6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Shot on the fly in the downtime between shooting seasons for their hit TV show and scraped together with extra funding by a number of brand-name rock bands including Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, the film that sealed Monty Python’s place in the all-time comedy pantheon is this tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Arthurian legend, which skewers everything from religious dogmas, medieval mythmaking, the French, the British, and the codes of chivalry — all while delivering one of the highest gag-for-gag hit rates of any title in the genre before or since.
If you belong to a certain generation that watched this film on repeat every time you caught it on cable or until the VHS tape snapped in half, chances are you can still remember and quote many of its iconic lines and characters by heart — from its glorious cold opening (“Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?”), the Knights of Ni (who say ecky ecky ecky ecky pakang zoom-poing) and the resilient if also delusional Black Knight (“Tis but a scratch!”) to the townspeople who was turned into a Newt but somehow got better. Especially in a genre like comedy, where older titles can be hit-or-miss with younger audiences, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is the exception that proves the rule as a universally beloved crowdpleaser you should always keep on standby during family movie night.
7. Annie Hall (1977)
If goofy one-liners and absurdist skits don’t really move the needle for you and you’re looking for something a tad more sophisticated, perhaps dipping your toes into Woody Allen’s extensive back catalog is a solid alternative.
Even in an era where “When Harry Met Sally”, “Crazy Rich Asians”, “Crazy Stupid Love” et al. routinely dominate the streaming charts, “Annie Hall” has aged like fine and continues to be the standard-bearer for talky, adult rom-coms at large as well as Allen’s closest brush with perfection. Barely stretching past the 90-minute mark, the 1977 Best Picture winner is anchored by the director’s signature stand-in character archetype — a misanthropic, self-absorbed Manhattanite who’s reeling off a messy breakup with Diane Keaton (arguably the most charismatic and well-rounded female love interest in a filmography chock-full of them).
As long as you can stomach Allen’s occasionally grating onscreen presence, “Annie Hall” is worth revisiting to see the time-tested classic that introduced and perfected virtually every single Hollywood meet-cute cliché that’s been shoved down our throats for the past 50 years.
8. Wheels on Meals (1984)
Jackie Chan has often said he would like to be remembered in the same vein as Buster Keaton. And the comparison feels particularly fitting when you sit down and revisit his formidable run of ’80s Hong Kong action comedies. After all, Jackie’s universal appeal ultimately comes down to this: a lovable, naive goofball with superhuman strength putting his life on the line and pulling off death-defying stunts, all to keep us entertained for an hour and a half at a time.
If you’d like to see the Hong Kong superstar in his element at the peak of his powers — jumping off balconies, climbing a castle, delivering food on a skateboard, dropkicking someone off a motorcycle, and going head-to-head with former kickboxing world champ Benny “the Jet” Urquidez — look no further than “Wheels on Meals”. The closest thing to a live action Looney Tunes movie you’ll ever come across, not only do you get Jackie kicking ass in arguably the single most breathtaking martial art showdown ever put to film, but you also see him reunite with the other two thirds of the Three Dragons trifecta, with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao joining in on the hijinks across Barcelona. Honestly, what’s not to like?
9. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Something of a cross between Philip Marlowe and Jeff Spicoli, the forty-something hippie slacker and bowling aficionado at the center of this Coen brothers’ hangout movie staple has become the undisputed patron saint for countless laid-back and perpetually dazed potheads around the globe and even spawned his own religion with over half a million affiliated members to date.
And for good reason: Watching the Dude (Jeff Bridges) being dragged into a hilarious case of mistaken identity involving evil millionaire tycoons, German nihilists, shady pornography producers and eccentric nymphomaniacs in his cosmic quest across L.A. to get his urinated rug replaced never gets old and endures 26 years on as a rite of passage for dedicated film buffs and casual viewers alike.
Whether you’re a Kenny Rogers fan, looking for a refresher to finally wrap your head around the knotty Raymond Chandler-esque noir mystery, recite its dialogue lines like gospel, celebrate 4/20 in style, listen to John Goodman (in a spot-on John Milius impression) break down the tenets of National Socialism or have something on the background to go with your White Russian, just queue it up and enjoy watching the Dude abide.
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Some filmmakers set the bar so high early on in their careers that it’s not surprising they have trouble ever reaching it again for themselves. Sure, Edgar Wright hasn’t quite pulled off a capital G-Great movie in almost 15 years now, but you shouldn’t let his most recent lower-tier offerings sour your appreciation for his early-aughts breakout feature (and by far greatest work to date).
Warts and all, you’re probably lying if you say that “Shaun of the Dead” didn’t at the very least put a big, fat smile on your face on your first go-round at the turn of the century. Clever visual gags, flashy editing transitions, wall-to-wall needle drops abound in this rollicking zombie splatterfest spoof, a smash hit and trilogy kickstarter that instantly achieved cult status with enough pop culture references (from Queen to George Romero’s Living Dead trilogy, “A Clockwork Orange”, and Giallo maestro Lucio Fulci to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series) to make Quentin Tarantino’s head spin.
2000s moviegoers were severely lacking quality zombie flicks that veered off the beaten path, and Wright carved a cool niche for himself and jumpstarted his career by scratching that particular itch, though it’s Simon Pegg and Nick Frost holding the fort here and winning our hearts over with their heart-rending bromance. Apocalypse or not, does it get any better than having a nice cold pint with your bestie at your favorite local pub?