Despite flaws found within many horror comedy flops, a few notable films deserve more attention. Great films that flop at the box office typically fail due to outside factors, but for many horror comedies, the failure is a result of the content within the films. It’s not a guarantee that audiences are going to connect with the combination of laughs and terrors. While some underappreciated horror comedies assemble a unique, laughable concept, others seek to be humorous tributes to the great horror films that came before.

Various horror comedies are made with self-awareness of the genre, playing into the tropes fans have come to expect. The specific references made in these films are a treat for familiar horror fans. Luckily, for some horror comedies, the dark days of underperforming at the box office are in the past and the films have gone on to accumulate a cult following.

10

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

An Endearing Final Directorial Attempt By Wilder

It’s never brought up when discussing Gene Wilder’s best movies, but Haunted Honeymoon is an underrated film in his career that deserves more attention. Wilder acts as the film’s lead, as well as its director and writer. In Haunted Honeymoon, Wilder is working alongside famous comedian actors Dom DeLuise and Gilda Radner, ensuring audiences walk away from the film having had a fun time.

Haunted Honeymoon‘s writing does suffer a bit throughout the film and a few jokes don’t stick the landing. However, Haunted Honeymoon does an excellent job of transporting audiences to the setting of a 1930s comedy in both the set design and characterization of its cast. Outside the film, Haunted Honeymoon is also notable as it is the last film Wilder directed and the last film starring Radner before her death.

9

Idle Hands (1999)

Has Earned A Following For Its Unique Humor

Like many horror comedies aim to pull off, Idle Hands is not meant to be taken seriously. The film’s premise revolves around a teenager, played by Chucky‘s Devon Sawa, whose possessed hand embarks on a killing spree. Idle Hands performed poorly at the box office but has since grown a bit of a cult following for its humor and the picture it paints of the late ’90s youth culture.

The tone of Idle Hands is disjointed at times, but oddly enough, it works in the film’s favor. Despite its weak narrative, the combined elements of the supernatural world and stoner humor make for an entertaining film. Additionally, the evil detached hand of Sawa’s character is played by Christopher Hart, who is famously known for his role as Thing in The Addams Family films and brings just as much personality to Idle Hands‘ disembodied character.

8

Night Of The Creeps (1986)

The Combination Of Horror Film References Pays Off

Fred Dekker’s directorial debut, Night of the Creeps, is an homage to great horror films and legendary filmmakers in the genre. Although many horror comedies pull inspiration from classic horror films like Dekker did, not all can successfully pull it off. Critics tend to dislike films that do this because the humorous references in the films aren’t always funny on their own to warrant the parody.

The way Night of the Creeps is self-aware and is purposefully made as a B movie has critics split. While some critics felt the film relies too heavily on recycled horror film clichés, others praised Dekker’s film for its ability to blend genres of horror, comedy, sci-fi, and romance. Night of the Creeps cleverly combines the threat of several horror antagonists such as aliens and zombies. With humorous nods to the genre and characters named after beloved horror filmmakers, Night of the Creeps deserved more for its celebration of horror.

7

Parents (1989)

Dark Humor Doesn’t Overpower The Necessary Suspense

In horror comedies, there is a necessary and equal balance between the laughs and scares. Luckily, Bob Balaban’s Parents has just that. Parents follows the Laemle family living in the suburbs during the ’50s. The Laemle’s young child, Michael (Bryan Madorsky), grows suspicious of his parents’ behavior, fully believing they are cannibals. Despite having a chilling premise and sufficient execution, Parents still performed poorly upon its original release.

Balaban and Parents writer Christopher Hawthorne effectively pulls off the point of view of Michael. Considering he is young, audiences are never fully sure whether his suspicions are a grim result of his childlike imagination or if there’s credibility to the things he sees. This suspense is elevated by the countless images of meat in the film. The uneasy feeling Michael gets being distrustful of the plated meat’s source is shared by the audience.

6

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Oversize Spiders Take Over The Town

A comedy film about gigantic spiders attacking a small town doesn’t sound promising, but there are positives to Eight Legged Freaks that should’ve made it a bigger deal when it came out. Eight Legged Freaks has some of the scariest spiders featured in horror movies when toxic waste causes them to grow exponentially in size and tower over citizens. Considering its 2002 release, the design of the spiders had the potential to take audiences out of the film.

Luckily, the CGI holds up in many areas. It isn’t flawless by any means, but the decent quality makes it easy for audiences to buy into the threat presented by the giant spiders. Eight Legged Freaks doesn’t have the same amount of scares as other horror comedies do, but its absurd humor is what makes it worthwhile.

5

Dead Alive (1992)

A Gory Horror Film With More Humor Than Suspense

Before he was known for directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson directed a gory zombie comedy that clicked with critics but failed to connect with audiences for the longest time. As other horror comedy films have, Jackson’s Dead Alive, also known as Braindead, has earned a cult following in recent years. Dead Alive follows Lionel (Timothy Balme) and his mother, who becomes infected by a rat-monkey hybrid and infects other residents of the town.

Beyond the unique creature behind the spread of the zombie infection, the oddities found within Dead Alive help alleviate the tone of the film and make the gory scenes easily digestible. Dead Alive is regarded as one of the bloodiest films in horror, but thanks to the humorous effect during these scenes, the gruesome visuals are more palatable. The matched levels of bloodshed and fun solidify Dead Alive as an archetypal comedy horror film that rightfully deserves its positive reassessments.

4

The Monster Squad (1987)

Monster Fans Meet Their Heroes

A year after Dekker’s Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad was another horror comedy that didn’t do well in theaters. While the film itself is flawed in some areas, Dekker attributes part of the box-office failure to poor marketing and a PG-13 rating that prevented older audiences from wanting to watch the movie. Regardless, there are a few redeeming qualities to The Monster Squad that suggest it should have been bigger at the time of its release.

The idea for The Monster Squad came together when Dekker decided to combine aspects of The Little Rascals and the Universal Monsters, as The Monster Squad pays homage to the latter. In The Monster Squad, young monster enthusiasts come face-to-face with the creatures in a battle to save the world. The fun concept is light-hearted. Considering Dekker’s directorial debut also paid homage to the horror genre, it’s evident there’s a great amount of passion the director puts into the film.

3

Serial Mom (1994)

An Average Mom Goes On A Killing Spree

Directed by John Waters, Serial Mom is a black comedy that follows a vengeful, serial-killing mother, Beverly (Kathleen Turner). Critical reception of Serial Mom was fairly positive, but unfortunately, the film struggled to perform well at the box office. Serial Mom has a tasteful balance of comedy and thrills, though audiences are never unsure of Beverly’s next move.

She has a clear mission to aggravate others. It’s only a matter of if or when she gets caught. A few critics find that Turner’s performance leaned heavily into realism rather than comedy, making it difficult for the humor of the film to shine through. Still, Turner’s performance is strong as the violent matriarch. Additionally, Serial Mom has some clever commentary about the way society interacts with true crime that remains relevant to this day.

2

Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Recycles Horror Tropes Without Feeling Tired

The references to popular horror film tropes in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon had the potential to feel overdone and uninteresting. However, the mockumentary-style film, which follows an aspiring serial killer following the path laid out by famous horror villains, keeps the familiar formula feeling fresh. Behind the Mask has a nice pace and Nathan Baesel leads the film as the endlessly witty and charismatic titular character.

Similar to other horror comedies, the jokes in Behind the Mask are likely to appeal to devoted horror fans. The deconstructing of the genre is done in a way that’s not meant to be condescending, but rather appreciative. Behind the Mask elevates the Scream formula when Leslie’s opponents use his thoroughly discussed plan to their advantage in the final portion of the film. Nightmare on Elm Street‘s Robert Englund also stars in Behind the Mask in a supporting role.

1

Slither (2006)

A Box Office Failure With Positive Critical Reviews

Seen positively in the eyes of critics and audiences today, Slither was a box office failure. There’s no definitive explanation as to why, but audiences are now widely appreciating the quirks and humor within the film. As a B-movie, Slither succeeds in providing horror fans with a decent amount of uncomfortably realistic special effects and nods to beloved horror films.

Slither has references to countless ’80s films within the genre, such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing, and Night of the Creeps. The latter shares the same premise as Slither. However, Slither doesn’t come off as a cheap copy of the classic horror films before it. Slither makes sure to be entirely its own thing. As one of James Gunn’s most rewatchable films and his directorial debut, Slither is an easy viewing full of comedic moments that don’t over-power the scary visuals throughout.