My top ten Horror-Comedies

Well, Halloween is almost upon us and I've taken time out from my busy schedule of making snarky comments at Kotaku's expense to provide you with some good viewing choices for said night of ghouls and ghosts. Forget the vitriol of the last few posts, I'm gonna talk about something I like! There are 10 days till Halloween, so I present to you 10 films for your enjoyment!

(In no particular order, because I love all of these films.)

10. The 'Burbs- Perhaps the last Tom Hanks movie I can take seriously after seeing Mazes and Monsters, this little gem was directed by The Howling and Gremlins director Joe Dante, who has a rare gift for mixing horror with humor (or did until recently, if his hamfisted and unclever Masters of Horror entry is an indication). The plot concerns a suburban family man named Ray with a variety of kooky neighbors- an ex-green beret, a busybody, Corey Feldman, and the mysterious Klopeks. This one is something of an inversion of the old Twilight Zone episode "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street"; or maybe just a version of it with a broken aesop. One way or another, it's still a pretty damn funny movie.

9. Tales of Terror "The Black Cat" - One of the Roger Corman Poe pictures, Tales of Terror combined 3 stories (most of which were actually comprised of multiple Edgar Allan Poe tales) into a single anthology film. "The Black Cat" is the most entertaining of these segments, featuring elements culled not only from the titular story but also the Cask of Amontillado. It concerns a hard-drinking man named Montresor (played by Peter Lorre) who enters a drinking contest with Vincent Price's Fortunato Luchresi. The two play off each other very well, with Lorre mostly playing deadpan straightman and Price hamming it up and clearly having a great time with the role. It's the best segment in the film, and well worth watching.

8. Ernest Scared Stupid- This is probably a controversial choice, as a) not everyone is fond of the Ernest movies and b) the Nostalgia Critic panned it. Well, I don't believe in getting butthurt because someone whose reviews I enjoy panned the first movie I saw in theaters. And it's pretty childish and campy, yes- but it's also a lot of fun. Involving Ernest, the town garbageman, and some trolls he raises, there are all kinds of what can best be described as "wacky hi-jinks". Yes, it's a little cornball, but my inner child would beat me with a plastic light saber if I didn't include it on this list. Also- it features creatures by the Chiodo brothers. So there.

7. Evil Dead 2- Best described as a ludicrously bloody Three Stooges movie, Evil Dead throws the serious horror of its predecessor to the wind in favor of cartoonish setpieces and masterful physical comedy, and is all the better for it. Bruce Campbell moves from stoic leading man to comic nutball within about 20 minutes, and the movie doesn't really let up after that. It might not be the ultimate experience in grueling horror, but it's a very, very funny film.

6. Night of the Creeps- Would almost be a straight-up cheesy 80's horror flick, if not for the fact that it's an homage-fest for fans of the genre. You can take it as a serious example of the genre or a spoof, and either way you'll end up having a lot of fun. In particular, the movie features the riotously deadpan Tom Atkins (from the Fog and Halloween III) as a police detective. What makes the movie fun is that the movie knows that it's cheesy and takes great pride in not taking itself too seriously.

5. Re-Animator- This would probably have been a pretty straight-up horror flick if not for two factors- the direction of Stuart Gordon and the iconic performance of Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, in one of the most inspired mad scientist roles ever. It helps a lot that the movie doesn't skip on characterization or splatter- we get some strongly written subplots alongside plenty of great special effects. But what everyone remembers is Jeff Combs as Herbert West and David Gale as his John Kerry-lookalike nemesis Dr. Hill.

4. Ghostbusters - This is an unlikely contender- after all, it contains big stars and a big budget! However, Ghostbusters has gone to become one of the most beloved comedies of all time, with comic geniuses at the helm and in front of the camera. If you haven't seen this cinematic masterpiece yet, what are you waiting for? There are no more words to describe it, ONLY ZUUL!

3. Shaun of The Dead - THE zombie comedy. While other zombie films have had elements of comedy (the Return of the Living Dead series) and George Romero's films always had a streak of dark humor, Edgar Wright's Shaun of The Dead is great because it would work as a straight up zombie film even if it wasn't very funny. Of course, the key selling point is that it's hysterical, and I think that this is in part because the cast plays so well off of each other. They just seem completely comfortable with each other- or uncomfortable, when it's appropriate. Simon Pegg is perfect as the most average of joes, and Nick Frost is equally memorable as his terminally non-serious best friend.

2. Young Frankenstein - What Entertainment Weekly's old review guide called Mel Brooks' most subtle and stylish film, you'll benefit from being familiar with Universal's first three Frankenstein films before watching this. Not that it isn't a great movie on its own- it's just that the barrage of homages and inside jokes might be lost on you otherwise and you'd be missing out on some of the best bits of the film. Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman (among others) give rollicking, eccentric performances that make it a memorable film, and its black and white photography is absolutely beautiful.

1. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - The grandaddy of all horror spoofs, this one is pretty special. Not only does it feature the titular duo and the Frankenstein monster, but it features Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr. in their most famous roles as Dracula and the Wolf Man. Abbott and Costello deliver on the physical comedy and well-timed gags, while the Dracula conspires to bring the Frankenstein monster back to life. Even in a comedy, Lon Chaney Jr. gives Larry Talbot an air of sympathy and pathos as the ever tragic Wolf Man, and the fact that the movie balances humor and horror so well is what makes it my #1.

So now, there's 10 more days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween...

Be sure to check out my Splatterhouse retrospective over at Bits 'n' Bytes if you haven't already! http://bit.ly/9JQa6Y