Comedy Month (2025) – I Love the 80s

You either think the 1980s was a great era for comedy movies, or you’re wrong. Especially the comedies of the mid-to-late 80s. It’s mostly thanks to John Hughes (RIP), the king of feel-good 80s and 90s films, and John Candy (RIP).

For Comedy Month (2025) I picked a couple of my favorite John Candy and Tom Hanks 80s comedy movies and threw in a Richard Pryor film. Watching these movies has me missing John Candy. There will never be anyone comparable to that man. The same goes for John Hughes.

With that said, here is the list for Comedy Month (2025), most of which are probably among my favorites from the 80s.

• Uncle Buck (1989)
• The ‘Burbs (1989)
• The Great Outdoors (1988)
• See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
• Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)
• The Money Pit (1986)
• Bonus & Special Event movies

Uncle Buck (1989)

Directed by: John Hughes
Starring: John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, Jean Louisa Kelly
My rating:

As a result of a family emergency, Buck Russell is called in to watch over the children for a few days. It’s hard to pick a favorite John Candy movie but this movie is pretty high on the list. It helps that John Candy is seen wearing a Cubs jersey at the beginning.

John Hughes could have gone a few directions with Candy’s character. I love that he chose to show Buck as a responsible and caring adult. He might have a unique way of caring for the kids and showing that he cares, but that’s part of his charm. This is a great movie.

The ‘Burbs (1989)

Directed by: Joe Dante
Starring: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher
My Rating:

In a quiet cul-de-sac, a group of suburbanites suspect their neighbor is up to nefarious deeds. This might be one of my favorite Tom Hanks comedy films. Angry Tom Hanks is the best Tom Hanks.

Henry Gibson plays Dr. Klopek, and every time I see him in other things, I think of this movie, including reruns of Laugh-In. This is an iconic 80s comedy and includes our beloved princess, whom Tom Hanks specifically wanted in the movie simply because he is a fan of Star Wars.

The Great Outdoors (1988)

Directed by: Howard Deutch
Starring: John Candy, Dan Aykroyd
My Rating:

Chet (John Candy) wants to take his family on a quiet trip to the cabin his father took him, but it all goes awry when his brother-in-law (Aykroyd) shows up unexpectedly.

I probably quote this movie more than any other film on this list. Over the years this movie is the one I’ve seen the most. It’s one of those movies that if I came across it while channel surfing, I’d leave it on to watch the rest of it. This might actually be my favorite John Candy movie.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

Directed by: Arthur Hiller
Starring: Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder
My Rating:

Two men, one blind and the other deaf, are accused of murder, and they must work together to catch the real murderer. Comedy ensues.

This is one of four films Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder worked on together. These two are a classic duo, like Lemmon and Matthau or Lewis and Martin. Of the four films, this one is probably my favorite. It has been a long time since I last watched this movie, and that is a travesty. More frequent viewings should be arranged, perhaps on days to commemorate the late, great duo.

Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989)

Directed by: Paul Flaherty
Starring: John Candy, Jeffery Jones, Annie Potts
My Rating:

This movie uses a classic mystery movie trope. The perpetrators behind the crime do not want the mystery solved so they hire the most incompetent buffoon to “solve the crime”. Somehow, through a series of dumb luck, he still manages to beat the bad guy at the end.

I had never seen this movie, but it has John Candy, so I decided to watch it. It’s not his best work and not my favorite. It’s a classic, campy, 80s comedy that tries a little too hard to be funny. Its comedy is in the same vein as Naked Gun or Hot Shots. It’s a fun movie, but not a great movie.

The Money Pit (1986)

Directed by: Richard Benjamin
Starring: Tom Hanks, Shelley Long
My Rating:

A young couple buys a house that requires more work than they thought, and fixing it up will challenge their sanity and relationship. It has been a really long time since I have seen this movie. Apparently, I remember very little of this film. While The ‘Burbs has the best “Angry Tom” moment, this movie has the best Tom Hanks laughing moment. It was good to get back to this movie, and I look forward to watching it again more regularly.

Bonus and Special Event Movies

There are two special event movies this month, the same as in previous years. March 6th is The Day of the Dude and the day to watch The Big Lebowski. This may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed this movie. March 10th is Mario Day, and this year, I watched the 2023 Super Mario Bros movie again (the same as last year).

On the official opening day of the MLB season, I watched Major League this year. It’s probably my favorite baseball movie, and perhaps watching a baseball movie on Opening Day will become a new special event.

There is a bonus movie; we went out and saw the new Captain America movie in the theater. While I did enjoy it, I found some of the continuity a little confusing. You can read more in my review of the film.

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