100 Best Comedy Movies - Contributors Lists - C

The contributors to our list of the 100 best comedy movies, featuring Andrew Collins, Richard Curtis and Dan Clark

As chosen by...

Linked title denotes top 100 placing

Susan Calman

Susan Calman gave up a lucrative career in law to become a stand-up comedian. She’s a regular on BBC Radio Scotland and has made appearances on Radio 4’s ‘The News Quiz’ and ITV’s ‘Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford’.

‘Tootsie’ remains my favourite comedy of all time. Whenever I’m filming a TV show and I see the cameras moving back I think of the fabulous lines: “I'd like to make her look a little more attractive, how far can you pull back?” Cameraman: “How do you feel about Cleveland?” Excellent performances all round and genuine laugh-out-loud moments.

Antonia Campbell-Hughes

Antonia Campbell-Hughes’ screen career has included a wonderful turn in Jane Campion’s ‘Bright Star’ and a recurring role as Sam in Jack Dee’s BBC sitcom ‘Lead Balloon’.

1. Pet Sematary II (Mary Lambert, 1992)
2. Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
3. Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann, 1992)
4. Muriel’s Wedding (P. J. Hogan, 1994)
5. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (David Mirkin, 1997)
6. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)
7. Wayne's World 2 (Stephen Surjik, 1993)
8. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987)
9. Meet The Parents (Jay Roach, 2000)
10. National Lampoons European Vacation (Harold Ramis, 1983)

Peter Capaldi

Peter Capaldi played vicious, sweary loudmouth Malcolm Tucker in ‘The Thick of It’ on TV, and ‘In the Loop’ in cinemas. His next film is called ‘Big Fat Gypsy Gangster’, which has to be good.

Plus I’d have all of ‘The Larry Sanders Show’, even though it’s not a film.

Stephen Carlin

Stephen Carlin is a deadpan, snooker-obsessed stand-up comedian. He was named one of the ‘ten best comedians in the world ever’ by Stewart Lee and has supported him on tour. See Stephen Carlin live.

I was livid when ‘Clerks’ came out. As I watched it, there was this dawning realisation that a future Stephen Carlin could never invent something like ‘Clerks’ because they'd gone and beaten me to it.

Dominic Cavendish

Dominic Cavendish is the deputy theatre critic and comedy critic for The Telegraph.

Jarred Christmas

Alfie Hitchcock

Jarred Christmas is a London-based Kiwi comic and regular MC for Time Out’s comedy events. He’s a Chortle Award-winning compere, has appeared on ‘Dave’s One Night Stand’, ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’ and ‘Let’s Dance for Comic Relief’ and has danced like Beyonce in various Pot Noodle adverts. See Jared Christmas live.

‘Ace Ventura’ was the first film that I cried and hyperventilated watching. I immediately watched it again and still laugh whenever I watch it.

Dan Clark

Ray Burmiston

Dan Clark is the writer, producer and star of BBC3 sitcom ‘How Not To Live Your Life’, which has run for three seasons to date.

There are rom-cons and comedy dramas, then there are pure comedy films whose main purpose is to be very funny. So even though my favourite film of all time is ‘The Apartment’, I couldn't put it at the top of this list. Same goes for films like ‘Annie Hall’ (and many other Woody Allen films). They simply aren't as genuinely laugh out loud as ‘Life of Brian’, which somehow manages to have a linear plot, a three-act structure and a satirical concept while containing some of the funniest, most quotable gags and set pieces ever.

Laurence Clark

Andy Hollingworth

Laurence Clark topped Shortlist magazine’s Britain’s Ten Funniest New Comedians in 2009 and has performed five Edinburgh Fringe shows.

I picked ‘Clockwise’ mainly for the amazing Joan Hickson’s dotty Mrs Trellis who, throughout the whole film, just witters on about sherry glasses.

Johnny Cochrane

Johnny Cochrane reached the finals of the Jongleurs and Loaded Lafta new act competitions.

1. American Pie (Paul Weitz, 1999)
2. Tropic Thunder (Ben Stiller, 2008)
3. Brüno (Larry Charles, 2009)
4. Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993)
5. Borat (Larry Charles, 2006)
6. There’s Something About Mary (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 1998)
7. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Guy Ritchie, 1998)
8. The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)
9. Heavy Weights (Steven Brill, 1995)
10. Friday (F. Gary Gray, 1995)

‘American Pie’ gets it because it was a great film that came out at a time when I was also in school and it became significant for that reason. It inspired me and my friends to hatch a plan to lose our virginities over a field in a tent. Didn't work out!

Sarah Cohen

Sarah is the Listings editor for the Time Out website

Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins is the co-writer of sitcoms ‘Grass’ with Simon Day and ‘Not Going Out’ with Lee Mack. He is also the film editor of the Radio Times, a regular radio presenter and podcaster.

If Laurel and Hardy's best work hadn't been shorts, they'd have been near the top, but for sheer durability it's impossible to touch the Pythons’ first proper feature, which my dad took me to as a rite of passage and whose soundtrack LP I had already memorised. As evidenced by my list, I have a presiding soft spot for spoofs, but ‘Holy Grail’ goes way beyond genre parody into surreal japery and majestic daftness, and it might be the filthiest film ever made.

Ali Cook

Ali Cook is a magician and comedian who regularly plays the comedy circuit and Edinburgh Fringe. He was in Channel 5’s ‘Monkey Magic’ and Channel 4’s ‘Dirty Tricks’ and has also appeared on ITV’s ‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’.

I watched ‘Anchorman’ for the first time on a plane and I'd never heard of it before. I'm terrified of flying but it made me laugh so much I completely forgot about my fears. Steve Carrell is just incredibly funny in it, his character is amazing.

John Cooper

John Cooper is a stand-up and character comedian performing live as Danny Pensive.

1. Monty Python's Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979)
2. Way Out West (James W. Horne, 1937)
3. Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)
4. Dad's Army
5. Top Secret! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, 1984)
6. UHF (Jay Levey, 1989)
7. Soul Man (Steve Miner, 1986)
8. Doctor Who: Dalek Invasion of Earth 2150 (Gordon Flemyng, 1966)
9. The Plank (Eric Sykes, 1967)
10. Sleeper (Woody Allen, 1973)

Chris Cox

Chris Cox is a mind reader who can’t read minds – a professional coincidentalist. He’s performed five Edinburgh Fringe shows, two UK tours, three West End runs and appeared at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.

This was a tough list to draw up. I’ve picked the films I remember making me laugh in the cinema, which make me laugh when I watch them again, make me snigger when remembering them and which have influenced or inspired me in some way. I remember being just old enough to legally go and watch ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’ and remember adoring every second. The laughs of delight that came when they started swearing, the joy of having incredibly good and funny songs and the crappy animation added together to make this an exciting, mischievous and above all funny, funny, funny film. I still have the soundtrack on my iPod and I still know all the words.

Tom Craine

Tom Craine is a stand-up comic and writer. He presents his own radio show on BBC Radio Bristol and is part of sketch troupe ‘Jigsaw’. See Tom Craine live.

Caprice Crane

Caprice Crane is an American novelist, screenwriter and television writer-producer. She has written four novels.

‘The Jerk’ is a timeless classic. It was Steve Martin's first movie and sadly, a lot of critics didn't 'get' it at the time. The brilliance was the social commentary done so beautifully through comedy, the innocent yet tragic humour. And the song he sang with Bernadette Peters, ‘Tonight You Belong to Me’, was an utterly charming and endearing filmic moment. It was heartbreaking and yet somehow heart warming at the same time. ‘The Jerk’ came at a time when there was just nothing like it and it completely stole my heart.

Hal Cruttenden

Hal Cruttenden is a stand-up, writer and actor and regular on the UK comedy circuit. He has appeared on ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’ and performed in front of the Queen at the ‘Royal Variety Performance’ in 2009. See Hal Cruttenden live.

‘Shaun of the Dead’ is the most perfect horror spoof of all time. I did a gig with Simon Pegg two years after I saw it and was still too in awe to have a proper conversation with him. I love zombies and I love comedy. This film is heaven for me.

Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis is the screenwriter and director responsible for the likes of 'Blackadder', 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' and 'Notting Hill'. His latest project is the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the children's classic 'War Horse'.

I did this quickly to avoid the pain of serious decision making. They’re not necessarily the funniest films – that’s probably a different list – but they are comedies I have loved. I’m only allowing one film each by some of my favourite people, otherwise the list might be different – ‘Manhattan’ would definitely be in.

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