When it comes to horror, it's not just about the chills and thrills. Horror relies on other elements to help tell a story, so incorporating a bit of comedy helps a movie flow, even when you may feel it doesn't fit. Over the years, films such as Evil Dead II, The Cabin in the Woods and Waxwork relied on the small comedic moments to help progress or shift the stories unfolding in front of us, but they didn't take away from the true meaning of the film. It feels more like a short segue, possibly giving us a little laugh before the real terror begins or, you know, to lighten the mood. Also, did you know that laughing for 15 minutes can help burn 40-50 calories? So, look, there's a benefit to this after all.

Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd & Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | Website

With his time running out at Shudder, Joe Bob Briggs has no plans to slow down. Briggs announced that his new show, The Last Drive-In: Final Chapter - Joe Bob in Space, will begin in January 2027. While that title is not yet set in stone and no announcement as to where the show will be streamed, we know many folks are looking forward to seeing what he and Darcy the Mail Girl do next!

Kane Parsons is officially the youngest director to have a #1 movie at the box office! This past weekend, his film, Backrooms, dominated the box office with over $80M in ticket sales (and is looking to have another strong weekend as this issue goes out)!

While we all anxiously await the next Evil Dead film, Evil Dead Burn, which premieres on July 10th, we’re already excited for the next installment, Evil Dead Wrath, which is just getting off the ground (principal photography has wrapped)! No details about the film have been released except for casting, but we’re positive it’ll include a Necronomicon or two.

With the continued popularity of Obsession, Collider is reporting that Universal has pulled the film from its upcoming digital release calendar. That means if you're waiting for VOD, you're going to be waiting awhile! Go check it out in the theaters while it's there and support horror!

Candi Norwood | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | StoryGraph | Website

The first names that pop to mind (or to the first page of your Google search) in the world of reading horror comedy are guys like Jason Pargin (the John Dies at the End series) or Grady Hendrix (for things like Horrorstör and My Best Friend’s Exorcism), so, yeah, go read those, they’re funny, but I want to recommend a few that you won’t see on every horror comedy list:

Dollface by Lindy Ryan- Horror author Jill Marshall finds herself in a situation too horrific even for one of her own novels: living next door to the PTA president. A slasher horror comedy for adults. Also check out Ryan’s Bless Your Heart series: Generations of women run a funeral home in a small town – which occasionally requires making sure the bodies stay dead.

iZombie by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred- A comic series (but the run has ended so you’re not signing up for the world) about a young gravedigger turned detective when she becomes a revenant and gains the memories of the person whose brain she eats. Her Scooby gang includes a ghost from the ‘60’s and a were-terrier. The tv show is fun, too, but different enough to enjoy both.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher- I’m going to keep recommending T. Kingfisher until every one of you tells me you’ve read something by her. She tends to have snarky narrators, and this one has a lot of quirky humor as Kara, much like Alice and the Pevensie children, finds a portal to another dimension – in Kara’s case many other dimensions – through a wall in her uncle’s museum. Wackiness – and horror – ensues.

What off-the-radar horror comedies should I read next?

Looking for this month's gastro horror offerings newly available on streaming? Check out Sarah's guide!

OUR FAVORITE HORROR COMEDIES

Horror isn’t just about the scares. This week, the Horrorverse team came together to share our favorite horror comedies that we think you’ll get a lot of laughs out of (the films, not our list). Check out the list on Letterboxd.

GORE-MET PAIRINGS

Movie: Scary Movie (2026)

Synopsis: Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.

Why I Chose This Film: I chose this film because this week we're talking about all things horror comedy and Scary Movie (2026) is a horror comedy that's releasing today!

Pairing Idea: There are so many pairing ideas for this movie that we put together a guide on Geeks Who Eat! We included some of our recipes as well as some general munchie ideas!

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