SCREEN-L Archives

July 1996, Week 2

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Peter Latham <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 7 Jul 1996 17:01:56 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (24 lines)
John Groch asked (among other things) "What defines a "horror-comedy"?
 
It seems to me there are at least two reasons to mix the elements of comedy
and horror.
 
1.To spoof horror films. "Young Frankenstein" and "Dead and Loving It" are
examples. So also is Quentin Tarantino's "From Dusk Till Dawn."
 
2.Comedy can be used to give "evil" a human face.In a non-comedic horror
film the audience wants only to avoid and/or defeat the "monster".[An
example is Jason in any of the "Friday 13th" films.] But the addition of
comedy lets the audience flirt with the idea of participating in
villainy."Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein"is a good example.
"Heathers", if you view it as a retelling of the Faust legend, is another.
 
I'm sure there are a great many more.
 
Sincerely,
Peter Latham
 
----
To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L
in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2