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Go to itcher for recommended films tailored to your taste. Contributing to this article: Paola Bassanese & Jonny Sweet
“I would like to make an announcement. There is a gorgeous woman masturbating on my bed.”
‘American Pie’ (1999), directed by Paul and Chris Weitz, is the go-to funny movie about prom night and the peer pressure to lose your virginity. There’s embarrassing father/son conversations about sex and the infamous warm and inviting pie scene.
Juvenile humour and sexual innuendo will always be funny – maybe because it taps into our childish brain and gives us permission not to be adults for a while. Funny movies that take us back to how awkward we were in our teenage years make us laugh uncomfortably – it’s like a guilty pleasure. There are so many great ‘American Pie’-like movies: some of them have a similar storyline and some have a similar type of humour.
“Is that… is that hair gel?”
I would say that ‘There’s Something About Mary’, directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly, is probably the closest match to ‘American Pie’ in terms of juvenile humour. The film was made famous by a hilarious scene when Cameron Diaz needs some hair gel and borrows some, not knowing where it came from!
The cast includes Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon and British comedian, Lee Evans. The story, in a nutshell, is about meeting up with the girl of your dreams from high school after several years… and trying to get her to fall in love with you (with plenty of competition from other suitors!).
“I’m on holiday, you can’t be too drunk!”
Replace the American setting for the Greek island of Crete and a bunch of awkward American teenagers for a bunch of equally (if not more!) awkward English teenagers on holiday seeking sun, sea and sex (and booze, and more sex!), and you’ve got a good match for American Pie!
Based on a very successful and much-loved UK TV series, ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’ will make you squirm as you watch these lads on holiday try their luck with the ladies, drink too many beers, and simply make total fool of themselves, all with hilariously embarrassing results.
The actors playing the 18-year-olds on holiday may not be household names outside the UK, but I am sure you will soon warm up to their characters they play and find their adventures side-splittingly funny.
“Are there any guys out there who are JUST NORMAL?”
‘Road Trip’ came out the year after ‘American Pie’ and will always be inextricably linked to that movie in my mind, perhaps because I watched both in quick succession as a young impressionable teen who was still not quite sure whether to be wholly entertained or slightly terrified by the sexual goings-on in both.
Featuring Sean William-Scott in a near-identical Stifler role, Tom Green as the wacky tour guide and narrator of the film Barry Manilow, and unlikely model DJ Qualls as the shy, nervous skinny guy who is brought out of his shell, the film offers an implausible and uproarious romp across the United States on a mission to retrieve a sex tape before it falls into the wrong hands.
“I ate fiberglass insulation. It wasn’t cotton candy like the guy said… my tummy itches.”
“You Stay Classy San Diego!” says Run Burgundy, 70s TV anchorman prone to faux pas.
He is so macho and caveman-like that when a female newsreader joins his team, he just does not understand what’s going on. It’s exactly his bewilderment that makes this movie side-splittingly funny.
Directed by Adam McKay, Anchorman stars Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate and Steve Carell.
“You know when you hear girls say ‘Ah man, I was so shit-faced last night, I shouldn’t have fucked that guy?’ We could be that mistake!”
If you thought ‘American Pie’ was out of control, ‘Superbad’ is a couple of notches higher up on the silly scales. Under-age alcohol consumption, reckless police work, awkward intercourse, period jokes, and one incredibly funny scene involving Jonah Hill’s ass being crashed into, make for a raucous and ridiculous feast for lovers of immature comedy.
The combination of Hill’s abrasiveness, Michael Cera’s awkwardness and Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s desperation to be cool – along with Seth Rogen and Bill Hader’s irresponsibility – produce one of my favourite comedies of the last decade. Indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I compiled a mini-list of other good movies just like it.
“All I need is a watermelon and two jelly donuts!”
In many ways, it’s obvious that ‘American Pie’ was heavily influenced by this early 80s comedy about a group of high school friends hell-bent on popping their collective cherries. Sound familiar? While there may be no violation of baked goods in this film and its humour is more slapstick and Police Academy-ish, the sexual antics definitely take centre stage and set a precedent for what was to follow 17 years later in the ‘American Pie’ franchise.
If you want to take a peek into the origins of ‘American Pie’ and other films like it, check out the equally immature ‘Porky’s’, whose very name smacks of childish toilet humour.
You won’t be disappointed.
“You know what they say about women and trolley cars. There’s plenty of in the sea.”
Make no mistake – ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ certainly isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel. The film is dominated by stereotypical characters which you could reel off in your sleep: jock, beauty queen, geek, whiter-than-white guy who wants to be black, sage graduate dispensing advice… they’re all there.
The situations they find themselves in are also a little clichéd, though that’s part of the fun. If the formula was so successful with flicks like ‘American Pie’ and ‘Road Trip’, why fix it? The predictable antics of the cast in their school-ending party are entertaining enough to keep you laughing all the way to the bottom of the popcorn bucket.
“I’m a virgin. I always have been.”
What if you don’t manage to lose your virginity at prom night? In ‘The 40-Year-Old-Virgin’, directed by Judd Apatow, Steve Carrell plays Andy, a lovable nerd who still hasn’t popped his cherry at the tender age of 40. After keeping this quiet for many years, he tells his friends about his “dark secret”, who then make it their mission to help him find a date/girlfriend/one-night-stand/anything.
Have a look at this article if you want to watch some great movies like ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’.
“What I have to share is huge… and I want to share it with you.”
Slightly less silly, but still funny is ‘Yes Man’ , directed by Peyton Reed and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper. The film is a quirky take on personal development courses and lifestyle gurus who dictate that if you say “yes” to any opportunity, your life will be better.
But surely, life doesn’t always get better if you apply a sheen of positivity all over it, right? And that’s where the fun really begins!
If you’re a fan of Zooey Deschanel and her singing, it’s worth watching ‘Yes Man’.
“Under federal law, I am a registered sex offender.”
OK, sure, the age range in this Australian film is different from ‘American Pie’, but ‘The Little Death’ is a sex comedy about couples trying to spice up their sex lives. It’s an ensemble cast with different storylines, which, at one point, converge (but I don’t want to spoil the surprise!).
My favourite storyline, if you’re asking, is the one with the sign language interpreter: very original and very funny!
The expression “the little death” is a euphemism for orgasm, by the way. From role-playing to all types of fetishes and fantasies, this film will titillate you while making you cry with laughter. Talking of titillation, why not check my other article on Movies like 50 Shades of Grey?
“The first day of spring semester. A time to say goodbye to the parents once again, and say hello to a few new student bodies.”
A film a bout a professional party-thrower who finds his way through a funny script.
Have a look at this article if you want to watch some great movies like ‘Van Wilder’.
“I’m gonna hit that so hard, the person that pulls it out will become the next king of England.”
More bachelor parties, more fun!
This one is actually based on a bestseller.
Still not completely satisfied?
Neither are we.
That’s why we asked the rest of the team for more suggestions and here’s what we came up with – a list of movies you will most certainly love if you enjoyed ‘American Pie’:
How would you like a side of warm apple pie with your coffee? Do you need some hair gel?
Isn’t it weird how every day objects become hilarious once they are associated to a funny scene in a movie?
In a way, this whole attitude of poking fun at embarrassing situations and seeing the funny side of things is healthy, don’t you think?
**For a video playlist of the recommendations, please click here.
