Subgenre Sampler
Black Comedy: 501 Films to Buy & Rent
Shadows in Paradise (Varjoja paratiisissa) (1986)
- Dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Feat. Matti Pellonpaa, Kati Outinen, Sakari Kuosmanen
- The first film in Kaurismäki's Proletariat Trilogy follows a lonely garbage collector who finds romance with a check–out clerk (Kaurismäki…
Something Wild (1986)
- Dir. Jonathan Demme
Feat. Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta
- The then–hip Melanie Griffith takes conservative Jeff Daniels on a crash course in carefree living and kinky sex. But the fun turns to terror…
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The (1986)
- Dir. Tobe Hooper
Feat. Dennis Hopper
- A belated, somewhat desperate, return to TCM county by the director of the original, who 'cannibalizes' his authentic horror classic with some…
After Hours (1985)
- Dir. Martin Scorsese
Feat. Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom…
- Scorsese picked up Best Director award at Cannes for this brilliant, Kafka–esque black comedy about an ordinary guy's traumatic and bizarre…
Brazil (1985)
- Dir. Terry Gilliam
Feat. Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Ian Holm…
- Daydreaming bureaucrat Jonathan Pryce becomes unwittingly involved with an underground superhero and a mystery woman before falling victim to his own…
Fright Night (1985)
- Dir. Tom Holland
Feat. William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall…
- Terrific vampire satire in which a boy becomes highly suspicious of his new neighbours, led by a suave Chris Sarandon.
The superb make–up…
No Surrender (1985)
- Dir. Peter Smith
Feat. Bernard Hill, Michael Angelis, Joanne Whalley…
- Black comedy has the unfortunate Angelis getting himself into some hot water when he takes over the managment of a seedy Liverpool club. From the pen…
Re-Animator (1985)
- Dir. Stuart Gordon
Feat. Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton
- Essential splatter comedy takes gore levels to a (then) new extreme. Rebel science student Herbert West invents a serum that brings the dead back to…
Return of the Living Dead, The (1985)
- Dir. Dan O'Bannon
Feat. Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa
- Pretty–good parody of Romero's Living Dead films, though not quite the same as the real thing. Great thrash–metal soundtrack, though.
Toxic Avenger, The (1985)
- Dir. Michael Herz, Sam Weil
Feat. Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Jennifer Prichard
- A nerd becomes super–powered after falling into a vat of radioactive waste, and proceeds to clean up crime in one of the most notorious yet…