1. Dawn is not little
To be fair, Sunrise, which is no small thing (1989) is the most acid, incisive, original, and successful comedy that our industry has produced and for that reason, it deserves to be here.
We owe José Luis Cuerda this splendid story set in a fictitious rural town in Spain, where a young engineer from the University of Oklahoma and his father arrive. The duo, already grotesque in itself, will come face to face with a local population that reflects the worst and most notorious vices of deep Spain, but also of the urbanite. José Sazatornil (Saza), Antonio Resines, and Luis Ciges lead a cast of the best of their time.
2. Grab it however you can
It was born as a spin-off of a failed television series, but a cult, known as Police Squad became a model of the spoof movie genre, parodies. Grab it as you can (N- Gun in the US, Where is the Cop? in Latin America, and The N- Gun in Argentina) premiered in 1982 and featured police lieutenant Frank Drevin (Leslie Nielsen), a battle-hardened officer determined to avenge the attempted murder of his friend Nordberg.
With a slam, puns with double meanings, and the occasional inconsistency, Frank established himself as the funniest cop of the '80s. Thank you Leslie Nielsen for this trilogy of movies.
3. Land however you can
Airplane! (Land as you can! in Spain and ¿Y where is the pilot? in Latin America) is a classic of the spoof-movie genre. Released in 1980, this film laughed at the disaster movie genre, more specifically those about crashed planes, which became so fashionable during the 70s. Its sequel, as a curious detail, did not deal with an airplane, but with a spaceship. But it was still just as fun.
By the way, curious about cinephiles. Land however you can, more specifically, it parodies the film Suspense... Zero Hour (Zero Hour!, 1957) in which lines of dialogue are traced almost exactly, in addition to naming the characters after the same ones. Starting with its protagonist: Ted Stryker.
4. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Although it was quite funny in the US, the first Austin Powers didn't quite catch on among the population. Mainly due to how many jokes got lost with dubbing. Florentino Fernández, who by 1999 was already a television star thanks to his participation in The Informal, became the key to the success of the sequel.
Thanks to the voice of "Flo" and some blood sausages from the translation, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me became a hit among the kids. Although well-seen, the whole series is tremendously funny, thanks to the parodies and references to the spy genre of the 60s and 70s (mainly the James Bond movies) and the fashions of the time. One day we have to review this trilogy in which Mike Myers plays the best roles.
5. How to be John Malkovich
John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and John Malkovich star in this delirious, absurd, and surreal comedy, with a rather acid and slightly morbid touch. Spike Jonze, its director, suggested how Craig Schwartz, a failed puppeteer, finds a door that leads directly to the brain of actor John Malkovich. The addiction to these trips to the head of the interpreter will become a dangerous addiction for Schwartz.
