10 Horror Comedies Everyone Should See!
10 Horror Comedies Everyone Should See…
I didn’t think that I was a fan of horror comedies until I decided to write this article. I like monsters, ghosts, zombies, aliens and the occasionally psycho killer. I like practical special effects over CGI. And, I like my scares with a side of creepy and gore. And, with the occasional nudity whether it’s needed or not. Nowhere in that list of things I liked in my horror movies was comedy. Then I started to think back at all the good horror comedies I have seen. I thought a top 5 list would be good. Surely I could come up with 5 horror comedies that I not only liked but thought that everyone should see. I was surprised that after listing 5 horror comedies I realized that it wasn’t enough because in that list of 5 I hadn’t even gotten to my truly favorite horror comedies. I had to make it a list of 10 horror comedies that everyone should see.
Here’s the thing about some of the films I choose to put on the list. I found myself coming up with a lot of horror comedies that I really liked. So many that it made me realize I am a fan of the horror comedy. However, a lot of the horror comedies I liked involved a lot of pop culture references and as fun as those movies are. They don’t really stand the test of time because not everyone has a good sense of pop culture. In 5 or 10 years when younger people see the movies, they aren’t going to get all the references that make the film so funny. Since this is list of 10 horror comedies that everyone should see. I chose horror comedies that rely more on actual comedy than mocking pop culture. I also chose movies that have been out for at least a few years. Time changes everything and the best test of a movie is how it stands up to it.
So here we have it. The Top 10 Horror Comedies Everyone Should See in no particular order.
The ‘Burbs (1989)
The movie is about what appears to your everyday, normal suburban cul-de-sac in America. However, when a new family moves in, strange noises and rumors start to take hold. Is the new family on the block made up of creepy psychos or are they just misunderstood?
This film has a calm insanity that I just love. Some of Tom Hanks reactions in this movie are priceless and everyone in it gives an amazingly fun performance.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Two slackers at first are completely oblivious to the zombie apocalypse that is happening around them. But, soon they catch on and do their best to survive while trying to rescues family and friends.
The characters are idiots with heart. From fun dialog to action and blood, it will have you jumping in your seat but mostly just laughing out loud at the stupid fun things that happen.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)
This is a beautiful take on the horror slasher genre. It turns the focus around on us and how we perceive things. It’s about a group of college students that can’t see past what every horror movie has taught them about crazy rednecks in the woods. It turns out that sometimes the mountain rednecks aren’t the good guys.
This movie is so outrageous and yet can we totally believe it could really happen. Getting to see so many of the encounters between Tucker and Dale with the college kids from both sides is hilarious. It’s a new classic for sure.
Army of Darkness (1992)
Watch Evil Dead and Evil II then sit back and enjoy a really crazy adventure in horror comedy. One of the things that I personally enjoy about this movie is that is that it’s an actual adventure movie but it’s also a horror movie that is so unreal that it’s a comedy as well. But, when you compare this film to where it started in the Evil Dead. What a strange and wonderfully bizarre tangent the story made.
Slither (2006)
It’s so crazy, it’s so fun. Here’s all you need to know, Nathan Fillion is in it. It’s a fun sci-fi, horror comedy and the dialog is awesome. Any movie with this kinda dialog is a must see, “Looks like something that fell off my dick during the war.”
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Long before Shaun of the Dead there was The Return of the Dead. It wasn’t as funny as “Shaun” but it wasn’t supposed to be. The comedy came from the situations of how we might react to an actual zombie apocalypse. The assumptions we might make, like destroying the brain. Great, great zombie movie.
Night of the Comet (1984)
This movie is another zombie apocalypse movie but it’s not so much about the zombies as it is the two sisters. The younger sister is a witty cheerleader and the older sister is a street-smart take charge young women. They wind up at the mall and for a while the brutal reality of the outside world fades away, girls do just wanna have fun. That is until some uninvited guests show up as well as some possible government funded scientists and snap them back into reality.
The last time I played a video game at an arcade was about a year ago when I was visiting the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I made the top ten list in Asteroids and I signed my initials as DMK. When you see the movie, you’ll understand. My point is that more than 20 years later and the movie has stayed with me.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Elvis and JFK are possibly still alive living in a retirement home and now must fight an ancient evil. Seriously, what more do you need. Oh and it’s got the legendary Bruce Campbell in it and the late great Ossie Davis.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
This was a remake from 1960, great movie but this one I personally felt was so much better, so much fun and you can’t help but love the music. It’s a comedy, it’s musical and it’s a horror story.
The Lost Boys (1987)
Seriously, if you haven’t seen this, what in the hell is wrong with you?! There’s no vampires that sparkle in this flick. They are cool, but violent, bloody.
I just realized, the story I told above about being in Santa Cruz at the Boardwalk. It was because I took my daughter, who is in college, up to Northern California to visit two places. The Winchester Mystery House and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is where they filmed most of The Lost Boys. I had made my daughter sit down and watch this movie when she was in high school. The movie was already more than 20 years old by that time and she loved it. Even though it had been several years since she had seen this movie, she was excited to see the Boardwalk. This film is great and will always be great and it is more than just a must, it’s a necessity.
Well, there you have it. Love it or hate, these are my recommendations. My must sees in the horror comedy genre.