To clarify, the NYT criteria was not “Top 5 Comedy Movies”, but “Which five comedies would you want to take with you if you were stranded alone on a desert island?”.  A subtle, and perhaps meaningless, distinction. (Also, how many of these lists were ghostwritten by publicists, gardeners, NYT interns??)

I think “Comedy” is too broad a category, much like saying “Top 5 Music CDs”. Sub-genres such as black,farce,mockumentary,
parody,satire, etc. could be used to avoid comparing “The Apple-Dumpling Gang” to “Orange County”.

Personally, I would like to see more representation of the Earnest series, but that’s just me.

I think Fast Times at Ridgemont High should get more respect than it does because while it might seem as if it does get respect, most non-comedy people dimiss it out of hand without realizing it was THE seminal teen comedy.

And if there’s going to be a Laurel and Hardy, I would say The Music Box ranks higher than Sons of the Desert.

Waiting for Guffman trumps Spinal Tap in my book. I don’t laugh at Spinal Tap the way I used.

And while I’m not too sure how it could be listed, but I seriously think the Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts are pretty decent.  Some stink--they were pumping them out like crazy--but some are real gems.

I don’t have any major disagreements with the list, with the exception of “Dumb and Dumber”.  If I had to choose one silly, slapsticky movie in that vein, I’d probably go with Super Troopers.

It’s sort of surprising that none of the Monty Python movies made the cut.  I also would’ve expected Office Space in there as well.  I’m glad Todd Solondz at least got an honorable mention.  His movies are so darkly hilarious, but I don’t think a lot of people would place them firmly under the Comedy heading.

“40 Year Old Virgin” was certainly one of the funnier movies in the last few years, though it wouldn’t be one of my desert island five.