Karen: Happy Halloween, BABsters! In the 'spirit' of the holiday, we'd like to pose this question to you: What's the best funny scary movie? Here's a few candidates I'd like to throw out there. Feel free to nominate some of your own.
For me, hands down, no contest it's "The Evil Dead 2" and "Army of Darkness". Those movies made Bruce Campbell the pop culture icon he is today. Absolutely the best mix of funny and horror ever put on film. IMHO, of course.
Seeing Bill Murray immediately made me think of Zombieland, which I really liked.
Sticking up for the Brits, can I nominate Shaun of the Dead? A Rom-Zom-Com. I know you know that, I just like saying ‘Rom-Zom-Com’.
In case you’ve never seen it, Carry On Screaming is a tremendous send up of Hammer films, which really gets the look right.
Also, Theatre of Blood was a lot of fun.
Love at First Bite – I loved the communists repossessing Castle Dracula.
And, while I’m on Drac spoofs, Dracula: Dead and Loving it. I thought Mel Brooks lost it after High Anxiety, but this has its moments, and it looks great.
I guess Raimi and Burton are going to come up a lot, so I’ll plump for Evil Dead 2 and Beetlejuice.
I liked Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods. He somehow went meta on meta-horror itself.
Notable failures: I found Brian Yuzna’s Society almost more disturbing than funny, but good body horror. And Polanski’s Vampire Killers. Looked fantastic, but was that really comedy?
Has anyone ever seen My Name Is Bruce? Karen? Anyone?
First one that came to mind is "American Werewolf in London," which is a genuinely well-made, scary horror movie, but with a number of laugh-at-loud moments.
Otherwise, I think Karen's suggestion of "Young Frankenstein" is also quite good, and I definitely agree with William about those Bruce Campbell movies.
Oh, jeez, "Love at First Bite" - can't believe I forgot that one - it's one of my favorite Vampire flicks. And Richard, yes, I've seen "My Name is Bruce." It's pretty solid, but if we're talking about more recent (i.e. post-2000) Bruce Campbell films, I prefer "Bubba Hotep."
Hi Edo, I've not seen Bubba Ho Tep but it's been on the list forever. I loved Coscarelli for (virtually single handedly) making Phantasm at only 19. I saw John Dies At The End a while back and was not over-impressed. Richard
I immediately thought of "Carry On Screaming" but Richard said it first - that's a classic for just us Brits probably. I also liked the two Addams Family movies.
Evil Dead 2. Not so sure about the third one though, William. I like lots of things about it, but it didn't make me laugh anywhere near as much as the first.
Richard, Vampire Killers was one of the first to come to mind. That one was right on the edge of "were they trying to be funny".
You can't go wrong with some of the films already mentioned. Young Frankenstein was played during the last free preview weekend so I got a nice digital copy for my iPod. Who can't help but sing along with "Putting On The Ritz"? Really, anyone?
Transylvania 6500 is worth a viewing if for no other scene than Jeff Goldblum getting Ed Begley Jr to break into and then out of the asylum to look for clues.
Remember, free scary pancakes at all participating IHOPs until 10 tonight!!!! You can't beat free.
The Prowler (You have to learn to pace yourself Pressure You're just like everybody else Pressure You've only had to run so far So good but you will come to a place where the only thing you feel are loaded guns in your face and you'll have to deal with Pressure).
Carry on Screaming was the first film that occurred to me too. Like all the best Carry Ons, it's totally corny and guileless but also strangely loveable.
Other than that, I'd go for Young Frankenstein and Ghostbusters.
I like the first two Evil Dead films but don't really see them as comedies. I do see the third Evil Dead movie as a comedy but I don't like it.
The Roman Polanski film is "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and is a great film in my opinion - not laugh out loud funny but subtly humorous. For some reason it was released in the UK as "Dance Of The Vampires" and still had that title when I first saw it on TV at Christmas 1982.
Nothing says Christmas like a good vampire movie.....or is that we missed the Halloween release cause we got tied up in editing and we had some distribution problems?
The Prowler (Riding on the range I got my hat on, I got my boots dusty, I got my saddle).
Love Tremors! Great movie! I mean it, it's a great movie.
Abbott and Costello makes me smile always, but the Mel Brooks epic Young Frankenstein makes me laugh, and always in the same places. It's the greatest funny monster film ever, and the funniest Brooks movie by a big margin.
Oh-ho-ho! I'm gonna derail the premise ('cause, really, all of the suggestions so far are extremely apt, and I'd have trouble coming up w/ a first-rate addition), and instead toss in the first episode of the third season of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND: "Gilligan and the Bat"-- w/ the hoot of a dream sequence that combines Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. . .
". . . you take one step, and come up for air. You take another step. . . and come up for air. . ."
Well Karen, from what I saw, it was real and it was spectacular!!!!
The Prowler (She had a sun tan line and red lipstick I worked so hard for that first kiss a heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget I said a heart don't forget something like that Oh, not something like that).
The Raven (1963), with Karloff, Price, Lorre, and Jack Nicholson.
Arsenic and Old Lace was very funny, but it would have been better if Karloff had reprised his stage role in it. Raymond Massey gave a great performance, but the line where he explains that he killed his latest victim because, "He said I looked like Boris Karloff" just isn't as funny without the self-referential in-joke.
Young Frankenstein was also fun, but you have to be familiar with the 1930's classic horror films to fully appreciate it.
For me, hands down, no contest it's "The Evil Dead 2" and "Army of Darkness". Those movies made Bruce Campbell the pop culture icon he is today. Absolutely the best mix of funny and horror ever put on film. IMHO, of course.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Bill Murray immediately made me think of Zombieland, which I really liked.
ReplyDeleteSticking up for the Brits, can I nominate Shaun of the Dead? A Rom-Zom-Com. I know you know that, I just like saying ‘Rom-Zom-Com’.
In case you’ve never seen it, Carry On Screaming is a tremendous send up of Hammer films, which really gets the look right.
Also, Theatre of Blood was a lot of fun.
Love at First Bite – I loved the communists repossessing Castle Dracula.
And, while I’m on Drac spoofs, Dracula: Dead and Loving it. I thought Mel Brooks lost it after High Anxiety, but this has its moments, and it looks great.
I guess Raimi and Burton are going to come up a lot, so I’ll plump for Evil Dead 2 and Beetlejuice.
I liked Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods. He somehow went meta on meta-horror itself.
Notable failures:
I found Brian Yuzna’s Society almost more disturbing than funny, but good body horror. And Polanski’s Vampire Killers. Looked fantastic, but was that really comedy?
Has anyone ever seen My Name Is Bruce? Karen? Anyone?
Richard
First one that came to mind is "American Werewolf in London," which is a genuinely well-made, scary horror movie, but with a number of laugh-at-loud moments.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I think Karen's suggestion of "Young Frankenstein" is also quite good, and I definitely agree with William about those Bruce Campbell movies.
Oh, jeez, "Love at First Bite" - can't believe I forgot that one - it's one of my favorite Vampire flicks.
ReplyDeleteAnd Richard, yes, I've seen "My Name is Bruce." It's pretty solid, but if we're talking about more recent (i.e. post-2000) Bruce Campbell films, I prefer "Bubba Hotep."
'Ghostbusters' comes to mind, also obviously 'Young Frankenstein' and Richard, I SO have to track down 'Carry On Screaming'.
ReplyDeleteHow about that KISS movie (meeting the Phantom) for unintentionally funny stuff...?
Hi Edo, I've not seen Bubba Ho Tep but it's been on the list forever. I loved Coscarelli for (virtually single handedly) making Phantasm at only 19. I saw John Dies At The End a while back and was not over-impressed.
ReplyDeleteRichard
I immediately thought of "Carry On Screaming" but Richard said it first - that's a classic for just us Brits probably. I also liked the two Addams Family movies.
ReplyDeleteEvil Dead 2. Not so sure about the third one though, William. I like lots of things about it, but it didn't make me laugh anywhere near as much as the first.
ReplyDeleteCan=t stand Carry On films myself
-sean
allsianbitSorry - that last comment should have said "laugh as much as the second". Doh.
ReplyDelete-sean
Richard, Vampire Killers was one of the first to come to mind. That one was right on the edge of "were they trying to be funny".
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong with some of the films already mentioned. Young Frankenstein was played during the last free preview weekend so I got a nice digital copy for my iPod. Who can't help but sing along with "Putting On The Ritz"? Really, anyone?
Transylvania 6500 is worth a viewing if for no other scene than Jeff Goldblum getting Ed Begley Jr to break into and then out of the asylum to look for clues.
Remember, free scary pancakes at all participating IHOPs until 10 tonight!!!! You can't beat free.
The Prowler (You have to learn to pace yourself Pressure You're just like everybody else Pressure
You've only had to run so far So good but you will come to a place where the only thing you feel are loaded guns in your face and you'll have to deal with Pressure).
Carry on Screaming was the first film that occurred to me too. Like all the best Carry Ons, it's totally corny and guileless but also strangely loveable.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I'd go for Young Frankenstein and Ghostbusters.
I like the first two Evil Dead films but don't really see them as comedies. I do see the third Evil Dead movie as a comedy but I don't like it.
Gremlins.
ReplyDeleteEvil Dead 2.
Army of Darkness.
I love "Love at First Bite" but none of it is actually _scary_.
What about the original Fright Night - underrated little movie.
The Roman Polanski film is "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and is a great film in my opinion - not laugh out loud funny but subtly humorous. For some reason it was released in the UK as "Dance Of The Vampires" and still had that title when I first saw it on TV at Christmas 1982.
ReplyDeleteWhat about "Teen Wolf" with Michael J. Fox.
ReplyDeleteHow about "Tremors" with Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon or the original "Fright Night" with Roddy McDowell? Thought those were fun.
ReplyDeleteNothing says Christmas like a good vampire movie.....or is that we missed the Halloween release cause we got tied up in editing and we had some distribution problems?
ReplyDeleteThe Prowler (Riding on the range I got my hat on, I got my boots dusty, I got my saddle).
Love Tremors! Great movie! I mean it, it's a great movie.
ReplyDeleteAbbott and Costello makes me smile always, but the Mel Brooks epic Young Frankenstein makes me laugh, and always in the same places. It's the greatest funny monster film ever, and the funniest Brooks movie by a big margin.
Rip Off
Oh-ho-ho! I'm gonna derail the premise ('cause, really, all of the suggestions so far are extremely apt, and I'd have trouble coming up w/ a first-rate addition), and instead toss in the first episode of the third season of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND: "Gilligan and the Bat"-- w/ the hoot of a dream sequence that combines Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. . .
ReplyDelete". . . you take one step, and come up for air. You take another step. . . and come up for air. . ."
HB
I just spent 15 minutes writing a comment and it disappeared. Thanks for playing kids!
ReplyDeleteWell Karen, from what I saw, it was real and it was spectacular!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Prowler (She had a sun tan line and red lipstick I worked so hard for that first kiss a heart don't forget, no a heart don't forget I said a heart don't forget something like that Oh, not something like that).
The Ghost Breakers (1940), with Bob Hope.
ReplyDeleteThe Raven (1963), with Karloff, Price, Lorre, and Jack Nicholson.
Arsenic and Old Lace was very funny, but it would have been better if Karloff had reprised his stage role in it. Raymond Massey gave a great performance, but the line where he explains that he killed his latest victim because, "He said I looked like Boris Karloff" just isn't as funny without the self-referential in-joke.
Young Frankenstein was also fun, but you have to be familiar with the 1930's classic horror films to fully appreciate it.