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Zombie comedy

{{Short description|Film and television genre}}

{{Zombies}}

Zombie comedy,{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/dvds/Night-of-the-Living-Dorks-2158.html|title=Night of the Living Dorks|publisher=Cinema Blend|access-date=April 9, 2007|archive-date=January 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107231101/http://cinemablend.com/dvds/Night-of-the-Living-Dorks-2158.html|url-status=dead}} often called zom com or zomedy,{{cite web|url=http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2004/10/12/Scene/Zombie.Comedy.Succeeds.In.Both.Genres-749911.shtml|title=Zombie Comedy Succeeds In Both Genres|last=Bemenderfer|first=Mark|date=October 12, 2004|work=The Observer Online|access-date=April 9, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202102308/http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2004/10/12/Scene/Zombie.Comedy.Succeeds.In.Both.Genres-749911.shtml|archive-date=December 2, 2007|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2004/09/30/zombie_comedy_slays_.php|title=Zombie Comedy Slays Audiences|last=Gartside|first=Will|date=September 30, 2004|work=The Badger Herald|access-date=April 9, 2007|archive-date=November 11, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111224114/http://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2004/09/30/zombie_comedy_slays_.php|url-status=dead}} is a film genre that aims to blend zombie horror motifs with slapstick comedy as well as morbid humor.

History

The earliest roots of the genre can be found in Jean Yarbrough's King of the Zombies (1941) and Gordon Douglas's Zombies on Broadway (1945), though both of these films dealt with Haitian-style zombies. While not comedies, George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985) featured several comedic scenes and satirical commentary on society. An American Werewolf in London (1981)Nelson, Resa (2004). [http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue388/interview2.html "Science Fiction Weekly Interview"]. SciFi Weekly, Issue 388, paragraph 4. Retrieved April 9, 2007. and the Return of the Living Dead series (1985)Dellamorte (January 22, 2003). [http://www.classic-horror.com/reviews/returnlivingdead.shtml Return of the Living Dead]. Classic Horror Review. Retrieved April 9, 2007. (especially the first two and the last of the series) can be considered some of the earliest examples of zombie-comedy using the modern zombie. Other early examples include Mr. Vampire (1985), C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989), Braindead (1992), and Bio Zombie (1998).

A popular modern zombie comedy is Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead (2004),Edelstein, David (September 23, 2004). [https://slate.com/culture/2004/09/a-zombie-comedy-of-manners.html "The Importance of Being Undead: A Zombie Comedy of Manners"] . Slate Magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2007. a self-dubbed romantic zombie comedy, or RomZomCom,{{cite news |first=Kerry L. |last= Smith |title=Shaun Of The Dead: The World's First Rom-Zom-Com (Romantic Zombie Comedy)? |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1491298/shaun-of-the-dead-the-worlds-first-rom-zom-com-romantic-zombie-comedy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925195037/http://www.mtv.com/news/1491298/shaun-of-the-dead-the-worlds-first-rom-zom-com-romantic-zombie-comedy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2015 |publisher=MTV News |date=2004-09-22 |access-date=2017-02-16 }} with many in-jokes and references to George A. Romero's earlier Dead films, especially Dawn of the Dead. Other popular zombie comedies include Gregg Bishop's Dance of the Dead (2008) and the 2009 film Zombieland.

Andrew Currie's Fido,Capt. Xerox (March 16, 2007). [http://www.theendoftheuniverse.ca/node/529 "Critics Love the New Zombie Comedy Fido"]. The Website @ The End Of The Universe. Retrieved April 9, 2007. Matthew Leutwyler's Dead & Breakfast, and Peter Jackson's Braindead are also examples of zombie comedies.Frazer, Bryant. [http://www.deep-focus.com/flicker/braindea.html Braindead (review)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002072412/http://www.deep-focus.com/flicker/braindea.html |date=2013-10-02 }}. Deep Focus. Retrieved April 9, 2007. Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II, although a more direct horror film, contains some lighthearted and dark comedy elements, and its sequel, Army of Darkness, is even more comedic. The Evil Dead franchise features evil spirits that possess dead and living bodies and even objects, however, rather than traditional-style zombies.

List

Films that can be considered zombie comedies include:

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Horror fiction}}

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{{Film genres}}

Category:Film genres

Category:Comedy genres

Category:Horror genres

Category:Horror comedy