Best Horror Comedies of 1987
- HaHa Jokester
- May 28
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 20
1987 was when horror comedy fully embraced its inner child—just one with fangs, claws, and a demented sense of humor. This was the year the genre got gleefully nostalgic, bringing back vampires, monsters, and madmen with a wink and a wicked grin. Whether skewering horror tropes, paying homage to creature features, or fusing adolescent charm with supernatural mayhem, 1987 was funny, freaky, and endlessly rewatchable.
The genre didn’t just evolve—it celebrated itself. And in the process, 1987 became one of the most beloved years in horror-comedy history.
The Horror Comedy Landscape in 1987
Monster Kids Take Over
From misfit squads to babysitting teens, 1987 horror comedies leaned into youth-driven stories where kids faced real monsters—and sometimes became them.
Throwbacks with Attitude
Classic creatures like Dracula, werewolves, and swamp things made a comeback—but with rock soundtracks, neon lighting, and modern punchlines.
Balancing Heart and Horror
This year’s best horror comedies found emotional cores beneath the mayhem—whether through family bonds, coming-of-age arcs, or love stories with a body count.
Top 10 Horror Comedies of 1987
The Monster Squad
Runtime: 1hr 22min
A group of monster-loving kids faces off against Dracula, the Mummy, and more in this Goonies-meets-Universal Monsters mashup. Witty, fast-paced, and packed with creature-feature love.
The Monster Squad (1987) is a cult classic horror-comedy that follows a group of misfit kids who idolize classic movie monsters—only to find themselves battling the real thing when Dracula, the Wolfman, the Gill-man, the Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster descend on their town. Directed by Fred Dekker and co-written with Shane Black, the film blends 80s kid-adventure charm with tongue-in-cheek horror, paying loving homage to Universal’s golden-age monsters. With witty dialogue, clever monster redesigns, and genuine heart, The Monster Squad captures the thrill of childhood imagination colliding with real supernatural danger—and remains a beloved entry in the horror-comedy genre.
Evil Dead II
Runtime: 1hr 25min
Sam Raimi’s cult masterpiece turned gore into slapstick, with Bruce Campbell’s legendary physical comedy turning demonic horror into twisted farce. A genre-defining classic.
Evil Dead II (1987), directed by Sam Raimi, is a manic, genre-blending masterpiece that redefined horror comedy. A sequel and partial remake of The Evil Dead (1981), the film follows Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he returns to a remote cabin in the woods, where an ancient evil is unleashed through the Necronomicon. What follows is a delirious blend of slapstick, gore, and surreal terror, as Ash battles demonic forces, loses his sanity, and gains his iconic chainsaw hand. With Raimi’s kinetic direction, inventive practical effects, and Campbell’s unforgettable physical performance, Evil Dead II set a new standard for horror-comedy and cemented Ash as a cult hero.
Blood Diner
Runtime: 1hr 28min
A grotesque, hilarious, and gleefully offensive film about two brothers resurrecting a goddess with body parts and cannibal cooking. Pure midnight-movie madness.
Blood Diner (1987) is a gleefully deranged horror-comedy that blends extreme gore, absurd humor, and satirical jabs at 80s culture. Directed by Jackie Kong, the film follows two brothers who run a health food diner—while secretly collecting body parts to resurrect an ancient goddess named Sheetar. Fueled by brainwashing, cannibalism, and occult rituals, the story spirals into a neon-drenched fever dream filled with over-the-top kills, outrageous characters, and grindhouse energy. With its wild tone and unhinged pacing, Blood Diner is a cult favorite that pushes horror-comedy into the realm of gonzo splatter, embracing bad taste with blood-soaked glee.
House II: The Second Story
Runtime: 1hr 28min
A genre blender of haunted house, Western, adventure, and buddy comedy—with a zombie cowboy and a baby pterodactyl. More silly than scary, and proud of it.
House II: The Second Story (1987) is a bizarre and whimsical horror-comedy sequel that swaps the original’s haunted house scares for a wild, dimension-hopping adventure. Directed by Ethan Wiley, the film follows young Jesse McLaughlin, who inherits his family’s ancestral mansion and discovers a hidden crystal skull with mysterious powers. With the help of his quirky best friend, Jesse accidentally resurrects his 170-year-old cowboy great-great-grandfather—“Gramps”—and soon finds the house filled with time portals, Aztec mummies, prehistoric creatures, and other surreal threats. Blending slapstick comedy, light horror, and fantasy, House II is a genre-mashing oddity that leans into charm and weirdness rather than scares, earning a cult following for its imaginative, anything-goes spirit.
Return to Horror High
Runtime: 1hr 35min
A meta-slasher farce set on a film set, poking fun at horror clichés with bizarre twists and early George Clooney. Confusing? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutely.
Return to Horror High (1987) is a meta-horror comedy that blends slasher tropes with satirical twists and narrative trickery. Directed by Bill Froehlich, the film centers on a low-budget movie crew shooting a horror film at a high school where a real series of murders took place years earlier. As the production unfolds, cast and crew begin disappearing in gruesome ways—blurring the line between fiction and reality. Featuring an early role from George Clooney, the film gleefully mocks genre clichés while delivering plenty of blood, absurd twists, and unreliable storytelling. Return to Horror High stands out for its self-aware humor, playful structure, and chaotic mix of horror and parody.
My Demon Lover
Runtime: 1hr 30min
A cursed street musician transforms into various monsters when aroused. It’s goofy, horny, and peak ’80s weird.
My Demon Lover (1987) is a quirky horror-romantic comedy that mixes supernatural antics with offbeat charm. Directed by Charlie Loventhal, the film follows Denny (Michele Little), a kind-hearted but unlucky woman in love, who meets Kaz (Scott Valentine), a street musician cursed with a bizarre affliction: every time he gets aroused, he transforms into a grotesque demon. As their romance blossoms, Kaz must confront the darker sides of his curse, which may be linked to a string of mysterious killings. With a mix of 80s urban grit, slapstick comedy, and creature-feature effects, My Demon Lover offers a lighthearted spin on monstrous transformation—delivering laughs, romance, and a dose of demonic weirdness.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare
Runtime: 1hr 29min
A heavy metal band battles demons in a farmhouse. Low-budget, bizarre, and unforgettable thanks to Jon Mikl Thor and one of horror’s strangest endings.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare (1987) is a low-budget cult oddity that mashes heavy metal, horror, and surreal fantasy into a gloriously bizarre spectacle. Written by and starring Canadian rocker Jon Mikl Thor, the film follows his band, Triton, as they retreat to a remote farmhouse to record new music—only to be attacked by demonic forces. What begins as a typical rock-meets-horror setup descends into outrageous puppet monsters, melodramatic performances, and a final twist so ludicrous it’s legendary. With its earnestness, amateur charm, and over-the-top finale featuring Thor battling Satan himself, Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare is a prime example of so-bad-it’s-good cinema that’s beloved for its camp, passion, and unapologetic weirdness.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
Runtime: 1hr 37min
A supernatural slasher with Carrie vibes and a wicked sense of humor. Wild kills, campy one-liners, and a prom queen from hell.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) is a stylish, supernatural horror-comedy that reinvents the slasher formula with a mix of camp, possession, and teen melodrama. Directed by Bruce Pittman, the film follows high school student Vicki Carpenter, who becomes possessed by the vengeful spirit of Mary Lou Maloney—a fiery, rebellious prom queen who died in 1957 during a prank gone wrong. As Mary Lou returns to reclaim her crown, bizarre deaths and poltergeist chaos engulf the school. With surreal dream sequences, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a strong visual flair, Prom Night II ditches the original’s straightforward slasher tone in favor of a Carrie-meets-Nightmare on Elm Street vibe, making it a cult favorite and a standout in 80s horror-comedy.
Ghoulies II
Runtime: 1hr 29min
The toilet monsters return—this time wreaking havoc at a carnival. Goofier, slimier, and more fun than the first.
Ghoulies II (1987) amps up the campy chaos of its predecessor with a funhouse setting and a bigger dose of practical creature effects. Directed by Albert Band, the film follows a traveling carnival crew who unknowingly unleash a horde of mischievous, toilet-dwelling demons—the Ghoulies—at their failing horror-themed attraction, “Satan’s Den.” As the pint-sized monsters wreak havoc on unsuspecting guests, the line between staged scares and real terror begins to blur. With gooey gore, over-the-top gags, and a knowingly silly tone, Ghoulies II embraces its B-movie roots and delivers gleefully grotesque fun. It’s a schlocky, energetic entry in the “tiny creature terror” subgenre that became a video rental favorite for horror-comedy fans.
Dolls
Runtime: 1hr 18min
A dark fairy tale from Stuart Gordon where murderous dolls punish the wicked. Not quite a comedy, but its twisted whimsy lands it here.
Dolls (1987), directed by Stuart Gordon, is a dark fairy tale wrapped in horror-comedy, where childhood innocence clashes with sinister supernatural forces. The film follows a group of strangers who seek shelter in a remote mansion during a storm, only to discover that the elderly toymakers who live there have a collection of enchanted dolls—dolls that punish the wicked. As night falls, the guests begin to meet grisly fates at the hands of these pint-sized protectors of moral justice. Blending atmospheric gothic horror with whimsical, creepy charm, Dolls stands out for its imaginative stop-motion effects, offbeat humor, and underlying message: in a cruel world, those who retain a childlike sense of goodness just might survive.
Underrated Picks Worth Your Time
Psychos in Love
Runtime: 1hr 28min
A low-budget romantic horror comedy about a couple who bond over their hatred of grapes—and their love of murder.
Psychos in Love (1987) is a gleefully twisted, ultra-low-budget horror-comedy that satirizes both romance and slasher tropes with absurdist flair. Directed by Gorman Bechard, the film centers on Joe, a misanthropic bartender, and Kate, a manicurist—both serial killers who bond over their shared hatred of grapes and casual approach to murder. As their relationship blossoms, the couple navigates domestic life and body disposal with deadpan humor and buckets of blood. Shot with a DIY aesthetic and filled with fourth-wall-breaking jokes, Psychos in Love revels in its bad taste, self-awareness, and cult sensibilities, offering a strange, hilarious, and bloody take on love in the most dysfunctional form.
The Video Dead
Runtime: 1hr 30min
Zombie TV horror with a surreal, dreamlike tone and accidental laughs aplenty.
The Video Dead (1987) is a surreal, low-budget horror-comedy that blends zombie mayhem with a uniquely offbeat premise. Directed by Robert Scott, the film centers on a cursed television set that mysteriously delivers a stream of undead horrors into the real world. When the TV ends up in a suburban home, a brother and sister duo find themselves battling a gang of ghoulish zombies that have crawled out of the screen—mindless, decaying, and oddly obsessed with mirrors and illusions. With eerie atmosphere, cheesy charm, and practical gore effects, The Video Dead captures the VHS-era spirit, offering a quirky, dreamlike spin on zombie horror that’s become a cult favorite for fans of 80s oddities.
Blood Harvest
Runtime: 1hr 30min
Tiny Tim plays a deranged clown in this unnerving oddity. Offbeat, unsettling, and cult-baiting.
Blood Harvest (1987) is a grim, low-budget slasher best known for its bizarre casting of Tiny Tim—the ukulele-playing novelty singer—in a rare film role as “Marvelous Mervo,” a mentally unstable clown. Directed by Bill Rebane, the film follows Jill, a young woman returning to her rural hometown, only to find her parents missing and the town turned against her family. As people around her begin to die in gruesome ways, the lines between sanity and madness blur. With its unsettling tone, regional filmmaking quirks, and a hauntingly offbeat performance by Tiny Tim, Blood Harvest stands as a strange and eerie entry in the 80s horror canon—equal parts disturbing and unintentionally surreal.
Horror Highlights & Trivia
Bruce Campbell Becomes a Legend: Evil Dead II gave horror its first slapstick action hero—paving the way for Ash vs. everything.
The Monster Squad’s Wolfman Has Nards: That single line helped immortalize the film as a generational favorite.
Genre Crossovers Explode: House II proved that horror comedy could mix in fantasy, Western, and sitcom tropes—and still work.
Where to Watch These Today
Streaming:
The Monster Squad – Amazon Prime, Pluto TV
Evil Dead II – Roku, Plex
House II – Tubi, Philo
Blood Diner – Tubi
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II – Tubi, Plex
Physical Media:Scream Factory and Lionsgate Vestron Collection have excellent releases of Evil Dead II, Blood Diner, Prom Night II, and more—often with restorations and commentary.
Closing Thoughts
1987 was horror comedy at its most playful and most iconic. From gory slapstick to campy callbacks, this was the year the genre truly found its personality. It honored the past, mocked the present, and shaped the tone of horror comedies to come.
If you like your scares with laughs and your monsters with catchphrases, 1987 is essential viewing. It’s where childhood wonder, video store chaos, and punk rock attitude collided—and it’s never stopped being fun since.
