Halloween B-sides

As I was working on my list of my personal favorite Halloween movies, I found myself having to leave out several movies in order to keep it to 5. I also wanted to keep my list to those that have a great October creepy feel (with the exception of Nightmare Before Christmas). So, that means that I was left with several great Halloween comedies that didn't make my list (but are definitely worth watching). Consider these the lighter alternative to my previous list: the B-Side. A way to laugh away any lingering creeps you may have left over from Halloween. Click on through to view the list (note: there are parallels to some of the titles on the previous list):

5 - Dead Alive - "She's history! I know what to do, I've read the comics! Total... bodily... dismemberment! "

Despite its ridiculous amounts of fake blood, gore and other strange fluids, Dead Alive isn't really a horror movie. It may have a creepy sumatran rat monkey and various strange zombies, but overall its more of a slapstick horror movie. At one point the main character even has a lawn mower secured around his neck. There are also zombified versions of things I didn't realize that you could zombify.

(97 minutes - NR - 1992) (Netflix)

4 - Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein^ - "I've had this brain for thirty years. It hasn't done me any good!"

A perfect companion to the Universal Studios monster movies, Abbott & Costello encounter the big three: Dracula (Bela Lugosi), Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.) There's even a brief cameo by the Invisible Man. Abbott and Costello are a great comedy team. Seeing them mixing with the monsters leads to even more laughs. A family-friendly (well, unless they are spooked by the creatures) movie that is a perfect Halloween or post-Halloween treat. If you like Abbott & Costello, the Universal Studios monsters or both, you'll definitely enjoy this movie.

(83 minutes - NR - 1948) (Netflix)

3 - Young Frankenstein - "Wait. Where are you going? I was going to make Espresso!"

This movie is Mel Brooks at his finest. Shot in black in white, it has the feel of the original Frankenstein and the absurdity of a typical Brooks spoof. Includes a great cast as well(including a hilarious cameo by Gene Hackman). Another great movie to watch after the Universal Studios movies.
(106 minutes - Rated PG - 1974) (Netflix)

2 - Ghostbusters - "Why worry? Each one of us is carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back."

This movie is one of the funniest out there. What do you get when a bunch of "scientists" get kicked out of their college digs and decide to open up their own paranormal investigation and extermination service? Hilarity. Ghostbusters works because it's not a spoof or slapstick comedy, but it's full of hilarious dialog. Plenty of creepy-ish ghosts and ghouls to wrap up the Halloween season as well.

(105 minutes - Rated PG - 1984) (Netflix)

1 - Shaun of the Dead - "Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil - "Sorry." - grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Shaun of the Dead is one of my favorite movies. It was my first introduction to Simon Pegg and I am eternally grateful to that fact. Shaun is both a comedy and a zombie movie (it's tagline calls it a "romantic comedy with zombies"). It's hilarious in its own right and stands up as a great zombie movie as well (with proper homage to Romero's Dead series). Pegg really shows that he is one of the funniest actors (and writers, since he co-wrote this with director Edgar Wright) currently making movies.
(99 minutes -  Rated R for zombie violence/gore and language - 2004) (Netflix)

Honorable Mention: Fido, Ghostbusters II, Sweeney Todd, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Ed Wood, Plan 9 From Outer Space