Comedy Horror
 

I am currently on a Film Studies course for my A-Level studies at Sixth Form ... For my CWK I have chosen to research comedy horror (almost like a questionnaire, but from many different sources). In order to help me, I would be very grateful if you could give me your opinions on the following question.

How does comedy horror undermine traditional horror, and how will this influence the horror genre in the future?

Any reviews and answers will be very much appreciated.

PS. My chosen films are 'Shaun of the Dead'; 'Scary Movie' and 'Young Frankenstein' - any ideas as to how these undermine traditional horror would be very helpful to me.

Thanks and hope to chat soon

VKT

By asking us, aren't you kind of cheating? lol

I've never really been a fan of comedy horror. I've liked some films from that genre though (Shaun of The Dead, Hide and Creep, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil etc...)

What i never liked about it is in my opinion, it ruined what was supposed to be the purpose of horror. Which to me is to be scary, frightening, disturbing, all around the opposite of what everything else provides. By adding a heavy comedy element to the mix, it dilutes that fear, that horror and disrupts what Horror is supposed to be about.

Comedy horror is an inevitable genre but its a perversion to what horror is supposed to be about. I also believe that most non-fans of horror, consider it a joke and don't see the importance in it. By making horror comedies you are giving them a way to see the horror movies but you're also strengthening their resolve that horror movies are just a joke.

This weakens horror's core and alters the game. Hollywood and movie makers alike stop trying to make horror movies scary and instead try to broaden its scope to include fans and non-fans alike all in the purpose of making money.

Horror movies will stop being as scary as they used to be and the creative process will go down, we've already started to see this. Now this isn't all the fault of horror comedies but in my opinion, it is a contributing factor.

Hope that helped.

Thanks for replying so quickly =)

Sorry will edit the opening of the thread, it is actually a research project ... Kind of like a questionnaire that you may be asked to fill out in the streets but from as many different sources as possible.

Again thank you for replying, I was worried that my deadline would come and go and I would have no replies

VKT

Oh okay gotcha. I was just joking around about the whole cheating thing anyway. Glad i could help.

"How does comedy horror undermine traditional horror, and how will this influence the horror genre in the future?"

I don't think it does.

comedy horror has been around since the 20s with NO effect on horror movies. IMO

Yeah but you'd have to admit that comedy horror movies we have now arent the same as the older ones. Comedy itself has changed and with it, the comedy horrors so i think it has a bigger impact. Its a very small contributing factor in the decline of horror movies IMO but its there.

Horror movies aren't the same as the older ones either. Hell, back in the forties they took Icons and paired them with Abbott & Costello and The East Side Kids.

Yeah good point. Maybe i've just become jaded

I agree with newb.

It's a non-issue, so we're no help to your research project.

I think the question itself was formulated by an instructor that doesn't understand horror films.

2bh I was kinda thinking the same and also the opposite of The Villian ... I thought that with the introduction of comedy horror, more traditional horror became more ... ... Horrific?

My example is Frankenstein, the original 1931 (i think) version wasnt that scary at all, but then you get Young Frankenstein and then next thing you know you have Mary Shelleys Frankenstein with Kenneth Brannaugh and Robert DeNiro, thats a very dark and disturbing film if you ask me ...

It just seems to me that horror films are pushing moral boundaries more nowadays and I think that comedy horrors are to blame - they're taking the scaryness outta horror and turning it into a joke - the only way to combat this is to a) add comedy elements to bring in another audience or b) make the horror films so extreme that they push society laws to the brink

VKT

unfortunately I think it's just the sign of the times we live in. Moral boundries are being pushed in everything........books, music, television

I just dont like comedy horror. Everything i said is pure opinion, not based on facts or anything.

Well, this is so wrong on so many levels... where to begin? The 1931 Frankenstein (not the original, but we'll forgive you) is terrifying, and the sequel, Bride of Frankenstein is just as transgressive as anything being produced today.

If what you equate "good horror movies" with is blood and gore and cheap jump moments, then you are overlooking the real heart and soul of horror movies. What motivated filmmakers to push the boundaries in content and subject matter was not any reaction to comedic films, but simple economics. Each new generation of horror fans needed something new and different, more extreme, to get them to come to the theatre. Once you're desensitized to a certain level of something, it takes more to get your heart pumping. It's as simple as that, nothing more, nothing less.

Your premise is flawed and invalid, IMO.

NE beat me too it for the most part.

Your time lines for the examples are a bit weird. They are like:

Frankenstein was 1931 but then 43 years later we get Young Frankenstein then ' then next thing you know you' 20 years later you have Mary Shelleys Frankenstein..

Sorry to any fans of the film but I consider Young Frankenstein to be one of the worst films ever made. I actually prefer Student Bodies, Scream and Carry On Screaming because instead of laughing AT horror fans they laughed WITH them.

Young Frankenstein is possibly the most loving tribute to classic horror films ever created. To say it laughs at horror fans is offensive.

Wow. I don't know how you can think Young Frankenstein is an insult to horror. It was made with so much affection for Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein.

I'm siding with Neverending and Newb on this one. I really don't think horror comedies or spoofs affect the horror genre at all. It's a sub genre. In all these years, it hasn't taken the straightforward horror away from us.

The thing that really ticks me off is when a horror film is remade with contempt for the original. The Wicker Man for example.

:confused::eek:WTF


Couldn't disagree more.

You have either never seen the original Frankenstein and Bride of or you just completely missed the point of Young Frankenstein.

You guys are all changing my mind about the subject. I agree with what you said about the remakes. I hated The new Wicker Man. The original was great but that Nic Cage piece of crap was one of the worst movies i've ever seen.

I love reading these discussions. A fascinating topic. There is much wisdom on these boards!

I've never liked comedy mixed with horror. It's so dumb imo.

But still, I like these for example: Braindead, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Chucky-movies.

By Chucky movies, i'm guessing you mean Bride and Seed right? Because the first three were straight up horror.

I hear what you are saying it is just my personal view so its just how I feel. I agree with you about the contempt in remakes-I spit on your grave is another example of that-the remake turned the artistry of both sexes using sex as a weapon in the original (perhaps going too far but that's another debate) and turned it basically to torture porn.

It's alright. There's no law that says you have to like certain films and never speak ill of them.:)

I agree with you about Braindead-but more because it is a complete gorefest and you can't look at a lawnmower the same way after watching it. Oh I enjoyed the first three chucky movies-I think the series went too far into comedy after that.

i really love the rocky horror picture show still has me loughing no matter how many times i watch it.

Army Of Darkness was a good horror mixed with comedy flick. Its not exactly horror but another good one was Godzilla Vs. Megalon. I always wondered if they intended it to be a comedy or if it just came out that way from poor movie making. Anyway, it was hilarious, my wife and I laughed our asses off when we saw it in a drive-in.

I think Army Of Darkness had some great scenes but the last half an hour ruined it for me it got so ridiculous and silly that it was almost unwatchable.

Of course.

lmao Zombieland made me laugh my ass off

:D:D:D

Thats hilarious. I love those things.

Lmao - C and H is brillo =)