1980s US comedy films

They're just so good aren't they?!

I just finished watching 'Coming To America' and it's a still a treat 16 years after I first saw it. Eddie Murphy is great in it and I believe he wrote it as well.

I think 80's US comedies have a certain innocence that they don't have today. Certainly the BIG studios don't seem to deal in breezy, heartwarming comedy. The independents do, hence films like Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite. Although, Fox were involved with ND, but that was after the majority of the film had been completed. I think it was Fox anyway.

Anyway, some of my other 80's US comedy faves are:

Ferris Bueller
Breakfast Club
Ghostbusters
The Dream Team
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Any others?

Winterlight, I love you.

Dragnet
Blues Brothers
Quick Change
Trading Places
Uncle Buck
Big
Home Alone

Hmmm...

John Hughes must have enough money to buy the whole world.

Nowadays you would have to pay me to watch a US comedy film but you are right there was some good stuff in the 80's

Uncle Buck
Tin Men
The Man with Two Brains
Caddyshack
Fletch

The Jerk

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

The Burbs!

National Lampoon's Vacation

Quote: Alan C @ June 7 2008, 11:43 PM BST

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

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I was very disappointed by that film, it did not reach its full potential.

Quick Change is a very good film.

Blues Brothers has rather been sullied by the sequel, but was cool at the time.

And while we are on Belushi there is of course Animal House.

Caddyshack is another that is fun, in a crap kind of way.

Does Groundhog day fit the timeframe?

Oh yeah, Dragnet and Big - they're great!

I've never been a fan of The Jerk or Man with Two Brains. I love LA Story but that's 90's Steve Martin.

Groundhog Day was 93.

A View To a Kill.

A middle-aged fool bumbles about in a pastel coloured suit, pissing on a whole franchise as he does.

Quote: Timbo @ June 7 2008, 11:46 PM BST

Does Groundhog day fit the timeframe?

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1993.

I would add that Chevy Chase is actually an incredibly funny comedy actor. He gets dismissed as being a bit shit (by me in the past) but on revaluation his timing is masterful and his delivery brilliant.

Three Men and a baby
Getting Even with Dad

Whilst most films I mention aren't technically 80s. I always think there's some that were made for the 80s and have that great err spirit?

Innerspace. (If that's 80s.)
Gremlins (if that's a comedy.)

The Man With Two Brains was Steve Martin's only decent.

And to be honest reading back through this thread has reminded me what a crap decade the 80s was.