Whether you are a horror aficionado or have never really gotten into the genre, I truly believe there is something for everyone in the horror realm. Comedy tends to be the universal ice breaker. Being able to have a moment of levity in any horror movie is fantastic and helps the viewer either have a moment to breathe a bit or lets the audience in on an inside joke, like “Yes, we know this is a crazy situation, the characters think so too.” There are so many amazing horror comedies or horror films out there. This list isn’t a “Best Of”, but more of a sampling of awesome classic movies to help guide you into the genre till you find yourself laughing yourself to death!
(Rating system is 1-5, 5 Being the scariest. But all of these titles are on the milder side of horror if you are an avid horror watcher)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Can a person successfully reanimate the dead? Dr. Frederick Frankenstien’s (Pronounced “Fronkensteen’s”) Grandfather was rumored to have done so but has brought shame to the family name. Will Frederick follow in his grandfather’s footsteps?
Mel Brooks is a Master at comedy and his parodies of some of the classics are spot on. In Young Frankenstein, his attention to detail is perfection down to the fact that is shot in black and white, to really give that classic old Hollywood feel. Paying homage to the original Mary Shelley version, while being a new story about repeating the same mistakes, Young Frankenstein is a classic in its own right.
SCREAMS: 1
COMEDY: 5
CAMPY: 3
GORE: 1
STREAMING: Amazon Prime with Starz Add-On
DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT
The classic Transylvanian tale of a blood-sucking monster who lurks in the night can appear to look like a normal human but has a disdain for crosses and garlic.
Another Mel Brooks film, his parodies are iconic and this one feels more modern, for the next generation of Brooks fans. It’s still fairly harmless in the horror department but has plenty of laughs. It was originally criticized for the overuse of sexual innuendo, but for those that don’t know: the original Dracula was classified as “horror” because woman became sexually awakened once bitten and men in the late 1800’s found that to be one of the most terrifying things they could imagine.
SCREAMS: 1
COMEDY: 4
CAMPY: 3
GORE: 2
STREAMING: Only for rental, but only $2.99 on Amazon and Fandango.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
A lowly flower shop worker, Seymour’s world turns upside down when he happens upon a truly unique plant. But he may have bitten off more than he can chew when the plant starts wanting a different type of plant food.
Adding music to horror is a perfect way to blend some mild scares with quality entertainment. There’s also a reason that we haven’t seen Rick Moranis in a film in 23 years and he is still considered a National Treasure. While the musical version is the most popular and wildly known, there was actually a 1960’s version that is a non-musical. Keep your eyes peeled for a young Jack Nicholson in an iconic cameo. Either one is still a lot of fun!
SCREAMS: 2
COMEDY: 4
CAMPY: 3
GORE: 2
STREAMING: Streaming on HBO and PlutoTV (musical)/ Amazon Prime (1960 version)
