Underappreciated Gen-X Comedies

Everyone seems to know Jeremy Piven from Entourage (2004), but I've always seen him as the suspiciously old college student from PCU. Structured like National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) it deviates from the formula by shifting the focus off the ridiculousness of the frat house to the utter awfulness of political correctness. David Spade gives a pretty funny performance and looks even fresher than his break out role in Tommy Boy (1995). Gen-X Connection: Dealing with Political Correctness

The adaptation of Dave Barry's hilarious sunshine noir novel is a legitimately fun absurdist work. Unfortunately its release date was 9/21/2001 and the events 10 days prior made its plot involving a bomb and an airplane beyond box office poison. It eventually found a release a year later, but was given the ten foot pole treatment by the studio. The film still remains relatively unheard of, but funny none the less. A great cast that featured proven and soon to be stars such as Tim Allen, Zooey Deschanel, and Jason Lee. Gen-X Connection: Changing View of Work & Government

The funniest Happy Madison movie to come out since 2000 and it doesn't even star Adam Sandler. Frequent Sandler side-player Allen Covert stepped into the limelight and brought out some off-beat jokes aimed at the gamer demographic. A strong supporting class of both young and old actors pushing each other further and further into the comedic zone with surprising chemistry between unlikely pairings such as Shirley Jones and Nick Swardson. Gen-X Connection: Coping with "Living up to your Potential"

I've never decided if I liked this spoof of camp movies because I actually worked at a summer camp or because of The State (1993) alum. Its goofy and definitely a film that I didn't fully appreciate at first. Over time its grown on me and nailing certain aspects of the summer camp meta definitely helped sell it. A bevy of future stars teamed with some old ones for a truly diverse cast including Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper and David Hyde Pierce. Gen-X Connection: Atypical Gen-X Coming of Age

Long before he got his own show, Dave Chappelle was bringing the funny in this stoner comedy. A perfect blend of good old fashioned pot humor, non-overwhelming movie spoofs and ingenious cameos. Bob Saget drops the mother of all surprising appearances and is a perfect representation of his insanely obscene stand-up act that tears apart his Full House (1987) persona. Gen-X Connection: Coping with growing up.

Perhaps just a guilty pleasure, but Down Periscope has long been one of my favorite movies. Ranking right in there with serious films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and The Big Lebowski (1998). Its a safe by the numbers misfit comedy, but for some reason its always resonated with me. I still talk like a pirate for a couple of days anytime I watch it and wish I was man enough for a "Welcome Aboard" tatoo.

Massively underrated and appreciated. Bob Odenkirk directs a seriously funny film that manages to be both outrageous and subtle at the same time. Chi McBride steals every scene he's in and drops some massively hilarious lines. Most surprising is its refusal to needlessly spoof jail flicks and make anal rape look like something best enjoyed with a nice pinot grigio.

The first time I watched Mike Judge's follow-up to the cult classic Office Space (1999) I hated it. A second chance viewing egged on by the insistence of my brother quickly reversed my opinion of this even culter classic. Idiocracy is legitatemly funny even if its in juvenille way. One of the few movies I can watch over and over again. A great way to see dick and fart jokes elevated to a whole other level.

The sequel to Kevin Smith's breakout film Clerks (1994) came 12 years later and to far fewer praise. Clerks II stands apart from the original as a vastly different film from a man in a vastly different time of his life. There's a lot to love with witty dialouge, taboo situations and of course Smith's classic pandering to his own fans.

Timed far too closely to the release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), it became known as the other mall cop movie. Seth Rogen delivers a very unsettling performance in an ultra dark comedy. I wasn't fully sold on the film while watching it until the culminating chase scene which seemed like a rare perfect moment in cinema. The movie also happened to break my long standing belief that no one should even attempt to cover a Pixies song.

A twisted look at a Catholic high school brings some very funny moments coupled with intriguing characters. Pixie Jena Malone drives home a cute performance, while Macaulay Culkin steals every scene. After watching this film, I've really wondered why he hasn't transformed into a legitimate star during his adult years. If you're a fan of irreverent comedies this should be right up your alley.