2013 MLB Preview and Predictions: NL Central

This division may be one of the most unpredictable divisions in all of baseball.  They have one less team this year, which only allows someone other than the Astros to be the cellar team this year.  The debate is who is at the top of the division, and how do the rest of the teams play out.  I only see one team making the playoffs from this division so it will be a fierce fight.

1.  Cincinnati Reds

Of all the teams in this division, the Reds are the only ones that seem to have the formula to pull away from the pack.  They have the best manager in Dusty Baker, the best middle of the order with Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Ryan Ludwick, and the best closer in Aroldis Chapman.  They also had one of the best off-season acquisitions in the division by getting Shin-Soo Choo as their new centerfielder.  Their starting rotation is solid and consistent, led by Jonny Cueto and Mat Latos.  They have been at or near the top for a few seasons now.  It's time for them to take the next step and be a dominant team.

2.  Milwaukee Brewers

Behind the Reds is where the division gets interesting.  The Brewers showed last year that they could win without Prince Fielder, thanks a lot to the acquisition of Aramis Ramirez.  The offense is still the strength, with Ryan Braun, Ramirez, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Hart continuing to make up the core of their lineup.  The biggest question mark for them has been pitching.  They have tried to bring in pitching with CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke in the past, but none of them last long.  This year, they finally seemed to find a more permanent solution to who would back up ace Yovani Gallardo by signing Kyle Lohse just recently.  Thankfully, he kept himself in shape privately and is ready to go day one.  With the improvements on the mound and the steady explosive offense, the Brewers should be able to compete once again.

3.  Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates remind me a lot of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals a few years ago.  Every year, the Cardinals were picked to be the young breakout team that would make a playoff run.  Then they would disappoint.  Eventually, they broke through and made a Super Bowl appearance, but haven't done anything since.  This is the vibe I'm getting from the Pirates.  Every year for the last few years the Pirates have been knocking on the door of being a breakout team.  They actually have been pretty good too, until August.  Then they go through a monumental collapse ... over and over again.  They need to find a way to finish.  The main moves they made this off-season was acquiring Russell Martin and Francisco Liriano.  Liriano is starting the year on the DL which doesn't help.  So outside of Martin (which is a very positive addition, don't get me wrong), they have the same team as last year.  They are getting closer to putting together a full season led by freak athlete Andrew McCutchen, but it's not quite there yet.  I do think they break the .500 mark this year though.  They still need to break all the way through and fulfill their full potential.  They could win this division.  Maybe 2014?

4.  St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are the White Sox of the National League.  They are always good, and I have no idea why.  They keep losing pieces in the off-season, and they come back stronger the next year.  This can't keep happening, can it?  I think they take a step back this year.  Before last year, they lost Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman, and still made the playoffs.  This year, they lose Kyle Lohse and Chris Carpenter is out for the year, and they did nothing to replace them.  They can't keep replacing from within and continue to put up the same numbers, can they?  If anyone can, the Cardinals can.  However, with the competition in this division someone has to take a step back.

5.  Chicago Cubs

There is only one certainty in the NL Central this year: the Cubs are terrible.  They are getting better, but nowhere near where they need to be to be considered competitive in this division.  They have one of the best young talents in the game in Starlin Castro, but he doesn't have enough around him.  They are headed in the right direction, but it's going to take Theo Epstein a couple more years to get them back to where they want to be.  So Cub fans, be ready for another season of cursing Steve Bartman for ruining your only shot at a title in the last 50 years.

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2013 MLB Preview and Predictions: NL East

Here is another division that has had a lot of turnover and changes in power recently.  Forever, this division seemed to be dominated by the Braves.  Then the Phillies became the predominant team.  The majority seem to think that the power has shifted again to last year's division champion, the Nationals.  However, I wouldn't hand them the division title that quickly.  There may be some surprises, and like I said before, it is really hard to repeat the success from the year before when it is your first time having that kind of success.

1.  Atlanta Braves

Like I said, don't hand the Nationals the division title.  The Braves are good and will make a run at the division.  In fact, I think they will get it.  They did lose the leadership of Chipper Jones, but they more than replaced the production with the Upton brothers.  They still have veteran leadership in the clubhouse from guys like Brian McCann and Tim Hudson.  They have (arguably) the best outfield in baseball with BJ Upton, Justin Upton, and Jason Heyward.  They have the best closer in baseball in Craig Kimbrel.  They have a couple future superstars in Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons.  On top of all that, they are hungry after the way the season ended last year, losing on the "outfield fly rule" in the playoff game against the Cardinals.  They have something to prove and will do it.  Last year, they were only 4 games back of the Nats at the end of the year.  They can close that gap and win this division.

2.  Washington Nationals

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the Braves will run away with this division.  It will be a hard-fought race the entire season.  That's because a 98-win Nationals team from last year actually got better.  Last year, they didn't have a pure lead-off hitter, so they go get Denard Span.  They needed some stability in the back half of the rotation, so they go get Dan Haren.  They needed help at the end of the game, so they go get Rafael Soriano to get their closer.  Rising stars like Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, and ... (what's his name ... that one guy ... oh yeah) Bryce Harper have another year of experience under their belts and will presumably be better than ever this year.  They have veteran leadership in the clubhouse in Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, and Jayson Werth.  They have three aces at the top of their rotation in the on-longer-limited Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman.  They look like a super-team.  I just think it's unrealistic to expect them to duplicate all, and even exceed, the lofty bar they set for themselves after their success last season.  I have already heard sayings like "World Series or bust."  That's a hard standard to live up to, especially for a team like this that does have so many young pieces.  They will make the playoffs easily, but I don't see them dominating quite like everyone else does.

3.  Philadelphia Phillies

Don't count out the Fighting Phil's.  Sure, they are not the team from a few years ago that made their World Series run.  They still have the same core (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins), but their prime was several years (and injuries) ago.  However, this is the first time in awhile the three of them are entering a season 100% healthy.  They add to that core one of the most consistent hitters over the last decade in Michael Young and a young spark plug of a centerfielder in Ben Revere.  They still have three aces at the top of their rotation in Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay.  Doc is working his way back from injury and doesn't look 100% yet, but he will get there.  Besides, half a Doc Halladay is better than 75% of the starting pitchers out there.  The success of the Phillies really depends on one thing: health.  This is why they struggled so much the last few years.  They weren't healthy.  If their core group can stay healthy and show that they are still elite, they could be right there with the Braves and Nats at the top of this division.  They could even fight for the division title, or at the very least a wild card slot.

4.  Miami Marlins

Last year at this time, the Marlins were the talk of the baseball world.  They had made every big splash they could make in the off-season.  They got Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, new stadium, new uniforms, new manager. They were destined for great success.  Then, as I said before, you can't always buy a championship.  What looked like a championship caliber team on paper ended up as a cellar-dweller by the end of the year.  Instead of tweaking what they had to make it work, they decided to unload everything that made them the hot team before 2012.  They traded away Reyes, Buehrle, Bell, Josh Johnson, fired Ozzie Guillen.  Now they look a lot more like what we are used to seeing from the Marlins: a bunch of young kids getting a shot to prove themselves in the big leagues.  The energetic Guillen was replaced by the calmer former Marlin Mike Redmond.  (I guess you could say they learned from what the White Sox did.)  They went back to their old formula, which actually was a formula that worked more times than not.  The Marlins would have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball and always end up around .500 and the middle of their division.  They still have their best player to build around in Giancarlo Stanton (one of the few people strong enough to consistently hit home runs out of that new massive park).  They will be young, hungry, feisty, and better than some predict.  Sounds like the Marlins we all have come to know and love.  Let's just forget last year ever happened (if we could only undo those ugly uniforms).

5.  New York Mets

Nothing about the Mets has me excited this year.  They still have David Wright.  They have some decent young pitching with Matt Harvey.  Their superstar ace, Johan Santana, might be done for his career.  They traded away their Cy Young award winner RA Dickey.  They got some prospects, but that doesn't help this year.  Their biggest off-season acquisition was John Buck.  Seriously, John Buck.  The only thing that will be interesting about the Mets this year is how long it will take Terry Collins to be fired, and who will be their next coach.  My money is on Joey Cora.

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2013 MLB Preview and Predictions: AL West

In only a few short years, this division went fro being the worst in the league to one of the most competitive.  If it weren't for their new member, they would easily be the most competitive division in the league.  You have a couple heavyweights and a couple up-and-comers.  Ironically, in the latest example of how you can't always buy a championship, one of the up-and-comers won the division last year.  Will that happen again this year?  It easily could.  Let's see how it turns out.

1.  Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have put together the best roster money can buy.  For the second year in a row, they have made the biggest splash in the off-season; last year by getting Albert Pujols, this year by getting Josh Hamilton.  On top of that, they had super-rookie Mike Trout join the team last year.  It would be hard for anyone to repeat a season like Trout had, but many say Trout isn't just anybody.  Either way, a slight fall-off in production would be understandable even if he is on his way to being the best player in the league.  This lineup really has no weaknesses.  The pitching staff isn't as dynamic as the lineup, but it's pretty strong too.  Jared Weaver leads the way with CJ Wilson trying to live up to the money he was paid.  Add in solid, consistent, inning-eating veterans like Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas, and the Angels might even be better than they were last year in their rotation.  There should be nothing stopping them from taking the division and going all the way to the World Series.  The only problem is we thought the same thing last season too, and they missed the playoffs completely.  It kind of reminds me of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The only thing working against them is the insanely high expectations placed on them.  Last season, they didn't live up to the expectations.  Does Josh Hamilton really make that happen?  We shall see.  Either way, we have to pencil in the Angels as the division champ.  If they don't win it, I have to think Mike Scioscia won't survive the season.  (He even looks a little like Andy Reid.)

2.  Seattle Mariners

Okay, I know what everyone is saying out there.  Leave it to the Mariners fan to predict the Mariners playing over their heads.  But hear me out.  The strength of the Mariners the last few years has always been the pitching.  That is still in place with King Felix leading the way as one of the best pitchers in baseball.  With veterans Hisashi Iwakuma and Joe Saunders teaming up with young guns Blake Beaven and Brandon Maurer, the Mariners rotation should be as solid as ever.  With the Big Three pitching prospects (Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, James Paxton) hanging out in AAA, if any of the starters slip up they will be replaced by top-flight talent.  The real question mark for the Mariners for many years has been the offense, but there are many signs that it changes this year.  The last couple years, the problem with the Mariner bats has been the young prospects have been asked to do too much too soon, and they collapse under the pressure.  They have gotten better and better each year, but are still not ready to be the centerpiece of their offense.  Enter veteran bats Kendrys Morales, Raul Ibanez, Jason Bay, and Mike Morse.  Now the new heart of the Mariners order are proven consistent players that can produce under the pressure.  This takes all the pressure off guys like Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, Justin Smoak, Jesus Montero, and Michael Saunders who are all due for their breakout year now that the pressure is off them.  They also add back into the equation a healthy Franklin Gutierrez who won a Gold Glove in his last healthy season.  Also the Mariners have finally moved in the fences at Safeco Field to make hitting a little easier there.  All this adds up to a perfect storm that will lead to a season surpassing expectations.  They really look like a season or two away from really taking off, but watch for them to really surprise this year.

3.  Texas Rangers

The class of the American League the last few seasons ended the year on a low note last year, and nothing shows that downward trend won't continue this year.  They have been losing the cornerstones of their success over the last few years (first CJ Wilson, now Josh Hamilton) and have been trying to replace them with lesser players or even role players.  Last year it didn't affect them until the end of the season.  This year, it has to make an impact.  The win total will be down this year.  Hamilton was more than just the best player on the team, he was the heart and soul of the Rangers.  They will struggle to find another leader to replace him with the current roster.  With that said, they are still talented enough to work their way to a 3rd place finish in this tough division.

4.  Oakland A's

Last year's division winner took everybody by surprise by their late run to a playoff birth.  Nothing about their roster last year said they should be able to make a run like that.  Nothing about their roster this year says they should be able to make a run like that.  The only difference between this year and last year is everyone knows now they can sneak up on them.  You can only be a surprise team once.  No one will be surprised by them anymore.  With that said, the offense is solid but unlikely to produce the career years they had last year, and the same can be said of the pitching staff.  Last year seemed to be the perfect storm of success that led to their run.  They can't repeat that run again, can they?  It's possible, but I'm not betting on it.

5.  Houston Astros

It is their first year in the American League, and what a year it's gonna be.  Usually the first year with new uniforms leads to exceeding expectations (no real reason why, but we have noticed the trend).  Now there's just one problem with the Astros chances this year.  They're terrible.  They are building for the future, that is for sure.  However, in the mean time we have a glorified AAA team in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.  There will be a lot of players getting a lot of valuable experience moving forward, but this team is a lock for 100+ losses.  There is a lot of talent there that is not ready for the stage it will be asked to perform on.  Look for them to be competitive in 2015 or 2016, but not this year.  Instead, look for them to be getting another first pick in next year's draft.

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2013 MLB Preview and Predictions: AL Central

The AL Central is a competition for 2nd place.  However, that competition is fierce this year with some teams making huge leaps forward this year that hadn't been relevant for some time.  The middle of the pack in the AL Central should be an interesting story line throughout the summer with several teams vying for a playoff spot or two.

1.  Detroit Tigers

Like I said, this division is a competition for 2nd place.  There is some talent in the division, but the defending American League champion is head and shoulders above its four counterparts.  They have the best pitcher in baseball in Justin Verlander (who, as of today, is also the best paid pitcher in baseball).  The four starters behind Verlander could all be No. 2's for other teams around the league.  (Anibal Sanchez was a No. 2 starter last year for the Marlins before he was traded to the Tigers.)  Max Scherzer and Doug Fister are two of the most underrated pitchers out there.  It is easy to be overlooked behind Verlander.  On the offensive side, it starts and ends with the defending MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera.  If you focus too much on him, you will get beat by Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, Austin Jackson, or Comeback Player of the Year candidate Victor Martinez.  The only weakness the Tigers have is the lack of an established closer, which will either work itself out with someone on the roster like Phil Coke, someone in the system like Bruce Rondon getting his act together and doing what the Tigers expected him to do this year, or they will trade for a closer at the trading deadline.  Either way, it won't be something that will keep them from winning the division.

2.  Kansas City Royals

Here is the team that is making the big leap this year.  Their young offense has been improving step by step each year with players like Alex Gordon and Billy Butler having career years last year and other young budding superstars like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Lorenzo Cain due for breakout years.  The problem with the Royals is they have never had the complete team.  They either would have great pitching (like in the Zack Greinke/Joaquin Soria years) and no offense, or they would have a good offense (like the last couple years) and no pitching.  Enter James Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie, and Wade Davis.  The complete overhaul of the starting rotation, combined with the budding young hitters they have already established, makes this team this year's Orioles or A's that will be right there in the hunt for a playoff spot at the end of the year.

3.  Chicago White Sox

If there is one team I get sick of seeing at the top of the standings every year for no specific reason, it is the White Sox.  They always find a way to win with what doesn't look like a very impressive roster.  They are unassuming and quiet assassins, especially since Robin Ventura took over for Ozzie Guillen.  This year is no different.  They have a strong starting rotation with Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, and Gavin Floyd at the front of it, however there are definitely questions whether Chris Sale could repeat his freak performance from last year. On the offensive end, guys like Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, and Alexei Ramirez will be the heart of the lineup and produce like they always do.  Some of those guys are getting older and may drop off a little in their production, but their still should be adequate offense.  The problem is it seems the White Sox stayed stagnant in a division where everybody else got better.  Last year, they almost made the playoffs.  This year, they are getting passed up by the young hot team.  Look for them to go over a little overhaul after this season after doing nothing this off-season.

4.  Cleveland Indians

The Indians are another up-and-coming team that made a lot of changes over the off-season.  Players like Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds have definitely improved the offense, but the pitching did not upgrade enough to make a significant leap in the standings.  They could easily end up above the White Sox if guys like Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Brett Myers live up to their capabilities, or even jump over the Royals, but this seems more likely to me.

5.  Minnesota Twins

There is a lot to be excited about in Minnesota.  Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are the healthiest they have been in years, they have a young rookie centerfielder in Aaron Hicks that could be a future superstar.  They have a lot of upside.  However, they have no pitching.  Vance Worley is their Opening Day starter who isn't a bad piece they got from the Phillies in the off-season, but the rest of the rotation is other team's rejects like Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey.  If these two guys have career years, then they could make some noise.  If they pitch like they are expected to pitch, Mauer and Morneau better score a lot of runs...


Stay tuned for the AL West.

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Power Rankings: Top 10 Biggest Laughs

---Recently, Zach told me that he had revamped his all time top 10 list, which got me thinking about doing the same. Mine is always fluctuating, so I came up with the idea of doing a series of power rankings of AFI categories (as well as some of my own) leading up to the unveiling of my all time list. These lists will include Cheers (inspiring), Peers (on-screen couples), Fears (scariest), Tears (emotional), Jeers (worst), Thrills, Laughs, and finally my top 10 films of all time. Note: My lists are not going to be even a fraction as objective as AFI’s lists. They are solely my personal preferences and experiences. Enjoy!---

In my final list before my new and improved Top 10 of all time, here is a list of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Of course comedy is as subjective as any form of art, so my list is probably going to differ from just about everyone else’s. This is one of the hardest lists I have had to compile. It is a mix of laugh-out-loud movies with great films that are comedies. AFI’s list of laughs was topped by two movies in Colin Cowherd’s favorite comedy genre: Some Like It Hot(1959) and Tootsie (1982). Following those in the top 10 were the likes of Dr. Strangelove (1964), Blazing Saddles(1974), and Airplane! (1980). Are any of those on this list? You will have to keep reading and find out…

Blind spots (notable unseen films): The Blues Brothers (1980), Coming to America (1988), Marx Brothers movies, The Odd Couple (1968), Super Troopers (2001), Trading Places(1983)

Others receiving votes: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Knocked Up(2007), Some Like It Hot (1959), This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

10. Animal House (John Landis, 1978)

In what is considered the granddaddy of all slime-ball comedy, Animal House can still deliver the laughs 35 years later. The characters are outrageous, the situations are ridiculous, and the screenplay is not much to speak of. The thing that makes the movie so funny is the fact that it does not care that it is not art. It never takes itself seriously, which results in the audience being able to just sit back and howl at its hilarity.

Funny Quote

Otter: “Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards! Now we could do it with conventional weapons, but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part!”

Funniest Character: Bluto (John Belushi)

9. Sullivan’s Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941)

While this may not have the volume of laugh-out-loud moments as many other films on this list, it is certainly one of the elite comedies ever made. It is so sharply-written, filled with bits that are certainly tailored to that era yet are still humorous today. It is the most important, ironic, and brilliant film about the Great Depression made during that period. Oh, and it spawned the idea for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, whose connection to Sullivan’s Travels is as funny as anything in that actual movie.

Funny Quote

Sullivan: “Aw, what do they know in Pittsburgh…”

LeBrand: “They know what they like.”

Sullivan: “If they knew what they liked, they wouldn’t live in Pittsburgh!”

Funniest Character: John Lloyd Sullivan (Joel McCrea)

8. The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow, 2005)

Even though I consider Knocked Up to be a slightly better movie, this one actually has the more sustainable laughs. There is not a single character that is not hilarious at some point. This actually feels less like a movie and more like a story brought together by improv sequences by a cast that was born for one another. When there is never a false note with a joke reflex as widespread as this film has, you know you are in for a comedy classic.

Funny Quote

Andy: “Yeah, I’m not a big ho-runner.”

David: “My uncle used to drive a ho-runner.”

Funniest Character: David (Paul Rudd)

7. Love and Death (Woody Allen, 1975)

This is by far Woody Allen’s funniest and most ridiculous movie. It features a slapstick side of his humor that is rarely expressed in his movies. It still has the interesting, quick-witted conversations and punch lines, but this movie’s plot and execution are absolutely absurd. It is a riot from start to finish, and certainly the one great Allen flick that far too few people have seen.

Funny Quote

Boris: “You’re a tyrant., and a dictator, and you start wars!”

Napoleon: “Why is he reciting my credits?”

Funniest Character: Boris (Woody Allen)

6. Superbad (Greg Motolla, 2007)

There has not been a comedy in the last 10 years that I could watch more consistently than Superbad. It is endlessly inspired and hilarious. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have established themselves as real comedic writers, and this stands as their best work. It is not a movie of obvious jokes or laugh checkpoints. It is a movie that is so nostalgic and true that everything comes off as being uproariously funny. Whenever it is on TV, I have to watch until the end. I just cannot get enough of Seth and Evan. One of my favorite comedic pairs ever.

Funny Quote

Seth: “You know how many foods are shaped like dicks? The best kinds!”

Funniest Character: Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)

5. Grindhouse (Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino, 2007)

In our Top 10 the 2000s series, I ranked this this as the funniest movie of the first 10 years of the millennium. I still feel that way. Watching this in theaters was one of the greatest theater experiences ever. The mock trailers, the mix of the Tarantino and Rodriguez exploitation styles, and the gut-busting laughs at over-the top violence and insane dialogue make for movie-going bliss. I have never laughed more or had a more permanent smile on my face walking out of a theater.

Funny Quote

The Rapist: “I've seen me a lot of weird shit in my day, but I ain't never seen a one-legged stripper. I seen me a stripper with one breast. And I seen me a stripper with twelve toes. I've even seen me a stripper with no brains at all, but I ain't never seen a one-legged stripper. And I've been to Morocco.”

Funniest Character: Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell)

4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)

The more I watch this movie, the funnier it gets and further it moves up my all time list. Every line of dialogue is inspired. Every character is brilliantly written and effortlessly delivers laughs to the audience. Kubrick’s screenplay is so flawless that the character names are even punch lines. I am not sure if there will ever be another movie that will be even remotely like this one. It will leave some people slightly cold after watching it, but that mild admiration will eventually lead to downright addiction to the material. Seriously, it happened to me.

Funny Quote

Muffley: “You're talking about mass murder, General, not war!”

Buck: “Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.”

Funniest Character: General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott)

3. Clerks (Kevin Smith, 1994)

In what I named one of my favorite on-screen pairs of all time, Dante and Randal are a comedic team unlike any other. Their awkward friendship and interesting conversations critiquing everything makes for one of the funniest experiences one can have during a movie. Clerks is a bit more subtle than Clerks II. The second chapter is a much more obvious form of comedy, but very few things compare to the original. The more familiar we get with Kevin Smith’s “Askewniverse” (I hope he is not serious about Clerks III being his last movie), the funnier this movie gets. Several movies have tried to be like Clerks, but it cannot be done. Smith’s characters are one-of-a-kind.

Funny Quote

Randal: “Which did you like better: Jedi or The Empire Strikes Back?”

Dante: “Empire.”

Randal: “Blasphemy.”

Dante: “Empire had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All Jedi had was a bunch of Muppets.”

Funniest Character: Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson)

2. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut(Trey Parker, 1999)

I realize that it may be a bit unfair to include a movie based on a TV show, but I couldn’t resist. This is probably the highest volume of laughs I have ever had. Every bit of this movie is offensive and hilarious. It is as good as anything the show has ever produced. It is maybe the best movie musical of the last 20 years. The characters that we have come to know and love over the years come to life in this movie with an edginess that cannot be expressed on the show. It takes its aim at everyone and everything that provides a target, and no one is left unscathed. Comic brilliance.

Funny Quote

Cartman: “Hey Stan, tell them about the part where Terrence calls Phillip a testicle shitting rectal wart.”

Funniest Character: Cartman (Trey Parker)

1. Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)

This is the most sustainable comedy I have ever come across. The subtlety of its joke delivery is unlike any other, so even when you have seen it a bunch of times, more things come up that are as equally funny as the obvious laugh points. The characters are all so believable and play it so straight that we cannot help but laugh our asses off at these people and their mundane lives, which are all too similar to our lives. Usually when a comedy is on some cable channel, it will depend on which part it is to determine whether I will watch any of it. This entire movie is one of those parts. There is never an off-note or a joke that doesn’t work. It is amazingly awkward and all too real. Mike Judge (whose Extract is quite underrated, by the way) is an absolute original, and I would love to see where Peter, Michael, Samir, and Joanna are nowadays.

Funny Quote

Peter: “I can’t believe what a bunch of nerds we are. We’re looking up money laundering in the dictionary.”

Funniest Character: Michael Bolton (David Herman)

Thoughts? Comments? Anything I missed? I tried to make a well-rounded group, including at least one film of all my favorite types of comedy, with the unfortunate exclusions of Charlie Chaplin, Mel Brooks, Jim Carrey, the Coens, and Wes Anderson. Post your list and thoughts in the comments!

Previous Articles:

Cheers (Most Inspiring Movies)

Peers (Best On-screen Couples)

Fears (Scariest Movies)

Tears (Most Emotional Movie Experiences)

Jeers (Worst Movies)

Biggest Thrills

Coming up soon: My Top 10 Films of All Time! Stay tuned!

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