Comedy Subgenre of Horror, Essay Example

Comedy subgenre of horror films is one of the unexploited opportunities in the sector. A comedy horror film can be defined as an entertainment tool that ensembles the element of horror fiction and comedy to pass its message to the audience. The most common element of comedy horror is humor unlike action horrors that propagate graphic destruction. Unlike the most common dramatic horror films that are mainly meant to scare the audience, comedy horror films give the audience the opportunity to laugh while scared at the same time. This aspect is very evident among the most films in this sub genre, for instance, in the film Ghost Breaker, the actors tried to pass a message to the audience that it is good to whistle on the graveside and feel comfortable rather than just standing without doing anything. Whistling is believed to appease the monsters at the graveside. The comedy subgenre has been developed following the connection between horror and comic. While horror is meant to frighten the individual, comedy on other hand is meant to enable the audience overcome horror (Hallenbeck, Bruce, 452).

The methodology adopted in this study is the cinematic style which can create a change in feelings and emotions among the audience. The comedy subgenre of horror has cinematic properties that foster both excitement and fear at the same time. The choice of the methodology is also guided by the assertion that comedy horror films create more impact when they are performed than presented in literature. The audience is able to view and feel the actual events that characterize the film. Comedy genre balances the both elements of comic and horror which are well expressed through cinematic methods. It is difficult to avoid the humor that come at the cost of brutality and fear when watching comedy horror. These elements are expressed easily when the cinematic approach is used to communicate the message to the audience. This enables them to easily relate the events in the film with the actual things that occur in their day to day lives. The choice of cinematic style is thus very appropriate to enable the audience understand the message of the film and at the same time get more entertainment. Other methodologies like the narratives only pass the message but do not entertain the audience.

The two films in this category that are selected for a close analysis are Army of Darkness (1992) and the Cottage (2008). In the Army of Darkness, the main character, Ash William, travels to ancient Europe to look for business opportunities unfortunately he is captured by the Army of the king. Ash is taken into a deep pit where he fights to regain his freedom by killing the soldier who was left to look after him. He then comes to light to release his fellow detainees and set them free. Following these actions, Ash becomes a hero and goes to the forest to hunt for his fortune. In the forest, Ash is captured by unseen forces that drive him to another small village in the forest. Comparing this to the next film which is the cottage it is striking to realize that most comedy horror films have some elements of action (Fischer, Russ, 341).

In the Cottage, the main characters Peter and David who are brothers capture the daughter of their boss. The two asked for ransom from their boss who delivers a neat packed bag that duo believes to be a lot of money, however, to their surprise they discover that the big is filled of old napkins. On realizing the deceit, Peter goes ahead to a call through the public telephone to ask for another ransom from the boss. When Peter comes back into the house after the making the call, captured girl and is missing and his brother David is missing.

The Army of Darkness is entirely based on events that took place during the medieval period while the Cottage is based on the events that take place in the modern world. Both films merge the elements of fear, action and humor to pass message to the clients. The two films reveal how frightening and exciting comedy horrors are.

In conclusion, the two subgenres highlight the most common things that happen in the society. The most common element is revenge which is very eminent in the two films. In the Army of Darkness, Ash Williams becomes vengeful and fights the king’s men when he regains his freedom from captivity. The very element is also common in the Cottage whereby the two brothers capture the boss’s daughter gain money from him. The boss had been mistreating the duo by forcing to work under poor conditions with low wages. the two films also reveal how wicked some people can be especially those in the leadership position as shown by the boss in the Cottage and king’s men in the Army of Darkness (Carroll, Noël, 235).

Works cited

Fischer, Russ. “Bruce Campbell and ‘Evil Dead’ Director Fede Alvarez Would Love to Merge Original and Remake Storylines”. slashfilm.com. 2013.

Hallenbeck, Bruce. GComedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-3332-9. . 2009.

Carroll, Noël . “Horror and Humor”. Beyond Aesthetics: Philosophical Essays. Cambridge University Press. pp. 235–253. 2010