Mindfire Entertainment

While some horror films unintentionally become comedies due to poor execution, this list honors the films which manage to walk the line between gasps and guffaws. Put these on at your next scary movie night and you’re sure to get the vote of approval.10. Arachnaphobia: When you’re making a horror film, it might be cheating to pick a subject that 50 of women and 10 of men suffer from. However, when it’s as well-produced as Arachnaphobia, you won’t get any complaints from us.9. Dead End: The debut film of French writer/directors Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa create one of the most horrifying scenarios ever: a family road trip that doesn’t end. Throw in an invincible car bent on destruction and you have a winner.8. Tremors: When a film spawns a franchise like 1990′s Tremors, it can sometimes be overshadowed by the quality (or lack thereof) of its sequels. Luckily, the original still holds up, mostly due to its actors, including a hilarious performance by Michael Gross as trigger-happy Burt Gummer.7. House: This innovative haunted house film is fondly remembered for its ridiculous effects and hammy performances from William Katt and George Wendt. The original also spawned three sequels (and no relation to the Fox medical drama).6. Killer Klowns From Outer Space: Another horror comedy banking off a popular phobia, Killer Klowns is the only release by the Chiodo Brothers, but its tale of evil aliens who attempt to take over a mall town has made it a cult favorite since its release. You can still buy costumes and action figures based off the film.5. Gremlins: Despite this excellent film and its still-good-but-not-great sequels, we still think the Furby-inspiring Gizmo would make a great pet. Just make sure you follow the directions, for goodness’ sake.4. Ghostbusters: What was it about the ’80s that produced so many classic horror-comedies? With the rumored 3^rd film still in development, now’s a great time to check out the original and its fantastic ensemble cast.3. Shaun of the Dead: The Brits really showed us Yanks how its done with this pitch-perfect zombie comedy, which introduced Simon Pegg to American audiences and launched a stream of imitators.2. An American Werewolf in London: Rick Baker won the first-ever Oscar for make-up with this film. Watch it and you’ll see why.1. Young Frankenstein: This film pretty much launched the modern horror spoof genre (well, besides Abbot & Costello in the ’30s), and Mel Brooks‘ masterpiece still holds up as our favorite horror comedy of all time. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, and Madeline Kahn act their hearts out, making us laugh, cry, and cringesometimes at the same time.