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100 best comedy movies - contributors B

Find out what our contributors’ top ten funny films are, featuring David Baddiel and Jo Brand

Read our contributors' top tens

  • The experts have spoken

    From Dan Aykroyd to Edgar Wright, browse through the film lists submitted by over 200 contributors from the worlds of TV, comedy and film.

See the full lists here

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As chosen by...

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David Baddiel

Best known for his work with Frank Skinner on ‘Baddiel and Skinner: Unplanned’ and ‘Fantasy Football’, David Baddiel performed the UK’s first ever arena comedy show with Robert Newman in 1993 following cult hits ‘The Mary Whitehouse Experience’ and ‘Newman and Baddiel in Pieces’. His film, ‘The Infidel’, starring Omid Djalili, was released in 2010. He is currently working on his fourth novel.

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Alistair Barrie

Alistair Barrie is a stand-up comedian and regular member of the team on topical show ‘The Cutting Edge’ at the Comedy Store. See Alistair Barrie live.

‘Life of Brian’ is a better film and ‘Holy Grail’ is more iconic but far, far too many phrases from ‘The Meaning Of Life’ – from ‘Hey, look, Howard's being eaten’ and ‘rubbing linseed oil into the school cormorant’ to the machine that goes ping and the wafer thin mint – will always cause my ‘penis to erect and har... den!’. My comedy penis, obviously. Is there any other kind?

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Todd Barry

New York stand-up Todd Barry has had roles in ‘Flight of the Conchords’, ‘The Larry Sanders Show’, ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Bored to Death’ as well as appearing on all the top US talk shows. He’s performed several times in the UK, most recently at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe.

I can't say this is my absolute top ten – that would be too hard to figure out. This is just in alphabetical order. I'm definitely leaving out some great movies that would be my lifetime favourites and I also wanted to throw in a couple of wildcards that might not be mentioned by other people.

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Tom Basden

Tom Basden won the if.comedy Best Newcomer Award (formerly Perrier Award) in 2007 for his debut show ‘Tom Basden Won’t Say Anything’. As well as being part of the four-member sketch group ‘Cowards’, Tom was awarded a Fringe First for his play ‘Party’, which was then developed into a Radio 4 series. He was also nominated for a Bafta for short film, ‘The One and Only Herb McGwyer plays Wallis Island’.

With special mentions for ‘Top Secret!’, ‘Dumb and Dumber’ and ‘Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’.

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Greg Behrendt

US stand-up Greg Behrendt is best known as the co-author of ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’. He plays headline tours regularly in America, brought a show to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009 and is a collector of small glass pig figures (or ‘pigurines’).

This is cut down from 200. And it became ‘Sophie’s Choice’ at the end. I left out so many. There's no John Hughes, Woody Allen or Jan Champion on here – it’s too hard. But ‘Animal House’ made me want to go to college. And so I went to that college. Not Faber, obviously – that's a fictional college. I went to the University of Oregon, where they filmed it. I am not a bright man!

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Steve Bennett

Steve Bennett is the editor of comedy website Chortle.

The combination of bleak misery and downplayed farce in ‘Withnail & I’ provide a potent, jet black comedy cocktail but the brilliance is in the endless memorable scenes, archly acerbic lines and exquisite performances from Richard E Grant, Paul McGann and Richard Griffiths. ‘Of course he's the fucking farmer!’ Classic.

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Luke Benson

Geordie comic Luke Benson has reached the final of many new act competitions, including the Amused Moose Laugh-Off and Hackney Empire New Act of the Year. He recently performed as part of the Comedy Reserve at the Edinburgh Fringe.

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Tom Binns

Tom Binns is best known on the stand-up circuit for his two character creations, hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury and spoof medium Ian D Montfort. He’s also appeared in ‘Spooks’, ‘The IT Crowd’ and ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You… with Alan Partridge’ and has presented radio shows on XFM and BRMB.

OMG ‘Life is Beautiful’ is just fucking amazing. Laugh, cry, cry some more and be inspired at how the human spirit can overcome external authority, no matter how powerful and evil.

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Andrew Bird

Comedian Andrew Bird regularly plays the British comedy circuit and has performed all over the world. Most recently he took his third solo show, ‘Andrew Bird’s Village Fete’, to the Edinburgh Fringe. See Andrew Bird live.

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Joe Bor

Joe Bor is a stand-up comedian. In 2007 he won the Jewish Comedy Factor competition. See Joe Bor live.

‘Dumb and Dumber’ is my favourite comedy because it's perfectly silly. It's Jim Carrey at his best. Great slapstick and perfectly played out moments of miscommunication and embarrassment. It's a ridiculous and hugely inventive road movie, with a wealth of quotable lines and memorable set pieces. A touching film about friendship, the original 'bromance'. I've watched it a lot and every time I watch it I find something new to laugh at.

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John Boyega

John Boyega made his screen debut in 2011 as the lead in ‘Attack the Block’. He’s currently working on British drama ‘Junkhearts’ with Eddie Marsan.

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Jo Brand

Jo Brand is one of the UK’s best-loved comedians. A pioneer of the alternative comedy scene in the late ’80s, she’s a Bafta and British Comedy Award winner, best-selling author and regular TV and radio panellist.

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Benet Brandreth

Benet Brandreth is the son of Gyles Brandreth and rhetoric coach at the RSC. He recently performed his first solo show, ‘The Brandreth Papers’, at the Edinburgh Fringe.

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Rob Broderick

Rob Broderick is one half of incredibly impressive hip-hop impro duo Abandoman. They are regulars on CBBC’s ‘Dick and Dom’s Funny Business’ and are winners of the Musical Comedy Awards and Hackney Empire New Act of the Year award. See Rob Broderick live.

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Spencer Brown

A regular on the London stand-up scene, Spencer Brown has also performed on NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’ series and played Rufus in ‘Nathan Barley’. See Spencer Brown live.

Within the first few moments of ‘Brewster McCloud’, I had a feeling it was going to be one of my all-time favourites. The comedy begins almost before the film does; the MGM lion roars in silence, then a voiceover states ‘I forgot the opening line’. It is this playful anarchy that permeates the film, continuing to the very last moment when the cast walk into shot dressed as clowns to do a curtain call, (nearly) all alive and well. It subverts things that you just don’t expect to be subverted. It is funny in a way that you can’t put your finger on – sometimes it seems like a kind of meta-Marx Brothers effect, as if they’d been allowed to inject their lunacy into the fabric of the film itself. Both bold and subtle, it’s a film of contrasts and juxtapositions. Take Jennifer Salt’s intense erotic outpourings as she watches Bud Cort doing his pull-ups, indifferent not only to her but his whole surroundings. It’s weird, sexy but most of all funny. A masterpiece like this needs to be seen.


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Marissa Burgess

Marissa Burgess is a freelance comedy journalist and regular writer for the Manchester Evening News.

I’ve a soft spot for the Ealing Comedies – their quintessential Englishness, daft farce and wonderful quirkiness. But there's something extra special about the dark and sinister undertones in ‘The Ladykillers’: Lom and Guinness are positvely menacing. Plus a dear, sweet old pensioner manages to inadvertently outwit the hoods. What's not to like?


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Bill Burr

Bill Burr is an American stand-up who first gained a following from a recurring role on ‘Chappelle’s Show’. He’s performed multiple times on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ and has had his own half-hour special on HBO.

In ‘Goodfellas’, Joe Pesci’s comedic timing is impeccable. Who knew a mass murderer could be so funny? Despite all his horrific behaviour, when I watch this film I find myself still wanting to hang out with Tommy.

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