Funniest Movies

The American Film Institute recently published its list of the 100 Funniest Movies of all time.

Here's my list of movies that didn't make the list and that I can't believe they didn't put in the top ten:

The Princess Bride: A fairy tale with swordfights, a giant, pirates, a beautiful princess, an evil prince, and (some) kissing. Based on the novel by Willaim Goldman. What's not to love? One of the few instances in which the film version is better than the written, largely because the author wrote the screenplay.

GalaxyQuest: The aging cast of a cult sci-fi TV show is mistaken for the real thing by aliens with a really big problem. Tim Allen stars as the Captain in this brilliant parody of William Shatner and Star Trek.

My Cousin Vinny: New Yorker Ralph Macchio and his best friend are arrested for murder in a small Alabama town. His cousin Vinny, a lawyer, played by Joe Pesci, drives down to save him from the electric chair. Smart, well-told, "fish out of water" tale that pokes fun at regional stereotypes. And yes, Marisa Tomei deserved the Oscar.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Nia Vardalos plays a Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek played by John Corbett and must get her Greek father, Greek mother, Greek cousins, Greek uncles and Greek aunts to accept it. A very funny take on the "child of immigrants" motif.

The Sure Thing: John Cusack is a freshman in college and is taking a road trip across the continent with Daphne Zuniga. A teen comedy with heart, and characters who change and grow. It's funny, too.

Back to the Future: Michael J. Fox plays a 1985 teen who goes back in time in a Delorean built by mad-scientist Christopher Lloyd to make sure his parents meet and marry. Problem is, his parents are (and were) uber-geeks. Don't bother with the sequels. Just watch this one.