Dark Comedy Marathon
Come, embrace your twisted side.
1. Heathers (Lehmann, 1989)
Since its release, Heathers has become a cult classic, even generating an off-Broadway musical. The film follows Veronica Sawyer, a well-spoken, precocious teen who falls for badboy J.D., only to get involved with J.D.'s murderous rampage. Think Mean Girls, with more homicides. The film has also generated such incredible trademark lines as, "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw," and "Why are you pulling on my dick?" Definitely a must-see for anyone into the dark side of comedy.
2. Harold and Maude (Ashby, 1971)
Hal Ashby's 1971 feature establishes itself as one of the best in black comedy from its opening scene. Harold (Bud Cort) is shown puttering around his mother's elegant living room before hanging himself from the ceiling. His mother enters, looks at him, and says quite simply: "Oh, Harold." It is revealed that Harold enjoys faking his own suicide. His other hobbies include attending funerals. His obsession with death is challenged by a budding romance with 79-year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon). Don't let the age difference fool you--this is an authentic love story for the ages, as well as one of the funniest (and grimmest) comedies of the 20th century.
3. Death at a Funeral (Oz, 2007))
When searching for this film, do NOT watch the 2010 American remake. The original British version is the way to go. I don't want to give too much away, but Oz's film focuses on a dysfunctional family dealing with the death of their patriarch. The funeral in question, unsurprisingly, does not go as planned, but leads to secrets surfacing, family members accidentally consuming hallucinogens, and even mistaken killings.
4. What We Do in the Shadows (Clement and Waititi, 2015)
Clement and Waititi are an unstoppable writing/directing team in their vampire comedy, What We Do in the Shadows. A mockumentary, the film follows a group of vampire flatmates as they navigate vampirism in the digital/modern age. Look out for a hilarous cameo from Rhys Darby as the self-proclaimed alpha male werewolf, and be prepared to cough up a lung when everyman character Stu arrives on the scene. One of the best comedies of 2015 (if not the best), What We Do in the Shadows is electric, original, and, most of all, unmissable.
5. Drop Dead Gorgeous (Jann, 1999)
Similarly to Heathers, Jann's 1999 production has garnered a cult following in the years following its release. Another mockumentary, Drop Dead Gorgeous follows a group of beauty pageant contestants in Middle America as they vy for the top prize, only to find themselves mysteriously killed off, one by one. Featuring incredibly funny performances from Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy, Kirsten Dunst, and national treasure Allison Janney, Drop Dead Gorgeous is a satisfyingly twisted and colourful comedy.
6. Arsenic and Old Lace (Capra, 1944)
Capra's studio-era production could be considered the mother of all dark comedies. The inimitably dashing Cary Grant returns home with his new wife only to find a corpse hidden in his aunts' windowseat. This might sound more like a film noir than anything else, but suffice it to say that only hilarity ensues as the characters attempt to tiptoe around each other while trying to figure out what exactly has happened. End your dark comedy marathon on an older note with this bold and twisted gem.