Wednesday, October 15, 2014

5 Directors Who Will Make You Laugh

“Comedy is tragedy plus time!”
-Crimes and Misdemeanors

We proudly present the Top 5 Comedy Directors of All Time.

1890-1940

The Great Dictator - Charlie Chaplin


You don’t talk about comedy without mentioning the mastermind behind the genre after film was first introduced. Charlie Chaplin created a collection of cinema treasures that will forever be celebrated, but what is even more impressive is that the films are just as laugh-out-loud funny as they were in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.

If you have not seen Chaplin’s sharp-witted shish kabobbing of WWII tyrants in The Great Dictator then it’s time to embrace a furiously funny opportunity. Chaplin, best known for his comedy, is simply delightful in this 1940 film, but you’ll see how intelligent The Tramp is when he opens his mouth to speak at the end.

Other Chaplin films: The Kid (1921) - The Gold Rush (1925) - City Lights (1931) - Modern Times (1936)

1940-1980

Annie Hall - Woody Allen


Woody Allen’s Annie Hall was a comedy gamechanger in 1977 with its fourth wall breaking and unorthodox humor. Before Allen’s scandalous moments in the negative spotlight he was churning out hit after hit with his brilliant blend of brainy humor and slapstick satire. Who could ever forget Allen sneezing into a friend’s drug of choice in the genius comedy romance? Watch as Allen skewers uppity collegiate types, falls in and out of love, and pursues a bumpy career in stand-up comedy.

Other Allen films: Bananas (1971) - Sleeper (1973) - Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Midnight in Paris (2011)

1980-1990

When Harry Met Sally - Rob Reiner


Rob Reiner does love stories right as a director and nowhere is this truer than in When Harry Met Sally starring the phenomenal Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Reiner obviously takes a page out of Allen’s romantic comedy How To guide, but personally manages to make his film more approachable for a mainstream audience.

Reiner provides energy and sophistication to his film which is just as much about sex as it is about romance, but he is not the only creative talent that should be appreciated. Without writer Nora Ephron there is no When Harry Met Sally or eternally quotable dialogue ingrained in American pop culture.

Other Reiner films: This is Spinal Tap (1984) - Stand by Me (1986) - The Princess Bride (1987) - The Bucket List (2007)

1990-2000

Wayne’s World - Penelope Spheeris


Penelope Spheeris along with Nora Ephron and Penny Marshall cleared the way for female directors and writers both in television and film. Spheeris’ film version of the famous Saturday Night Live skit is easily one of the most clever and funny films ever made. Without Spheeris as director, this film simply would not contain the edge present in each scene.

Looking back at production photos with Spheeris on set you get a sense that she could play hard with the boys and direct material with a rockin’ attitude. Ephron and Nancy Myers are great directors, but we chose Spheeris because she challenged the norm and took on projects that traditionally a man would. 

Other female directed films: Big (1988) - Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - The Proposal (2009) - In a World... (2013)

2000-Today

Shaun of the Dead - Edgar Wright


No one does physical humor like Edgar Wright. The man is purely gifted both artistically and in his writing. Never will you hear Queen’s famous tune “Can’t Stop Me Nowthe same way after sitting down for this comedy masterpiece.

Wright’s Shaun of the Dead was a surprise hit. In Wright’s film, Simon Pegg bursts on screen with geeky confidence as the titular character. From that point on, viewers are presented with an eclectic mix of dry British humor and zombie action. Wright follows his predecessors by mixing genres with genuine understanding of both comedy and horror. Shaun of the Dead is a special film that will continue to be treasured by many along with its magnificent director Edgar Wright.

Other Wright films: Hot Fuzz (2007) - Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (2010) - The Adventures of Tintin (2011) - The World’s End (2013)


Honorable Mention: Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowski), Harold Ramis (The Groundhog Day), Terry Jones (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles)

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