# Movies that may actually be comedies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568 "2013-06-09T17:41:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/1 "2013-06-09T17:41:38Z")
Was thinking about this the other day. Have you ever seen a movie that is so mis-directed that you secretly believe it was intended as a comedy instead of its implied genre? My wife and I thought of several. Heck, we’re convinced a couple of these were intended as comedies. \*\*The Happening \*\*- Perhaps M. Night Shyamalan’s greatest attempt at a joke. Nothing in this movie even approaches a serious tone. It is so ludicrous, it gives us hilarious comedic moments like: [Man dies in hilarious way.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-Ugo_Npswx0#t=13s) Battlefield Earth: Come on. Rifftrax was even boring on this one because it is so bad on its own. I found it highly entertaining as a comedy, though, and can almost believe they tried to make a terrible funny movie. [Spell your name!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OqWK85gJaxc#t=18s) The Wicker Man(new one): Watch these two minutes and tell me they aren’t expecting us to love every minute of it. [Wicker Man best scenes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo) New Moon: This is the second Twilight movie and is directed by the American Pie director. I swear he is messing with us in this one, over-directing it and making it as stupid as possible. [Rifftrax is a good one for this, but it is funny on its own.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3WG5kUksrc) What other movies seem like slyly made comedies? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/2 "2013-06-09T18:34:03Z")
Not precisely what you’re asking, in that the humor was basically intentional, but the movie **Demolition Man** is now remembered far more for its comedic aspects, and the question of how the three seashells worked, than for the action scenes with Stallone and Snipes. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/3 "2013-06-09T20:27:38Z")
Not a movie, but the first season of American Horror Story on FX seemed to me to grow increasingly humorous as the ghost population of the house grew and grew, particularly when they started plotting and arguing over who got to kill the baby and adopt the resulting ghost-baby. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/4 "2013-06-09T20:38:29Z")
The Terminator had some hilarious bits in it. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/5 "2013-06-09T20:55:02Z")
2004’s _Van Helsing_ struck me that way (and I did laugh during the opening sequence…no one else in the theater was laughing. Yikes. :p) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/6 "2013-06-09T20:56:05Z")
Nic Cage is undoubtedly the king of this sort of thing. All through “Vampire’s Kiss,” I kept trying to decide if it was supposed to be funny, or if it was unintentional. I finally decided it didn’t matter what they intended, and just enjoyed it as a black comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Renifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/7 "2013-06-10T00:56:10Z")
_Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ has a hilarious side plot about Harry and Ron being unable to find dates for the school dance. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/9 "2013-06-10T13:31:51Z")
_The Shining_ is remarkably [upbeat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os6raCCmAFk). ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/10 "2013-06-10T14:18:55Z")
The new **Jack Reacher** with Tom Cruise was frikkin hilarious. There’s a store called DeFault Auto Parts. I don’t know if it was supposed to be funny, but it is sooo by the numbers that it’s a parody. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/11 "2013-06-10T14:37:48Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > 2004’s _Van Helsing_ struck me that way (and I did laugh during the opening sequence…no one else in the theater was laughing. Yikes. :p) I don’t think that counts. That movie was so over-the-top, I don’t think it was intended to be taken seriously. I loved that movie, BTW 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/12 "2013-06-10T14:55:39Z")
I don’t know if it was intended this way, but I’ve always thought “Falling Down” (1993) was a fun black comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Rib\_Eye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rib\_Eye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rib_Eye)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/13 "2013-06-10T16:01:04Z")
River’s Edge ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/14 "2013-06-10T16:32:43Z")
> [@Rib\_Eye](#): > > River’s Edge Can you tell us more? Like…how? ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/15 "2013-06-10T17:39:17Z")
I always thought **Hellraiser** was more of an enjoyable dark comedy then a horror movie. It has a few tense moments, but they are overwhelmed by how outrageous everything that’s happening is. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/16 "2013-06-10T17:49:35Z")
I genuinely thought that **There Will Be Blood** was the funniest movie I saw in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/17 "2013-06-10T17:59:55Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > The Terminator had some hilarious bits in it. I think the impact of the sequel was especially diluted by all the humor. Way too much funny in that movie, kept yanking me out of the story. Many of the one-liners may as well have been delivered with the character looking directly into the camera. It’s still a great movie, though. BTW and FWIW I still think the first one is the better of the two. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/18 "2013-06-10T18:02:00Z")
I forgot to mention my other candidate, for black comedy: Fargo ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/19 "2013-06-10T18:32:49Z")
I’m sure it was completely unintentional, but I can’t help laughing during _The Scorpion King._ Right from the first scene when the Scorpion King’s army walked through the desert and kept randomly falling over. They just sort of toppled. I was the only one in the theater laughing. Then the slave girl’s outfit. the plot. The hammy acting. It’s so campy, it can’t help but be funny. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/20 "2013-06-10T19:11:37Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > The Terminator had some hilarious bits in it. > > I think the impact of the sequel was especially diluted by all the humor. Way too much funny in that movie, kept yanking me out of the story. Many of the one-liners may as well have been delivered with the character looking directly into the camera. In fairness, he really did need a vacation. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568/21 "2013-06-10T19:26:25Z")
By the end of **Requiem For A Dream** , I thought it was pretty funny. Talk about a dark comedy! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-may-actually-be-comedies/660568.md?page=2)