What he said. I can see it being kind of close with Re-Animator, Dead Alive, or maybe even The Return of the Living Dead as it is more obviously comedy, but come on. Shaun of the Dead? I love it, but it really isn't close to the best in my opinion, and this is a favorite genre of mine. There are plenty of better ones up there.
The 80ties were really good times for horror comedies (and horror films in general). Maybe some fans get so excited over a recent movie that does it pretty right for a change (and isn't a remake) that they overrate it.
I wouldn't have any problem subscribing to your theory. In fact, I have stated similar feelings in other threads.
Evil Dead 2 just ahead of Braindead, then American Werewolf for me. Are Ghostbusters or Gremlins horror/comedy? They're both a bit scarier than just a comedy in a horror setting like Wallace and Gromit, or Scary Movie etc. More like Shaun of the Dead or American Werewolf (with less gore) IMO. They're both classics too. I thought Undead was also pretty funny, and American Psycho too.
Or maybe some fans just really enjoyed Shaun of the Dead. What a concept!! Is it really necessary for you to try to analize why it is that everyone doesn't think like you?
ED II just wasn't enough of a horror film for me to consider it a true "horror/comedy." It was more of a comedy, and unfortunately most of its humor was not my favorite kind. On the other side, I consider RE-ANIMATOR to be more of a horror film that gets so off-the-wall that some of it becomes comic, but I don't really think of it as a comedy. So that didn't get my vote either. I voted for ROTLD, but SHAUN appears to be settling in comfortably as one of the best films this decade for me--I rewatched it not too long ago and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time I saw it.
Not necessary but interesting, especially because it seemed to bother at least 2 others before me. But don't get me wrong, it's perfectly fine that people think different and have different tastes - I just like being an amateur psychologist.
Dead and Breakfast. Okay, I almost typed that with a straight face. I voted for Return of the Living Dead.
Although Bad Taste and others may overall be "funnier" I laughed the loudest with Dellamorte Dellamore. I hadn't laughed so hard since watching Blue Velvet. Takashi Miike is funny as hell too; Gozu is just about the funniest movie I've ever seen.
Didn't make a choice when I first saw this poll, as I couldn't choose between a couple really good options. This time around I'll pull the RotLD leever. The old classics just never appealed to me. Stooge like hijinks with monsters just never struck a cord. When well scripted I can appreciate the effort, I just don't have any interest in it. I didn't really regard the Evil Dead series as "comedy", more tongue in cheek camp. Enjoyable, more on the amusing side than funy. I can't say enough good about Bubba Ho-tep. This is one of the best buddy films I've ever seen, and a wickedly biting commentary on growing old in this society. But again, not so high on the comedy scale. Dellamorte Dellamore is another brilliant film, a solid mix of horror, situational comedy, and the surreal. But by spreading over all three, it just wasn't as funny as some others. How the hell did Howling end up on the list? But American Werewolf, definitely. Re-Animator was way over the top, and again a desert island keeper, but was definitely more on the horror and twisted "they didn't just do that" shock than comedy side. Shaun of the Dead was over rated. That was my opinion when it came out, and I stand by it now. For me the choices which were solid horror films but packed just as solid a laugh punch were Dead Alive, Return of the Living Dead, and Tremors. I still can't really make a choice I know I'd stick with 24/7, but I'm somewhat certain that *most* times I'm asked I'd answer RotLD.
Well: not all comedy is physical. And/or, slapstick in nature. A great example- the first half hour or so of Waxwork: Fancy Rich Mother: "I mean, one has to keep a distance between Them and Us." Zach Galligan: "They're all human beings." Fancy Rich Mother: "Servants." [Flips through newspaper] "Oh! Isn't it terrible, darling? 2 more people have disappeared." Zach Galligan: "Oh, really? Were they Us's or Them's?" Fancy Rich Mother: "Don't be facetious, darling. Now drink your milk." Michelle Johnson: "Can't a girl get laid around here without being burned at the stake?" Zach Galligan: "Anybody got a match?" So... there really are a ton of choices. It's extremely hard to just choose one. In fact, I think the hardest I may have ever laughed at a horror film was Exorcist II: The Heretic.
Had to go with Theatre of Blood. One of Vincent Price's best and most hammy performances. He told Larry King in one of his last interviews that it was his favorite horror film and it shows.
Some great choices on the list above....... but I gotta give the nod to Idle Hands as my favorite horror comedy of all time. A rare stoner comedy that gets it right, works on almost every level. I really love Shaun, Cabin Fever, and honorable mention to Dead and Breakfast.
