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Dead Funny: The Humor of American Horror
Horror films strive to make audiences scream, but they also garner plenty of laughs. In fact, there is a long tradition of horror directors who are fluent in humor, from James Whale to John Landis to Jordan Peele. So how might horror and humor overlap more than we would expect?
Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely used for extraneous “comic relief” moments but often serves to underscore major themes, intensify suspense, and disorient viewers. Each chapter focuses on a different comic style or device, from the use of funny monsters and scary clowns in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street to the physical humor and slapstick in movies ranging from The Evil Dead to Final Destination . Along the way, humor scholar David Gillota explores how horror films employ parody, satire, and camp to comment on gender, sexuality, and racial politics. Covering everything from the grotesque body in Freaks to the comedy of awkwardness in Midsommar , this book shows how integral humor has been to the development of the American horror film over the past century.
Dead Funny locates humor as a key element in the American horror film, one that is not merely used for extraneous “comic relief” moments but often serves to underscore major themes, intensify suspense, and disorient viewers. Each chapter focuses on a different comic style or device, from the use of funny monsters and scary clowns in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street to the physical humor and slapstick in movies ranging from The Evil Dead to Final Destination . Along the way, humor scholar David Gillota explores how horror films employ parody, satire, and camp to comment on gender, sexuality, and racial politics. Covering everything from the grotesque body in Freaks to the comedy of awkwardness in Midsommar , this book shows how integral humor has been to the development of the American horror film over the past century.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published July 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 12, 2025
Super interesting! Loved this. Fav part was the horror & parody chapter. Think I could read a whole book on just parody/satire and horror. Historical lens was cool too. Fun!
August 29, 2025
I love horror movies and I love comedy. Both genres are aimed at getting the biggest reaction out of an audience, big laughs or big chills.
Gillota’s book is not so much about enjoying or appreciating the horror-comedy or comedy in horror films, or even how horror films can make you laugh even in the midst of creeping you/stressing you out.
There is some of that appreciation, sure. Gillota’s obviously a fan and knows his stuff. The chapters are organized by topics such as: satire, camp, comic monsters, body horror, parody, and awkward humor. (Socially awkward situations can be horrifying!)
Overall, it is an interesting read, but if you are well educated in horror films and you use your critical brain while consuming media, a lot of this is pretty obvious.
It did aid me in creating a small list of intriguing-sounding films that I haven’t seen yet, to check out in the future.
Dead Funny is dead academic, aimed at deep criticism and analysis. It was published by Rutgers University Press, and Gillota is a professor of English who writes like one.
There isn’t much on the psychology of why some scary things create laughs or even pointing out the funniest moments of the genre, but more looking at aspects our society filmmakers were commenting on at the time.
The material isn’t done from a filmmakers or film history viewpoint either, though some history is blended into it.
It’s very political, especially pointing out the ways filmmakers may have been satirizing the American family, racial disparity, and gender roles. He brings up capitalistic greed a bit but not as much as he could have. His strongest chapter was the one on camp in horror.
Gillota’s book is not so much about enjoying or appreciating the horror-comedy or comedy in horror films, or even how horror films can make you laugh even in the midst of creeping you/stressing you out.
There is some of that appreciation, sure. Gillota’s obviously a fan and knows his stuff. The chapters are organized by topics such as: satire, camp, comic monsters, body horror, parody, and awkward humor. (Socially awkward situations can be horrifying!)
Overall, it is an interesting read, but if you are well educated in horror films and you use your critical brain while consuming media, a lot of this is pretty obvious.
It did aid me in creating a small list of intriguing-sounding films that I haven’t seen yet, to check out in the future.
Dead Funny is dead academic, aimed at deep criticism and analysis. It was published by Rutgers University Press, and Gillota is a professor of English who writes like one.
There isn’t much on the psychology of why some scary things create laughs or even pointing out the funniest moments of the genre, but more looking at aspects our society filmmakers were commenting on at the time.
The material isn’t done from a filmmakers or film history viewpoint either, though some history is blended into it.
It’s very political, especially pointing out the ways filmmakers may have been satirizing the American family, racial disparity, and gender roles. He brings up capitalistic greed a bit but not as much as he could have. His strongest chapter was the one on camp in horror.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews