Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
A couple of fun, flashy films hit theaters this week, but none have generated more buzz than The Naked Gun. This legacy sequel picks up decades after Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994), the final film in the original trilogy starring Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling yet effective detective Frank Drebin. In the latest installment, Liam Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the famously inept cop. Early reactions suggest the apple has not fallen far from the hilariously incompetent tree.
Parody films mimic the style and conventions of specific genres, exaggerating familiar tropes for comedic effect. The genre gained momentum in the 1970s with Mel Brooks’ classics like Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), and Silent Movie (1976). Meanwhile, British comedy legends Monty Python delivered their irreverent parodies in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Life of Brian (1979).
In the 1980s, parody films continued to find success, blending satire, slapstick, and surrealism in hits like Airplane! (1980), Spaceballs (1987), and The Naked Gun (1988). What made these films memorable was their relentless pace, razor-sharp wit, and gleeful skewering of pop culture and cinematic clichés. At their best, they did not just mock – they paid homage while reinventing the comedy genre.
Before you head back to Police Squad territory this weekend, here’s a look at ten parody films that set the bar for brilliant absurdity:
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
9. The Producers (1967)
8. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
7. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
6. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
5. Spaceballs (1987)
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
3. Airplane! (1980)
2. Blazing Saddles (1974)
1. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Curious about The Producers being here.
I asked about that. It was considered a parody of Broadway.