We scored a ticket to a preview screening of Rubber this week. For those who’ve not heard of it, it’s the debut feature film for Quentin Dupieux, better known as Mr. Oizo (and responsible for “Flat Beat,” which anyone of a certain age will remember as “that song with the puppet in the video”). Rubber is very silly and very postmodern –- it’s a horror film about a killer tire (yes, you read that right) and a bunch of people watching said killer tire do its killing. The film doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as comprehensively demolish it and encourage its characters to wander back and forth through the wreckage. As one of the characters says in the intro, the film is an “homage to the great cinematic ideal of ‘no reason,’” and as such it’s the latest in a long line of truly, entertainingly ridiculous horror films. Here’s a selection of some of the funniest (whether intentionally so or otherwise).
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
Long “acclaimed” as the worst film ever made, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was apparently intended as a satire on B-movies, but kind of ended up as a satire on itself, and perhaps of anyone who shelled out their hard-earned cash to watch it. Whether you decide it’s so bad that it’s good, or it’s so bad that it’s just bad, is entirely up to you. But either way, along with Plan 9 from Outer Space (of which more shortly), it’s the standard by which pretty much all ridiculous horror films are judged.
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
The movie that defined the phrase “so bad it’s good.” The tagline really says it all: “Unspeakable horrors from outer space paralyze the living and resurrect the dead!” Why? Who knows! Pretty much nothing about this film makes sense, which is a large part (or, in fact, basically all) of its appeal. There’s a clear nod to the film’s opening narration in Rubber, by the way.
Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
No, not the leprechaun in Mobile. This is the film in which Warwick Davis’ homicidal leprechaun is set loose in Compton, giving rise to much consternation and an excuse to trot out every hip hop cliché ever. Among other things, this film features the titular leprechaun rapping in a comedy Irish accent, smoking blunts and, of course, killing lots of people. And, inexplicably, it features Ice-T, who must have smoked an entire plantation before deciding it was a good idea to accept this role.
Thankskilling (2009)
“I have to get baked and watch the shit out of this movie,” says YouTube commenter badarse57. Such is the appeal of Thankskilling, a movie that features a homicidal turkey determined to kill any hapless college students that stand in its path. And get laid. Honestly. There’s something more than a little self-referentially hilarious about a turkey featuring a turkey, too.
Troll 2 (1990)
A disaster of legendary proportions, the alleged sequel to 1986 film Troll in fact has nothing to do with that film (nor, indeed, does it feature any trolls). Instead, it’s a film about murderous goblins who also happened to be, er, vegetarians; a film cast largely with a bunch of extras from rural Utah instead of professional actors; a film where the director didn’t speak English and yet wrote the script -– in English. What could possibly go wrong?
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Amazon reckons that the makers of the eternally hilarious Killer Klowns from Outer Space managed to convince the studio to stump up the cash to fund the film on the basis of a one-page treatment and a picture of a clown toting a pistol. Quite what this says about the state of the movie industry in 1988 is open to question, but it’s a shame no one makes films like this any more. Even the actors look like they can’t take it seriously, and probably found the whole thing as hilarious to make as you will to watch.
Rabid Grannies (1988)
The fairly graphic scenes of gore in this would be kind of disturbing, except for the fact that the killers are two, yes, rabid grannies. The poor old dears are transformed into zombies by a birthday present sent to them by their Satan-worshipping nephew. Those darn Satan-worshipping nephews, eh?
Dead Alive (1992)
He’s now of course forever going to be remembered for The Lord of the Rings, but Peter Jackson started his career as a horror director, and this hugely camp low-budget affair featuring kung-fu priests and zombies is his best-known horror effort. It’s overloaded with outlandish amounts of gore and cheesy humor –- and if nothing else, it also teaches everyone a valuable lesson: never, ever piss on Grandma’s grave.
I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (2008)
Cricket is something of a mystery to many in the US, but suffice it to say that the idea of a cricket-themed horror film is just as bewildering to aficionados of the game as it is to those who don’t know their mid-on from their short fine leg. Amongst other things, this features a cameo from a former Miss Nude Australia, and hapless cricketers getting killed left, right and centre.
The Killer Condom (1996)
Shit, do we really need to add anything to the title here? Okay, how about the subtitle: “The Rubber That Rubs You Out.”