GROUP E
TOP SECRET! (1984)
This is one of those films that went completely under the radar. Modelled in the slapstick style of Hot Shots! etc., Top Secret! sends up the spy genre and, apparently, 1950s music and features a young Val Kilmer as pop superstar Nick Rivers, and a decent supporting performance from Omar Shariff.
The songs are surprisingly funny - "Skee Shooting", "How Silly Can You Get?" and "Tutti Frutti" the most notable - as are the background visual gags. The film is worth watching alone for the train station gag.
Very good movie overall; criminally underrated and a victim of the era it was released. It simply got swamped by the sheer amount of releases alongside it.
ME, MYSELF & IRENE (2000)
Jim Carrey doesn't exactly break the mould with his performance here - it's pretty atypical of the majority of films he's been in - yet it's hard to imagine anyone else being able to portray the split personality comedic style quite as well as him.
For me, this is pretty much the only thing Renee Zellweger has ever done well in. The diabolical script is rescued by the Farrelly Brothers and the end result is a fun ride that gets you laughing even when deep down you know you shouldn't be.
HOT FUZZ (2007)
Simon Pegg deserves credit for taking the horror/thriller genre and making it utterly hilarious. Hot Fuzz was his second attempt at doing so and, again, he succeeds brilliantly. As the ultra-professional cop working in a laid back village, his agitation is funny to watch and I was surprised that I didn't actually see the big twist coming when I first watched this.
Great cameo performances throughout, lots of good laughs (the supermarket fight scene always raises a smile) and although it could have done with being a bit shorter, it's a worthy addition to the Champions League.
DOGMA (1999)
Insanely controversial, utterly star studded throughout and gloriously brilliant, Dogma dared to go were few have gone since the Life of Brian a quarter of a century earlier and produced a movie that effectively sent up religion.
It managed to be clever yet stupid, poignant yet irrelevant, all at the same time. Alan Rickman puts in a star turn, as do Damon and Affleck who shine as a duo here.
Buddy Christ is a creation of genius
DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY (2004)
I don't really like Vince Vaughn - I find him flat in most things he does - but in Dodgeball he plays his role well and is ably supported by an all star Hollywood cast (with Ben Stiller playing the insecure "baddie" perfectly).
It's funny throughout and barely suffers from a bad scene. Shout out for the lesbian kiss near the end and Rip Torn throwing a wrench at someones head (that had me in tears for a good hour when I first saw that!)
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