Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is another in a long line of parody films that have graced the silver screen since the very beginning of cinema. There are certain elements that can be seen over time with many key examples appearing in the 1980s and 1990s that may come to mind when considering the genre.
Spoof movies work to balance a serious tone with the blatant comedy of the parody being portrayed, and usually make fun of the genre type of film that it is mimicking. Sometimes these parodies can be simple or childish, but other times the films become an incredible send-up that is remembered fonder than the films they make fun of.
10 Doctor Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Considered possibly one of the greatest comedies of all time, this black-and-white comedy includes the talents of Stanley Kubrick, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens. With the Cold War at its height, tensions were growing and the threat of global annihilation was a very real concern.
It is under these circumstances that this movie was released that made fun of the very real danger that people felt. With the dialogue and situation making needle-point attacks on key issues, it helped to release some of the tension felt by the audience and is a comedy that even today has some very biting satire.
9 Casino Royale (1967)
In contrast to the modern, serious film of the same name, this Casino Royale stars David Niven as the original James Bond and works with a script that parodies the spy film genre and more specifically, the James Bond series.
In a twist that seems more significant now that multiple actors have taken on the titular role, David Niven's Bond makes all MI6 agents "James Bond 007" in order to defeat the spy killer organization known as SMERSH. With the talents of Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, and Ursula Andress, the cast performance is incredible and elevates some of the more bawdy humor into something special.
8 Blazing Saddles (1974)
Mel Brooks' Western film features Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder as they attempt to thwart rail construction due to go through the town of Rock Ridge. Blazing Saddles takes many of the tropes of the Western genre and plays upon them, with the role of race being a key component of the humor, which can be uncomfortable at times.
While some of the humor can be dated, the issues it raises within the context of the film are played off well and the performances of the cast manage to expertly land the jokes as they're performed.
7 Monty Python's The Life Of Brian (1979)
The second film released from the minds behind Monty Python, The Life Of Brian is a parody of the large-budget Christian religious films called Biblical Epics created in the early decades of Hollywood. Much of the jokes make fun of the genre but also the religion behind it, so it may not be to everyone's tastes.
The setting is ancient Rome and tells the story of Brian, a man who is definitely not the messiah and much of the comedy comes from a civil rights organization who are unable to see anything positive in the Roman occupation as well as the seemingly unjustified persecution of the titular Brian. Excellent performances by the cast are supported by surreal moments and even a catchy song.
6 Airplane! (1980)
With disaster movies becoming popular prior to this film's release, the film parodies these, and in particular, those based around disastrous flights and the cast who attempt to prevent disaster. With the directorial debut of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker, they cast actors who had previously not played comedy characters to play the script as deadpan as possible.
Much of the comedy in Airplane! can be considered low-brow humor, however, the performances make it into something more than the sum of its parts. Jokes come out of nowhere and land effectively through the cast's performance and viewers will find themselves laughing unexpectedly with each superlative delivery.
5 Top Secret! (1984)
In Val Kilmer's debut role, the film parodies not only the spy genre but also the musicals that Elvis Presley was known for when performing on screen. Other famous actors include Omar Sharif, Peter Cushing, and Michael Gough, and their performances cement the tone of the film as each person finds themselves as a perfectly sensible character in a suddenly comedic situation.
While Val Kilmer arrives in the film's equivalent of East Germany for cultural reasons, being in the wrong place at the wrong time results in a comedy of errors as the musical performer accidentally joins the rebel army as they try and overthrow the government.
4 UHF (1989)
While not a financial success in its own time, Weird Al Yankovic's UHF has become something of a cult classic. The parody of the film occurs more in how it consistently includes over-the-top or humorous takes on successful film and television media.
While the story is not particularly deep, the comedy comes from reference humor and visual jokes. Once Yankovic's character takes over a TV station, wild and wacky concepts such as Wheel of Fish or Conan The Librarian spark moments of fun that satirize this form of entertainment that takes itself too seriously while simultaneously providing a funny, quotable film that is entertaining in its own right.
3 Hot Shots! (1991)
While many parody films make fun of entire genres, Hot Shots! aims at a specific few films with Top Gun being the central target. While the humor is primarily generated by taking concepts to the extreme, it also uses references and the performances of an all-star cast to great effect.
The film stars Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, and Lloyd Bridges, among others. The performances and delivery of the jokes are excellent and the deadpan delivery of lines ensures the quality of this movie.
2 Scary Movie (2000)
This film parodies the slasher horror genre in general but also more specifically aims at the Scream franchise. While many of the actors in the film were not particularly well known at the time, the series' success catapulted their careers and allowed them to create sequels, spinoffs, and comedy series that have been very successful since.
While much of the humor is aimed at immature audiences, the parody of the genre and specific films is excellently targeted and very on point with critiques of common tropes. It can be very funny at times though much of the humor has dated and may not appeal to a modern audience.
1 Tropic Thunder (2008)
Parodying the action movie, Tropic Thunder stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. and these actors play on the expectations the audience has of such actors, taking the concepts to the extreme and taking very dark shots at some of the choices that actors may make in their careers.
When these actors find themselves in a genuinely dangerous situation at the insistence of the uncredited Tom Cruise playing their director, the group attempt to manage their own escape while also addressing cliches and stereotypes of multiple film genres.