Six Underappreciated Comedies More People Need To See
Humor can be very polarizing, because what one person finds funny, another person may deem incredibly offensive (looking at you South Park). Or what one person finds hilarious, another person could think is juvenile (looking at you Tim and Eric). Funny tends to mean different things to different people, so when you recommend a comedy to most people, you’re taking a gamble. That being said, I am taking a HUGE gamble here, but these are five films that I found incredibly funny, that either not enough people know about or not enough people like. Let’s change that, dammit.
Hot Rod
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Released in 2007
I won’t lie to you guys, this is the movie that inspired this list. I cannot even sum up in words how hard this film made me laugh first time I saw it. This film stars Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer (A.K.A the Lonely Island guys) famous for their digital shorts on SNL (On A Boat, Like A Boss, Jizz In My Pants, Dick In A Box). In the movie, Andy Samberg plays a wanna-be stuntman who is trying to save up money for his Step-Dad’s operation to save his life so he can kick his ass. Yeah, you read that correctly.
How can you look at this pic and NOT want to see the movie?
The cast of this film is absolutely superb, and this is the film that started my adoration with Danny McBride. I know he always just plays himself, but man, he plays himself SO WELL.
Anyway, I will now list the cast for you, just so you can understand what you’re working with here: Andy Samberg, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Isla Fisher, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, and to round it out you got motherf***ing Sissy Spacek as his Mom, and perhaps the most badass dude ever, Ian McShane, as his Dad. I will say the exchanges between Ian McShane and Andy Samberg in this film are my favorite father and son exchanges ever put to celluloid. McShane steals the movie as the emotionally frozen man, capable of nothing more than mocking his son’s inability to grow a mustache.
httpv://youtu.be/8PlrxUzKYoI
I will also tell you the movie has the greatest training montage I have ever seen. Be prepared for all other training montages to now need to watch this training montage before they actually do their own training montage, THAT is how good it is. I could go on for days about this movie, but will stop now so you guys can watch it.
Fave Moment: Without spoiling it, I will only say the musical number. Oh, that and Cool Beans. You’ll know what I mean once you see the movie.
Black Sheep
Directed by Jonathan King
Released in 2006
No, this is not THAT Black Sheep. Although that movie, starring the fatlarious Chris Farley, was indeed awesome, everyone has seen that movie so it has no place here. NO, this is the 2006 black comedy from New Zealand about the sheep that eat people.
Yes, you read that correctly, too.
I believe they are having a moment.
I will spare you the heart of the story, but I will tell you some genetically engineered sheep start brutalizing a small farming community for various reasons, and the end result is gory and f***ing hilarious. Think Shaun of the Dead mixed with The Birds, but replace the birds with zombie sheep, and you sort of have an idea. Add into it that kooky New Zealand sense of humor (Flight of the Conchords style) and you have an even better idea. Well, if you associate Flight of the Conchords with singing, then it might have been a terrible comparison, but it works so I am keeping it. Bring on the trolls!
httpv://youtu.be/8oH_KUN_rZU
Probataphobia is the fear of sheep. It is a real thing, and at least NONE of my friends suffer from it, which makes this movie timely and socially conscious as well.
I also have to give props to Oliver Driver for his performance as the lead in this film. It is his palpable fear of sheep that makes this movie so damn funny. We all know someone with an irrational fear (I fear that Bethesda will one day make a glitch free game), and to take the idea of that fear and make it something worth fearing was quite well played, even though it’s just for laughs.
Oh and do not mistake this as a film to watch with children. Entrails ARE removed by sheep. This is a zombie movie to a tee, it is just that the zombies are sheep. And that is EXACTLY why it is on this list.
Fave Moment: The initial traffic jam, when you realize that, to anyone else, this would be a mere inconvenience, but for him, this is absolutely the most terrifying scenario he could be placed in. It just sets the tone of the film marvelously.
UHF
Directed by Jay Levey
Released in 1989
Alright, I can literally feel half the readers spitting at their screens, and half the readers standing up and cheering as they read this. Yes, I am putting a movie starring Weird Al Yankovic on this list, and I will tell you why. It is stupid, brainless fun. It took his ideas of parodies and took them out of the medium of song, which he was known for, and let him make fun of TV and Movies, instead. Thing is, it worked. Maybe not for everyone, but it worked for me.
Come on, you have to admit it is a great concept.
Plus it has Michael Richards in a pre-racist, pre-Cosmo Kramer- role. You can definitely see the hints of Michaels gift with physical comedy, but he plays a semi-retarded janitor, so highbrow this is not. Hey, I had a semi-retarded janitor who would yell racist stuff at my high school. Wow, it is like three worlds melting into one right before my eyes. But I digress.
While this film certainly didn’t win any scripts for best screenplay (which Yankovik co-wrote) the movie is dumb fun, and it harkens back to a time when the world did not take itself so seriously all the time.
httpv://youtu.be/wnoHkG7j-Nk
Say what you want about Weird Al, but the guy likes to make people laugh and has no problem making an ass of himself to do so. I give him props for that. Did he ever make another movie? Of course not. Don’t forget, you are reading a movie list from a guy whose favorite movie was Howard the Duck when he was nine, so if you’re looking for Gone With The Wind, I suggest you read elsewhere.
Fave moment: The Rambo parody is awesome. I STILL watch it to this day if I am in a bad mood.
I can’t even describe how much I laughed at Black Sheep. It’s so absurd, but incredibly funny in a B-horror movie kind of way. Ditto Dead Snow, a Norwegian film about zombie Nazis.
And who doesn’t like Weird Al? He’s STILL consistently funny after 30 years in the business. He’s outlasted most of the subjects of his most famous parodies – who would have believed you if you told them back in 1990 that the guy who recorded “Eat It” and “Fat” would still be putting out relevant albums in 2012 and MJ would be a late-night talk show punchline (and also, dead)? Not to mention he’s apparently like, the nicest guy in Hollywood.
I don’t know if this is underappreciated in the same way, but I love Death to Smoochy.
Off this list, I might have to watch Top Secret. Though I’m not a huge fan of Airplane, I’m a big supporter of the Naked Gun movies.
I must’ve watched “Top Secret” 100 times as a kid when it was on cable. hell, the other night I told a friend about the soldier’s boots – camera pans up and dramatic music build up then fades away gag.
Oh and Weird Al as Rambo is the best.
A 2nd nod for Black Sheep. It was sooo over the top. But for as “B” as you think it’s going to be, the story really isn’t that bad, and, iirc, the effects were done by the same guys who did work in LOTR. It was shot in New Zealand.
I think the only one on this list I haven’t seen is The Foot Fist Way. Judging from your other picks I’d say I’ll probably like it.
Freddy got Fingered…..i thought this was the funniest movie ever. Recommended to a friend, when she saw it she ask me “you thought this was funny”? HELL YEA… favorite line ‘I’m a farmer”….never gets old…
Did you know that Top Secret predicted the Future?
Hillary Flammond: Who do you favor in the Virginia Slims tournament?
Blindman: In women’s tennis, I always root against the heterosexual.
This is 1985!
My favorite though:
Du Quois: This is Chevalier, Montage, Detente, Avant Garde, and Deja Vu.
Deja Vu: Haven’t we met before?
And to this day, when I’m on vacation with my wife, and we see a souvenir stand, we both look at each other and think about party tricks and phony dog poo.
Thank you for mentioning black sheep, I’ve seen it a couple of times and think it’s hilarious.
I actually went to see Black Sheep at the cinema with a group of friends. We were all excited to see a gory comedy on par with Shaun of the Dead. We may have set our sights a little too high but all in all we found it a let down, not bad, per say, just not that great.
Great list Remy. Glad you’re also writing stuff that is less shocking or rapey;) I like every movie you mentioned except the Weird Al one. Just don’t like the guy.
I think Black Dynamite is absolutely hilarious. I don’t know if it’s really underrated, but definitely unknown.
I love me some Top Secret.
Black Sheep was fun, too. Raging sheep speeding across the pastures in these huge flocks…MRAAAAAAAAA!
@ Diva, good call, I intend to do some black comedy peices, and DEATH TO SMOOCHY is up there with some of the best twisted comedies I have seen. @bobafett, that is actually pretty brilliant, I must confess. If this was some other site, someone would still that idea and write it into an article. Seeing that we are much cooler than most other sites, we will simply suggest you write that theory out in an extended piece, because it is wholly original and seems like it would be a great red. @ drester, Genuine laugh out loud, thank you, but very true, my next couple pieces will be slightly “lighter”. Oh and DAMN YOU! Black Dynamite was completely blanked out of my head when I did the list and I am actually mad at myself now, because I think that movie is BRILLIANT from beginning to end. When he slaps him during the fight scene, and then they cut to a different actor…that slays me every time.
needs moar Baseketball
Maybe it’s just me, but Undercover Brother was surprisingly funny to me. Not just in the blacksploitation way, either.
Remy, let me also just say that I think it’s great that you are commenting on the comments. It really shows your devotion to unrealitymag. It would be nice if Natty and Paul would do that more often.
Just a correction on Hot Rod, its Jorma, not Akiva that plays his brother. Akiva does have a cameo at the bowling alley as the guy that gives Bill Hader the acid.
This list also needs Mystery Team.
Nice. I’m Netflix queueing some of these right now. There’s not enough good humor in modern cinema these days. Anybody else seen Caveman with Ringo Starr? That was the funniest film of my childhood, man, with UHF probably right behind it. Is Bubba Ho-Tep too mainstream for this list?
@ Jim, Oh yea, you’re right. Then Hader gets the screw driver in the head, good call. That scene is frakkin’ hilarious. @Trashcanman, good call with Bubba Ho-Tep, actually. Best movie about Elvis and a Black JFK fighting a mummy I have ever seen, hands down.
Top Secret is a classic
Gotta add the underwater barfight and the bookstore scene, done backwards. Cracks me up every single time.
Good choices. I’ve seen all of these but “Black Sheep” and “Wake Up, Ron Burgundy” and only dislike “The Foot Fist Way”. I didn’t like “Hot Rod” the first time, but the second time. . .I’ve watched this movie more times than I can count and have bought it twice because I couldn’t find my original copy and had to watch it NOW! Seriously, if anyone out there doesn’t like it at first, give it another shot. It grows you and then it takes you over.
I gotta second ‘Top Secret’ especially the fake cow disguise scenes… ’nuff said…
Two words from me: Kung Pow.
“Black Sheep” is one of the funniest horror/comedies ever made (though Peter Jackson’s “Dead Alive” is by far funnier). Of the other movies on this list, I can only recommend “Top Secret.” The other movies’ humor is simply too juvenile to be funny.
hot rod is with out a doubt one of my favorite movies ever, i make all my friends watch it, and have converted many over to how great it was…
What about “The Man Who Knew Too Little”? Starring Bill Murray. Hilarious movie and under-appreciated for just how funny it really is.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting Hot Rod at the top of your list. One of my husband’s co-workers told us about it and had us watch it. WE LOVE IT!!! In fact, I think I’m going to go home and punch-dance out my frustrations.
Black Dynamite and Top Secret are also great ones as well.
@trashcanman- I loved Caveman when I was little too. Who can’t laugh at Dennis Quaid hopping around on one foot? “Zug-Zug” indeed 🙂
Actually UHF was Al’s SECOND movie after “the complete Al” which was sort of a parody of the “complete Beatles” but mostly existed to show videos…
3 O’clock High is an under the radar classic for the teen genre.
Ice Pirates for the Sci Fi under the radar comedies.
CHUD 2 for Horror comedy.
Great list. The world would “seriously” be a better place if we all laughed more and longer and harder!
Special props for “Top Secret.” As kids, my cousin and I used to watch that movie every single time we got together. My aunt actually ended up buying the copy from the video store because she got so tired of taking us there only to have us rent the same thing again and again. (This was the mid-80s, when there weren’t many stores that sold VHS tapes to own– it was all about rentals; also, if you knew my aunt, you wouldn’t be surprised that she could talk the video store into selling her their sole copy of “Top Secret).
25+ years later, and my cousin and I still end our holiday visits with a hug and an “I’ll miss you most of all, Scarecrow.” It’s our secret test to see if people know we’re quoting “Top Secret” and not “The Wizard of Oz.”
One I’d say should be added to this list is The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. It’s a B movie by Dead Gentlemen Productions about a bunch of guys, and one girl, playing Dungeons & Dragons. They switch back and forth from them around a table to them playing their characters. One of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Nearly peed myself laughing.
Loved “Hot Rod”!
I’ve seen it so many times and know someone who also watches it regularly.
“Black Sheep” Got this as a rental and watched this with my father feeling like something odd and funny. Took us by surprise.
Thanks for the list! Off to watch “Top Secret”. The trailer had me cracking up
Hot Rod was great. An oldie but goodie is “Better Off Dead” with John Cusack.
Strange Brew. That is all.
That last one, Top Secret, looked wonderful. Very Naked Gun sort of comedy, looks worth watching! I miss how comedies used to be before the 21st century, more silly and clever, less dirty. Movies that rely heavily on sex jokes and anything relating to balls on drums bother me.
I have seen Black Sheep (not that good), and the rest of them look fairly bad. Sorry, just not my type of humour.
Everyone go watch MacGruber NOW!
That movie deserves so much more credit. I went in with zero expectations and left laughing the entire way
Macgruber is hilarious. The line about walking around with the 20 pound python in his pants is so classic. I almost pissed my pants in the scene where he grabs Wiig as his meat shield.
Hot Rod and The Foot Fist Way are both on my top 10 list of underrated comedies! I will definitely watch the ones on here that I haven’t seen since now I obviously trust your judgement. I think the top underrated comedy in recent years is “The Sasquatch Gang.” Literally NOBODY has ever seen this movie. Other comedies that are underrated, but less so, are: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, and Role Models. If you haven’t seen those, you need to!
I hated most of The Foot Fist Way, I think it could be done better, in the other hand I thought Observe and Report was awesome. Great list!