Just rented Death to Smoochy over the weekend (and loved it!)
We were discussing other black comedies, and were surprised at how tough it was to come up with a lengthy list of them.
Wondering what any of your faves might have been.
And the first person to nominate CarWash gets smacked!
There’s Arsenic and Old Lace, for one ( “Madness runs in our family. It positively gallops.”)
There’s also an obscure British film, The National Health, set in a National Health hospital, which I rather enjoy.
Well, most of the great Ealing Studios comedies from England…Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Ladykillers, The Man in the White Suit, etc.
A Fish Called Wanda and Repo Man, for something a bit more contemporary.
Doctor Strangelove, of course.
Speaking of Car Wash, who played that gorgeous waitress that the guy with the huge 'fro had a crush on…? Whatever happened to her?
The Opposite of Sex was very good. “This guy’s only got one nut!”
Motel Hell is a favorite. “That hypocrite is the biggest cannibal in the whole county!”
And, of course, Friday was pretty dang funny.
:D&R:
Wouldn’t Pulp Fiction qualify?
When they hit that bump and blew the guy’s head off I laughed myself sick.
Friday with Ice Cube 
The War of the Roses and Throw Mama from the Train.
Haven’t seen it, but The Loved One seems to qualify.
And there’s also The Wrong Box.
The Coen Brothers are great for some perfect black comedy moments; in Fargo, where Peter Stormare is trying to jam the leg all the way into the wood chipper; in The Big Lebowski when Walter scatters Donnie’s ashes all over The Dude; and Dan Hedaya’s return from the grave in Blood Simple.
Pulp Fiction certainly qualifies in my book.
Two more classics:
Harold and Maude
The Ruling Class
Eating Raoul
Heathers
Let me second the great Ealing comedies and Kind Hearts and Coronets in particular, one of my top movies in any genre.
I was delighted to see it join Eberts Great Movie list recently, long overdue IMO.
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert15.html
Raising Arizona
Throw Mama from the Train
Ruthless People
The War of the Roses
Oh yeah and
Meet the Feebles
If “horror comedy” can be considered a sort of bastard subset of “black comedy” then I’d have to add An American Werewolf in London, Evil Dead II, Dead Alive, and Return of the Living Dead…with honorable mention to Cemetery Man and Fright Night.
For more traditional black comedies I started looking through my DVD collection … visualizing scenes and plot points and such … and came to a startling conclusion: Monty Python’s Meaning of Life is one of the darkest comedies ever released.
If I were sober, I’d be willing to debate this point, but as things stand …
** it just IS so leave me alone…**
** The Last Supper** is mine. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113613
Luke: People disappear all of the time.
Jude: Especially in Iowa. We probably saved him from an alien abduction.
Some great suggestions here.
Just thought of Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels.
And maybe Tremors.
The Neighbors, with Belushi and Ackroyd?
And what was the one with Tom Hanks, where he knew his neighbors were up to no good, and in fact they were? The Burbs?
My buddy says I have to see Johnny Dangerously.
I was a little surprised when I actually tried to come up with specific titles, because I probly would have said that this is about my favorite type of film. Yet, I had trouble coming up with tons of examples.
What elements do you believe are required to qualify a film as a black comedy? For example, bronndicon listed some great Coen comedic moments, but I doubt many folk would categorize Blood Simple as a “comedy.” Fargo, more likely IMO.
And The Big Lebowski. IMO I’d characterize it more as a comedy with dark moments. A fine line, I admit.
What!?! 14 posts and no mention of Brazil? You can’t get any blacker than a comedy about terrorism (and government red tape, torture, etc.)
I think Johnny Dangerously was more of a Mafia spoof (think Mel Brooks and his Western spoof Blazing Saddles). Although it’s got some great lines in it and a pretty decent Wierd Al original song (not a spoof of something else for once):
“Fargin’ iceholes!”
“My father touched me like that once. ONCE. To this day he still has to wear an orthopedic shirt.”
You are right.
I am shamed by my omission.
Gilliam is God…
Some little know black comedies that are fantastic:
Orphans (the Scottish one, NOT the american tom selek movie)
Freeway
Breakfast of Champions
Novocaine
3000 Miles to Graceland
One Night at McCools
Cecil B. Demented
S.F.W.
Suicide Kings
Clay Pigeons
Some classics:
Dr. Stranglove
Harold & Maude
Being John Malcovich
anything by The Cohen Brothers
anything by Quentin Tarantino
Horror/Comedy:
The Evil Dead Trilogy
House
An American Werewolf in London
Martin
Return of the Living Dead
Tremors
No one has mentioned “The House Of Yes”.
You wouldn’t think a story about two incestous,assasination obsessed siblings could be so funny.