Fun Movies

Friday, November 5, 2010 at 4:55 pm

In this installment, we’ll take a look at some fun movies available on DVD or Blu-ray. I like to have fun, and I’m sure you do as well, so why not give a few of these a try? While they all qualify as good comedy movies, they also include elements of drama, romance, action, fantasy, and even some singing and dancing thrown in for good measure.

The best place to find all these films is Netflix. While they carry the 10 movies listed below, they also have another 99,990 in stock. That means an impressive 100,000 total films to choose from, plus the benefit of fast delivery and no late fees. Multiple subscription plans are available, so click here and become a Netflix member today.

The Graduate (1967) – Dustin Hoffman shines as a recent college graduate who tries to figure out what to do with his future while having an affair with an older woman (Anne Bancroft) and falling for her daughter (Katharine Ross). Directed by Mike Nichols, the American Film Institute considers it one of the ten greatest movies ever made.

Tootsie (1982) – Dustin Hoffman makes our list of fun movies again, this time by playing a middle-aged perfectionist actor who’s desperate for a job. After failing to land a role on a soap opera, he puts on a dress and pretends to be a woman. He gets the part and suddenly finds himself an overnight success. You can well imagine the hilarious complications that follow in this Sydney Pollack film. Co-starring Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Charles Durning, and Dabney Coleman. Lange won Best Supporting Actress for her role, while the film was also nominated for nine other Oscars.

Man on the Moon (1999) – Functioning as both a dramatic biographical tale and oddball comedy, this movie tells the story of Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey), the comedian who rose to prominence by feuding with Jerry “The King” Lawler, derailing an episode of Fridays, and portraying the eccentric foreigner Latka Gravas on television’s Taxi. Carrey does a masterful job as the unpredictable entertainer, and he’s assisted by appearances from Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti, Norm MacDonald, and Jerry Lawler (playing himself).

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor show off their immense talents as entertainers in this comical looks at Hollywood’s transition from silent films to “talkies.” You’ll fall in love with the cast, and the musical numbers (including “Good Morning,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and “All I Do Is Dream of You”) are equally praiseworthy. The film has went on to have a major impact on pop culture, being referenced in everything from Family Guy to Shanghai Knights.

Shampoo (1975) – Taking a satirical look at the sexual attitudes of the late 1960s, Shampoo stars Warren Beatty as a star hairdresser in Beverly Hills who gets plenty of action from the ladies. But when he tries to scrape up enough money to open his own salon, his womanizing ways may make things even more difficult. Set during the 24 hours prior to the election of Richard Nixon, Shampoo was nominated for four Oscars (with Lee Grant winning for Best Supporting Actress). Also starring Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Carrie Fisher, and Jack Warden.

Click here, join Netflix, and enjoy an endless array of fun movies

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) – Eddie Murphy displays his charisma and comedic timing as Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who heads to L.A. to investigate the death of his best friend. Needless to say, his streetwise ways don’t endear him to the by-the-book officers out in Beverly Hills. Judge Reinhold should thank this film for ever getting laid, and other supporting cast members include Ronny Cox, Paul Reiser, and John Ashton. Just be warned: watch this film and you’ll be humming Harold Faltermeyer’s hit tune “Axel F” for days.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) – The boys from television’s Monty Python’s Flying Circus take to the big screen for their first motion picture comprised of original material. King Arthur (Graham Chapman) rides through his domain recruiting brave men to join his Knights of the Round Table, but many of his selections leave something to be desired. And then God comes calling, charging Arthur and his men with finding the Holy Grail. After failing to do so as a group, they go their separate ways for even more disastrous misadventures. All your favorite Python members appear (including cartoons from co-director Terry Gilliam), and even the lovely Carol Cleveland gets a supporting role. Absurdist humor at its finest, with Trojan Rabbits, the Knights Who Say Ni, an especially vicious bunny, and a murder investigation that breaks the fourth wall. If you like original comedies that dare to be different, you must see this film at least once.

Held Up (1999) – In the middle of a road trip, Rae (Nia Long) finds out that Michael (Jamie Foxx) has squandered their savings on a vintage car (which actually turns out to be a piece of junk). She bolts for the airport while he’s inside a convenience store, and soon the place is held up by a confused trio of Mexican immigrants. When the local rednecks show up to help, they immediately assume Michael is the culprit. Now, our hero must get out of the store in one piece and find a way to reach Rae before she flies back home. An underrated comedy with a number of eccentric characters and a supporting cast including Barry Corbin, Roselyn Sanchez, Jake Busey, and Julie Hagerty.

Ghostbusters (1984) – Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis star as a trio of kooky paranormal investigators who suddenly stumble onto a series of very real supernatural events. Forming their own company, they butt heads with both ghosts and New York city officials while trying to help a beautiful young woman (Sigourney Weaver) who’s apartment is being haunted. A solid script, catchy theme song, and likable supporting cast still makes Ghostbusters a crowd-pleaser over 25 years later.

The Pink Panther (1963) – While a displaced princess (Claudia Cardinale) vacations at an Italian ski resort, a pair of playboys and jewel thieves (David Niven and Robert Wagner) intend to steal her prize possession, the largest diamond in the world known as the Pink Panther. But the lead jewel thief, known and idolized throughout Europe as “The Phantom” has the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) on his trail. One of the finest examples of the comically sophisticated and occasionally raunchy filmmaking of director Blake Edwards, The Pink Panther would spawn eight sequels and a 2006 revival with Steve Martin.

That’s all for our list of fun movies. Speaking of fun, I hope you enjoyed our humble look at some of the best comedies ever made. These films can be purchased at Amazon for low prices that are virtually unbeatable, or you can join Netflix and have them delivered right to your mailbox. Either way, we get a small commission and you get some serious entertainment value.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 5th, 2010 at 4:55 pm and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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