Top 5 Spoof Movies
(1) Airplane:Without a doubt, this is one of THE chief 'spoof' flicks of all time. Although I have only suffered through two of the actual airport/airplane movies that inspired the spoof (and one of them only halfway through), I have seen Airplane two dozen times if I've seen it once. The whole thing is absurd, but it was given FAR more attention to detail than most of the crap that is cranked out today. I mean, let's face it, how much time and effort was put into the ENTIRE Scary Movie franchise after the first one met with lukewarm success? Airplane is a FAR superior movie than any of the more recent offerings. A great script with some classic gags. Good fun for everyone.
(2) Young Frankenstein: Although it might be a tiny bit of a stretch to call this a spoof movie, I think this Mel Brooks masterpiece counts. Perhaps this is actually more of an homage than a spoof, but it clearly plays off of the same stuff that put Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff on the Hollywood walk of fame. While this is a very silly movie, the quality of the comedy in this film is far superior to some of Brooks' later offerings. When compared to Spaceballs or Robin Hood: Men in Tights, there simply IS no comparison... Young Frankenstein is the superior film by far.
(3) Monty Python and the Holy Grail: A spoof, or just a reason for the Monty Python gang to skip around with a pair of coconuts? You be the judge, but I think it qualifies. This is a classic silly movie that every geek knows by heart... or at least remembers really, really well. If you haven't seen this hilarious movie, then your mother was probably a hamster... and your father stank of elderberries. Although this film can feel a bit long at times (all Monty Python movies have some slow spots), the individual scenes are worth it. How else could you possibly get ALL of those scenes linked into a single movie? From killer bunny rabbits to the black knight to Zoot and the Castle Anthrax...
"Oh, I am afraid our life must seem very dull and quiet
compared to yours. We are but eight score young blonds
and brunettes, all between sixteen and nineteen and a
half, cut off in this castle with no one to protect us!
Oh, it is a lonely life -- bathing, dressing, undressing,
making exciting underwear...."
...this is just an all around hilarious movie that shouldn't be missed by anyone.
(4) Blazing Saddles: Another early Mel Brooks film, this one was an irreverent eye opener in its day. Playing on themes of racism and covering toilet humor in ways that simply hadn't been tapped into before, this was debasement of the silver screen at its finest. Funnily enough, when compared to the schlock of today, or even of some of Brooks' later works (again I'm looking at Spaceballs and Robin Hood,) this is a far superior film. Although not quite as enjoyable as Young Frankenstein overall, there are probably more memorable one liners from this film that are more often quoted. "A black sheriff?!" Need I say more? Great stuff, and a deflation of the wild west genre that was sorely needed.
(5) This is Spinal Tap: This was the film that launched the Christopher Guest mockumentary series of movies that include some pretty hilarious offerings, including: Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman and For Your Consideration. Of course, this first one was actually directed by Rob Reiner, but did include several cast members that were in nearly all of the later script-from-the-hip movies, including Ed Begley, Jr., Harry Shearer and Michael McKean. Spinal Tap is a hilarious exploration of the stupidity of the hard rock movement of the '70s leading into the hairband '80s. Everyone is stupid, and the script (which included a LOT of improvisation - as all of those great later movies do) was so funny because of its authenticity. Brilliant work that spawned several equally (usually) brilliant works. My personal favorite of the group is Best in Show, but they all have a lot to offer.
