I don’t often pay attention to the Emmy Awards. Something that grabbed my attention this year, though, was the fact that Widow’s Bay — a horror comedy series, on Apple TV no less — cleaned up big. It picked up 19 nominations and 14 wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The show was already on my radar, this just confirmed that it was worth my time.
Horror and comedy might seem like radically opposed genres. They’re both about catharsis, however, so when they’re balanced properly, the combination is amazing, as Widow’s Bay demonstrates. If you’re looking for more of that tension and release, here are some easy picks in movie form.
Evil Dead II
We wouldn’t be here without it
While I debated going with the original Evil Dead, the sequel is essentially a remake of the original, with Ash — played by the eternal Bruce Campbell — once again accidentally summoning a demon and the deadites in a remote cabin. The difference here is that director Sam Raimi has a much bigger budget, a couple of feature films under his belt, and a much stronger emphasis on comedy. Some of it is outright slapstick, inspired by sources like The Three Stooges.
It’s arguable that without the original Evil Dead trilogy, neither horror comedy nor Raimi’s career would be what it is today. If you like this one, you should eventually see the sequel, Army of Darkness. That one might be a bit too light-hearted, but it’s also one of the most quoted movies of all time.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil
Flipping a horror trope on its head
One of the longest-standing clichés in horror is the evil redneck, predating even The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It reflects the growing split between urban and rural cultures, and conveniently sets stories in eerie, secluded locations where help is miles away (and filming permits are cheap). The concept was long overdue for a send-up.
What’s great about Tucker & Dale is not just the outlandish things the main characters get blamed for, making them look like neighbors to Jason Voorhees, but the fact that they’re actually three-dimensional. They’re people with quirks, feelings, and ambitions — they want to turn their old cabin into a vacation home. Despite the most recognizable actor being Alan Tudyk as Tucker, it’s Tyler Labine’s Dale that steals the show, as much for sympathetic writing as Labine’s comedy skills.
The Return of the Living Dead
Do you ever fantasize about being killed?
It’s actually this 1985 movie that popularized the idea of zombies eating brains, instead of just anything human. The plot itself revolves around a toxic gas reviving the corpses in a nearby cemetery, and a small group of the living trying to survive the outbreak. It’s not so serious, though. It’s a satire with punk flavor, including a soundtrack by bands like The Cramps, 45 Grave, and The Damned.
Be warned, however — there’s some genuine nightmare fuel here, and that combined with a bit of full-frontal nudity means you probably shouldn’t watch it with your parents. That does fit the punk sensibility, in which sex, death, and rock music aren’t as big of a deal as earlier movies made them out to be. Note that while there are several sequels, you should probably stop with this one.
Get Out
Reality might actually be more terrifying
Jordan Peele’s debut movie arguably leans more towards horror than comedy. It is funny, though, right down to its underlying secret and climactic ending, neither of which I’ll spoil here. Suffice it to say that the truth is deliberately over the top, and that’s intentional. The movie is a satire about the appropriation of black culture by corners of white America — and black Americans having to subsume their own identity to fit in. It’s rare for any horror movie to make that strong a statement, much less succeed at it.
To be honest, I’m including this one here because of a personal connection. I’m in an interracial relationship like the one in the movie, just with genders flipped. On the drive home from seeing this movie in the theater, my wife gave me a long, suspicious glance — which she joked about, but I can’t deny that I still felt a little guilty.
