Good Black Comedies? (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Schick]

Swimming with Sharks
IMDB has a black comedy keyword if you want to check it out:
Link Removed

 

[Chuck Anstey]

Shock to the System
with Michael Caine. A man who knows how to climb the corporate ladder.
Chuck Anstey

 

[Jay E]

One of the best (and darkest) comedies ever made is Little Murders. It's from the 1970's and was written by Jules Feiffer and stars Elliot Gould, Donald Sutherland, Vincent Gardenia and Alan Arkin (who also directed). It's about random killings in New York and it's very surreal, very funny and very, very black. Sadly, it's little seen today, but I urge anyone who loves black comedies to check this out if they can, it's a real gem. If it ever appears on DVD, I will be ecstatic!

 

[JohnRice]

One of my favorites is Cruel Intentions. Really, this one cracks me up.
There is also Prizzi's Honor.
Bliss is another one, but is VERY hard to find.

 

[Gabe D]

Another great black comedy is Where's Poppa?

 

[Jeff Pryor]

Pulp Fiction.

 

[Ike]

I agree with After Hours, Happiness, and obviously Dr. Strangelove, though I don't consider that black comedy.

Might I also suggest Jesus' Son, which veers in between drama and dark comedy, and is fantastic. If nothing else, it's worth it for the hilarious turn by Jack Black.

 

[Dwayne]

There is some wonderfully dark humor in Donnie Darko, which was just released this week on DVD. Highly reccomend it.

 

[JohnRice]

There is some wonderfully dark humor in Donnie Darko, which was just released this week on DVD. Highly recommend it.

What a wild film. I absolutely loved it!

There is a shot of Donnie's mom after talking to the teacher who is spouting the Love-Fear stuff (referenced in Dwayne's signature) that had me laughing about as loud as I have in years. I can't tell you how this hit home for me.

 

[Chris Lynch]

Ike-- your current sig is my suggestion...
A Clockwork Orange.
I thought Suicide Kings was a decent little film...

 

[Chauncey_G]

Anything by Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, Storytelling).

I saw Happiness not all that long ago. To those that think Very Bad Things was pushing a line, you obviously haven't seen Happiness.
Happiness is an excellent film with superb casting, acting, direction and screenplay. I mean it, these were some of the most convincing portrayals I've ever seen in a movie. Despite all that, it is a film that I truly never want to see again. I actually mean that as a compliment in a way. It deals with it's subject matter(s) so well as to be disturbing at times - which means it was an amazingly effective film. I recommend it, but be warned it doesn't pull any punches.
BTW - The title of this film is the ultimate in irony. You'll see what I mean.

 

[Ches Campbell]

War of the Roses
American Beauty
The Ref
Maybe Three Kings??

 

[Phil Thron]

I second the suggestion for "Where's Poppa". I was going to suggest it myself, but was pleased to see it already listed. In the 70s it used to play a double bill with "Harold and Maude", another terrific movie that was mentioned.

George Segal's performance in "Where's Poppa" is one of his very best and Trish Van Devere has a long and intimate monologue that has one of the funniest punchlines I've ever heard in my life. Priceless stuff...

 

[Mark Leiter]

How about

Little Shoppe of Horrors

Shallow Grave and Trainspotting

 

[Dana Fillhart]

I'll third After Hours and really wish this title would come out on DVD. Griffin Dunne's deadpan comment, "I'll probably get blamed for that" had me in tears when I saw it, and remains one of my most memorable lines of all time. I saw the movie when I was a teenager, long before I became a resident of the NY metro area, and would love to revisit this classic dark/black comedy if the darned thing ever sees the light of digital day. Scorsese, where are you??
I'll also second The Ref -- great, twisted humor in this film. Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis are great as the spite-filled couple with one very twisted family, but Denis Leary steals the show as a cynical, inept thief.
Another movie that borders on the "comedy" but is certainly dark and twisted: Miracle Mile. A fine cast, and a great premise that followed through extremely well to the end.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Posted by Ricardo_C
Penn and Teller Get Killed. Yes, I'm serious. What are you all looking at?

I loved that movie.
How about War of the Roses and Fargo.

 

[Ted Lee]

i hate getting into a good thread late...
anyway, i'll second shallow grave and swimming with sharks -- two of my all time faves!
american beauty is way up there too...

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Coneheads My favorite comedy from the 90's. It exagerates holds up to farce of many human traits and behaviors.
Not often spoken of on HTF, but I think the level of success of Coneheads speaks to how subtle but effective the saturization of man's selfish nature is pulled off by the vehicle of black humor.
This one got in under the radar screen. Whenever I hear or see someone doing or saying something politically correct, I think of a character in Coneheads .

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Pretty much any Kubrick film....
Paths of Glory
Lolita
Dr. Strangelove
A Clockwork Orange
Full Metal Jacket
Eyes Wide Shut

 

[Scott Weinberg]

My three faves have already been mentioned:
Heathers
Very Bad Things
War of the Roses
Done right, a good "dark comedy" can be a fantastic treat.