse.

With the help of his hated former commander, Rex Kramer, Ted manages to land the plane saving the passengers. Ted and Elaine rekindle their love for each other. Otto hooks up with an equally horny female inflatable pilot and all live happily ever after!

As far as honorable mentions, how much time do we have? There are so many. History of the World Part I, The Austin Powers series, Ted, A Fish Called Wanda, Meet the Parents, There’s Something About Mary, South Park “The Movie”, Team America and the list goes on and on. Get your DVR ready when one of these films comes on the tube.

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