Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008

by Bruce G. Hallenbeck

Fun and fright have long been partners in the cinema, dating back to the silent film era and progressing to the Scary Movie franchise and other recent releases. This guide takes a comprehensive look at the comedy-horror movie genre, from the earliest stabs at melding horror and hilarity during the nascent days of silent film, to its full-fledged development with The Bat in 1926, to the Abbott and Costello films pitting the comedy duo against Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy and other Universal Studio monsters, continuing to such recent cult hits as Shaun of the Dead and Black Sheep . Selected short films such as Tim Burton's Frankenweenie are also covered. Photos and promotional posters, interviews with actors and a filmography are included.

Genres: Film, Horror, Nonfiction, Humor

255 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and highly informative overview of the comedy-horror genre from a writer who seems to be equal parts expert and fan. Hallenbeck quotes Robert Bloch as once telling him that "both horror and comedy require the same distorted reality to be effective." Hallenbeck covers the film versions of these "distorted realities" from the silent era up through recent history. I'm particularly pleased with his ability to place the films within their historic contexts (noting, for example, that a film like The Cat and the Canary was not only fresh and exciting, but also risqué for its time). Hallenbeck traces the cultural shifts that led to films like Evil Dead 2 and Night of the Creeps. A fun film companion for horror fans, but also a useful one for researchers seeking to better understand the evolution of comedy-horror from what it was to what it has become.

My sole complaint about the book is that it doesn't designate lost films as being lost, and even includes lost films in the book's "checklist," without denoting them as such, which not only suggests that he has seen them (which is impossible), but might lead others to believe that the film is available.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty fun read, though needed a proofreading beforehand. One of my favorite movies of this genre is The Frighteners from 1996, and Hallenbeck referred to two of the actors incorrectly (W. Lee Ermey instead of R. Lee Ermey, and Trini Alvarez instead of Trini Alvarado).