7 Best So-Bad-It's-Good Horror Comedies of the '90s, Ranked
A New York native, Joe graduated from an avant-garde theater school upstate, where he was obsessed with sketch comedy. There, he and his lunatic friends founded The Sketchies — which still lives on at Skidmore College today. Living in New York City, a screenwriter friend of his then taught him how to write for film. This awakened a new passion in Joe. Since then his scripts have garnered over 200 festival selections, nominations, and wins all over the globe (including the BlueCat Best Feature award). Several of his screenplays have been made into feature films — some of them not that bad! Overall, he loves to create unique, hilarious, touching, and bizarre stories.
Sign in to your Collider account
Comedies that are intentionally funny are great. But sometimes, sometimes, “comedies” that are unintentionally funny are even more enjoyable. Hence, cheesy B-movie schlock horror-comedies have a fairly large fanbase. Luckily for these trash-cinema enthusiasts, the 90s produced a corny cornucopia of non-scary, non-intentionally humorous masterpieces of the mediocre.
Now, that being said, a fair number of the flicks on this list are more self-aware than they may outwardly seem (they are classified as “horror-comedy” films, after all). On the other hand, a few of these movies thought their allegedly frightening moments were shockingly scary, and their off-mark jokes were genuine knee-slappers. No matter how you stack ‘em, these goofy 90s humor-creepers exist purely for the entertainment of the “so bad, it’s good” crowd.
7 'Critters 4' (1992)
Director-co-writer Rupert Harvey’s (17% Popcornmeter on RT) Critters 4 is a pristine example of a franchise that has overstayed its welcome. While Critters 3 may have already earned this distinction, it is Leonardo DiCaprio’s first feature, so it’s got that going for it at least.
What made Critters, and its sequel, Critters 2, fun, was it’s delicate balance of truly horrifying little aliens and cleverly orchestrated comedic moments featuring the naughty buggers. By the time Critters 4 (assembled and) rolled around, the scary elements had evaporated, and the snarky comedy inherent to the original had all but run dry. Also, it’s super cheap-looking, with “space” footage recycled from other films clearly made in the 80s. At least you get to see Angela Bassett (playing Fran) in one of her earliest roles, and the always creepily committed Brad Dourif (as Al Bert).
6 'The Invisible Maniac' (1990)
Writer-director Adam Rifkin’s The Invisible Maniac is the best rip-off of The Invisible Man ever conceived…aside from all the other ones, of course. This is one of the trashier movies to come out of the 90s, and that’s saying a lot.
The story is about a mental patient, who also happens to be a genius scientist, Kevin Dornwinkle (Noel Peters). He escapes from a facility for the criminally insane (he murdered fellow scientists who made fun of him)…and then elects to teach psychics at a high school. Um, ok. Oh, also, he’s mastered the art of turning invisible, so you can just imagine what he does with this power in terms of lechery and perversity. Aside from its groan-inducing, exploitative aspects, this movie has some hilarious special effects — namely things moving around with the use of a fishing twine. It also features adult film star Shannon Wilsey (known in the industry as “Savannah”), in one of her only non-porn acting roles. So, it does inspire hope for individuals looking to make that cross-over…
5 'Ice Cream Man' (1995)
As much as Ron Howard is a respected director, his brother Clint Howard is just as venerated in the low-budget horror sphere. Clint, with his interesting look and trademark sneers, has appeared in a ton of B-movies; many that have achieved cult status (such as The Wraith and later Rob Zombie’s Halloween reboot). Yet, he’s probably best-known for the melty mess that is Ice Cream Man — not to be confused with the, well, confusing Eli Roth horror of the same name that came out this year.
The story fits into the standard homicidal maniac format: a traumatized kid grows up to inflict even greater trauma on others. Gregory Tudor (Howard) saw an ice cream man brutally killed when he was a tyke, so, logic follows, he would grow up to be an ice cream man himself with homicidal tendencies. He begins snatching kids, dicing them up, and mixing their cute little innards into his creamy treats — and then serving those desserts to other clueless kids. So, just like in Stephen King's It, some children figure this out, but their parents won’t listen to their crazy-sounding accusations. Ergo, the little ones decide to team up and give the evil ice cream dispenser a taste of his own murderous medicine. Sounds fun, right? Not really. This movie can’t decide if it wants to be a dark comedy, a kids’ adventure movie, or a serial killer horror. Perhaps the convoluted tone falls on the director, Paul Norman, who is best known for his porno movies (like the classic Bi & Beyond: The Ultimate Sexual Union). This movie tastes like curdled cream, but it’s still fun to watch Howard at his unhinged best.
4 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation' (1994)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, originally titled The Return of the Chainsaw Massacre (was the name change an improvement?), is such an odd, odd movie — if merely for the fact that it boasts Hollywood heavyweight Matthew McConaughey and screen icon Renée Zellweger…and had such a poor reception and abysmal ratings. Granted, this film came relatively early in both their careers, but still…seeing their names attached to such a blatantly lame and vulgar film is quite bizarre.
Directed by Kim Henkel, the plot of the fourth installment in the Chainsaw franchise is centered on a group of four teens on their prom night. Borrowing heavily from the first film, the naive revelers wreck their car, go on a detour, and then get irrevocably lost…which leads them directly to the infamous Sawyer Family farm. The teens are led by the plucky Jenny (Zellweger), who quickly learns that this is no ordinary clan — especially when the sadistic dude Vilmer (McConaughey) pops up. Where the plot deviates, and then goes careening off the rails, is when it is revealed that the deranged family members are merely puppets for some weird, powerful businessmen. Huh? Also, in this one Leatherface (here, Robert Jacks) goes full Ed Gein, as he wears a dress and dons some fetching makeup (over this human skin mask, of course). Largely considered the franchise’s weakest link (even when stacked against Texas Chainsaw 3D), this campy mess is entertaining for all the worst reasons. It was originally shelved for years, but once McConaughey and Zellweger exploded into fame, the producers figured this Gouda-grade attempt at horror-comedy would do decently. They figured wrong.
3 'Leprechaun 4: In Space' (1996)
You have to give whoever was in charge of the Leprechaun franchise at the time credit for getting creative with it. After three earth-bound films, that only escalated in ingenuity and schlock — Leprechaun introduced the cult fav character, as well as Jennifer Aniston in her feature film debut, Leprechaun 2 saw the wee grubby guy looking for a bride, and Leprechaun 3 took the gold-hungry squirt to Sin City — a fourth film would have to really shoot for the stars. So, where else could the lethal Lilliputian go…except to the cosmos?
So, here we go. It’s the year 2096. The randy Leprechaun (Warwick Davis, back at it) is still trying to find the perfect woman (his Hinge profile must not have been showcasing his strengths). Ergo, he takes his search to the far corners of the galaxy. He locates a princess, Zarina (Rebecca Carlton), on a distant planet. Yet, as always, people are trying to shamrock-block him. In this case, it’s some space marines, who, upon discovering the Leprechaun, try to blow him up. Yet the relentless spirit of the lucky lil’ creature leaps into one of the marines’ bodies and goes berserk. Eventually, the Leprechaun is jettisoned into space, seemingly putting an end to the franchise…you wish. This only sets up the subsequent (and perhaps best) Leprechaun film, Leprechaun in the Hood. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith’s madcap space movie is horrible on every level, but that’s exactly what you came here for in the first place. Leprechaun 4: In Space delivers on all ridiculous fronts, with laughable special effects and intentionally corny performances. With this one, audiences struck real gaudy gold.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes What Is Your Biggest Horror Nightmare? Elm Street · Chucky · Scream · The Conjuring
Four horror franchises. Four completely different ways of scaring you. One waits until you fall asleep. One makes sure nobody believes you. One is already in your group of friends. And one is in the house with your family. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually watch horror, and find out which nightmare was built for you.
😴Elm Street(Freddy Krueger)
🧸Chucky(Child's Play)
📞Scream(Ghostface)
🕯️The Conjuring(The Warren Files)
01
Which horror scene makes you cover your eyes? Four classic images. One of them is worse than the others for you.
02
You are home alone and you hear a noise. First thought? Everybody has one. It arrives before you have decided anything.
03
Which horror movie rule would you break first? Everybody thinks they would survive. Almost nobody actually does.
04
Something genuinely frightening happens. What do you do? Not in a film. In your actual living room, tonight.
05
How do you actually watch a horror film? Be honest about this one. Nobody is checking.
06
Somebody offers you serious money. Which do you still refuse? The amount does not matter. There is one on this list you are not doing.
07
Which feeling stays with you a week after the film? Good horror does not stop when the credits do.
08
Something wakes you at 3am. What is the worst possibility? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your nightmare.
The Lights Just Went Out Your Nightmare Is…
Four franchises, four completely different ways of getting underneath your skin. This is the one built out of your particular fear, why it works so well on you, and what it would leave behind.
Elm Street
Your nightmare does not wait outside the door. It waits for you to close your eyes, which you are going to have to do eventually, because nobody has ever won that particular argument.
- Freddy is horror's cruellest idea: a threat that lives in the one place you cannot guard, cannot lock, and cannot avoid forever.
- You are the one who is fine during the film and wide awake at two in the morning. Your own head is where this does its damage.
- These films understood exhaustion as a horror engine. The kids on Elm Street do not lose because they are weak. They lose because they are tired.
- You can lock every door in the house. You still have to sleep.
Chucky
Your nightmare is not really the doll. It is the face of the person you tell, and the way they decide, very kindly, that you have imagined all of it.
- Chucky works precisely because he is absurd. That is the trap: the more accurately you describe him, the less anybody is going to believe you.
- You are the one shouting at the screen because the characters are not listening. You know that feeling from real life too.
- The franchise is at its best when the adults in the room are the real obstacle, and you have met those adults.
- By the time somebody finally believes you, you will have handled most of it on your own.
Scream
Your nightmare has your number, knows your name, and has almost certainly been inside your house before. The worst part is that you already know them.
- Scream is the only one of these where the killer takes the mask off and turns out to be somebody who was at the party.
- You are the person who calls the twist out loud before it lands. You watch people the same way you watch films.
- The franchise made the rules of horror part of the plot, which means the survivors are the ones paying attention. You would be paying attention.
- Everybody is a suspect, including the person who just offered to walk you home.
The Conjuring
Your nightmare is not really about you. It is about the people asleep down the hall, and the feeling that whatever is here is not interested in leaving.
- The Conjuring films are domestic horror. The house, the family, the perfectly ordinary room that quietly stops feeling ordinary.
- Your instinct is to get everybody into one room. Your fear is protective rather than personal, which is rarer than it sounds.
- This is the one franchise where belief is the weapon. The people who come through it are the ones who are not alone and refuse to be.
- Whatever is here did not come for you. It came for the household, and you are the one standing in the hallway.
2 'Evil Toons' (1992)
What in the holy hell is this movie — aside from a thinly veiled excuse for soft-core porn? Despite the title, there is very little actual animation in this film (which is weird on its own, right?). This flick is so odd in so many ways, the least of which is the fact that David Carradine is in it for about three minutes. With sleazy, forced attempts at humor, and even more bizarre tries at horror, writer-director Fred Olen Ray’s Evil Toons is one of the wonderfully worst movies to come out of the decade.
Fred Olen Ray (whose exploitative B-movie hits include Super Shark and Sexual Witchcraft) directed this low-budget disaster with all the attention to detail of a burnt-out senior using A.I. to write a thesis. The story is centered on a quartet of female college students (played by mostly adult film actresses), Roxanne (Madison Stone), Terry (Suzanne Ager), Megan (Monique Gabrielle), and Jan (Barbara Dare), who take a job cleaning a large, haunted-looking house. While there, they stumble upon a human-skin-bound tome, and, being the bright students they are, read a spell from it, aloud. This unleashes a demonic force that takes shape in the form of a vulpine cartoon…for a minute and a half. It then leaps into the body of Roxanne, who, naturally, tries to kill all of her friends. It seems that changes needed to be made to the script on the fly, when the filmmakers realized that they didn’t have enough money for more animation (hence the switch-a-roo of the wolf demon into Roxanne's corporeal form). While this movie is neither scary nor intentionally funny, it’s arguably the best-worst horror-comedy of the 90s. Worth a watch simply for the wildly unnecessary Carradine cameo and the scant, goofy cartoon.
1 'Troll 2' (1990)
Is there a better example of a “so bad it’s good” film, in any genre, than Troll 2? Completely unrelated to the whimsical first film, Troll, this “sequel” doesn’t even have any trolls in it — or logic, if you want to get technical.
Director and co-writer Claudio Fragasso’s infamous fable focuses on a family, the Waits, who venture to a small town for a bucolic little getaway. Then, naturally, they encounter a bunch of (poorly-constructed puppet) goblins that want to eat them. The only problem? Goblins are vegetarian (obviously — everyone knows that), so they have to turn the family members into vegetation of some sort before they can consume them. The physical, cinematic embodiment of an eye roll, this ridiculous movie is definitely one of the most beloved in terms of watching it with friends and mocking it relentlessly. There may be no trolls, but there’s plenty of LOLs.
Troll 2
- Release Date
- October 12, 1990
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- Claudio Fragasso
- Writers
- Claudio Fragasso, Rossella Drudi
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.