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#10: Dead Tired
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“Commando” (1985) Arnold Schwarzenegger is in top form in the lovably ridiculous “Commando.” Escorted onto a plane by the bad guys, his character makes a quick decision to subdue his captor. This involves a little blunt force from Schwarzenegger, which incredibly nobody hears. When a flight attendant walks by, he uses the moment to dish out one of his signature one-liners. His matter-of-fact manner makes this an oddly funny part of a wild movie. It’s all in the interest of escaping the plane in an even more unbelievable sequence, but one that adds to the charm of the movie.
#9: Murderous Soda Machine
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“Maximum Overdrive” (1986) What if machines rose up against humans? This Stephen King story takes the premise into a comedic direction. One of the more improbable antagonists is a soda vending machine. While kids play baseball nearby, a man gets angry with the machine for not working properly. Launching cans, the surprisingly accurate device finishes the customer in a few shots. The scene comes off as more hilarious because the rampage is from such an unlikely killer. Just in case that wasn’t enough, the machine goes after the kids on the baseball team.
#8: Swinger’s Party Shock
“Eating Raoul” (1982) Looking for more victims, the murderous couple at the center of this black comedy attend a swinger’s party. The other guests end up in the hot tub, and the host demands they join. In a shocking turn of events, Paul throws in a space heater instead. After a flash of light, they all just sort of droop over, dead. It’s the timing and unexpectedness of their deaths that make the moment so ridiculous. Piling onto the comedy, the scene immediately cuts to Mary counting the money they’ve stolen from their victims.
#7: Iocane Powder
“The Princess Bride” (1987) This classic fantasy comedy subverts fairytale tropes with a dryly humorous script. To rescue Buttercup, Westley challenges the evil Vizzini to a guessing game with poisoned cups. The Sicilian tries unsuccessfully to outwit his opponent by switching the drinks at the last second. The funny reveal comes when the villain falls into a fit of laughter, thinking he’s won, and instead falls over dead. His abrupt exit is all the more hilarious thanks to Wallace Shawn’s performance, with the actor disappearing off screen. William Goldman’s tale features many witty scenes, but this one easily ranks among the most memorable.
#6: Chimney Fall
“For Your Eyes Only” (1981) The beginning of the James Bond adventure “For Your Eyes Only” has the secret agent trapped in a helicopter from hell. Once he takes back control, Bond scoops up his nemesis using the landing skid and flies him up into the air. He circles a factory chimney, but then agrees to let the villain off. Unfortunately, he means immediately - down the chimney! The desperate villain drops down, screaming Bond’s name. The scene feels more like an old “Looney Tunes” short than a Bond movie, but we can’t pretend we didn’t chuckle.
#5: Garbage Day
“Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2” (1987) Traumatized by the events of the original film, Ricky gets his hands on a gun and goes on a murder rampage in the suburbs. Spotting a man taking out the trash, Ricky lets out a giddy line and fires. It’s perhaps the mundanity of Ricky’s observation that makes it so unexpected, silly, and hilarious. He’s mocking his victim, but for nothing in particular, at least nothing that makes any sense. The scene is actually pretty sinister, as Ricky stalks through the suburbs, but lines like this remind the audience that they’re watching a comedy - of sorts. Or at least, we think it was meant to be funny? It’s hard to say for sure.
#4: Explosive Rage
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“Big Trouble in Little China” (1986) John Carpenter’s action comedy features a final brawl that ends with the villain Thunder destroying himself. Discovering Lo Pan’s death, Thunder literally steams and balloons with anger. The cartoonish effects ensure that this moment plays out like a comedy instead of a horror film. The scene is a great example of the way the movie’s tongue-in-cheek elements make sure the martial arts theme never gets too serious. Not only does Thunder’s demise come out of nowhere, subverting expectations of another battle, it’s so gleefully ridiculous that we can’t help but laugh.
#3: Basketball Bullet
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“Deadly Friend” (1986) A basketball becomes a super-powered weapon in this scene from cult horror movie “Deadly Friend.” Anne Ramsey’s character Elvira believes that she’s safe until the undead Samantha surprises her with a sneak attack. As Elvira backs against the wall, the teenager hurls a basketball with absurd velocity. As her head bursts open, it’s hard not to laugh. With the excessive practical effects, this brutal sequence throws logic out the window in order to simply entertain. “Deadly Friend” might not be remembered for much else, but this moment is hilariously overdone.
#2: Anticlimactic Sword Fight
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) In one of the famous on-set stories from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the cast and crew came down with dysentery while filming. With Harrison Ford exhausted from the illness, they decided to alter a previously planned sword fight. Indiana Jones fights his way through the Cairo marketplace until he comes face to face with a skilled swordsman, who shows off his moves in elaborate fashion. What viewers expect to be a drawn out battle is cut short when the archaeologist pulls out his gun and shoots his adversary. Ford’s face says it all in this wonderfully simple moment.
#1: Vincent Ludwig Topples
“The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (1988) Foiling an assassination plot, lieutenant Frank Drebin ends up in a stand-off with the diabolical mastermind Vincent Ludwig at Anaheim Stadium. He manages to hit Ludwig with a non-fatal tranquilizer dart. But it proves more fatal than expected … Ludwig topples over, falling several stories. Hey, maybe he miraculously survived? Well, not if the passing bus has anything to say about it. Or the steamroller. Even that’s not enough, as a marching band shows up to stomp over him. Leslie Nielson’s cringing reactions only add to the hilarity of the scene. On paper it might be horrendous, but on screen, it’s the perfect ending to a comedy classic.
