They're back to save America from the '90s

Starring: Gary Cole, Shelly Long, Henriette Mantel, Christine Taylor, Paul Sutera, Jennifer Elise Cox, Jesse Lee Soffer, David Graf, Michael McKean

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"I live next door to her, and she's harder to get into than a Pearl Jam concert." - Eric Dittmeyer talking about Marcia Brady

Why watch this? If you watched this family sitcom on TV, then this is for you.

Plot Summary: The Brady family, stuck in their 1970s sensibility, finds themselves transported to the 1990s where their house is in jeopardy of being sold due to unpaid taxes. A scheming neighbor, Larry Dittmeyer, hopes to acquire their property to build a shopping mall. The Brady kids, discovering the financial dilemma, work together to try and raise the necessary funds to save their home.

Dad's Preview: The Brady Bunch was always on TV. I loved it, regardless of how innocent and hokey it came across. It still cracks me up... I mean, they had Astroturf in the backyard! This is precisely why this movie works. Imagine the Brady family today in our modern world! It's a riot. Their hair. Their mannerisms. Their wise-cracking maid Alice! All actors perfectly play the bunch, and it is a ton of retro-fun.

The Ladd Company; Paramount Pictures

May The Farce Be With You.

Starring: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rock Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Michael Winslow, Joan Rivers

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Yes, we're gonna have to go right to ludicrous speed." - Dark Helmet

Why watch this? Too many space films deserved a spoof - Mr. Brooks delivered.

Plot Summary: On the planet Spaceball, the air supply is running low, forcing the evil President Skroob to send his henchman Dark Helmet to steal the air from the peaceful planet Druidia. To accomplish this, Dark Helmet kidnaps Princess Vespa, hoping to ransom her for the code to Druidia's atmospheric shield. However, a renegade space pilot named Lone Starr and his loyal half-man, half-dog sidekick Barf are hired by Druidia's King Roland to rescue the princess.

Dad's Preview: It's zany. It plays on every Star Wars scenario and catchphrase. It's bonkers. And yes, it most certainly is ludicrous! Parody mastermind Mel Brooks works with an all-star cast to pull off a very funny movie, despite campy scenery and garage-level special effects... perhaps that is part of the point. The plot is not important. Our space travelers jump from bad joke to pun to sight gag, and back again. Just strap yourself in and enjoy the raunchy rocket ride.  

Brooksfilms; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Some interviews with some vampires.

Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jackie van Beek, Jason Hoyte

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Why does it matter? You bring them over, you kill them! Vampires don't do dishes!" – Deacon

Why watch this? Taika Waititi is on a roll. His off-kilter films are so creative, as is this one.

Plot Summary: Three vampires, Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav, navigate the difficulties of modern life in New Zealand. A documentary crew films their daily lives, which include paying bills, completing chores, and interacting with other supernatural beings and the human world. The vampires' lives change when a human familiar is turned into a vampire, and they must adjust to a new member.

Dad's Preview: This off-the-wall vampire comedy bit me right from the start. True, the four main characters are blood-sucking fiends, but they're also just roommates, sharing a flat in Te Aro, New Zealand. They endure many of the same issues all co-habitants have: a messy kitchen, noisy guests, blood all over the couch, dead bodies lying around. It's hilarious. Each vampire lived in a different time in history, which leads to constant cultural bickering. My fav is the pale Nosferatu, who mostly stays in his creepy basement coffin. 

Resnick Interactive Dev., Unison Films, Defender Films, New Zealand Film Comm.;
Madman Entertainment

The Beatles starring in their first full-length, hilarious action-packed film!

Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Wilfrid Brambell, Norman Rossington, John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Anna Quayle

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Turned left at Greenland." – John, when asked how he found America.

Why watch this? At the risk of riling England's snooty demeanor, four lads decided to rock... and have fun.

Plot Summary: There's a plot?... Just kidding. This follows The Beatles as they navigate the chaotic demands of their newfound fame while preparing for a televised performance. Their attempts to evade screaming fans and fulfill their commitments are complicated by Paul's mischievous grandfather, who adds a layer of comical mayhem to their escapades. Despite the antics and challenges, the band ultimately makes it to their performance, showcasing their music and signature wit along the way.

Dad's Preview: It's fast-paced, hard to follow, manic, disorienting, irreverent, and very juvenile. The behaviors were what 1960's parents loathed. Cut your hair! Stop making that noise! Don't talk to me that way! Do what you're told! Well these blokes from Liverpool were not having any of that. The fab four spoke to millions of disenchanted teens across the globe and had a great time doing it. This film is a semi-mockumentary about how much these guys loved to misbehave. It is also a metaphor for the evolution of their musical style. They quickly became icons and would create music that changed the hearts of those willing to listen. 

Walter Shenson Films; Proscenium Films; United Artists

The wild hot-line suspense comedy.

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones, Tracy Reed

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" - President Merkin Muffley

Why watch this? This is THE great black comedy about the Cold War.

Plot Summary: In this Cold War satire, a paranoid US General unilaterally initiates a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. This forces the President, his advisors, and a British liaison officer to desperately try and recall the bombers before the situation escalates into global catastrophe. However, unforeseen obstacles and misunderstandings complicate their efforts to prevent a devastating worldwide nuclear exchange.

Dad's Preview: This film is often in the discussion for greatest comedy ever made. I do like it, but it's just too satirical for me. I guess I just don't think nuclear annihilation is that funny. From the film's standpoint, launching the bomb IS the point. This Kubrick project has an all-star cast, and features the brilliant Peter Sellers in several roles. The final scene, where Slim Pickens rides the missile, is a dark comedy scene for the ages.

Hawk Films; Columbia Pictures

If he were any cooler, he'd still be frozen, baby!

Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Michael York, Fabiana Udenio, Will Ferrell, Mimi Rogers

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You know, I have one simple request, and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!" – Dr. Evil

Why watch this? All great comedy bits need an introduction. This one blows the lid off.

Plot Summary: A hip British secret agent from the 1960s is cryogenically frozen and thawed out in the 1990s to combat his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil, who has also been frozen and resurrected. Austin must adapt to the vastly different world of the 90s while trying to stop Dr. Evil's latest plan for global domination.

Dad's Preview: As silly as it is absurd, this film is a deep dive into the mind of the talented Mike Myers. I remember thinking "what a dumb concept". Boy, was I wrong. You can't help but fall in love with this James Bond spy spoof. Myers' comedic genius shines through as he portrays the out-dated British Secret Agent, and also his greatest foe, the chrome-domed mastermind Dr. Evil. Elizabeth Hurley also shines as his sexy assistant. If you don't find this humor funny, I can't help you.

New Line Productions, Eric's Boy, KC Medien, Moving Pictures; New Line Cinema

First, he fought for the Crown. Now he's fighting for the Family Jewels.

Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Mindy Sterling, Seth Green, Verne Troyer, Gia Carides, Will Ferrell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"If you've got a time machine, why don't you just go back in time and kill Austin Powers when he's on the crapper or something?" – Scott Evil

Why watch this? AP2 is more of the same, and by "more" I mean, bloody wonderful more!

Plot Summary: Once again Austin Powers must square off against his nemesis, Dr. Evil. Only this time, His Baldness has been, that's right, cloned, in the form of the 2 ft. 6 in. Mini-Me - a little person with a big temper. Austin Powers has mysteriously lost his "mojo", so he travels back to 1969 and enlists blonde-bombshell CIA Agent Felicity Shagwell. Together they take on Dr. Evil and his most notorious henchman, the nasty Fat Bastard!

Dad's Preview:  If you liked Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) this raunchy, hilarious romp will thrill you. This is a confident comedian, Mike Myers, at the peak of his creative mastery. Part of why these films are so funny is that Powers can be sexist, and he gets a pass because he literally is from a time when that was somewhat excepted. He gets most of the laughs at his own expense... and I can laugh at that all day long. 

Eric's Boy, Team Todd, Moving Pictures; New Line Cinema

Dr. Evil on the loose. A sexy new cohort. Mini-Me at your side. Oh, Baby, Yeah!

Starring: Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, Michael York, Michael Caine, Seth Green, Verne Troyer, Mindy Sterling, Fred Savage

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"There are two things in the world I can't stand: people who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch." – Nigel Powers

Why watch this? Powers' third and final outing puts forth a hilarious, well-oiled comedy.

Plot Summary: Groovy spy Austin Powers learns that his famous spy father, Nigel Powers, has been kidnapped by a Dutch villain named Goldmember, who has an obsession with gold. Austin travels back in time to the year 1975 to stop Goldmember and rescue his father, where he encounters FBI Agent, Foxxy Cleopatra, who joins him on his mission. Together, they must foil Goldmember and Dr. Evil's plot, which involves a tractor beam designed to pull a molten meteor of gold to Earth, threatening global devastation

Dad's Preview: In this outing, Myers takes on four roles: Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and, back again, the blubber-filled Scottish mass known as Fat Bastard. It's a fitting end to the film series with lots of laughs. The scene on the submarine where Powers and Mini-Me are forced to take a Navy physical is one of the funniest comedy bits I can remember.

Gratitude International, Team Todd, Moving Pictures; New Line Cinema

Prepare to crank those amps up to eleven

Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins

Why watch this? It's entertaining to watch these faux rock stars, and their screwed-up values.

Plot Summary: British heavy metal band Spinal Tap is on their ill-fated 1982 United States tour. The film chronicles the band's struggles with declining popularity, botched performances, and internal squabbles, offering a satirical look at the music industry. Ultimately, it captures the band's relentless pursuit of success despite numerous setbacks and their exaggerated sense of self-importance.

Dad's Preview: This is the original film that coined the term "mockumentary". Director Carl Reiner and the three lead actors: Guest, McKean and Shearer, immerse us into the world of '80's heavy metal rock and roll. It's as outrageous and over-the-top as the music it parodies. The band is about success and more, more, more - all with hilarious results. This same team of actors would go on to give us Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best In Show (2000) and several more fine films spoofing the odd aspects of our existence. 

Karen Murphy; Embassy Pictures

What's slower than a speeding bullet, and able to hit tall buildings at a single bound?

Starring: Robert Hayes, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Stephen Stucker, Barbara Billingsley

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?" - cabin announcement by Head Flight Attendant Elaine Dickinson

Why watch this? A superb comedy if you just want to laugh and not have to think.

Plot Summary: (as if the plot matters...) When the crew and passengers of a commercial flight fall victim to severe food poisoning, a former fighter pilot, who is afraid of flying, must step up to the challenge. With the help of a gruff air-traffic controller and his old commander, he faces his fears and attempts to land the plane safely. He navigates difficult weather and personal trauma to ensure the lives of everyone on board.

Dad's Preview: "Surely, you must love this film?"... "I do... and please don't call me Shirley". This is the spoof of all film spoofs, taking aim at the Airport franchise. It's a series of absurd situations, snappy one-liners, and it is ALL hilarious! You'll find something you like amid all the segments, be it a sex-craved inflatable autopilot, the dingy stewardess, or the airport control tower loaded with morons and drug-addicts.

Howard W. Koch Productions; Paramount Pictures

A romantic comedy. With zombies.

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, Nicola Cunningham, Keir Mills, Matt Jaynes

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Who died and made you f***ing king of the zombies?" - Shaun

Why watch this? It was high-time for a zombie comedy, a zomedy, if you will!

Plot Summary: Shaun, an ordinary electronics salesman, faces the challenge of a zombie apocalypse sweeping through London. He decides to embark on a quest to rescue his girlfriend Liz, his mother, and their close friends, intending to seek refuge in his favorite pub, The Winchester. Alongside his best friend Ed, Shaun must navigate the chaotic, undead-ridden city and find a way to survive this unexpected challenge to his mundane life.

Dad's Preview: Like the oncoming undead themselves, Zombie films had over-run the film market. This fresh take on that genre is creative and really, REALLY funny. It strikes the right balance between comedy, satire, and playful gore. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together are an unstoppable comedic duo. You'll have to chuckle when the two unwilling, unqualified heroes resort to flinging selections from their vinyl LP collection at the slow-plodding ghouls.  

StudioCanal, WT² Prod., Big Talk Prod.; Universal Pictures

If you see only one movie this year...you ought to get out more often.

Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy, O. J. Simpson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"It's true what they say: Cops and women don't mix. It's like eating a spoonful of Drano. Sure, it'll clean you out, but it'll leave you hollow inside." – Frank Drebin

Why watch this? To laugh... A lot. It's non-stop.

Plot Summary: Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad investigates the attempted murder of his partner, Nordberg. This investigation leads him to uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Los Angeles. Frank must work to thwart the assassination attempt, find out who shot Nordberg, and manage his romantic entanglement with Jane Spencer, the assistant to the suspicious businessman Vincent Ludwig.

Dad's Preview: I thought the silly Airplane! (1980) was entertaining with its puns and goofy skits and sight gags. It also starred straight-faced Leslie Nielsen. Why Naked Gun impacted me so differently I cannot guess, but I love this film. It is a spin-off from a failed TV show that was cancelled after 8 episodes! Nielsen plays dead-pan police Lt. Frank Drebin. He bumbles his way through every scene with hilarious skill (or lack of). Every gag and funny line feels new. You'll find it hard to stop laughing. I DO recommend the two sequels - they are almost as funny as the original.

Paramount Pictures

We're not your classic heroes, we're the other guys.

Starring: Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Reubens, Wes Studi, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Waites, Lena Olin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"We've got a blind date with destiny... and it looks like she's ordered the lobster." - Eddie, The Shoveller

Why watch this? It's so much fun to watch a bunch of screw-ups win the day.

Plot Summary: A group of underachieving, self-proclaimed superheroes in Champion City are constantly upstaged by the city's popular and corporate-sponsored hero, Captain Amazing. When Captain Amazing's nemesis, Casanova Frankenstein, is released and kidnaps the hero, the misfit team must band together to save both Captain Amazing and their city. Along the way, the Mystery Men recruit other heroes with peculiar powers and learn to work together despite their quirks.

Dad's Preview: The Summary above makes this film sound so sanitized. Well, it's not. It's fugly. It's irreverant. It's hilarious. Personally, I'd never make it as a real super-hero, but with these guys, I might have a chance. This cobbled-together team of misfits must find a way to save the day. This flick manages to develop its characters and be completely snarky along the way. The actors, even the stern Wes Studi, seem to be having a great time. I so enjoy the masterful Geoffrey Rush as the notorious villain: Casanova Frankenstein.

Golar Productions, Dark Horse Ent.; Universal Studios

It took God six days to create the earth, and Monty Python just 90 minutes to screw it up.

Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Carol Cleveland, Simon Jones

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You always talk, you Americans. You talk and you talk and say 'let me tell you something' and 'I just wanna say this'. Well, you're dead now, so shut up!" - The Grim Reaper

Why watch this? If you don't mind a little fake blood, I recommend the segment called Live Organ Donors.

Plot Summary: This absurdist comedy explores the various stages of human existence from birth to death through a series of darkly humorous and often surreal sketches. The film delves into themes such as religion, sex, war, and the mundanity of everyday life, all with the unique and irreverent style of the Monty Python troupe. Ultimately, it offers a comedic and philosophical inquiry into the nature and purpose of life itself.

Dad's Preview: This Python offering is a series of skits pertaining to life, and humanity's search for the "why". If you are easily offended, then you might want move along. It pokes fun at everything... and everybody. It's absurdist satire at its most vitriolic. If you can get past that, it also happens to be extremely hilarious. Mature audiences ONLY!

Celandine Films, Monty Python Partnership; Universal Pictures

Steve Martin is a world famous surgeon. He invented screw top, zip lock brain surgery. Trust him.

Starring: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner, Paul Benedict, George Furth, James Cromwell, Merv Griffin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"The only time we doctors should accept death is when it's caused by our own incompetence!" – Dr. Hfuhruhurr

Why watch this? This is Steve Martin at the pinnacle of his "wild and crazy" era.

Plot Summary: World-renowned brain surgeon, Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr, has his life takes a bizarre turn after marrying a conniving femme fatale whose life he saved. Driven to distraction by his wife's antics, he falls in love with the disembodied, telepathic brain of another woman, Anne Uumellmahaye, stored in a jar at a Vienna laboratory. Amidst a series of murders in the city, the doctor finds himself entangled in a comedic search for a body for his new jar-enclosed sweetheart.

Dad's Preview: As a Martin fan, I instantly loved this off-the-wall comedy. You'll have to suspend all logic and believability, which is really the point. The collaboration of director Reiner and comedian Martin proves to be a comedic gold mine. The film, with all its absurdity, is hilarious. And remember: don't drink and drive in Austria. Their drunk driving test is impossible!

Aspen Film Society; Warner Bros.

The story of a nobody who saved everybody

Starring: (the voices of) Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Hey, I can be dark and brooding too - Guys, look, a rainbow!" - Emmet

Why watch this? A movie... using Legos... to make characters... and I love it. Wow.

Plot Summary: Emmet is an ordinary, rules-following construction worker in Bricksburg who is mistakenly identified as "The Special" – a prophesied hero destined to save the world. He is recruited by a group of Master Builders to stop the tyrannical Lord Business from using a super-weapon called the Kragle to freeze the entire Lego universe into eternal stasis. Despite being completely unprepared for such a task, Emmet embarks on an epic journey to prove that even an ordinary mini-figurine can be extraordinary.

Dad's Preview: There is no way a mature film critic such as myself can become emotionally involved with a bunch of Lego creations. That would be INCORRECT! It is so easy to enjoy this film. It's crazy, chock full of pop and comics references, witty... and so darn funny! Hats off to the script writers and animators. And Will Arnett may be the second best Batman voice in all of nerd-dome (nobody can touch Kevin Conroy's Batman). Here - Everything is Awesome - literally. Pew, pew, pew!

Warner Animation Gp., DC Ent., RatPac-Dune Ent., Lego System A/S,
Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Prod.; Warner Bros.

The show has been cancelled... But the adventure has only begun.

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Enrico Colantoni, Missi Pyle, Jed Rees, Justin Long

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Never give up. Never surrender!" - Commander Taggart

Why watch this? ... it's a parody of Star Trek's campiness, but has a heart of its own.

Plot Summary: The alumni cast of a canceled space opera television series, known for their roles on the spaceship NSEA Protector, find themselves stuck attending conventions and making other trivial appearances. However, their mundane lives are disrupted when they are approached by an alien race, the Thermians, who, having watched the old show, believe it to be real historical documents. The Thermians enlist the cast's help in battling a formidable reptilian warlord, forcing the actors to navigate a genuine interstellar conflict while pretending to be the heroes they once played.

Dad's Preview: An all-star cast makes this Trek parody a laugh-a-minute. I was pleasantly surprised by the comedic chops displayed by Allen and Weaver. Alan Rickman also slays it as the Spock-like character. However, a big surprise is Sam Rockwell, as red-shirted Crew Member #6 who is convinced he's going to die, because all red-shirts get killed in the TV episodes. He steals every scene!

Gran Via Productions; DreamWorks Pictures

Some pets deserve a little more respect than others.

Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I went to one of those obedience places once... it was all going well until they spilled hot candle wax on my private parts." - Buck Laughlin

Why watch this? ... it's an oddball comedy about oddballs, and it's so rewardingly humorous.

Plot Summary: This story follows a quirky group of dog owners and their beloved canines as they compete in the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. It highlights the eccentric personalities and relationships of the participants in this competitive world. Through a series of interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses, we see the various preparations, anxieties, and comical situations that arise on their journey to win "Best in Show".

Dad's Preview: This is such a wonderful effort from the warped minds of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. It follows the strange cult of the Dog Show circuit and the quirks of canine owners. We have over-obsessive yuppies, the gay power couple, the old country boy and his bloodhound - just to name a few. As they enthusiastically compete for the grand prize, we get to chew on laughs galore.

Castle Rock Entertainment; Warner Bros.

Mel Brooks' comic saga of cowboys and imbeciles.

Starring: Clevon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, David Huddleston, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Alex Karras, Claude E. Starrett Jr., Carol Arthur

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Where the white women at?" - Sheriff Bart

Why watch this? ... because this hilarious comedy could not be made today.

Plot Summary: In order to drive away the townspeople of Rock Ridge and acquire their land, a corrupt politician appoints a Black man, Bart, as their new sheriff, expecting him to be run out of town. However, the new sheriff, aided by a skilled but troubled gunslinger, The Waco Kid, defies expectations and rallies the reluctant citizens to defend their home. Together, they face down a variety of absurd and dangerous obstacles, ultimately exposing the villain's scheme.

Dad's Preview: How do you talk about racism in 1974 - make a comedy about it, of course! Then you set it in the most racist chapter of American history - the Old West. Thank you Mel Brooks. Oh, it's funny, like off the charts funny. It also would never have happened this way in real life. That absurdity makes the whole thing even more humorous. The white townsfolk serve as the film's "comic relief", turning the typical Western trope on its head. Little and Wilder are wisely allowed to steal the show. Madeline Kahn is at her loveable, sleazy best. Warning - the "N" word is used a lot.

Crossbow Productions; Warner Bros.

Laugh... or I'll blow your lips off!

Starring: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, Carl Reiner and special appearances by Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, Burt Lancaster, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart to name a few noir stars.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Carlotta was the kind of town where they spell trouble T-R-U-B-I-L, and if you try to correct them, they kill you." - Det. Rigby Reardon

Why watch this? This Steve Martin comedy stands alone for its incredible creativity.

Plot Summary: This black-and-white comedy-mystery parodies and pays tribute to classic film noir. Private eye, Rigby Reardon, is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy scientist. He interacts with a host of seedy, even murderous, characters in his quest to solve the crime.

Dad's Preview: Martin's SNL skits were getting stale. His first movie, The Jerk (1979), just failed to wow me. Then he releases this comedic treasure - Wow. The film's who-done-it plot consists of inter-spliced scenes from many of Hollywood's most famous noir films of the 1940's. We follow detective Rigby Reardon as he encounters gangsters (Burt Lancaster, Alan Ladd, Vincent Price) and femme fatales (Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, Bette Davis) on his way to solving the big case. Rachel Ward fogs up the camera as his sultry cohort. It's so good, many of you will never guess that Martin's scenes interact with actors who have been dead for years.

Aspen Film Society; Universal Pictures

The scariest comedy of all time!

Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Kenneth Mars, Madeline Kahn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?" - Dr. Frederick Frankenstein

Why watch this? It's perhaps now more of a classic than the films it spoofs!

Plot Summary: Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, is a respected neurosurgeon who tries to distance himself from his family's eccentric legacy. He inherits his ancestor's Transylvanian castle and, after discovering his grandfather's scientific journals, becomes intrigued by the potential of reanimating the dead. Aided by his hunchbacked assistant Igor and a lab assistant named Inga, Frederick attempts to bring a corpse to life, inadvertently creating a monster.

Dad's Preview: This comedy, along with Blazing Saddles (1974), was made at the height of director Mel Brooks' popularity. It goofs on the classic Universal Studios Frankenstein movies. Presented aptly in black and white, Brooks really captures the mood of those old classic horror films. Much of this film's success can be attributed to its leading cast. There is a chemistry, and you can tell they were having a good time, especially the impish, bug-eyed Marty Feldman - that guy was a notorious on-set prankster, and he has always made me laugh.

Gruskoff/Venture Films, Crossbow Prod. Inc., Louer Limited; 20th Century Fox

Sets the Cinema Back 900 Years!

Starring: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Connie Booth, Carol Cleveland, Neil Innes, Bee Duffell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #22 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Rabbit Hole of Monty Python and the Holy Grail

"We better not risk another frontal assault. That rabbit's dynamite!" - King Arthur

Why watch this? This irreverent, Medieval comedy from Python is legendary.

Plot Summary: King Arthur gathers his Knights of the Round Table and is instructed by God to embark on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Their journey is filled with absurd and surreal encounters, including taunting French soldiers, the Black Knight, a killer rabbit, and the Knights Who Say Ni. The film follows their individual and collective misadventures as they brave various obstacles in pursuit of the mythical relic.

Dad's Preview: This may seem adolescent, but I am certain there is genius within some offensive comedies. Said genius is on par with classic films, the likes of Casablanca (1942), Pulp Fiction (1994), Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010). However, critics will always dismiss these gems as "in poor taste", "vulgar" or "you need therapy". I get it - not classy enough... One too many jokes about flatulence. Fie! What a disservice! Holy Grail is entertaining from start to finish. It will always make ME laugh, and therein lies its genius.

Python Pictures, Michael White Prod., National Film Trustee Co; EMI Films