Horror Comedy Movies

Those creepy-but-lovable residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane are on deck for 38 hilarious half-hours during season one of The Munsters. Seen throughout the season are Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, a softhearted replica of the Frankenstein monster; Yvonne de Carlo as Herman's voluptuously vampirish wife, Lily; Al Lewis as Grandpa Munster, a 350-year-old Dracula clone who spends most of his time cooking up mischief in his laboratory; and Butch Patrick as Herman and Lily's young son, Eddie, a budding werewolf. During the season's first 13 episodes, Beverly Owen appears as the Munsters' beautiful niece Marilyn, the only normal-looking member of the family (though she thinks she's a homely freak). Thereafter, and throughout the rest of the series' run, Pat Priest is seen as Marilyn. Some of the season's funniest entries include "Pink's Pique," in which the gas company is in for quite a shock when they accidentally build a pipeline in the Munsters' dungeon -- er, basement; "Low-Cal Munster," featuring Paul Lynde as a nearsighted doctor who puts Herman on a diet (and who, fortunately for his own sanity, can't see what Herman really looks like!); "Autumn Croakus," wherein Grandpa's nearly four-century lifespan may come to an end at the hands of a murderous widow; "Herman the Great," with Herman becoming a pro wrestler to pay for Eddie's education; "Eddie's Nickname," featuring a magical milk shake which, thanks to Grandpa's bungling, grows a thick beard; "Far Out Munsters," a spoof of "bizarre" '60s rock & roll groups featuring future softcore film producer Zalman King and The Standells; and "Herman the Rookie," the one in which Herman gets a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers as manager Leo Durocher and former football star Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch look on with mouths agape.
Two of the more fascinating first-season Munsters episodes are "Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights," featuring a cameo appearance by another of Universal's copyrighted monsters, the Creature from the Black Lagoon (aka the Munsters' "Cousin Gilbert"); and "Come Back Little Googie," guest starring child actor Bill Mumy, who had been the series producers' first choice for the role of Eddie Munster -- but whose mother did not like the idea of subjecting her boy to a daily two-hour makeup session. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a dangerous escaped mental patient turns up on the doorstep of a die-hard horror nerd, the witless horror aficionado attempts to mold the unwitting reject into the perfect killing machine in a blood-drenched tribute to the stalk-and-slash frighteners of yesteryear. Merv Doody (James Heathcote) may not know much, but his does know horror films; if it features sharp objects and sexually adventurous sorority girls, chances are he's seen it -- multiple times. But seeing murderous mayhem on the screen and standing face-to-face with a real-life killing machine are two very different experiences, and when the genuine article comes knocking at his front door, Merv has a serious panic attack. Upon regaining his cool and realizing the potential in the hapless killer, Merv invites best pal Onkey (Dan Palmer) over and the two soon set about executing one of the most maniacal makeovers in screen history. Now outfitted with a snazzy orange jumpsuit, an appropriately menacing hockey mask, and armed with the world's most dangerous spatula, Merv and Onkey's murderous creation soon sets out on a violent rampage of death and destruction that sends the small-town citizens of Redwater Cove running for their lives. Upon realizing that they are the only ones who can put an end to the bloody killing spree, the longtime horror fans prepare to put their vast knowledge of slasher disposal to the ultimate test. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A group of adolescent monster movie enthusiasts form a club that meets in a treehouse in this pre-teen horror feature. When Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman are joined by Gill-Man in the search for a magic amulet, the boys form the Monster Squad to battle the forces of evil. The boys get unexpected help from Frankenstein when the monster grows tired of being continually bossed around by Dracula. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Troma Team Pictures, the company that brought you such classics as The Toxic Avenger, When Nature Calls and Class Of Nuke 'Em High, takes a look inside the making of a "typical" Troma release with Terror Firmer, directed and co-written by Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman, who also appears as the director of the film-within-the film. Here, Kaufman (whose character is blind, which would explain a lot about Troma's product) and his crew are making a willfully sleazy horror flick, complete with monsters, gore, gratuitous nudity and loud rock 'n' roll, when a serial killer appears who doesn't happen to be in the script. Terror Firmer is based in part on Kaufman's 1998 book about his career with Troma, All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger, and includes a plug for the upcoming Jane Austen's Schlock and Schlockability (possibly a follow-up to 1996's Shakespeare variant Tromeo and Juliet). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

While wandering the English moors on vacation, college yanks David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint pub with a mysterious patronage who warn them not to leave the road when walking after dark. Irreverent of such advice as characters in horror films always are, the two decide to find a short cut....David wakes up in the hospital with a nasty bite wound to his shoulder; the freshly deceased, and rapidly decomposing, Jack arrives soon after to deliver the grim news that, unless he commits suicide, David will become a werewolf when the moon is full. David dismisses the encounter as a hallucination, but all indicators point to lycanthrope; evenings of barking and bloodletting follow closely behind. While the story is thin and much of the tongue-in-cheek humor is overdone, there are plenty of genuine jolts thanks to makeup guru Rick Baker's eye-popping special effects. The werewolf, resembling a cross between a bear and a wolverine, appears frighteningly real, and, given the fantastic premise, the gore is most convincing (although surprisingly and refreshingly scant). The hospital dream sequences are creative, and the scenes in which the werewolf runs rampant through downtown London are particularly good. In all, An American Werewolf in London is an original, atmospheric film that manages both to scare and amuse. While dismissed by most American critics upon its release, the film managed to secure a place in the annals of American cinema when Baker won an Academy Award for his amazing effects and creature designs. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

This horror film, directed by Ronnie Yu, marked a return (after an eight-year lapse) of Chucky and the Child's Play series that began in 1988. At the moment of his death, the spirit of former serial killer Charles Lee Ray was mystically relocated in the doll Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif). After being salvaged from the evidence morgue by his ex-girlfriend Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) and a corrupt cop, Chucky is put back in action when Tiffany sews his pieces back together and works a voodoo spell to revive his sinister self. Tiffany sees her dreams of marriage aren't working out, so she keeps Chucky locked away. After an escape, Chucky electrocutes Tiffany by pushing a radio into the bathtub, delivering a chant that puts the spirit of Tiffany into a bridal figurine. Chucky's amulet can switch them back into their original human forms, so they head for New Jersey where the amulet is buried -- putting cops in motion, along with car-crash carnage. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This TV series is based on the same premise as the OVA Master of Mosquiton but continues to follow the characters through more varied exploits. Inaho's friend, history teacher, and eternal slave Mosquiton is at her bidding after she catches him feeding on her classmates and stakes him, only to create a blood pact, binding him to her will. Now, Mosquiton offers help in finding the mysterious O-Part that made her grandmother immortal, and with the help of Inaho's friends Yuuki and Honou, they just might do it. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

This mild horror outing was made for younger audiences and centers on a young boy's attempts to prevent the evil spirit living within a voodoo doll from taking possession of his school teacher. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A burned-out wedding photographer and an author wrestling with writer's block go to gruesome lengths in order to keep their love alive in this musical horror comedy from director Travis Betz (Lo, Sunday). As the thought of shooting another wedding makes Wes (Dustin Fasching) want to hang up his camera for good, his girlfriend Fi (Sarah Lassez) seeks the inspiration to finish her latest zombie novel. But neither can muster any creativity, and when Fi starts to grow emotionally unstable, Wes vows to stay by her side. Fi is slowly being taken over by a dark entity, and as Wes fights to help her regain possession of her body, both find that inspiration can strike under the oddest of circumstances. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

An underwater earthquake unleashes a hungry prehistoric predator with the power to swim through sand as if it were water in this creature feature starring Brooke Hogan and Corin Nemec. As the unstoppable beast turns a nearby beach party into an all-you-can-eat buffet, the terrified revelers run screaming for their lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A famed sushi chef's daughter runs away to a remote hot springs inn after getting fed up with her father's ultra-strict working habits, and uses her many years of training to save the lives of the guests when a twisted former researcher perfects a method of creating killer sushi. Keiko's father is one of the most respected sushi chefs in Japan. He always gives 110%, and he expects the same from his daughter. Determined to live life on her own terms, Keiko lands a job at a serine inn surrounded by soothing hot springs. Unfortunately for her, both the employees and the pharmaceutical specialists staying there on a work retreat take no small amount of pleasure in mocking the new addition to the staff. But when a disgruntled former employee of the firm shows up at the inn with a bizarre formula that transforms delicious sushi into rampaging monsters, only Keiko and her unique skill set can save them all from being eaten alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi