“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 Now” the 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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