Billy Madison was released 31 years ago.
The infamous trivia decathlon was almost cut for being too absurd. Test audiences loved it. The studio realized the movie worked best when it leaned fully into stupidity instead of trying to ground itself.
EuroTrip (2004) looks like dumb teen chaos, but it’s shockingly well constructed. Every stupid detour lands, every joke stacks, and the movie knows exactly how ridiculous it’s being. Way sharper than its reputation.
Not Another Teen Movie (2001) looks like trashy spoof comedy, then you realize how closely it’s tracking every late 90s teen movie beat. It only works because it understands the genre inside out.