# Favorite black comedy movie
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 23, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273 "2002-09-23T14:41:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/1 "2002-09-23T14:41:20Z")
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!
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### Author:  [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/2 "2002-09-23T14:54:54Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/3 "2002-09-23T14:56:00Z")
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?
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### Author:  [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/4 "2002-09-23T14:58:50Z")
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:
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/5 "2002-09-23T15:00:13Z")
Wouldn’t _Pulp Fiction_ qualify?
When they hit that bump and blew the guy’s head off I laughed myself sick.
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### Author:  [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/6 "2002-09-23T15:06:16Z")
Friday with Ice Cube 😛
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/7 "2002-09-23T15:06:57Z")
**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**.
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### Author:  [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/8 "2002-09-23T15:07:31Z")
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_.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/9 "2002-09-23T15:16:50Z")
Pulp Fiction certainly qualifies in my book.
Two more classics:
Harold and Maude
The Ruling Class
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/10 "2002-09-23T15:22:30Z")
Eating Raoul
Heathers
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### Author:  [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/11 "2002-09-23T15:34:25Z")
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](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert15.html)
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/12 "2002-09-23T15:40:58Z")
Raising Arizona
Throw Mama from the Train
Ruthless People
The War of the Roses
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/13 "2002-09-23T15:48:51Z")
Oh yeah and
Meet the Feebles
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### Author:  [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/14 "2002-09-23T15:50:15Z")
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…\*\*
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/15 "2002-09-23T15:55:14Z")
\*\* The Last Supper\*\* is mine. [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113613](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.
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/16 "2002-09-23T16:18:10Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/17 "2002-09-23T16:30:06Z")
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.”
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### Author:  [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/18 "2002-09-23T16:40:25Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \*
> \*\*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.)
>
> \*\*
You are right.
I am shamed by my omission.
Gilliam is God…
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### Author:  [@TridCloudwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TridCloudwalker)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/19 "2002-09-23T16:43:46Z")
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
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### Author:  [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-black-comedy-movie/129273/20 "2002-09-23T18:09:50Z")
No one has mentioned “The House Of Yes”.
You wouldn’t think a story about two incestous,assasination obsessed siblings could be so funny.
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