VIDEO: Bill Hader's List Of 200 Essential Comedy Movies

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A spin around the TV dial is almost guaranteed to turn up at least one appearance by Bill Hader. Whether it be his memorable stint on Saturday Night Live, smaller film roles in Judd Apatow comedies, leading roles in Greg Mottola comedies, adding voices to Edgar Wright movies, writing South Park episodes, or a commercial for his wonderful new drama The Skeleton Twins, Hader seems to be everywhere. And that's a good thing. The guy is talented and funny, and a huge film fan.

In the book "Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations With Today's Top Comedy Writers" by Mike Sacks, Hader contributed his own list of "200 Essential Movies Every Comedy Writer Should See." It pretty safe to say, though, you don't have to be a comedy writer to appreciate these gems. Some are obvious, some not, but it's a fun list even just as a jumping off point for a debate.

Below, check out the list of Hader's 200 Essential Comedies and even watch him talk about it.

The list originated in Sacks' book, which you can grab here, via XO Jane and The Dissolve. Below the list are some videos from a talk Sacks had with Hader in New York where he not only talks about the list, but movies in general including working in a New York movie theaters in the Nineties.

Bill Hader Favorite Comedies (Alphabetical Order)

  • 9 to 5 (1980)
  • 1941 (1979)
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
  • Ace in the Hole (1951)
  • The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
  • After Hours (1985)
  • Airplane! (1980)
  • Amarcord (1973)
  • American Graffiti (1973)
  • An American in Paris (1951)
  • Animal Crackers (1930)
  • Annie Hall (1977)
  • The Apartment (1960)
  • Army of Darkness (1992)
  • Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
  • Back to the Future (1985)
  • The Bad News Bears (1976)
  • Bananas (1971)
  • The Band Wagon (1953)
  • The Bank Dick (1940)
  • Barton Fink (1991)
  • Beetlejuice (1988)
  • Being There (1979)
  • Best in Show (2000)
  • Better Off Dead (1985)
  • Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
  • The Big Lebowski (1998)
  • The Birdcage (1996)
  • Blazing Saddles (1974)
  • The Blues Brothers (1980)
  • Boogie Nights (1997)
  • Born Yesterday (1950)
  • Bottle Rocket (1996)
  • Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
  • Brazil (1985)
  • Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
  • Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
  • The 'Burbs (1989)
  • Cabin in the Sky (1943)
  • Caddyshack (1980)
  • Catch-22 (1970)
  • The Circus (1928)
  • City Lights (1931)
  • A Clockwork Orange (1971)
  • Closely Watched Trains (1966)
  • The Cocoanuts (1929)
  • Coming to America (1988)
  • The Court Jester (1956)
  • Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
  • Dames (1934)
  • A Day at the Races (1937)
  • Dazed and Confused (1993)
  • Design for Living (1933)
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
  • Down by Law (1986)
  • Dr. Strangelove (1964)
  • Drag Me to Hell (2009)
  • Duck Soup (1933)
  • Ed Wood (1994)
  • Election (1999)
  • The Evil Dead (1981)
  • Evil Dead 2 (1987)
  • Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
  • Fargo (1996)
  • Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
  • The Firemen's Ball (1967)
  • A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
  • The Foot Fist Way (2006)
  • The Fortune (1975)
  • Four Lions (2010)
  • Gates of Heaven (1978)
  • The General (1926)
  • Get Shorty (1995)
  • Ghostbusters (1984)
  • The Gold Rush (1925)
  • Good Morning (1959)
  • The Goonies (1985)
  • The Graduate (1967)
  • Grand Illusion (1937)
  • The Great Race (1965)
  • The Groove Tube (1974)
  • Groundhog Day (1993)
  • Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
  • Heaven Can Wait (1943)
  • His Girl Friday (1940)
  • Horse Feathers (1932)
  • The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
  • I Vitelloni (1953)
  • I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978)
  • I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
  • The Incredibles (2004)
  • It Happened One Night (1934)
  • It's a Gift (1934)
  • It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
  • The Jerk (1979)
  • Jules and Jim (1962)
  • The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
  • The King of Comedy (1983)
  • Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
  • L'Atalante (1934)
  • The Ladykillers (1955)
  • The Last Detail (1973)
  • The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
  • Let It Ride (1989)
  • The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
  • The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
  • Little Murders (1971)
  • Lolita (1962)
  • The Long Goodbye (1973)
  • Lost in America (1985)
  • Love and Death (1975)
  • Loves of a Blonde (1965)
  • M*A*S*H (1970)
  • The Man in the White Suit (1951)
  • The Man with Two Brains (1983)
  • A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
  • The Merry Widow (1934)
  • Midnight Run (1988)
  • The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
  • Modern Romance (1981)
  • Mon Oncle (1958)
  • Monkey Business (1931)
  • Monsters, Inc. (2001)
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
  • Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
  • Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)
  • Mr. Mom (1983)
  • Mystery Train (1989)
  • The Naked Gun (1988)
  • Nashville (1975)
  • National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
  • Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
  • A Night at the Opera (1935)
  • Noises Off (1992)
  • One, Two, Three (1961)
  • Orgazmo (1997)
  • Our Hospitality (1923)
  • Out of Sight (1998)
  • The Palm Beach Story (1942)
  • Parenthood (1989)
  • Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
  • Play Time (1967)
  • The Player (1992)
  • The Princess Bride (1987)
  • The Producers (1968)
  • Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
  • Radio Days (1987)
  • Raising Arizona (1987)
  • Real Life (1979)
  • The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
  • Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
  • Rushmore (1998)
  • Safe Men (1998)
  • Salesman (1968)
  • Schizopolis (1996)
  • A Serious Man (2009)
  • Shaolin Soccer (2001)
  • Shaun of the Dead (2004)
  • Sherlock Jr. (1924)
  • Shoot the Pianist (1960)
  • The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
  • Short Cuts (1993)
  • Singin' in the Rain (1952)
  • Sixteen Candles (1984)
  • Songs from the Second Floor (2000)
  • South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
  • The Squid and the Whale (2005)
  • Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
  • Stripes (1981)
  • Sullivan's Travels (1941)
  • Take the Money and Run (1969)
  • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
  • Team America: World Police (2004)
  • This is Spinal Tap (1984)
  • Three Amigos! (1986)
  • Time Bandits (1981)
  • To Be or Not to Be (1942)
  • Toy Story (1995)
  • Toy Story 2 (1999)
  • Toy Story 3 (2010)
  • Trading Places (1983)
  • Trouble in Paradise (1932)
  • Twentieth Century (1934)
  • Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
  • Up (2009)
  • Used Cars (1980)
  • Vernon, Florida (1981)
  • Waiting for Guffman (1996)
  • A Wedding (1978)
  • Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
  • What's Up, Doc? (1972)
  • What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966)
  • The White Sheik (1952)
  • Withnail and I (1987)
  • You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)
  • You Can't Take It with You (1938)
  • You the Living (2007)
  • Young Frankenstein (1974)
  • Zelig (1983)
  • Zero for Conduct (1933)
  • And here are the videos.