the buzz log

Blockbusters may monopolize the box office, but summer has always been a time of memorable comedies. This year, funnymen are packed cheek by jowl in the multiplex. Plus, they're dropping in everywhere to garner attention for their yuks.

This season looks like a generational hand-off period, with movies pairing the likes of boys-at-heart Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, or the oddball pairing of sweetly frenzied Jack Black with sweetly deadpan Michael Cera.

But the old(er) guys still get their share of laughs and popularity. Be amused, be very very amused, with the top 10 funnymen in fairweather films out now (or out soon).

  Top 10 Funnymen This Summer Movie Season,
past 30 days based on Yahoo! searches

1. Sacha Baron Cohen ("Bruno," July 10). His "Borat" blast left a nation either in an uproar or in uproarious laughter. Cohen has once again set the punk'd bar high — or low — with his posterior plant on Eminem during the MTV Movie Awards. Will there be one more stunt before Bruno's big-screen debut? Keep your eyes peeled.   


2. Ryan Reynolds ("The Proposal," June 19). A little nepotism might come into play for Reynold's Web appeal — after all, he can call Scarlett Johansson the little missus. Onscreen, his romantic comedy unites him with the reigning first lady of the genre: Sandra Bullock. Another reason for Reynold's popularity: People, wanting to know how to get his "Blade:Trinity" abs, have been searching for "ryan reynolds workout."  


3. Will Ferrell ("Land of the Lost," June 5). He helped Conan O'Brien in his new time slot. He contended with Bear Grillys on "Man vs. Wild." Ferrell's one of the rare "SNL" superstars, and his remake of TV schlock into big-budget gold proves his box-office alchemy. But he should watch out for costar Danny McBride, who's gaining a following of his own. 


4. Adam Sandler ("Funny People," July 31). Sandler as a famous, embittered stand-up with a deadly illness? With Judd Apatow as director and Sandler's gross-out brand of humor, expect a do-or-die experience. No matter how he ages, Sandler manages to retain the male youth audience, and his costars Rogen (#9) and Jonah Hill ("Superbad") make a scarily fitting match.


5. Ben Stiller ("Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," May 22). The son of TV icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Stiller has always managed to surround himself with top-flight actors, creating modern classics like "There's Something About Mary." His writing's stronger than his acting chops, as proven in mega-hit "Tropic Thunder." Stiller's museum pieces are more feel-good family nods than knee-slappers, but he'll always be a part of comic history.


6. Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover," June 5). His movie's billed as an Apatow alternative, but he's also been getting attention for being the good-looking comic cad, most notably in "The Wedding Crashers." He started off a decade ago in "Sex and the City" and has done steady work ever since, but this one may kick him into a new comedy realm. 


7. Eddie Murphy ("Imagine That," June 12). The third "SNL" alum on the list, Murphy's transition from "Raw" comic to family man has included fat suits, stinker movies, and Oscar-worthy musical numbers along the way. His gig as a financial exec who enters his daughter's imaginary world sounds like a sweetheart deal.


8. Seth Rogen ("Funny People," July 31). Frank Capra had his Jimmy Stewart, Martin Scorcese has Robert DeNiro, and Apatow has Seth Rogen. Call the schlub a charmer, a freak, a geek, or a muse, but Rogen's run has been hot...in that awkward, stumbling, doped-up kind of way. Now as a Sandler protege, his reign over boy audiences will be complete. 


9. Mos Def ("Next Day Air," May 8). Okay, so Mos Def isn't really known as a funnyman (except among Dave Chappelle fans), but his all-around talent as a music artist and dramatic actor ("Cadillac Records," "The Woodsman") makes Dante Terrell Smith a contender (and an award nominee) wherever he goes. 


10. Michael Cera ("Year One," June 19). The yin to everyone's yang, Cera (who turns 21 on June 7) has managed to be a romantic lead (and a fertile one in "Juno"), a male-bonding partner ("SuperBad"), and a presence to look out for. He matches wits — or something — with Jack Black as they remake history.