Splitsider

While Harold Ramis isn’t quite a household name, he absolutely should be. As a writer/director, the man shaped the big screen personas of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Rodney Dangerfield, amongst others, defined the comedic tastes of a generation, and had more of an effect on American film humor than just about anybody in the past few decades. Before conquering Hollywood, Ramis performed at Second City Chicago, on The National Lampoon Radio Hour, and on SCTV (where he also served as head writer). Ramis then went on to write, direct, and/or star in a string of hit comedies that includes Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, National Lampoon's Vacation, [...]

Yesterday, we published a review of Paul, the new film from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and how much of its humor comes from Pegg and Frost’s obsession with science fiction. Comedy and sci-fi, I’d argue, are the two genres with the most passionate fanbases, and to combine them is tricky, but potentially rewarding. Below are five of the finest sci-fi comedies and three of the worst.