ClobberBlog | Mormonism, Evangelical Christianity

People who shy away from horror will sometimes be able to stand it better if it’s mixed with a good helping of comedy. So, following up on my horror thread, here are five horror comedies that I really enjoyed:

Tremors (1990) ~ This is one of my favorite horror movies ever, but it’s really more of a horror comedy. Blind subterranean worm-like monsters begin preying on the residents of a tiny Nevada desert town, and the worms seem to get smarter with every kill. The residents must pool their brainpower and resources as they try to outsmart the creatures and escape from the valley. I think I’ve seen this movie dozens of times. The film has spawned a number of direct-to-video sequels and a short-lived television series, but the original was the best.

Zombieland (2009) ~ It’s a zombie apocalypse horror, only funny, and it even has a rather sweet message about family. All I can tell you is that I know now that my life was incomplete until I watched Woody Harrelson shoot zombies while riding a roller coaster.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) ~ A mockumentary about a Jason-like serial killer who invites a film crew to come and witness how he works his horror magic. The film pokes fun at horror movie clichés while providing actual analysis of horror motifs, complete with a feminist critique of the phallic and yonic imagery often found therein. The mockumentary part ends about 2/3 of the way through, when the film becomes a decently scary slasher flick.

Scream (1996) ~ This one is a little hard to classify, and saying it’s a “horror comedy” is probably a stretch because it’s genuinely scary when it wants to be. But it’s also a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and mocks the slasher genre as it tells its story. It’s light-hearted horror.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) ~ A pair of British losers and their mates embark on a quest to survive the zombie apocalypse by holing up in a . . . bar. I’ve seen several lists put this as the best horror comedy of all time. They’re probably right.