Classic Movie Satires Vintage, Old Movie Satires Part 1 Review

Satire can be subtle, or obvious,  subdued or broad , serious or funny, political or literal, whimsical or cruel. It comes in many sizes and shapes. It even goes by other names; spoofs, put-ons, parodies. All are satires. I've kept most of the direct spoofs like Kung Pow, or Young Frankenstein or Albert Brooks' Real Life off this list. Blazing Saddles could be on this list particularly since there's a message about racism within the utter silliness of the film, but I've left it off as well.   If a film is more parody than satire, I've kept it off this list.

This list is meant to open up the genre too you.  Black comedies and cult films like Harold and Maude, Where's Poppa or  Blue Velvet are not on this list.  Some brilliant satires like a few made by Bunuel and Fellini are not on this list...I decided... no non-english speaking films this time or I'd have to include Almodovar and Goddard and several others.  

So here's a list that includes films from every decade 1940 to the present.  Presented in 2 parts  and including some honorable mentions... like:

1957's Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter    a scathing satire on the 1950s and Madison Avenue advertising starring a never better Tony Randall.  A huge flop when it was made, this noisy, inconsistent comedy is better today than when it was first made.

Billy Wilder's ONE TWO THREE is a loud, utterly unsubtle satire with James Cagney as a coke salesman who inadvertently sets back diplomatic relations 50 years.   I think it's too obvious, simple minded, loud, brash and isn't nearly as interesting or clever as say Dr. Strangelove-but it has its moments and a lot of people think it's a great satire.

Preston Sturges'  Christmas in July  1940  is one of the most entertaining and funniest satires you could ever hope to watch.  Consumerism, and American excess gets a superb skewing in this 1940s era comedy that reacts to post depression America.  It's a Nothing Sacred/ "Brewster's Millions" story. In 1937's Nothing Sacred, Carol Lombard thinks she's dying of radium poisoning and so journalist Frederic March encourages her to spend more money than she has buying everything she ever wanted.  Then she doesn't die!    In Christmas in July, Dick Powell  is scammed by his fellow office workers that he's won a contest by writing a clever ad slogan.  Our clueless man buys everything he always wanted but then finds out he didn't win the contest and he's in big big trouble. 

Tristram Shandy- A Cock and Bull Story (2005/06 Directed by Michael Winterbottom)

Brand new cult classic we have in this outrageous satiric comedy about making a movie of an unfilmable 18th century book. It's a stylized quirky rule breaking romp.  

 Now 15  Movie Satires worth seeing...

15. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang  2005

Is a clever satire of modern film noir and big action set pieces like the ones that made screenwriter and director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Last Boy Scout), rich and famous in the first place.  A good screenplay, superb Robert Downey Jr. performance and a good one by Val Kilmer playing a role you never thought you'd see him do.  Detective movie and Hollywood business clichés are satirized sharply.   Good flick.  

14. The Candidate (1972 - Director: Michael Ritchie )

Sharp semi-documentary styled political satire focusing on a Kennedy-esque political candidate, how he must change and compromise during his grueling campaign in his attempt to get elected. It's one of the best roles Robert Redford ever had. Very well done. And very much worth watching today.   How does an idealistic and sincere man get turned into a bar of soap to sell to the public?   Exhibit A. 

13. Clueless (1995 - Director Amy Heckerling)

A near-classic satire based on Jane Austen's early 19th century novel, 'Emma'. Beverly Hills' Youth Speak and Southern California culture is slyly skewered by the writer and director with a fine performance by Alicia Silverstone and the late great Dan Hedaya. Great music choices too.

12. Airplane (1980 Directed by Z-A-Z)

It's like watching a live action MAD MAGAZINE movie parody that's on speed. The often bad puns fly fast and loose and movies fashions and culture of the 60s, and 70s are lambasted within a frame-work of a parody of an old 50s thriller. The real surprise is how funny some of the veteran show biz celebrities are like Leslie Neilsen, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves. It created a whole sub-genre of manic spoof film franchises like Naked Gun and Hot Shots and the much less successful Scary Movie franchise. Yes it's a spoof and parody, but of dozens of films and genres...  so it's here.

11. Take the Money and Run (1969 Director Woody Allen

Woody Allen's 2nd theatrical film (after What's Up Tiger Lilly) plays like a spoof of a documentary and twists and makes fun of crime stories with a side trip to make fun of romantic movies too. It's more than just a parody however in the way it completely subverts our expectations and breaks movie conventions in an updated Marx Brothers style.  There's a lot of just plain fun silliness in the movie as well.  Even if you really dislike Woody Allen this is likely one of the Woody films you'll really enjoy..

10. The Producers (1968- Director: Mel Brooks)

The original Mel Brooks film poking fun at Broadway and Show Biz conventions featuring Brooks' once controversial (now tame) 'is nothing sacred' brand of rude humor with once in a lifetime comic performances by Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and Dick Shawn. Grab your blue blanked and enjoy.

9. Network (1976 Director Sidney Lumet)

Writer Paddy Chayefsky and Director Sidney Lumet's satire on television was once a somewhat far-fetched attack on the television news programs. 30 years later the film often seems very tame and not over-the-top or exaggerated at all. That's a scary thing. William Holden, Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway deliver superb performances. Who knew it would be so prophetic so quickly