Quake1028

I like the work of all of these guys, for the types of comedies they do. My favorite movie from each:

Phillips - Old School
Apatow - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
McKay - Anchorman (my favorite from all of these guys, period)

Overall I have to give Phillips the slight edge, just because I like his best three (minus S&H and School for Scoundrels) a little bit more than Apatow's 3. Although if we are going by consistency, Apatow would get the nod because he has yet to make a "bad" film, IMO. Also, he worked on Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, so that counts for something.

wendersfan

Todd Phillips - I've only seen Starsky and Hutch, and I didn't like it.
Judd Apatow - Knocked Up was OK.
Adam McCay - I liked Anchorman and Talladega Nights about the same.

I guess these guys aren't to my taste.

Quake1028

Yeah, you aren't really my target demo for this thread .

superdeluxe

Hangover puts Todd on top.

Although before Hangover, I would go with Adam Mckay.

wendersfan

Unfortunately for me I think my wife is.

AnonomusBob15

Apatow, by far. Haven't yet seen Funny People, but based on his first two alone.

Todd Phillips is alright. I didn't absolutely love The Hangover like everyone else, it was ok though.

I'm really liking Jody Hill. Observe and Report blew every other comedy this year away, IMO, and Eastbound and Down is fucking great too. This is someone to watch.

chris_sc77

Apatow, by far as well. Just great funny films. Funny People is without a doubt the Best film I have seen this year so far.


Phillips makes kinda enjoyable movies but none have impressed me that much.


McKay and a very good job with Talledega and Step Brothers.

slop101

I laughed really hard at Stepbrothers and find it to be the funniest of these movies, but I think that has more to do with the cast than anything else. The Apatow movies are "better", but the McCay movies are funnier.

Quake1028

I figured Apatow would run away with this since he's by far the most "hyped" of these three.

The Bus

These directors, to me, are interchangeable. In these types of movies it's much more about the script and the acting.

Blu Man

Todd Phillips- Old School was ok, The Hangover is one of the best movies of 2009.

Judd Apatow- Knocked Up was watchable, The 40 year old Virgin was pretty good, and funny People was more of a drama then a comedy.

Adam Mckay- Anchorman was horrible, Talledage Night's wasn't that much better, but Step Brothers was really funny.

Overall, I'd say Todd Phillips is the best because of The Hangover.

toddly6666

Judd Apatow - comedies for intellectual, hipster Americans
Adam Mckay - comedies for low-class, redneck Americans
Todd Phillips - comedies for all of the above

mdc3000

As directors maybe, but since they WRITE all the movies they make, I think it's a fair question. I like Todd Philips a lot (Road Trip, Old School, Hangover) but he has made a few movies that are just OK. Before Funny People, I easily would have said Apatow, because I love Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin...but I think I'll have to go with Adam McKay. Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers are 3 of my favourite comedies...someone mentioned Jody Hill earlier and McKay and Ferrell have gone a long way to getting Hill's work out there, so that gets a thumbs up too.

Ash Ketchum

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the team that directed the two CRANK movies, are the only comedy directors worth their salt these days. At least in Hollywood. In Hong Kong, you've got Stephen Chow (KUNG FU HUSTLE). I can't think of any other currently active comedy directors whose recent work I've enjoyed.

Oh, wait! Michael Bay for TRANSFORMERS (2007). That was pretty damned funny. And Roland Emmerich for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, which had a lot of laughs, too, but I don't know how intentional the comedy was.

Arthur Dent

Phillips- I haven't seen The Hangover yet. Road Trip was below-avg. Old School was okay.
Apatow- The winner. I haven't seen Funny People yet, but I enjoyed Virgin and Knocked Up.
Adam McKay- Liked Anchorman. Talladega Nights and Step Brothers are two of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Blu Man

fumanstan

I voted for Apatow. I only like Hangover from Phillips, and McKay's movies are just ok.

Quake1028

Here's how I rank all of their movies in relation to each other:

1.Anchorman
2.Old School
3.Road Trip
4.40 YOV
5.The Hangover
6.Step Brothers
7.Knocked Up
8.Funny People
9.Talladega Nights
10.Starsky and Hutch
11.School for Scoundrels

Matthew Chmiel

Todd Phillips - If he never directed The Hangover, which by far is his best, I would've mentioned Road Trip. The man owes me my time back after Starsky & Hutch and School for Scoundrels.

Judd Apatow - Funny People is his best movie to date, but The 40-Year-Old Virgin is his funniest.

Adam McKay - Anchorman. No contest.

Going off Quake's list of sorts, in terms of "funniest" to "least funniest."

1. Anchorman
2. 40 Year-Old-Virgin
3. Knocked Up
4. The Hangover
5. Talladega Nights
6. Road Trip
7. Old School
8. Funny People (but, as mentioned, easily Judd's best film)
9. Step Brothers
10. Starsky and Hutch
11. School for Scoundrels

Jam Master Jay

I voted for Phillips as well because of The Hangover, but I love Road Trip & Old School. Starsky & Hutch was OK, School for Scoundrels was no doubt his worst.

orangecrush

Looks like a three way tie (for last) to me. For viturally all the movies listed, the director isn't very important.

toddly6666

From Best to Worst:

1. Knocked Up
2. 40-Year Old Virgin
3. The Hangover
4. Funny People
5. Road Trip
6. School for Scoundrels
7. Starsky & Hutch
8. Old School
9. Step Brothers
10. Anchorman
11. Talladega Nights

Maxflier

Todd Phillips easily over Apatow.
School For Scoundrels was weak, but The Hangover and Road Trip are 2 of my favorite comedies ever.
As for McKay, Anchorman was ok and I doubt I will ever see the other 2 movies as neither appeals to me in the least.

FantasticVSDoom

Agree with this, and voted for Mckay just on Stepbrothers alone...

My list:
1.Step Brothers
2. Knocked Up
3. 40 YOV
4. The Hangover
5. Old School
6. Talladega Nights
7. Anchorman
8. Road Trip
9.Starsky and Hutch
10.School for Scoundrels

Have not seen Funny People yet so cant list it. 9 and 10 were awful imo.

Mr. Cinema

Probably Phillips. His movies have a bit better pace since they're leaner than Apatow's. Starsky and Hutch isn't mentioned too often when talking about his films, but I think it's very funny.

I love Apatow as well, but there's several minutes of each film of his that could be cut out that would make them play better.

I love Anchorman, but hated Talladega Nights and absolutely despised Step Brothers.