The great escape is a great film one of the best i can think of certainly one of the only one i never tire of seeing, bridge on the river kwai is another, why cant they make films like that any more they are all so dark and "meaningful" now the closest to a modern war film like the old ones was kokoda but it was kinda dark too, although refreshing in that it didn't have a single American "saving the day", good film though none the less. Modern war films just get so depressing i know war is depressing but movies aren't supposed to be. Im with you on some films being well rated because they are fashionable, heaven forbid they let normal people rate movies especially in magazines(imdb is not bad but it is totally rife with the "arty" fashionable types.
I would agree about the Great Escape and Bridge over the River Kwai.
For comedy, I loved the old Marx Brothers movies - Night at the Opera, etc.
My husband and I have a lot of Napoleon Dynamite memorized (yes, that's sad, I know!)
I like The Princess Bride - I've watched that a lot.
How about Hitchcock movies? Birds, Vertigo, The Lady Vanishes (excellent movie)
M*A*S*H