New in theaters and on VOD is Cooties, a horror-comedy about a truly terrifying phenomenon: zombie kids. Cooties, which stars Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, Rainn Wilson, and Jack McBrayer, plays on that familiar zombie movie plot: an epidemic (this time spread through tainted chicken nuggets in an elementary school cafeteria) turns an unexpected populace into the walking dead, leaving a band of heroes (a ragtag group of teachers) to fight against the monsters. While certainly not the only killer kids in movie history, the villains in Cooties join a long list of monsters who are are not just horrifyingly scary — they’re also funny. Check out Cooties on VOD, and if you’re hungry for more laughter through screams (my favorite emotion), here are ten more horror-comedies who set the standard for the genre.
'The Evil Dead' (1981)
Sam Raimi’s debut film is a gross-out comic horror adventure in which an unwitting group of friends head into the woods for a weekend getaway, only to unleash an ancient evil through black magic. Oh, you know how bumbling college students manage to do that kind of thing, right? [Where to stream The Evil Dead]
'The Cabin in the Woods' (2012)
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s postmodern horror comedy builds on the foundation of Raimi’s Evil Dead — and makes it an even larger horror spoof, following a multi-national conspiracy that preys upon poor moronic young adults in order to prevent the destruction of the world at the hands of ancient monsters. [Where to stream The Cabin in the Woods]
'Drag Me to Hell' (2009)
Raimi once delivered an excruciating terrifying movie with shocking scares so over-the-top that you can’t help but guffaw at their boldness. I mean, it’s the only way to maintain your composure whenever the ghost of a truly mean gypsy woman pops up to scratch, spit, and lay curses on our dear heroine. [Where to stream Drag Me to Hell]
'Beetlejuice' (1988)
Tim Burton’s wacky comedy boasts an all-star cast (Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton) at their comic peaks, and it’s an inventive, weird, and unsettling spoof of afterlife which, apparently, is just as frustrating and soul-crushing as the mortal world. [Where to stream Beetlejuice]
'Gremlins' (1984)
Don’t expose them to bright light. Don’t feed them after midnight. Don’t get them wet. And, god forbid, don’t let them take over a sleepy all-American town — unless you’re prepared to throw one of these dirty, obnoxious goblins in a microwave or a blender. (Either way, there’s going to be a lot of cleanup.) [Where to stream Gremlins]
'Shaun of the Dead' (2003)
It’s the definitive zombie horror comedy — with, of course, that dry British sense of humor. When a deadly virus strikes England, it’s up to the daft Shaun to save the day. Too bad he’s too busy trying to win his girlfriend back instead. [Where to stream Shaun of the Dead]
'The Frighteners' (1996)
Long before he ventured into Middle Earth, Peter Jackson offered up this pitch-black comedy about a neurotic psychic (played by Michael J. Fox’s) whose ghostly followers are no match for the truly terrifying spirit preying on his sleepy town. [Where to stream The Frighteners]
'An American Werewolf in London' (1981)
With one of the most dazzling werewolf transformations on film, John Landis’ film is notably scary, but it’s the character of a wisecracking corpse played by Griffin Dunne that keeps the jokes coming in tandem with the frights. [Where to stream An Werewolf in London]
'Zombieland' (2009)
A ragtag group of survivors of a viral pandemic are left to fight against the roaming undead. If only they can work together without turning each other for petty reasons (or accidentally murdering actor Bill Murray). [Where to stream Zombieland]
'Ghostbusters' (1984)
While it seems tame to many adults, that haunted freezer, the creepy library ghost, and even the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man are threatening enough to give kids nightmares. But those monstrous dogs from Hell? Forget about it. [Where to stream Ghostbusters]
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