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Mon 11 Sep, 2006 01:11 pm
It seems to me that there are a lot of horror movies that are ostensibly straight drama, but actually realize that they're a bit silly and are covertly playing to humor on a subtle level. I happen to like this type of movie a lot.
One example would be "The Pit and the Pendulum," which starred Vincent Price as a 16th century Spanish Lord mourning the strange death of his wife. He's also haunted by bad family history. His father was a particularly odious leader of the Spanish Inquisition. At some point, it begins to appear that his wife's ghost is haunting the castle, but there's actually a lot more going on than meets the eye. I get a strong impression that the people who made the film knew that the whole thing was really over the top and were covertly playing to humor.
Can you think of any examples of this genre?
The best ever has to be the sequel to silence of the lambs where Anthony Hopkins serves dinner to Ray Liotta which is Ray's own brain.
You would have to go back to the days of Boris Karloff to find anything more ludicrous than this.
That scene in "Hannibal" is out of the book but visually it plays like one of Peter Jackson's earlier comic horror films, like "Braindead" (AKA "Dead Alive" in the US). In the book, I believe, Clarice indulges in the dining. The scene is phantasmagoric and hallucinatory, and Ridley blew it. If anyone has seen Jackson's extravaganza spoof of "Night of the Living Dead" movies, he later made a more cerebral satire of the dearly (?!) deceased in "The Frighteners." I thought that movie was based on an elfish humor with some of the most inventive CGI I'd ever seen on the screen. Of course, that elfishness translated into LOTR. Jack Black in Peter's "King Kong" holds onto the comic valve to just barely reach the edge of a parody of the old black and white classic but never quite crossing over.
Shaun of the Dead is pretty damned funny, but that's more of a straight comedy than a drama that has comedic elements.
Although Im a huge fan of the 'Lambs' films I found the Hopkins/Liotta/brain sequence a bit too silly and unbelievable.
Not classy enough for Hannibal.
Re: Horror Movies that Subtly Play to Humor
Brandon9000 wrote:Can you think of any examples of this genre?
Tarantino's screenplay
From Dusk till Dawn. Admittedly, you may not call its storyline straight or its humor subtle. But for me it falls into that category.
material girl wrote:Although Im a huge fan of the 'Lambs' films I found the Hopkins/Liotta/brain sequence a bit too silly and unbelievable.
Not classy enough for Hannibal.
It was because it was to literally taken -- I think it should have been from Clarice's drugged, barely conscious eyes instead of the camera and done almost as if she was almost dreaming it. There were elements of that but somewhere Ridley went astray and everyone became characatures, especially Liotta.
Dog Soldiers? I'm not sure how many people will have seen this one, especially over the pond but for me, in between all the gore, fast paced action and dire situations they find themselves in(putting it mildly...), there's always a twisted/subtle bit of humour, that binds the group together, waiting to pop out. It never takes itself too seriously, they're always just a group of soldiers up **** creek without a paddle, and loving it.
Quote:Tarantino's screenplay From Dusk till Dawn. Admittedly, you may not call its storyline straight or its humor subtle. But for me it falls into that category.
not a big fan of his movies
Lake Placid people!!!
I'm surprised no one mentioned Lake Placid (1999). Its pretty much a horror movie with a mysterious monster originally suspected to be a dinosaur living in the lake. We have really great humour especially in the sarcastic put-downs by Oliver Platt and the talented Brendan Gleeson. My favourite line was when Platt first sees Gleeson and says "The world is round and so shall you be..".
A really camp horror and the first which starred Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi was The Black Cat. When the American calls something "superstitious baloney", Lugosi very determinedly responds "Superstitious perhaps, baloney perhaps not...". Brilliant!
I just saw Slither, which turned out to be as much a comedy as it was a gross-out horror film. It was pretty hilarious, actually... but quite gory. I recommend
How about RAVENOUS?
Did anybody see that one?
It seems to me that there are a lot of horror movies that are ostensibly straight drama, but actually realize that they're a bit silly and are covertly playing to humor on a subtle level. I happen to like this type of movie a lot.
WAZ... is one of my choice of a horror trail film coming this year..
tomasso wrote:How about RAVENOUS?
Did anybody see that one?
No, What is the story all about? Saw the screening of this movie WAZ it really looks good, the scene were very convincing to freak out someone.
I'm impressed of the build up. Hope to see this movie soon.
tomasso wrote:How about RAVENOUS?
Did anybody see that one?
No, What is the story all about? Saw the screening of this movie WAZ it really looks good, the scenes were very convincing to freak out someone.
I'm impressed of the build up. Hope to see this movie soon.
I found RAVENOUS to be fairly well made with good actors
(Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle and David Arquette)
and pretty good effects.
Set during and immediately after the Mexican-American War
(1846 - 1848), a cowardly soldier (Boyd) is - after a moment of bravery - promoted to Captain and transferred to the remote Fort Spencer in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, a post with only seven other inhabitants.
I think I don't want to reveal anymore to spoil it for anybody, but it is
a horror movie and is based more on myths and historical facts which
makes it unique. (key word : Wendigo)
I've seen LOTS worse movies than this!
Evil Dead II, Bruce Campbell... a Farewell to Arms...
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