Sam Raimi - How Does Horror Comedy Work?

[@Elusive_Reclusive]

Rami is the ONLY horror comedy director that actually makes movies that scare me. 99% of comedy horror out there, are to me, straight comedy. Which is fine, What We Do in the Shadows, Shaun of the Dead, are some of favorite comedies. But Rami does something that I feel like no one else can do - he does the complete balance. Such a master.

[@oldDNU]

anne berry I find Idiocracy terrifying.

[@PabloDraletti]

Peter Jackson at the beginning of his career came close.

[@maxpops8427]

You didn’t the first gremlins movie was scary?

[@jaswanth2078]

On God,nobody does like him

[@Elusive_Reclusive]

@@maxpops8427 I didn’t see it as a child so no.

[@Marb315]

Evil Dead 2's "a farewell to arms" is probably my favorite joke in any movie I've ever seen

[@j.f.fisher5318]

So... normal horror is like being mentally tortured, while Sam Raimi movies are like being mentally tickle-tortured?

[@GreenBoxStudio1]

Couldn't put it better myself XD

[@aria5614]

That sounds accurate.

[@bradnorton5034]

Normal horror is being tortured, while Sam Raimi horror is mentally tortured where sometimes the story, plot is horror and execution is comedy.

[@jiggerinokobalis609]

Well. His actors are often actually tortured. When Campbell hurt his leg in one of the evil dead films raimi kept poking it with a stick to make him feel pain hahaha

[@shogunblade]

What makes Evil Dead 2 work for me as an audience member is that it is absolutely horrifying, but it's hyper kinetic horror. If you watched the first Evil Dead, that movie it's clearly made to be horrifying, and it filled me with dread. Evil Dead 2 is scary, but its madcap energy makes it funny. If Jackie Chan ever worked with Sam Raimi to produce a Hong Kong horror action comedy, the Results could only be amazing to see. However, Raimi has Bruce Campbell, who works just as well as Jackie Chan for the physicality to do Madcap. Yes, one is trained in Martial Arts, the other is a square chinned B movie star, but you get my point. The following might also be heresy, but compared to the Evil Dead trilogy, I think Evil Dead 2 is better than Army of Darkness because the fact that we lose so much of the horrific aspect of what made those two movies work. Raimi plays on the slapstick, but it moves so quickly you don't have time for the horror to sink in because you're laughing at it. I'm always horrified by E.D. 2, but I obviously find it funnier than AOD. I liked your video and I found it insightful and it makes me glad to have subscribed to you.

[@mychaeljones7526]

have you seen the series it's both horryfying and funny, and everyone including those who play victims are in on the gag.

[@TheRealF.B.I]

Jackie chan would be costly as fuck

[@ethankrieger349]

That comparison with the Simpsons and Evil Dead was amazing.

[@AnimePlaysMinecraft]

I just found your videos today, and I bloody love them. I never knew much about Raimi, only familiar with Spiderman, but I'd always talk about how he masterfully changes tone in Spiderman. Know one would ever know what I meant, but the hospital scene in Spiderman 2 which is played as straight up horror always got to me as a kid - especially with the moment where you think one doctor might survive as he gets the chainsaw. It shows the great contrast between Otto and Doc Ock. Edit: you should do a video about Raimis Spiderman series, the strengths, the weaknesses. In my opinion, the first two are the best Spiderman films ever, with homecoming being a bit above 3 and the Amazing duo just... in the back.

[@battleupsaber462]

Scariest scene from a Sam Raimi movie will always be the Emo Peter scene from Spider-Man 3 "I'M GONNA PUT SOME DIRT IN YOUR EYE"

[@squidwardtesticles5381]

"Dig on this"

[@battleupsaber462]

YOU'LL GET YOUR RENT WHEN YOU FIX THIS DAMN DOOR

[@patrickhwillems]

That scene is great

[@graysonv.3536]

at the end of august i'll be at the redford theatre in MI to see the original evil dead with live introduction by bruce campbell himself anyone else gonna be there?

[@michaelborrego6165]

That scene would have been fixed by replacing Peter with black-suited spiderman

[@TheKozzee]

I've been on an Evil Dead kick recently, rewatching all of the films, and I was searching around KZbin for video essays like yours on Sam Raimi. Its as if this video was made for me

[@stephenz.ridley3192]

The hospital scene in Spider-Man 2 blew me away in theaters. Such a great movie. It's a tragedy that Sam wasn't able to make the Spider-Man 3 he wanted to.

[@JustCallMeHenry]

I think the Coen Brothers would be another good set of directors to look at.

[@takemesailorboy1116]

Seconded.

[@petitio_principii]

Geniuses of suspense/thriller-comedy.

[@oldDNU]

It would make sense. They got their start with Raimi. Joel Coen was an assistant editor of The Evil Dead. (Raimi met them while filming the first one.)

[@carnolasluggs5417]

The Coens even have freely admitted to stealing from Raimi when developing their visual style. Joel & Ethan were both quite taken with Sam's love for aggressive dolly shots. They've since found a method for putting their own very unique stamp on the technique, but its undeniably still got Raimi's influence all over it.

[@saithfeed511]

great I remember being shocked by the sudden death of Brad Pitt's character from burn after reading lol

[@playgroundchooser]

Huh... no love for Army of Darkness? I love that movie so much. I think the reason it's so funny is because Ash (Bruce Cambell himself) is so over the top one way... and all of the villagers etc are so over the top the exact opposite way.

[@patrickhwillems]

I like it, but it's more like fantasy comedy. There isn't really any horror in it.

[@playgroundchooser]

Patrick (H) Willems Touche good sir. And while I've got you; your excellent vid on Edgar Wright got me to watch his previous work and to the theater for Baby Driver. I hope you enjoyed it at least half as much as I did. :-D Keep up the great work!

[@robsonwaterkemper]

@@patrickhwillems What about Darkman? Wasn't this movie a prototype of things Raimi would do in Spider Man years later?

[@AdamSheehan-pm8zq]

Thats not really horror

[@demonwithglasshand]

Raimi is the master of the roller coaster entertainment movie, even his duds are 10 times more enjoyable and re watchable than most Hollywood shit.

[@rolanddeschain6089]

I think movies are always manipulation. There is no good or bad manipulation. It's just good or bad executed.

[@colehartel7206]

I often find myself laughing at horror movies, so comedy-horror always seemed a natural combination to me.

[@prettyaverage97]

I love, LOVE Sam Raimi with such a passion. His movies share an unhinged passion for cinema as entertainment and art, and his ability to deliver both the laughs and the horrors is unparalleled. Also, he's incredibly good at translating superheroes to the big screen, as shown in Spider-Man or Multiverse of Madness. And he always has that psychedelic vibe that I really dig. I'll be making a video essay about him for school and can't really wait to dig deep into his filmography -- revisiting Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Oz, Darkman, and watching some of his movies that I've never watched before will be a blast, I'm sure.

[@aintnuthinbutathang1646]

John Goodman's "I'll show you the life of the mind" scene in Barton Fink is one of the funniest and scariest movie scenes to me

[@ut2k4wikichici]

great video finally someone articulated why raimi is a modern master of film making

[@paddyodoor3090]

sam raimi giggling will haunt my dreams

[@gtothedmuthafucka1657]

Here after the first trailer of DOctor Strange Raimi's gonna direct. And while the primary genre of the movie is horror, I'm so excited to see what he does with the superhero movie given to him

[@GonKenobi8879]

Thanks a lot for this, I'm making a Sam Raimi inspired horror/comedy web series and this helps me a lot in studying how I'm going to plan the shots and the situations. keep at it!

[@wyndgrove9452]

Add to the freedom to play with tone and story the sheer potential of visuals, and you can see why horror comedy is such a great genre. With the best of them you have films which look so good you could mute them and still have a wild experience. Evil Dead II is a treat for the eyes, while dancing through the funny and the scary. See also Braindead!

[@oldDNU]

Pornography In The Woods Braindead (Dead Alive in the US) is definitely way more comedy than horror, but still a classic nonetheless.

[@ThePrimevalVoid]

Watching this after Multiverse of Madness is 100% a treat.

[@tierfreund780]

Radical shifts in tone are GOOD. Moby Dick is lighthearted adventure, shakespeariean melodrama, cosmic horror and zoological journal all in one and it's a good book.

[@TimdeVisser86]

I think Jordan Peele did something similar in Get Out. Each joke uses the tension built by the horror before it, and each horrific scene uses the joke to lull the viewer into a false sense of security.

[@cobwebschannel]

Great video! Most directors are lucky to make one masterpiece. Raimi has at least 5. He's such a genius.

[@NeuroticKnight9]

I see american politics as horror comedy.

[@hotpopcorncake]

Same, also the news feels that way too. I wish it was stick to serious for once.

[@maxzawadzki308]

Wait till u see Poland

[@davidwillcocks808]

Why just American. All politics is Horror Comedy.

[@Zazooma7]

Patrick's beard is ever more glorious with each subsequent video. Keep it up

[@patrickhwillems]

Zazooma7 I've got some bad news for you: the beard was removed right after I shot that outro

[@Zazooma7]

You had one job! Despite a sudden and severe lack of facial hair, I really love your channel. One of my only channels worthy of the notification button

[@dr.hartman7232]

Patrick (H) Willems If u get into Hollywood what type of films will u make?

[@JuanTheBone]

I prefer the clean shaven look.

[@Zazooma7]

JuanTheBone, your preference is incorrect.

[@davidmenty611]

Finally, someone else saying what I said to everyone who was surprised by Jordan Peele making a good horror movie in Get Out: the structure of comedy and Horror are the same.

[@matthewlee4834]

Deserves more views. Raimi is quite the underrated director

[@bryanriggs9639]

I would argue that Ash is an extremely funny character... those one liners and facial expressions?

[@gimmibox]

One comedy horror film a lot of people tend to overlook is Tucker and Dale vs Evil, I watched it after scrolling through Alan Tudyk's filmography and was thoroughly surprised

[@oldDNU]

Bo Xue good call. I thought it fell apart in the third act, but the first two were a brilliant subversion of the genre.

[@BenFerber]

Yes to all of this. And: both the punchline of a joke and the molto crescendo of a scary moment use the same element to work: surprise.

[@JP-1990]

I feel like Evil Dead 2 is the kind of horror movie that you could get away with showing older kids, because it's very over the top and kinda ridiculous at times that kids don't have to really worry about anything after seeing the movie. It's very clearly unrealistic and unbelievable.

[@agraciotti]

that was very well put! I'm appreciating Raimi's work each time more, as these super heroes films gets more and more disappointing and not nearly as great as his Spiderman 2

[@ShawnDaviskillerdiary]

Ash says "Here's your new home," as he places the bucket over his possessed, renegade hand - classic!

[@VideInfra99]

I loved this vid! Raimi is a big reason why I decided to go to film school. Nice to see him get some love!

[@AlxRo66]

Been waiting a long time for a detailed Sam Raimi analysis video.

[@julioolivares9424]

Brain Dead (Dead Alive) from Peter Jackson is one of the best horror comedy movies ever

[@aalderet]

You're doing an amazing job, these videos really help me as a growing filmmaker. Thank you and hope you keep this going.

[@JamesGWall]

Great vid. Used to watch Raimi films all the time in my late teens / early 20s. Might have to go re-watch a few of them.

[@CinderUnit]

8:23 Never seen that evil dead 2 trailer

[@torontolobo9218]

Thank you for introducing this genre for me, I have never heard of Sam Raimi before, this prompt me to watch an episode of Ash Vs evil dead on Netflix, which is super entertaining ! GOOD VIDEO ESSAY!

[@lamecasuelas2]

very good, i'd like to see you doing a future vídeo expanding on what makes good and bad manipulation

[@dorypeacock]

The long POV shot is the exact joke that opens Police Squad and the Naked Gun Movies

[@SergiMedina]

_Evil Dead 1/2_ and _The Return of the Living Dead_ are among the best horror comedies ever!

[@totallysane4835]

Looks like I need to watch the Evil Dead movies

[@oldDNU]

TotallySane start with II. The first one has its merits, but can be a slog at times. The second one is utter genius. The third one is more slapstick comedy, but still a lot of fun to watch.

[@mychaeljones7526]

if you like tree rape then dont start with 2.

[@QueenStewds]

As someone who just watched multiverse of madness. It might have replaced spider-man 2 as my favorite comic flick of all time, it's definitely my favorite one out of all of the MCU. It's so absolutely perfect that i couldn't imagine anyone else doing it better.

[@angelduran717]

Just imagine how dark Carnage would be and the Sinister Six done under Raimi.

[@allisondoak9425]

I mean you go back to theatre and you look at tragedies and you see a genre where the best writers knew they couldn't give the audience the intensity they wanted without borrowing from comedy, romance, action and pretty much anything else they could get their hands on. With horror you aren't going to escalate things effectively beyond what the greats have already accomplished without borrowing like this. Like you aren't going to be able to beat Hitchcock with straight horror, he achieved a perfect execution of the basic horror tropes. Even Kubrick borrows (of course he did as a master of several genres), I would argue that the shining clearly has comedic elements throughout used very differently to how Rami used them more to give and take away effect from the horror tone at moments that enhance the overall experience.

[@Kenyanon]

My two favourite genres and love it when it's done well together

[@jonnemesis11]

This is interesting timing, just yesterday I was listening to a Raimi interview on Nerdist Podcast where he explained that he thinks the set up for a joke can be just like the set up for a scare.

[@andik70]

This reminds me of Jacksons Bad Taste and Brain Dead.

[@24k-n6x]

Sam Raimi is a genius film maker. I have him right there in the top with Alejandro Jodorowski and a few others.

[@anjelicac2624]

I love that drag me to hell is considered a horror comedy because that film scared the life out of me, literally scarred me for weeks after

[@fartspersonified5970]

Gotta love that bit in IT Chapter 2 Spoiler where the leper pukes on him...

[@cartwheelmurphyify]

I like these video essays, they are great. I will say inconsistent tone works great depending on the writer, the director and the genre for sure and really how everyone works in unison. Look at Edgar Wright, he's all over the place but like Raimi it works.

[@joshstillcool]

Can you talk more about good/bad manipulation? I think Crash is great (that scene is one of my favorites) and haven't had anyone explain reasonably well to make me think otherwise. Defining good/bad manipulation sounds like a great way to do so.

[@oldDNU]

joshstillcool to me, bad manipulation is anything heavy handed. A great example of this is pretty much every Ron Howard movie (fingers crossed Solo isn’t bad!).

[@petersmith9633]

I never understood how anyone thought Evil Dead was a horror movie. Even when I was a young kid, I thought the whole thing was hilarious.

[@petitio_principii]

Same. Only more mind-boggling was seen "gremlins" referred as a horror movie. What's next? That Sesame street "Dracula" character makes the show a horror series?

[@IAteFire]

The first movie is played straight iirc. The second one is fucking bonkers.

[@bobbobson110]

The first Evil Dead movie caused a tightening of the media laws in Germany because of its excessive scenes of violence and gore. All copies were confiscated and the movie had to be recut. And after that it still couldn't be sold open on shelves and any advertisement for the movie was illegal.

[@saithfeed511]

the first movie was intended to be a horror movie, for its time it's obviously disturbing. evil dead 2 was a remake and the same time, a sequel or better known as "requel" by Bruce Campbell.

[@rahullulla352]

Agree the over the top gore is ridiculously and funny but it is definitely playing more as horror than comedy which they flipped in 2nd one.

[@BryceAllenAustralia]

Thinking about ways to create a comedy-horror mood when writing metal songs using this concept.

[@TheDavan619]

love your video essays man!

[@G-LukeJA]

Spiderman 2's Doc Oc scene made me so scared as a child

[@BulletPudding]

Keep up the awesome work!!

[@cartagena1994]

As someone who hates spoilers with a passion, really appreciated that warning. I was able to pause just in time and skip ahead (sunglasses emoji)

[@TheAntiSanta]

You shouldn't bother watching Crash, anyway. Not worth it anymore.

[@Spades20XX]

The Fantastic Paul why "anymore"?

[@socriabbas454]

The production was goofy but... I don't really see Evil Dead in the word comedy, even now that part where the dead gf came back to life and Ash watching her do a creepy ballerina dance while she's giggling in a creepy way as well, that scene still haunts my dream

[@TevinHypolite]

Rusty Cundief wrote and directed Fear of a Black Hat first. Then he co wrote and directed Tales from the Hood

[@Dylan_Platt]

I like and agree with the unstated observation here that Drag Me To Hell is the unofficial real sequel to Evil Dead 2.

[@nateds7326]

There are sub genres though Action: you got standard action,films like die hard,terminator 2,and speed. Adventure:pirates of the caribean,kong skull island,and of course indiana jones. And,although this can also fit into a drama catagory to,war. Dunkirk,braveheart,and hacksaw ridge.

[@jccummins8173]

I love evil dead

[@agirlnamedbrett.]

damn i love sam raimi.

[@hallalola2418]

Edgar Wright will probably become a cameo every video now...

[@falcon048]

I love Raimi's work. Albeit, I haven't seen Drag Me To Hell. I might check that one out.

[@BrokenTreeProd]

How did I stumble upon old Patrick (H) Willems content?

[@EvenFlow406]

Sponsorship! Good for you man.

[@briancabral5819]

I already want another video. . .

[@mileslugo6430]

Have you ever seen "stage fright" where it's a musical mixed with horror with camp coming out of all orifices

[@yudhst]

Doghouse is one of my favs

[@bigdawggrillcook6013]

The evil dead movies and especially the TV show made me go back and enjoy the Three Stooges. That's what its like to me. Scary Three Stooges.

[@TheBeird]

Another great video!

[@AConvenientMess]

What are you talking about? The first Evil Dead was hilarious (at least to me)

[@Andrewroo12]

Yeah I thought so too. Evil Dead is self aware and mocking of its own gross out horror and surrealist approach, while the reason everyone looks at Evil Dead 2 as the funny one is because it fully embraces humor in its storytelling. Both are hilarious though.

[@DangerousMuteLunatic]

I feel like there's a right and wrong way to break verisimilitude, but for the life of me I can't figure out how Raimi's able to do it so damn well.

[@zoidsfan12]

To me both of the evil dead movies are comedies. The first is a gradual descent into madness. The second is the madness fully engulfing Ashe and also a comedic retelling of the first movie. I watched both movies for the first time last night baked out of my mind and Bruce cambell is still one of my favorite actors for the physical comedy he can do. Honestly I had to stop myself from bursting out laughing watching the films. But I've always loved laughing at horror. Movies like Jason X and the original nightmare on elm Street are comedy horror at their finest. Though I'm not always sure whether I'm meant to laugh or supposed to be scared by Jason X.

[@jlupus8804]

Raimi will always have the best Spider-Man trilogy. Unless those Into The Spider-Verse keep expanding.

[@cinetag]

Thank you very much for your work, and for this brilliant analysis on one of my favorite directors. A French fan. :)

[@PieroMinayaRojas]

8:34 *HEY VSAUCE MICHAEL HERE*

[@maf7960]

I think "Get Out" is the perfect example of a Horror Comedy

[@M4R71NXIII]

Now i want to watch both Evil Dead !

[@eddyNYC]

Love your Aquaman shirt bro

[@mikeyhollenbach3483]

Where'd you get the footage of that Evil Dead II promo towards the end, with Sam Raimi in a movie theater?

[@quietdemon8138]

2:32 holy shit that's Fred from Angel

[@johnathanmonsen6567]

Have to be honest, when he said Spiderman 2 was the best superhero movie of the 21st century I had to check the date to make sure it came out before Infinity War.

[@enriccoc7794]

the fact that this video did not get bleeped just shows how arbitrary corporate censorship is

[@stevevondoom4140]

bruce campbell just released a new book , titled hail to the chin. LOL

[@markojuly]

it seems like a rule of filmmaking, is that you can break any rule as long as you do it well

[@zandyzain6241]

Now i know why i love Spiderman movie

[@jaysw9585]

Peter Jackson had every bit the talent, if not better than Raime. Dead Alive is a master class in comedy horror.

[@Gudule3000]

6:54 : Why the giant fork ?

[@carloswachuwa13]

Drag Me to Hell is absolutely terrifying

[@tobigrantlbart]

Every bit of Evil Dead 2 I saw was hilarious and in a good way, a freaking good way, I know what I say is disturbing to the characters, but, because I see it from an outsiders perspective and I can't but laugh. And this is the important thing to not break a scene and make it hilarious but frightning at the same time and characters reaction must stay consistent they're not allowed to laugh with us they have to be freaked out even if what they see is the funniest thing ever to an outsiders perspective.

[@SacredAmbulance]

Sam Raimi evil dead 2 is a masterpiece

[@Blinkehyo]

dammit I was going to make a video about how horror and comedy are basically one in the same with two different results ;-; I mean, I wasn't going to know much about what I was talking about, but still awesome video as always though ~