TOP 25 SATIRICAL COMEDIES OF ALL TIME

M*A*S*H - 5 Stars

Few films have gone on to impact American culture like the original MASH.   In 1970 we first met the characters of the 4077 in a biting commentary on the Vietnam War disguised as the Korean War in the film.  The true genius of MASH is how Altman managed to take death, terror, blood and guts and turn it into a humorous dramatic masterpiece that gives life to the anxieties of running a field hospital and depth to the people whom struggle with mortality day to day.  MASH is really a testament to strength people have when faced with adversity and how we cope with the unthinkable. 

(Television UK)

What a treat this will be! I first saw this three part series (House of Cards is Season One) whilst working on assignment in Saudi Arabia with a friend who is well connected with the British government and aristocracy. Loved it!  This is black comedy, right up there with the best drama-satire-political commentary I've seen in years. It's like watching John Stewart, Steven Colbert and  Monty Python wrestling with Dick Cheney, Pat Robertson and Don Rumsfeld with a little 007 and Monica Lewinski thrown in. Series contains three seasons: House of Cards, Playing the King and Final Cut.

Homer's Odyssey is the inspiration for this hilarious film about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi backed up by an infectious soundtrack of backwoods bluegrass music and a cappella performances.   Sexy, funny and a twisted glimpse at the redneck nature and know-it-alls, O' Brother Where Art Thou is the perfect date movie and a tremendous opportunity to laugh the night away.

Mix up a wife with a wandering eye, 1940's Europe, and espionage  with  a jealous actor and you have the backdrop of this WWII satire that ridicules the Nazi's and brings comic relief to war-torn America and Europe.  TO BE OR NOT TO BE is both the title and the password used by clandestine lovers, (a German officer and the actress) to arrange rendezvous.  Only the husband starts to realize something is up when every time he begins the soliloquy on stage, a man leaves the theater.

This is one of those movies we had no idea would end up on this list having not seen the play and missing it in the theater.  In fact, we went into it cold, rather reluctantly, not knowing what it was about or why it won Best Picture, as big budget musicals really aren't our thing.  That said, imagine our surprise when we discovered, we love this movie, musical and all!  Chicago mixes all of the distastefulness of celebrity and tabloid journalism in a satirical black comedy about getting away with murder by using the press and profiting from it afterwards.  If you've ever had a cynical view of modern day journalism, Chicago, especially the scene with the reporter marionettes will leave you giggling the entire evening.  It's fun, it's fast and even if you hate musicals, you'll love Chicago!

When this film came out in 1984, we were in high school and too young to go see it so the first time we saw it was in 1987.  For the pre-rap kids who grew up on Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Foreigner and the then infant MTV, This is Spinal Tapremains the rockumentary that encapsulates the absurdity of teen obsession with bands, their lifestyle and the demigod status teens attribute to musicians.  Much of this movie is adlibbed, with a real twist of irony: the band actually became quite popular in the LA club scene!  Like the Monkey's: Monkey see, Monkey do?  Is the film art imitating reality or reality imitating art?  You decide. This is Spinal Tap remains a favorite with men and a benchmark in satirical realism!

This is the story of a kidnapping gone terribly wrong and the pure encapsulation of dark comedy dripping with satire. The characters in Fargo epitomize the word character with special recognition for Frances McDormand's Oscar winning performance as a pregnant police officer investigating the for-hire kidnapping and murder of a down-on-his-luck hapless car sales manager's wife. This is the first movie that really showed us what William H Macy is made of, as it left the audience craving more of the quirky humor and accentsof the upper Midwest. Even those from the cheese belt and badlands found it realistic enough to laugh at themselves. Yah, sure you betcha! You'll love this movie.

Fans of Hogan's Heroes will immediate recognize the genesis of their favorite sitcom in this 1953 poke at the POW experiences during WWII.  Directed by Billy Wilder, Stalag 17 follows the adventures and misadventures of a group of US POW's waiting out the war and hassling their captors at every turn.  The plot thickens when the Nazi's embed one of their own (Peter Graves) to spy on the prisoners and find out how a sabotage act against the Reich was committed.  Somehow the prisoners must sneak one of their own out of the camp to save him from being hung for espionage.  When they discover the mole, the way becomes clear.  Stalag 17 is a classic wartime film that is both dramatic and wickedly funny.

Considered by many experts one of the best comedy movies ever made, Airplane takes a satirical look at Hollywood blockbusters and classics while jabbing fun at the disaster movies so prevalent in the mid-1970's.  This film is full of one-liners and catchy sight gags, (the airplane fin weaving through the clouds to the "Jaws" theme is a stand out!) interspersed with tongue and cheek commentary on pop-culture at the time.  Though the spoof genre was established by the Pink Panther series and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Airplane made it a multi-million dollar industry. And still, though nearly 1/4 century old, it is timeless.  Airplane watches today as well as it did in the early eighties and still socks you with a belly laugh that lasts the whole night through.

What a riot this film is. Fast paced adventure with a devilish twist and an all star cast that really milks the satire. This was one of those films I picked up at a video store knowing nothing about it other than I've always enjoyed Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. My fiancé at the time and I could not stop laughing through it. The political digs were refreshing and no subject is sacred. If you like adventures spiced with satire, you'll love this film!

This film takes issue with the Clinton presidency, the Monica incident and the bombing of an Aspirin factory only rather than attacking some Soviet Block country enmeshed in civil war, to our horror we saw step-by-step the orchestration ofWag the Dog, even down to the song which hit number one on the Country charts, play out in our rush to smash Iraq.  Only this time, there is no sexual scandal. 

Eight years after its release, we're realizing the Bush Administration did the same thing with Iraq. Apropos in both decades!

This is one of those films you either love or hate.  Here's the premise: We've all been there.  A goal is in sight and you keep plugging away to get to it and just when you are about to get to it, the rules change and you have to start over, and over and over again!  Catch-22 is slang for "Damned if you do and Damned if you don't", basically a no-win situation.   Set during WWII it covers a bomber pilot's quest to run enough missions to finally be discharged, only the government keeps changing the rules. One tip, turn on Close Captioning.  Many of the jokes are so quick you'll miss them without the subtitles!

How can something so beautiful be so wicked?  Heathers is an black comedy about the high school in-crowd, all of whom happen to be named Heather except Veronica played by Winona Ryder.  Beautiful and spiteful, these girls rule the school and begin a trend of suicides for amusement by taunting their classmates.  Yet in this pre-Columbine world, a lone male student with serious psychological issues and dark ways emerges and works to convince Veronica that the ultimate stunt is to plant a bomb in the school and blow up the entire class in one mass suicide.  Veronica's not buying it. This is a delicious, wickedly funny look at high school and the perversion of teen angst. Perfect viewing prior to your 10-year High School reunion, though not necessary for the twenty year.  Fortunately for society,  even the witches grow up by then!

(Television Series, Israel)
This is a current television series, but if you don't have LinkTV (Channel 375 Direct TV or 9940 on Dish) you'll have to order it via NetFlix, Blockbuster, Amazon or other video retailers. Add it to your cue...seriously!

My favorite episode by far has to do with Amjad, a Palestinian journalist and Israeli citizen's wife's attempt to deliver their baby.  An Israeli Billionaire puts up 1million sheckles for the first baby born in 2010 as Israel and becomes incensed that a Palestinian family (Amjad's) wins and beats out the Israeli Jewish family in the next bed. So the typo institutes that the baby's name be registered as 'Israel' (hardly an option for a Palestinian given current politics) to get the 1 million sheckles. How Amjad solves this with the Jewish couple and the antics that occur throughout this episode will have you rolling in laughter. Think All in the Family meetsSeinfeld and MASH...the writing is excellent; this is satire at its best.

I'll admit, the first time I saw this film, I hated it. I caught a portion of it on cable and didn't know the whole story. All I saw was the violence. Eight years later when I decided to watch the whole film in context, I realized what a masterpiece it really is. This film has several inter-related stories that are played out in short skits that cover the absurdity of drugs, crime and other underworld activities in a fast-paced yet violent staccato tempo infused with satire that Tarantino has become known for.

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay, 1994

This was a toss up between two Gene Wilder Films that make fun of westerns: Blazing Saddles and The Frisco Kid.  We chose the Frisco Kid as it is the lesser known of the two and we love the Rabbi/Cowboy angle.

Gene Wilder, a naive 19th-century Polish rabbi makes a sincere and sympathetic hero, his faith and courage seeing him through one crisis after another, and fresh-faced Ford makes an endearing scamp of a bank robber. The meandering adventure, overlong at two hours, takes its time as the duo traverses the gorgeous American countryside and end up in the bustling Barbary Coast San Francisco of the Gold Rush era. This film adds a new twist to Westerns and both endears and makes fun of them using comic satire and absurdity.

Mel Brooks is the eternal prankster and History of the World Part One is the troop's crowning achievement.  Brooks makes history fun by making fun of it through their trademark sight gags and 'roundabout dialog which can make the viewer dizzy.

Rather than give it away, take an afternoon and prepare to laugh at everything from Moses and the 15, oops 10 commandments to the Roman Empire's reign.  Just don't use any of the answers on a history test! 

How do you get away with murder when your a big wig executive of a motion picture studio?  This is the storyline The Player addresses.  Half the fun of this movie is spotting all of the cameo appearances by Hollywood royalty, most of whom play themselves in this venomous look at the cutthroat culture that makes Hollywood what it is today.

Cameos by over 40 well-known actors!

Nicole Kidman shows us her comedic side, (and wins a Golden Globe® for Best Actress) in this dark comedy paralleling a real life murder situation. 

 Like Fargo, To Die For takes real events and puts a twist on them with Nicole playing the central narcissistic character who believes only people who are on TV count because who would want to watch anyone who didn't count.  Viciously funny, this movie illustrates the American public's fascination with the media, celebrity and ultimately our desire for justice, mob style.

Ever had neighbors you can't stand?  How about a whole apartment building full of them?  Paul and Mary are a married couple and Paul loses his job.  Then Mary gets raped by one of her neighbors, you see the entire building is full of swingers and this affronts Mary and Paul's morality.  When Paul accidentally killsthe swinging rapist, they discover their neighbors are quite wealthy and that murder might be a way to solve two problems: create a better living environment and get rich at the same time.  Of course, you have to do something with the bodies...maybe open a restaurant?

Eating Raoul is funny and very sinister.  It's a terrific satire on life, neighbors, convenient morals and the quest for the American dream. 

Will Smith delivers one of his best performances in this film as a slick con man praying upon a wealthy group of benefactors estranged from their college age children under the premise that each of us is only 6 people away from knowing anyone in the world. ergo the title. 

As each rich couple tries to figure out who this kid is, they encounter more and more people he has used.  Yet, he grows on them and their fascination with him points out the faults in their own lives.  The dialog is witty and the premise will have you pondering the possibilities...but you may need to watch it several times to get the ending!

This is our favorite Christopher Reeve film of all time.  Reeve plays a homosexual play write trying to steal a play by a once prominent play write (Michael Cain), but in so doing the two devise a plan to kill Cain's wife. 

Only the local psychic keeps showing up.  This film twists and turns toward climax and a surprise ending.  Fast paced and riding on the strengths of great acting and a strong script, Death Trap will keep you mesmerized through the duration. 

Clouseau is a parody of the Agatha Christie  sensation, Poirot, solving crimes and aggravating the police with satirical humor and site gags that basically make fun of detective novels. Suspicious, blundering, with a pompous little mustache and a sometimes impenetrable accent, Clouseau was always one step behind everybody else in the room.

The Pink Panther introduced Clouseau hot on the trail of a famous jewel thief (David Niven), who may be planning to make off with an expensive gem known as the Pink Panther. Set in a European ski resort, this bubbly comedy is a wonderful dose of '60s style, from the famous Henry Mancini theme music to the presence of two of Europe's top sex symbols of the era, Claudia Cardinale and Capucine.  

REALITY BITES - 4 Stars

If Heather's is about high school, Reality Bites is about life as a twenty-something in 1990's America.  Reality Bitesis generation-X's view of the world (Gen X is people born between 1965 and 1974) where everything is full of confusion, handed down and  not much to get excited about.

A world filled with a pop culture currency of bad music and poetry slams. A world where as the second lost generation members of this tiny group are over shadowed by their elders (Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964) or worse yet ascribed to the next big boom, Gen Y (1975-1993). If you're a Gen Xer, you'll get this movie; if not, it may be hard to relate. Watch for appearances by David Spade, Renee Zellweger, Kevin Pollak, Jeanne Triplehorn. 

Academy material this is not, but it is funny.  Kathleen Turner plays an uptight housewife who goes off the deep end and begins killing anyone who doesn’t follow the rules (like recycling, rewinding the video tapes or wearing white shoes after labor day).  Satirical and vicious, this movie will put any woman in a good mood, especially in the midst of chaos.

A satire about the  pitfalls of believing your own hype. Kevin Bacon plays a high-minded would-be filmmaker whose student movie wins a prestigious national award and an invitation to Hollywood. Before he knows it, he is being wined and dined by agents, producers, and studio executives, who treat him like the new Orson Welles--until he starts making his first studio movie. Then he becomes bait for the piranha-like bottom-liners, who teach him the unfortunate lesson that the flavor of the week often gets eaten alive. 

The Coen Brothers Strike again in this salute to the fast-talking comedies of the '40s, we follow Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) and his amazing rise to the top. But he's only a puppet for the evil Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman), who wants the company for himself.