October Horrordays

[odessasteps]

Just watched EVIL DEAD II on Netflix, and it got me wondering about the horror-comedy genre. Wikipedia tells me that it has been around much longer than I would have expected.

What's your favourite horror comedy? It's a genre that is easy to fuck up.

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein

That was going to be my answer.

Does Dr. phibes count?

[J.T.]

 

 

Just watched EVIL DEAD II on Netflix, and it got me wondering about the horror-comedy genre. Wikipedia tells me that it has been around much longer than I would have expected.

What's your favourite horror comedy? It's a genre that is easy to fuck up.

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein

That was going to be my answer.

Does Dr. phibes count?

 

I would count it especially given the macabre yet humorous thematic deathtraps he put together.  That shit was straight up '60's Batman stuff.

[DEAN]

 

Okay, STILL LIFE is now Number #1 and the BEST.

 

I like Still Life, but Living Dolls weirds me out more.  I just think that mannequins are creepy in general.  I think it is because I was home alone babysitting my kid brother and sister when I was 15 and Tourist Trap with Chuck Connors and Tanya Roberts came on The Movie Channel.  That movie fucked me up.

 

My boss fucking hates clowns.  He won't watch It or Killer Klowns From Outer Space.  I think the clown doll from Poltergeist did him in.

 

I'm wondering if the guy who wrote the weeping angels episode from Dr Who knew about Still Life.

[nate]

 

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein

That was going to be my answer.

Does Dr. phibes count?

 

 

It absolutely does, in my book.  An absolutely great film, to boot.

[Brian Fowler]

My sentimental choice for favorite horror-comedy is The Cabin in the Woods.

 

My more reasoned answer is Shaun of the Dead.

[Curt McGirt]

Cabin was a blast in the theater. Phibes is such a fantastic dark-horse pick! I guess you could add Theater of Blood too, another Price romp that was proto-slasher. And hell, what about The Raven? Now THAT was a good horror comedy.

[nate]

Another A&C favorite is "Hold That Ghost."

Would "American Werewolf in London" count?

[Curt McGirt]

I never thought American Werewolf was funny, the exact opposite instead. This guy gets his life torn to shreds along with his best friend, who haunts him as a fucking ghost, he falls in love and loses her when he dies. Jesus that's morbid.

 

EDIT: Plus he fell in love with Jenny Agutter of all people! How'd you like that taken from you by a werewolf curse?

[Jingus]

and I seem to remember another short called Something's Fishy or somesuch where a fresh water angler suffers the worst role reversal ever..

I remember that! It involved an apple, right? I have no idea when/where I saw it on television, but somehow that punchline really did stick with me.

Horror comedies: I'd also mention Dead-Alive, Cemetery Man, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Undead, Zombieland, The Frighteners, Gremlins 2, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Zombie Strippers, Black Sheep, Bride AND Seed of Chucky, The People Under the Stairs, The 'Burbs, Ravenous, and Return of the Living Dead. But if you forced me to say what my FAVOURITE was, it'd either be Evil Dead 2 or Shaun of the Dead... and that's only if Young Frankenstein doesn't have enough "horror" in it to count in the discussion. Good on y'all for mentioning Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein and especially The Raven, too. Shit, even Bride of Frankenstein maybe should be mentioned.

[HumanChessgame]

Choking Hazard is an often overlooked Czech movie that is one of my favorite horror comedies.  It's in the same vein as Dead Alive with plenty of over the top gore and doesn't try to take itself seriously at all.  Speaking of Dead Alive, people always bring that up in the comedy horror category, but I think Bad Taste is just as good.  Shame we never got to see any further adventures of Ozzy and Frank.

[JRGoldman]

Unless I missed it (which is more than likely) I'm surprised no one mentioned Beetlejuice.

I'm less surprised no one has mentioned Night of the Comet.

[Burgundy LaRue]

Would The Stuff be considered?  It's so much fun to veg on the couch and watch that one.

[HumanChessgame]

Mentioning The Stuff makes me remember Street Trash which I got to see again in a theater a few months ago.  That in turn makes me think of Troma movies which could probably take a majority of the nominations.

[nate]

Jeezus ... guys ... fucking Ghostbusters.

[Brian Fowler]

See, I never think of Ghostbusters (or Beetlejuice) as horror.

[jaedmc]

For horror comedy, I quite enjoy DEAD AND BREAKFAST. Everyone should check that out.

[Execproducer]

Really? No love for Motel Hell? Guys, brush up on the classics.

[jaedmc]

My wife and I were talking about minorities in film/TV(a popular subject in my house). She's not a horror film fan, and she said "what black horror films are there?"

 

I immediately told her about Tales From the Hood, which I watched a ton as a kid. After that it was pretty limited. People Under the Stairs, which I love. Then Vampire in Brooklyn? Blacula? Ganja and Hess? Most black horror films are pretty rooted in blaxploitation, or are the Wayans Brothers making fun of them. Tales From the Hood is turns 20 next year! People Under the Stairs is legal to drink! What's out there now?

 

So are there any good contemporary horror films made by and with black people?

[Burgundy LaRue]

Candyman is the obvious one. And there's Spawn. Snoop Dogg did Bones, and has hosted a couple of horror flicks over the years.  Denzel headlined Fallen.  Leslie Uggams starred in Poor Pretty Eddie.  Heard it was a nasty piece of work.

 

 

I don't recommend House on Skull Mountain.

[J.T.]

Candyman and Fallen are probably the best ones with Def By Temptation following closely behind. 

 

JD's Revenge is dated but is surprisingly suspenseful if you can get past the 70's cultural references.  Alice Jubert was hotter than lava back in the day.

 

Bones had potential that it did not realize.

 

There is an production company called Queen Nefertari Productions with quite a few Afro-centric horror movies like The Inheretance, Holla, and Holla 2 under its umbrella, but I couldn't give those movies glowing reviews other than "enjoy them for what they are."

 

I suppose we should also lump Leprechaun In The Hood in this pile.

 

Too bad you included the "and with black people" criteria.  Not too many people realize that From Hell was directed by The Hughes Brothers of Menace 2 Society / Dead Presidents fame which checks the "made by black people" box..

[nate]

Abby. Sugar Hill.

Blackenstein.

Soul Vengeance (the idea of being strangled by some dude's prehensile cock is horrifying to me).

[Curt McGirt]

I think most of them have been nailed but just want to say that J.D.'s Revenge is the shit. Scream Blacula Scream too.

[J.T.]

If you guys thought the horror shorts were awesome, check out the entrants for the "Who's There?" Film Challenge:

 

http://www.bchorrorchallenge.com/

 

and Cargo, probably the most heartbreaking zombie related something you will watch not named The Walking Dead.

 

 

Takashi Shimizu's pre Ju-On shorts, Katasumi and 444-444-4444, are also on the YouTubes.

 

Other stuff I can recommend

 

1. Red Balloon (This movie will not help you get over your fear of clowns.)

2. Doppleganger

3. The Descendent

4. The Closet (Dale Daywalt is one of the better horror short film directors out there.)

5. The Hunt

6. Bedfellows (I am sure you have all seen the .gif file by now)

7. Polydeus (another Daywalt gem based on the Polybius urban legend).

[jaedmc]

 

Too bad you included the "and with black people" criteria.  Not too many people realize that From Hell was directed by The Hughes Brothers of Menace 2 Society / Dead Presidents fame which checks the "made by black people" box..

They're the reason why I said it.

[Control]

It's too bad that the Yakub mythology hasn't been used by Black film makers to produce a critical, White-as-Other horror film.

This is actually a really interesting point. There are a lot of African American fantasists and Sf writers who have "written back" against their genre's colonial/racist legacy, but I don't know any horror writers who have done the same.