One of the greatest Saturday Night Live stars, an undeniably iconic comic actor, and one of Wes Anderson’s most prolific collaborators, Bill Murray is in a league of his own in pretty much every category. With those signature expressions, the wise-cracking sarcasm, and a certain way with words, Murray has long provided audiences with one hilarious line after another.

Murray’s various characters from over the years have also hit people with vicious comebacks so harsh, so biting, so hot, you better call the fire department to put out the flames. Here are 32 times one of his characters came at someone with a vicious comeback.

“This Is One Time Where Television Really Fails To Capture The True Excitement Of A Large Squirrel Predicting The Weather. I, For One, Am Very Grateful To Have Been Here.” (Groundhog Day)

There’s a case to be made for Phil Connors being Bill Murray’s grouchiest, most nihilistic, and most sarcastic character to date, and it gets even easier when you examine his breakdown of the titular holiday in Groundhog Day. The sass, the disdain, the subtle viciousness of his words could cut through bone.

"Weird Name, Good Luck With That" (Ghostbusters: Afterlife)

Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and other O.G. Ghostbusters returning in Ghostbusters: Afterlife made for one of the most nostalgic moments of 2020s cinema, but it wasn’t all sweetness coming from the wisecracking character. Upon meeting the family of the fallen Egon Spengler, Peter hits them with a hilarious “Weird name” moment that’s just so good.

"Honey, How Many Fingers Does Mrs. Santa Claus Have Here?" (Scrooged)

Scrooged, a movie about the good, the bad, and the ugly of ‘80s yuppie culture (as well as a great spin on A Christmas Carol), sees Bill Murray play Frank Cross, a downright terrible TV executive, brother, boyfriend, boss, and human being. Though he’s undeniably a bad person, Frank does hand out some incredible putdowns, like this one when he’s given a drawing of Santa by a young kid. Brutal!

"Janine, Someone With Your Qualifications Would Have No Trouble Finding A Top-Flight Job In Either The Food Service Or Housekeeping Industries." (Ghostbusters)

The dynamic shared by Janine (Annie Potts) and Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters is one of the movie’s low-key best parts. The verbal sparring between these two is incredible, as is this line the Ghostbuster throws at his secretary (and unsung hero of the movie) when business starts picking up.

"Was I Talking Out Loud? Was I? Sorry. Good Luck." (Kingpin)

Kingpin is one of the best sports movies where the main character actually loses as well as one that features one of Bill Murray’s most unhinged characters in Ernie McCracken. The two-timing, lying, scheming, and opportunistic villain of this great ‘90s sports comedy has no shortage of clever lines, like this one early in the film before turning on Woody Harrelson’s Roy Munson.

"Have You Tried Staples?" (Scrooged)

The scene in Scrooged where Bill Murray’s Frank Cross asks a member of the production crew if he tried using staples to keep a pair of antlers to stay on a mouse’s head is straight-up insane. However, let’s not forget the fact that the guy was trying to glue the props to the rodent’s head before Frank came into the scene.

"Back Off, Man. I'm A Scientist" (Ghostbusters)

Peter Venkman has one outrageous line after another in Ghostbusters, and one of the best can be heard in the early goings of the 1984 comedy. After asking a series of highly inappropriate questions, Venkman tells a librarian to back off in the best possible way. Or is it the worst possible way? You decide.

"You're Not Gonna Get A Green Card With That Attitude, Pal" (Ghostbusters II)

Peter Venkman going back and forth with Peter MacNicol’s Dr. Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II never gets old. This is especially true when the two are going at it in front of the haunted portrait of Vigo the Carpathian, and Venkman utters the “green card” line. Vicious.

"Never In My Wildest Imagination Did I Ever Dream I'd Have Sons Like These" (Rushmore)

When it comes to despicable characters in Wes Anderson movies, none come close to the vindictive and repulsive Herman Blume. Bill Murray’s industrialist and reluctant father character has so many classic moments in the movie, and more times than not, they involve Blume’s sons.

"People Like Blood Sausage, Too. People Are Morons" (Groundhog Day)

Phil Connors calling people “morons” in the best possible way in Groundhog Day takes an already great movie and turns it into the stuff legends are made of. It’s biting comments like this that make Bill Murray’s weatherman such an unforgettable character.

"It's Gonna Be Cold, It's Gonna Be Gray, And It's Gonna Last The Rest Of Your Life" (Groundhog Day)

Phil Connors isn’t one to mince words, and that honestly makes him a decent guy (if you overlook the grouchiness and disdain for most things in life). When giving an outlook on life, er the forecast, he lets out this iconic line in Groundhog Day.

"Do Me A Favor, Will You? Would You Mind Washing Off That Perfume Before You Come Back To Our Table?" (Kingpin)

Ernie McCracken is one of the biggest jerks the sports comedy genre has ever seen (he makes Shooter McGavin look nice by comparison), and that's best seen in Kingpin's diner scene where he absolutely tears into a waitress. Was he wrong? But did he go about the wrong way of calling out the woman's perfume choice? You bet!

"Because I Hate Fathers, And I Never Wanted To Be One" (Life Aquatic)

Steve Zissou pretty much saying that having kids was a mistake in The Life Aquatic is one of those examples of "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong." It's okay to feel that way, but to tell someone that having them was a mistake was quite a choice.

"Mike, I Really Appreciate You're Doing This, But It Is Just For The Money, Isn't It? It's Not Just So You Can Wear These Little Outfits?" (Tootsie)

Bill Murray’s Jeff Slater, the playwright roommate of Dustin Hoffman’s Michael Dorsey in Tootsie, is one of the most grounded characters in this 1982 classic, but even he says it like it is. The scene where he questions Michael’s obsession with becoming Dorothy Michaels is one of the best examples of that.

"Why Haven't You Learned How To Button A Coat?" (Scrooged)

Claire Phillips (Karen Allen) is on the receiving end of a lot of verbal abuse from Frank Cross in Scrooged. One of the most ridiculous and hilarious, examples of this comes when Bill Murray’s main character gets sarcastic about outerwear.

"Ned [Punches Ned In The Face]?" (Groundhog Day)

The recurring “Phil, Phil. Connors” run-ins with Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) are some of the best scenes in Groundhog Day, but there’s one that stands out above the rest. In the midst of his downward spiral, Phil lashes out and punches the obnoxious character right in the face.

"’It Is What It Is'? Everyone's Saying That Now. You Know What It Means? You're Screwed, And You Shall Remain Screwed.” (St. Vincent)

When it comes to old curmudgeons, few of Bill Murray’s characters come close to the titular grump in St. Vincent. His response to hearing the common phrase “It is what it is” is admittedly on point, but I’m not the one on the receiving end.

"Try To Make It Sound Like You Wrote It That Way On Purpose." (The French Dispatch)

One of Wes Anderson’s best movies, The French Dispatch, is a series of short films filling out what is to be the final edition of the titular news magazine. In between those longer segments are various scenes with editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray). One of the funniest moments comes when Howitzer gives one of his writers a harsh yet honest critique, telling them to make their mistakes seem like they were meant to be there.

"Would You Please... For The Love Of God And Your Own Body... Stop The Hammering?" (Scrooged)

Frank Cross yelling at people in Scrooged isn’t rare, but the time he yelled about hammering on set is something wild. It’s the subtle pauses, the facial expressions, and that exaggerated tone in his voice. It’s perfect.

"There Are Two Types Of People In This World: Those Who Like Neil Diamond, And Those Who Don't." (What About Bob?)

What About Bob? is one of those movies that’s impossible to watch without being on edge, and that’s part of its charm. The other part? Well, Bill Murray’s portrayal of the neurotic, obsessive, and unhinged Bob Wiley. The scene where he shares his classic “Neil Diamond” line is one of those. Talk about a way to put down an ex and the “Sweet Caroline” singer.

"Oh, Creepy! I'm Sorry. You Know, For The First Couple Years, I Felt Responsible. How You Been Otherwise?" (Kingpin)

Ernie McCracken reacting to Roy Munson’s fake hand (he pretty much led to the mangling of his bowling hand) in Kingpin is so hilarious, so genuine, and so over-the-top. While he does admit to his role in the matter, Ernie stops himself short of taking full responsibility.

"She Doesn't Have Any Friends." (Moonrise Kingdom)

Walt Bishop (Bill Murray) putting down his missing daughter (played by Kara Hayward) when the 12-year-old runs away in Moonrise Kingdom is so unnecessary, but we’ll allow it. He’s not wrong in his description of his daughter’s social life, but wow!

"Just Remember, They Can Buy Anything But They Can't Buy Backbone. Don't Let Them Forget It." (Rushmore)

Frank Cross doesn’t miss an opportunity to attack rich kids in Rushmore, including an intense speech where the self-made man says that the wealthy elite can buy anything they want, save for a backbone. Though he is filthy rich in the movie, Frank has a point.

"Don't Cry In My Office." (The French Dispatch)

Arthur Howitzer telling his staff not to cry in his office after it’s learned he’s dying of cancer is honestly one of the most genuine parts of this 2021 Wes Anderson film. Again, the character is being somewhat mean about it all, but he’s not wrong.

"You're Short, Your Bellybutton Sticks Out Too Far, And You're A Terrible Burden On Your Poor Mother." (Ghostbusters II)

Baby Oscar in Ghostbusters II goes through a lot by the time the credits roll. However, being abducted by a ghost so that Vigo the Carpathian can use his body to carry out his evil plans doesn’t compare to being shamed by Peter Venkman. Like, how do you come back from that?

"Yeah, You Get To Treat 'Em Bad On The Way Back Down Too. It's Great, You Get Two Chances To Rough 'Em Up." (Scrooged)

Frank Cross has no time for his family’s critiques of the way he lives in Scrooged. The scene where Frank responds to his brother, basically telling him not to be mean to people, is just so perfect. It’s undeniably mean, but so much fun to watch.

"You Went In There To Get A Date And Came Out With A Dog. That's Bad Even For You." (Garfield: The Movie)

Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) is on the receiving end of some outrageous put-downs by Bill Murray’s titular cat in Garfield: The Movie, but does anything compare to the time the lasagna-loving feline makes fun of his owner for bringing home a dog? Woof!

"I'm Sorry. You Know I Thought You Were Richard Pryor!" (Scrooged)

This Frank Cross line isn’t the meanest thing the character says in Scrooged, but it was just too good to pass up. When Bill Murray’s character thinks the waiter is on fire, he pours a bucket of water on the man before referencing an incident where Richard Pryor caught himself on fire while taking part in an extracurricular activity.

"But I Don't See Any Reason Why I Should Just Sit Here Pretending I'm Not Home, Just Because You're Not That Kind Of Girl. Now, That's Weird." (Tootsie)

Michael Dorsey wears many hats in Tootsie, so many that it starts to make life difficult for his roommate, Jeff. At one point, Jeff comments on all the times he didn’t comment on his best friend’s method acting, eventually saying enough is enough now that he can’t answer a phone because “Dorothy Michaels” shouldn’t have a male roommate.

"What A Lovely Singing Voice You Must Have." (Ghostbusters)

When confronting a possessed Dana (Sigourney Weaver) in Ghostbusters, Peter Venkman attempts to make light of the situation by commenting on Zuul’s demonic voice. It’s not the meanest thing he says in the movie, but it’s so on-brand.

"You Know I'm Not Big On Apologizing. So I'll Just Skip It If It's All The Same To You." (Life Aquatic)

The Life Aquatic has some great characters, and each has some wonderful moments. But let’s be real… Steve Zissou is at the top of that list, especially when he tells Eleanor (Anjelica Huston) that he’s not big on apologies. Sure, he comes around, but this line (and live delivery) is perfect.

"Do You Have Any Regrets?" -"Garfield, Maybe." (Zombieland)

One of the best zombie apocalypse movies (and certainly one of the funniest), Zombieland has one of the best cameos of all time when Bill Murray briefly shows up as himself. There’s one key moment when he’s asked if he has any regrets on his deathbed, and he honestly comes up with the best answer…

It is never not a blast to see celebrities make funny cameos in movies or TV shows, or even appear in starring roles, as themselves, especially as a version of themselves that bears little resemblance to their actual personality. Take a look at some of the funniest examples of actors and other artists poking fun at themselves in a hilarious onscreen performance.

Michael Cera (This Is The End)

Each member of the cast of 2013's This Is the End is a celebrity playing an exaggerated version of themselves, but the absolutely wildest of the bunch is Michael Cera. The actor plays dramatically against type as a destructive force of chaos at James Franco's house party... before destructive forces of chaos begin descending upon the entire Earth in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's blistering apocalyptic satire.

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Co-creator and star Ricky Gervais' Hollywood satire, Extras, boasted a gut-busting rotation of celebrity guest stars playing the most ridiculously antithetical versions of themselves, one of the most memorable being Kate Winslet. Years before she took home an Academy Award for The Reader, the English actor appeared in an episode in which she openly obsesses over finding the role that will win her an Oscar.

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Seinfeld cast member Jason Alexander eventually realized that his hopelessly neurotic character, George Costanza, was the fictional alter ego of co-creator Larry David. However, none of George's self-destructive and alienating flaws on the beloved TV sitcom could compare to David's self-parodic portrayal of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, on which the comedian would seemingly go out of his way to offend friends, family members, and just about anyone he came into contact with.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Out of all the amazing, random Bill Murray cameos to choose from, the most iconic would have to be his appearance in 2009's Zombieland when our four protagonists (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) stumble upon him while taking refuge in his mansion. It is actually not too much of a stretch to believe that this is how the comedy legend might live during the zombie apocalypse, from dressing himself up as one of the undead to blend in, to citing Garfield as his one regret before succumbing to an accidental shotgun blast.

Bob Barker (Happy Gilmore)

After decades of maintaining a sunny demeanor as the host of The Price is Right, it was shocking to see Bob Barker appear as anything but in his iconic cameo in 1995's Happy Gilmore. Adam Sandler's title character gets fed up with Barker's incessant criticism of his golfing skills, driving him to show him that "the price is wrong," only to discover that the older man has some real fight in him.

Stephen Hawking (The Simpsons)

Influential theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking played himself on The Simpsons on multiple occasions. One of the funnier instances comes from the Season 10 episode, "They Saved Lisa's Brain," in which he clocks Seymour Skinner in the face with a spring-loaded boxing glove built into his wheelchair.

Prince (New Girl)

As New Girl creator Liz Meriwether recalled in an article for Vulture (via Slate), Prince loved the quirky sitcom, which is why he agreed to guest star in an episode that, essentially, portrays him as some sort of mysterious magical guide. Quite frankly, it is hard to think of this portrayal as much of an exaggeration from the late, great pop star's true, legendary persona.

David Hasselhoff (The Spongebob Squarepants Movie)

Even though most young audience members seeing The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie in 2004 likely were not familiar with David Hasselhoff, it still makes perfect sense that the former Baywatch star would come to SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and Patrick's (Bill Fagerbakke) rescue near the end. The actor uses his body as a motorboat to transport the duo back to Bikini Bottom, which was achieved in part with the use of a frighteningly realistic, double-sized replica, which he later brought home with him.

Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns)

Zach Galifianakis has a great reputation as a wonderful talk show guest, despite his alter ego on Between Two Ferns being an absolute disaster as a talk show host. After years of mercilessly roasting celebrities to their faces on Funny or Die's web series, it inspired a mockumentary-style Netflix original movie in which the Hangover star also got to be the butt of the joke.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle)

You might as well call Neil Patrick Harris' performance in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle his audition to play Barney Stinson, considering his highly fictionalized alter ego has much more in common with his role in the How I Met Your Mother cast. The Emmy winner goes further with the uproarious portrayal in the sequels, which reveal the actor is only pretending to be gay to better his career.

Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent)

I can understand why Nicolas Cage was initially reluctant to play himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, especially for the pretty far-out ways the Academy Award winner pokes fun at himself and his unique career in the film. Then again, it does paint him in a largely positive light and even allows him to be the hero of its irreverent, comedic action plot in the end.

David Bowie (Zoolander)

Admittedly, David Bowie's cameo in Zoolander is relatively tame when compared to his out-of-this-world stage presence. However, the idea of the rock 'n roll legend randomly appearing out of nowhere to help judge an impromptu "Walk Off" between Ben Stiller's eponymous male model and his rival, Hansel (Owen Wilson), is still pretty ridiculous.

James Marsden (Jury Duty)

It takes a special kind of performance as one's self to receive an Emmy nomination for it, and that is what James Marsden achieved with Jury Duty. In the Amazon Prime original reality show, a gentleman named Ronald Gladden is called into serve on a trial he does not know is an elaborate prank on him, involving a cast of actors that includes the X-Men and Sonic the Hedgehog actor as a more vain portrait of himself.

Debra Messing (Bros)

Will & Grace star Debra Messing poked fun at her status as an icon in the gay community with her cameo in the LGBTQIA+ rom-com, Bros. The Emmy winner feels compelled to remind Bobby (Billy Eichner) that she is "NOT GRACE" when he asks her for romantic advice when all she wanted to do was tour his museum.

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

In addition to leading classic action movies like Speed and John Wick, Keanu Reeves has become a cameo king with funny, random appearances, such as in Netflix's 2019 comedy Always Be My Maybe. Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to discover that his childhood friend, Sasha's (Ali Wong), new boyfriend is the actor, who partially improvised his portrayal as a pretentious weirdo who wears glasses without lenses and asks for a meal inspired by "the concept of time" at a restaurant.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

John Malkovich's performance in director Spike Jonze's inventive fantasy comedy, Being John Malkovich, is a special case of an actor playing an exaggerated version of himself because he is technically playing multiple roles. One famous scene sees the two-time Oscar nominee entering a portal that leads to his own mind, but places him in a nightmarish world filled with people who have his face and can only speak his last name.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

LeBron James has made a decent living outside of his professional basketball career by playing fictionalized versions of himself in the likes of Space Jam: A New Legacy and the 2023 House Party remake. However, the movie that started it all was 2015's Trainwreck, which portrays him as the best friend of a doctor (played by Bill Hader) who specializes in treating star athletes.

Olivia Newton-John (Glee)

One of the most memorable guest appearances on Glee was the late Olivia Newton-John. The Grease star showed up on the coming-of-age musical-dramedy a couple of times, in which she is portrayed as extremely rude and "hopelessly devoted" to herself.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

No matter what role he plays, it is hard to see Bruce Campbell as anything other than the hero of the Evil Dead movies, Ash Williams. The Scream King leans into that reputation in the 2007 horror-comedy movie, My Name Is Bruce (which he also directs), as a hard-drinking, washed-up version of himself who becomes the last hope to save a small Oregon town from a malevolent demon.

Jessica Biel (BoJack Horseman)

Netflix's animated Hollywood satire, BoJack Horseman, is especially famous for its uproarious celebrity cameos, one of the funniest being Jessica Biel. Not only does the former 7th Heaven cast member boldly call out her own career low points, but is also portrayed as the spouse of Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), whom she leaves for her real-life husband, Justin Timberlake.

Eminem (The Interview)

Earlier in his career, Eminem was criticized for lyrics that were interpreted as homophobic, which he pokes fun at in a hilarious way in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's The Interview. Arguably the funniest scene in the 2014 comedy sees the Grammy-winning rap artist speaking to talk show host Dave Skylark (James Franco), to whom he very nonchalantly reveals that he is a closeted gay man.

Kelly Ripa (Broad City)

TV personality Kelly Ripa brilliantly mocks her clean image with her cameo on Comedy Central's Broad City. During a visit to the beloved daytime talk show host's apartment, Abbi (co-creator Abbi Jacobson) discovers that she can be a pretty hard partier, especially when cracks open a jar of moonshine.

Ryan Reynolds (Family Guy)

Many celebrities have stopped by to voice appropriately cartoonish versions of themselves on Family Guy, including Ryan Reynolds, who clearly had a lot of fun with his guest spot. He moves in across the street from the Griffins and appears to take an intense liking to Peter (Seth MacFarlane), who begins to suspect that the actor has a crush on him.

Cher (Will & Grace)

In Season 3 of Will & Grace, Jack (Sean Hayes) becomes uncomfortably attached to a doll modeled after Cher, treating it as if it were the real multi-talented icon, much to the chagrin of his friends. When the real Cher appears to voice her concerns about his obsession, Jack mistakes her for a very convincing drag queen.

Carl Weathers (Arrested Development)

Some of Arrested Development's remarkably clever meta humor involved hilarious cameos by celebrities as themselves, most notably Carl Weathers. The Rocky and Predator star's appearances on the cult favorite sitcom saw him dropping clues of being extremely thrifty, to the point that he would save the meat on a mostly eaten rib to make stew.

Dave Grohl (Studio 666)

Each member of Foo Fighters willfully takes aim at themselves in the 2022 musical horror-comedy movie, Studio 666, but frontman Dave Grohl especially goes wild here. He becomes a threat to his bandmates after becoming possessed by a spirit that haunts the California house where they choose to record their tenth album.

Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

One of Matt LeBlanc's most successful gigs after leaving the Friends cast was playing a very personal role on Showtime's Episodes. The actor earned a Golden Globe for portraying himself as likable but overbearing, as the married creators of a new TV show that he is cast in discover.

Shaun White (Friends With Benefits)

Olympic Gold Medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White seems like a fun, down-to-earth dude, which makes his cameo in Friends with Benefits as anything but that so memorably funny. Because of his interest in Jamie (Mila Kunis), White takes an immediate and very intense dislike toward her platonic, occasional lover, Dylan (Justin Timberlake), threatening him at every turn.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B– in Apartment 23)

James Van Der Beek's first major return to TV after leading the Dawson’s Creek cast was a main role on Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23 as... James Van Der Beek. The actor's absurd portrayal of the famous best friend to Krysten Ritter’s Chloe is miles away from his true self, but it did somehow predict that he would later appear on Dancing with the Stars.

Ryan Seacrest (Knocked Up)

The timeline of Ryan Seacrest's hosting gigs is so prolific and extensive, he is almost (if not more) famous than many of the people he has interviewed over the years. He acknowledges this in his cameo in Knocked Up, in which the then-E! News presenter portrays himself as comically vain, ill-tempered, and foul-mouthed, which are not good qualities on camera.

Tom Brady (Living With Yourself)

The Netflix sci-fi comedy series, Living with Yourself, stars Paul Rudd as Miles Elliott, who discovers that a life-changing wellness spa has cloned him into a better version of himself when he comes face-to-face with his "flawed" double. In the first episode, Miles sees the New England Patriots quarterback walking out of the spa before revealing he has visited it six previous times, which also happened to be his number of Super Bowl wins at the time.

Al Pacino (Jack And Jill)

If there is one good thing about 2011's Jack and Jill, which stars Adam Sandler as both a family man and his obnoxious twin sister, it is Al Pacino's performance as himself. In the comedy, the Oscar winner expresses affection for Jill, which leads him to star in a "Dunkaccino" ad that he believes should be destroyed moments after watching it.

Movies have been prominently featuring video games going all the way back to the dawn of the gaming industry in the 1970s. Movies like Tron and The Last Starfighter made them central to the plot, while others like Swingers and The Avengers found ways to create some great moments around. Our list of movies with great video game moments has both.

Tron

Tron has become one of the most enduring franchises of the last half century, despite only having limited released. It was one of the first movies to truly incorporate video games and gaming directing into the plot. Not only does the protagonist (Jeff Bridges) own an arcade and play games himself, his avatar plays inside the Master Control

The Princess Bride

You might not think of this fairy tale as a video game movie, but you have to remember that first scene. As the grandson, played by Fred Savage, recovers in bed, home sick from school, he's playing a baseball video. At least until his grandfather shows up with a magical book called The Princess Bride. .

John Wick

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) isn't the kind of guy who would spend a lot of time playing video games, but those rich idiots who he is after are certainly the types that would pay more attention to a first-person shooter game than the shooter who is out to get them and get them Wick does.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Everything cool in Fast Times At Ridgemont High happens at the mall, including the arcade. There isn't a movie that is more quintessential to the '80s high school life than the Amy Heckerling-directed classic. That includes a few scenes in the mall's arcade, including the last shot in the movie declaring the end of the movie.

The Last Starfighter

For a lot of kids in the 1980s, The Last Starfighter represented a dream that maybe there is more to being great at video games than just getting to put your initials on the home screen. Maybe, just maybe, you might get chosen to be an intergalactic pilot. It's why the movie is so fondly remembered by any kid who grew up playing Galaga.

Boyz N The Hood

Even movies about the untold violence on the streets in South Central LA have found a way to work video games in, as they are truly ubiquitous. Take, for example, the more ominous tone of kids playing Duck Hunt on Nintendo with a very real-looking video game gun. It's hard to watch after knowing how things end and viewers are hyper-aware of that gun, toy or not.

Ready Player One

There is no doubt that Ready Player One has to be on this list. Of course, the whole world it creates is basically a giant game. Plus, games from the past, from the early days of home consoles and arcades play a big part in the quest everyone on earth is undertaking in the movie and serve to drive the plot at numerous times.

WarGames

Global Thermal Nuclear War is, in theory, a game in WarGames. Not only does the game serve as a central plot point, but the world is saved by playing any other video game based on tic-tac-toe. Oh, and there is a scene early in the movie where David (Matthew Broderick) is playing Space Invaders and it doesn't get more classic than that.

The Avengers

"That man is playing Galaga," has to be one of Tony Stark's best lines in the entire MCU. It comes in The Avengers as the team is assembling and getting ready to save the world, yet some people on the crew of the invisible flying base clearly have enough time on their hands for a quick game of a classic game.

Swingers

For anyone who played endless amounts of NHL hockey on Sega in the '90s, there is no more realistic or funnier scene than the one in Swingers when Sue (Patrick Van Horn) and Trent (Vince Vaughn) come to blows over a game before they go out for the night. It's pretty much exactly how that game was played for years.

The Karate Kid

Video games don't play a huge role in The Karate Kid, but they are important. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Ali (Elizabeth Shue) really start flirting and she blows him while playing one in an arcade when their relationship starts to blossom.

Back to the Future Part II

One of the most memorable scenes in Back to the Future Part II comes when Marty (Micheal J. Fox) looks behind him while in the future to see an arcade game called Wild Gunman. When he tries to impress a couple of kids by being a "crack shot," the kids basically laugh the game off as a game for babies, because you have to use your hands. Honestly, it's not that far off from how things would turn out.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

it's funny, even in the early '90s, arcades, which were already almost obsoete, were still used to represent what "bad kids" did, like a teenage John Connor (Edward Furlough) in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. John and his buddy are hanging out at the arcade, getting into trouble, when the Terminator locates them for the first time.

Maximum Overdrive

You can't make a movie about the machine's coming "alive" without having a harrowing scene involving some arcade games. As bad as Maximum Overdrive is, it is filled with memorable scenes like the one when the games attack a character played by a young Giancarlo Esposito.

Jaws

Video games have been popping up in movies since way back in 1976 when kids are seen playing a game called "Killer Shark" at beach arcade on Amity Island.

Mallrats

Another classic home console moment from a '90s movie comes in the Kevin Smith-directed Mallrats. Brody is a shiftless layabout and his girlfriend, played by the late Shannen Doherty, is sick of it. Her feelings are completely justified when the first thing he does is pick up with his paused game from the night before. Granted, he was excited about his big lead in the hockey game, which many will understand.

Dawn Of The Dead

In the early days of arcades, pinball was a big part of the appeal. It's a pinball machine in an arcade that makes the biggest impression in one of the best horror movies of all time, Dawn Of The Dead from 1978.

Superbad

Video game scenes in movies often reflect a pretty accurate moments in real life. Like the scene in Superbad when Seth (Jonah Hill) is stressing about a party and Evan (Michael Sera) couldn't care less as he is distracted by his game. That sums up a lot of people's nights (and friendships) in high school.

Airplane!

No movie packs in more jokes per minute than Airplane! One of those jokes, includes two air traffic controllers playing a basketball video game when they should be landing planes. It's a funny joke, but a terrifying thought, right?

The Wrestler

The Wrestler is an amazing movie about a washed up pro wrestler (Mickey Rourke) who finds some version of a family, at least briefly and bonds with Pam (Marisa Tomei) and her son. In a heartwarming moment, he plays a wrestling video game against Pam's son.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

To be fair, the video game moment in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is fleeting but memorable. Principle Rooney (Jeffery Jones), on his quest to find Ferris (Matthew Broderick) encounters a person who he thinks is Ferris playing an arcade game. Of course, it's not Ferris, and in return for his mistake, Rooney gets a straw full of soda to the face.

Shaun Of The Dead

There is nothing quite like roommates playing video games together to make someone nostalgic for...well... having a roommate. For millions of people, it's a rite of passage to blow off work or school and spend the day going toe-to-toe in a video game battle.

Scott Pilgrim V. The World

Games like Dance Dance Revolution were all the rage in 2010, when Scott Pilgrim V. The World was released worldwide. Of course, a game like Dance Dance Revolution would be included in the movie, in one of the scenes before everything goes sideways for the protagonist. It's a sweet scene that really endears the audience to Scott (Michael Cera).

Zombieland

It turns out that Michael Cera plays a lot of characters who love video games. They aren't the main focus of any of his movies, but still, in movies like Zombieland, he's often seen playing them. In Zombieland, it's World of Warcraft.

Grosse Pointe Blank

"First-person shooter" takes on a new meaning in Grosse Pointe Blank when the clerk at the convenience store that was once Martin Blank's house is oblivious to the actual shooting going on behind him as he listens to metal and shoots enemies in the game. Finally, he has to be pulled from the store by Martin (John Cusack) moments before it explodes. Anyone who has played games knows how they can be that engrossing.

The Wizard

The Wizard, starring Fred Savage is... not a great movie, and it reeks of corporatism (it was basically a big commercial for Nintendo), but we couldn't make this list without it. It was a time when Nintendo had completely redefined the video game market with their hit console, the NES. It makes total sense that the hype would lead to a movie and completely predictable that it would be a bad movie.

Lost In Translation

Japanese arcades are completely awesome. It's a culture that did last in America but has been going strong in Japan since the beginning. As such, it's a wonder addition to Sofia Coppola's Lost In Translation as part of what makes the cultures so different and fascinating to Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson).

Never Say Never Again

It's true, even James Bond was part of the 1980s video game fad. Well, sort of. Bond (Sean Connery) plays a wild video game with real-life consequences in Never Say Never Again, which is why we say "sort of," because the movie, though not the worst Bond movie, is definitely not Bond canon and not one of the best Connery-Era Bond films.

Superman III

When ranking the Superman movies, Superman III is usually at or near the bottom of the list. It's a bad movie, but it does have a hilarious Superman video game that we all wished we could play when we were kids. It's really the only good part of a movie that even Richard Pryor couldn't make funny or fun.

The Thing

Some of Kurt Russell's best lines in his movies come from The Thing, and he also has a moment or two as he tries to save himself from destructive boredom by playing an early version of computer chess. Chess has long been a staple game going back to the dawn of the first home computers, so it worked well in the time period.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Like some other scenes on this list, the scene between Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd playing Mortal Kombat Deception is pretty much exactly how video game arguments went at the time, completely with the slurs we would never use today (and shouldn't have been using back in the day, but were).

Joysticks

We're really only including this silly, raunchy B-movie because it was kind of the first movie to truly be about the first video game fad of the late 1970s, though it came out just as the fad was imploding with the Video Game Crash of 1983. Even the movie's timing was bad, but still, it's all about games, so it has to be here on this list.

The genre of horror has existed since the beginning of film. While it's certainly grown more intense or psychological as time has gone on, it's always been there, scaring audiences in their seats one way or another. A pivotal time for the genre was in the 2000s when so many horror films came out that made an impact. Here are some that I'm sure we all remember very well.

Final Destination (2000)

I'm 99% sure that the Final Destination movies perpetually scarred most Millennials. Now, I look at everything as if it could kill them because it could, as this movie has shown multiple times. Final Destination gave a new idea that death will always come when it's meant to come, and you can't avoid it, no matter how much you try.

Cloverfield (2008)

The marketing for Cloverfield was out of this world. Even when I was a little kid at the age of ten, I remember seeing billboards and trailers for this and not knowing what the heck was going on. Only after I watched it years later did I truly understand. It's still a great found-footage horror film and one that defines the genre.

The Strangers (2008)

So many people forget The Strangers because other films have been released with the same basic concept, but this was the original. Inspired by real-life events, the movie is about a couple enjoying a vacation when three masked intruders break into their home and ruin everything. It's eerie and creepy, and it became a colossal hit.

Zombieland (2009)

When you think of some of the best horror comedies out there, I can think of no better than Zombieland. It was released during a massive intake of zombie content within the media but only cemented that we love those brainless monsters and that, sometimes, horror can seriously make us laugh.

Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

Directed by Zack Snyder and written by James Gunn, two big shots in Hollywood nowadays, Dawn of the Dead was when these two were starting in the industry and trying to make it big. The film, based on the original Dawn of the Dead by the same name, brought the creepiness of zombies back to the big screen and added plenty of gore to it.

Lake Mungo (2008)

If you're looking for a good psychological horror film from the 2000s, Lake Mungo certainly made its impact. Hailing from Australia, the film follows the story of a young woman who drowns and the family who must deal with her death while experiencing supernatural events. It just gets more twisted as time goes on. Australian horror films have certainly made an impact over the last few years, but this is one of the best.

American Psycho (2000)

I can't have a list of the most impactful 2000s horror films without including American Psycho. Based on the novel of the same name, this film follows the life of a Wall Street investment worker by day and a serial killer by night. It was a game-changing film for female directors, with Mary Harron at the helm. To this day, people believe this to be one of Christian Bale's best performances.

Saw (2004)

Do you want to talk about changing the game? Saw is definitely one of those horror films that made an impact. While the Saw franchise has existed for two decades now, the first film redefined what it was like to witness blood, death, and horror on the big screen. And from there, the movies only got bloodier.

The Ring (2002)

If you're a fan of horror movies from Japan, then The Ring is really the movie to thank for that. While this movie itself is a remake of another Japanese film, Ring, it ended up bringing a lot of attention to Japanese horror films across the sea and allowing people to really expand their mindset when it came to what horror is. Also, an entire franchise followed after its success.

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

While Drag Me To Hell is the kind of film that isn't necessarily groundbreaking, it certainly made an impact when it first came out. The idea of something happening so suddenly just because you're trying to prove yourself at work and then being sentenced to hell because of it – now that is just terrifying. Of course, when Sam Raimi directs it, one can only wonder what will come from his twisted mind.

The Descent (2005)

The Descent is another film that really tests the limits of what you can do with a horror film. With plenty of gruesome moments, the film follows six women who are trying to make it out of an underground cave system to escape cannibals. It's really the ending that makes it such a great film and something that I won't spoil if you've never seen it.

Slither (2006)

Slither is really the reason we were given James Gunn as a director in the first place and why we've gotten so many amazing films from him since. It was his directorial debut and followed the story of a town getting infected by a parasite. This is a body horror movie to the max, but it's an excellent one at that.

Wolf Creek (2005)

Wolf Creek is an Australian movie about three backpackers who are held captive and hunted down by a serial killer in the outback. If you've never seen this movie, you're probably wondering how it made an impact, but let me tell you—this film is violent. It's perhaps one of the most violent Australian movies out there, and for that, I have to give it the warped flowers it deserves.

The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Oh, you knew I'd find a way to put Guillermo del Toro on here. He's a master of horror and fantasy; it would be a sin for me not to place him on this list. The Devil's Backbone is a fantastic horror film that follows a boy who a dead child haunts as he stays at an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. It was a great gateway into the world of Mexican horror films – many of which are excellent.

The Mist (2007)

Frank Darabont is a king of horror, and The Mist is one of his subjects, which brings one of Stephen King's most beloved novels to life. What really makes The Mist have such a profound impact is the ending. If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil it, but it packs a hard, Karate Kid-style punch that will knock you on your back for 5-7 business days. It's painful in so many ways – and brilliant in a horror movie aspect.

The Cell (2000)

If you're looking for other movies that really made a dent in what you can show on screen and can't, then The Cell is an excellent choice. Starring Jennifer Lopez, the movie really tests the boundaries of horror and its strange stylistic choices while also emerging into the world of sci-fi. Its plot centers on a social worker entering into the mind of a serial killer.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

There are so many great horror comedies out there, and Shaun of the Dead is really the blueprint for many of them. I feel like many of the horror parody movies we have now would not exist if not for Shaun of the Dead. It's hysterical in many ways, with some kills I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams, and unlike many other horror movies, it is a film that I will willingly rewatch.

Hostel (2005)

When I first watched Hostel I regretted everything, I knew I'd never watch it again because this film is just…gory. It's very gory, but what else could you expect from Eli Roth? The movie takes leaps and bounds for its gruesome tale and certainly made an impact with two sequels and a TV show that is reportedly in the works. But if you're looking for impactful films, this is the one to glance at.

Insidious (2009)

I genuinely don't think a movie franchise from the 2000s has made more of an impact than the Insidious movies. These films opened up a whole new interest in the paranormal landscape of horror, and now, years later, we are still getting Insidious films. There's nothing quite like that red demon jumpscare.

The Loved Ones (2009)

Hailing from Australia, The Loved Ones is a mix between horror and campy at specific points, but it paved the way for many other films with similar styles to come out. The movie follows the story of a high schooler who now has to attend a twisted party when he doesn't accept a dance date and the twisted adventures he goes on. It's harsh in its delivery of gore, and I loved watching it.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

While found-footage films existed before Paranormal Activity, this movie sky-rocketed into fame and led to several other Paranormal Activity films. It really renewed the entire genre of found footage and gave us many good—and bad—films from that subdivision. We haven't gotten a new film in some time, but it's only a matter of when.

Martyrs (2008)

Coming from France this time around, Martyrs is one of those movies that really paved the way for horror films to take a step back from just pure gore and scares and really dig deep into the mind of the subject we are viewing. The film focuses on the story of a young woman who was tortured as a child and seeks revenge against those who did it alongside her friend. While it does take twists, it's the message beyond that which genuinely made an impact and gave us very great emotionally-driven horror movies.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

I sometimes forget that Ginger Snaps came out in the 2000s just because of its '90s aesthetic, but it did, back in 2000, and it really was a great werewolf movie. It felt like, for years, we weren't getting the kind of werewolf films we deserved from what I've seen of the 1990s, and this was the kind of refresh that we needed for the genre.

Orphan (2009)

Oh, you knew I'd put Orphan on here. Orphan is the kind of film that makes you rethink everything. Children were already creepy in horror movies, but the one in this? Esther? Ooooh, keep her away from me with a ten-foot pole. Orphan redefined how to use children as a scare tactic within horror movies, and I can't complain one bit.

Trick 'R Treat (2007)

While it bombed at the box office, this is the type of film that has gained a cult following over the years and has only gotten better with age. Trick 'r Treat is an anthology movie that follows several different people on Halloween, and all run into Sam, a trick-or-treater who enforces the rules of Halloween. Without this film, there wouldn't be as many anthology horror movies as we have now. We may not have even gotten the Terrifier series.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

The Jennifer's Body cast is freaking iconic, and I will not stand for any other slander against them. This movie is what I would define as girl-boss horror – because who doesn't want to watch a girl kill literally the words kinds of men? All right, jokes aside, Jennifer's Body is the kind of film that made it possible for other movies to really dig deep into the comedy aspect of horror while also creating a film that is undeniably sexy in its delivery as well as its kills.

Let The Right One In (2008)

When you think of the best vampire movies out there, Let The Right One In is probably one of the first that pops up. The film, telling the story of a friendship between a boy and a vampire girl, is one of the first that really allowed for emotionally driven vampire stories to become as big as they did, and it's something I can appreciate.

The House Of The Devil (2009)

Before the X franchise, Ti West directed The House of the Devil, a horror film that follows a college student who takes a babysitting job but forces her life out of her control in the house. This movie is the definition of a slasher but also dares to combine that with paranormal aspects that make it such a fun watch. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

The Others (2001)

While Nicole Kidman is known for plenty of other roles nowadays, her starring part in The Others is one of my favorites. When a mother and her children arrive at a new manor, they start to experience supernatural events, but the scares are delivered in such a way that they make me jump even now, years later.

28 Days Later (2002)

If you think of some of the best zombie films of the last few decades, one that always comes up is 28 Days Later. Focusing on someone who wakes up from a coma and now suddenly has to deal with a virus that has broken his society, the movie uses interesting filming techniques and horrifying zombies that truly up the scare game.

REC (2007)

Found footage horror really hit its stride back in 2007, and REC was a great example of that mixed with zombies. It follows the story of a reporter who goes with her camera crew to an apartment that is festering with a zombie infection. It's creepy and scary and gets your heart pumping in the best way.

Inside (2007)

Coming from France, Inside was a big step in the right direction for women-leading horror films. It details the story of a pregnant widow whose life is threatened on Christmas Eve by an intruder. It's scary in all the right ways and makes you double-check every time you lock your door.

There are so many other horror films that made an impact, but these are just some that will get you interested. Now it's time for a horror movie marathon. It's time to get my blanket and snuggle up with popcorn.

Nowadays, Emma Stone is well-known as being one of the best actresses of our generation with two Academy Awards to show for it, but there was a time when she was a gem of a talent waiting to be discovered. Her Zombieland co-star Jesse Eisenberg got to see this firsthand when she auditioned for what’s considered one of Emma Stone’s best films and among great zombie movies these days, and effectively blew him away.

After Emma Stone crushed it with her first role in Superbad at the age of 19, the actress popped up in comedies all over the place, from The House Bunny to Easy A. One of those early roles was, of course, Zombieland, where she played a survivor of the zombie apocalypse who goes by Wichita. Jesse Eisenberg recently spoke about his first time crossing paths with the co-star of the 2009 movie starting with these words:

Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone recently worked together on one of the latest 2024 movies, A Real Pain. Eisenberg wrote, directed and stars in the dramedy and had the assistance of Stone as a producer. While speaking on Sirius XM’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw (via People), he shared that he got cast in Zombieland before Emma Stone and watched a lot of other actresses try out for Wichita. However, here’s how Stone stood out according to Eisenberg:

Now, that’s how you make an impression! As Jesse Eisenberg spoke about, Stone was really different from all the other hopeful actresses because of her magnetic personality, and barraging insults toward his character of Columbus. A lot of the other actresses were “really polite,” but when it comes to a biting comedy like Zombieland, Stone is exactly what the movie needed, and thus a star was born. Zombieland also became a hit in theaters and among critics when the comedy also starring Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin came out in the fall of 2009, and all four reprised their roles in 2019 for Zombieland: Double Tap.

Fifteen years later, it’s a given that Emma Stone is practically a “genius” when it comes to her acting ability. She just came off a second Best Actress win for Poor Things earlier this year after previously dazzling us with her first Best Actress win with song, dance and sass in La La Land. It’s no wonder Eisenberg and Stone have remained filmmaking collaborators. Stone (along with her husband Dave McCary) also produced Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving The World, before working together again on A Real Pain.

A Real Pain is currently in theaters. It’s one of the best movies we’ve seen this year. Oh, and if you want to relive Zombieland, it’s streaming now with a Netflix subscription.

Have you ever felt like you exist in a post-apocalyptic movie or TV show? Well, before you start building an underground bunker, stock up on non-perishable food, and practice any other survival tactics you know, take a look back at some of the best dystopian movies (and the genre's finest small-screen entries) and see if the potential causes to civilization's downfall that they provide feel at all familiar to you.

Climate Change Experiment Gone Wrong (Snowpiercer)

In Bong Joon-ho's 2014 adaptation of the French graphic novel, Snowpiercer, a diverse group of passengers boards a self-sustaining bullet train right before an experimental attempt to reverse climate change turns the outside world into an uninhabitable tundra. Seventeen years later, the survivors have set up a caste system from inside the train, but some of the impoverished citizens of the caboose, led by Curtis (Chris Evans in one of his most underrated performances), aim to resist.

Global Outbreak Of Post-Fatal Reanimation (The Walking Dead)

Until an explanation was provided in the post-credits scene from the finale of the short-lived spin-off, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, we never knew what caused the "Walker Apocalypse" in AMC's series adaptation of Robert Kirkman's hit comic book. However, the second season did reveal a unique aspect of the zombie virus, in that all survivors are somehow doomed to be reanimated no matter how they die unless their brain is destroyed.

Flooded Earth (Waterworld)

In Waterworld, global warming worsens enough to melt the polar ice caps, causing mass flooding that leaves the entire Earth fully submerged... or so it seems. Kevin Costner stars in the now beloved 1994 box office flop as a mariner who searches for what is believed to be the last of dry land in this anarchic dystopia.

Mystical Tree (Sweet Tooth)

Based on the DC Vertigo comic book series by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth tells the story of a deadly virus that broke out at the same time many infants were mysteriously born as human/animal hybrids, causing suspicion that these unique beings were somehow responsible for the pandemic. In the Netflix fantasy series finale, it is revealed that a unique tree with antlers for branches was attacked by an axe-wielding human, inspiring it to kill the human race and replace them with animal-like beings.

Artificial Intelligence (The Terminator Movies)

The first three Terminator movies are, more than anything, time travel movies set in the modern day that provide hints and glimpses of a future eradicated by sentient machines. The fourth installment, 2009's Terminator: Salvation, is the first to be set entirely in the wartorn dystopia in which a grown-up John Connor (Christian Bale) leads a human resistance.

Nuclear Disaster (Fallout)

The long-running video game franchise, Fallout, and its Amazon Prime original series adaptation involves a unique depiction of a world eradicated by nuclear bombs, forcing some lucky people underground and others struggling to endure the surface. It takes place in the distant future, but one in which microprocessors were never invented, causing technological progress to remain largely trapped in the 1950s.

Sound-Hunting Aliens (A Quiet Place)

The A Quiet Place movies depict the ongoing aftermath of an alien invasion that is easy to survive, as long as you watch your volume. The vicious "Death Angels," as they are called, cannot see but have impeccable hearing ability that makes them a danger to anyone who makes even the slightest peep.

Cordyceps (The Last Of Us)

Craig Zobel developed one of the most acclaimed video game adaptations of all time with his HBO series based on the hit PlayStation game, The Last of Us. One of the most interesting things about the show's take on zombie fiction is that the inciting incident — a Cordyceps fungus that turns humans into grotesque monsters — is scientifically plausible.

Unknown, Psychologically Manipulative Phenomenon (Bird Box)

Even though Josh Malerman's novel that inspired Bird Box was published years before A Quiet Place was released, many audiences compared the 2018 Netflix original thriller to it for somewhat understandable reasons. Instead of aliens that force survivors to keep quiet, Sandra Bullock's character and others must shield their eyes from a mysterious force that has a fatal effect on some and a dangerous psychological effect on others.

Universal Loss Of Sight (See)

Jason Momoa leads the Apple TV+ series See, which foretells a global virus that leaves a mere few million survivors, whose descendants are later born blind. The main setting takes place so far in the future that the sense of sight is believed to be a myth among the people, who live in a more primitive and tribal society. 

Depleting Resources And Economic Collapse (Mad Max Movies)

It is never explicitly stated in the Mad Max movies what caused Australia to become a barren, desert wasteland of fire and blood, but there are clues littered throughout George Miller's seminal franchise. The 1979 original depicts a near future with an increased crime rate while the following films show further decay resulting from a rapid loss of natural resources and a ruined economy.

Disappearance Of 2% Of Mankind (The Leftovers)

Imagine if two percent of the world's population suddenly vanished from the face of the Earth. Tom Perotta's novel The Leftovers and co-developer Damon Lindelof's HBO series based upon it does not bother to ask how or why the rapture-esque event occurs but envisions how it would affect those who remain.

Infertility (Children Of Men)

One of the best movies of the 2000s, director Alfonso Cuarón's adaptation of P.D. James' novel, Children of Men, takes place in a dystopian future in which all women have mysteriously lost the ability to have children, ensuring the human race has an expiration date. However, when the first woman to become pregnant in years is discovered, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is tasked with escorting her through a wartorn world and bringing her to safety. 

Extraterrestrial Infiltration (V)

While the antagonists of most alien invasion movies are pretty upfront about their intentions, the cult favorite miniseries V (and its subsequent series continuation, concluding miniseries called V: The Final Battle, and ABC's 2009 remake) flips the script a bit. Lizard-like creatures from another world don human-like disguises to gain mankind's trust, but their plans to deplete Earth's resources and feed on humans are later revealed.

Mutated Strain Of Ebola (28 Days Later)

What makes 28 Days Later one of the most realistic zombie movies is that the infected are not the living dead, but are alive and not doing very well at all. In director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland's 2003 thriller, a strain of Ebola evolves into a highly contagious virus that instantly turns people into mindless beings of insatiable fury, leading to a mostly desolate London. 

Technological Breakdown (Twisted Metal)

As the 1990s were coming to a close, people feared that once we entered the year 2000, all technology would fail, which is similar to the cyber attack that created the dystopian society in Twisted Metal. Peacock's series adaptation of the video game franchise stars Anthony Mackie as a delivery man traveling through the dangerous lands that exist outside of the walled-off fortresses where the last of the world's major cities stand.

Darkseekers (I Am Legend)

One of Will Smith's best movies is 2007's I Am Legend, in which he plays Robert Neville, who believes he is the last human being alive, due to a virus that he helped create in an attempt to cure cancer. Instead, it turned those infected into nocturnal, zombie-like creatures referred to as "Darkseekers" that fed on the immune survivors, leading to the lonely Earth the doctor must endure on his own.

Alien Invasion (Falling Skies)

From producer Steven Spielberg, Falling Skies depicts the aftermath of extra-terrestrials coming to Earth and destroying all major cities, with the sole intention of extracting an Earthly resource that can power their technology. Noah Wyle leads the series, which ran for five seasons on TNT, as a former history professor who becomes a leading figure of mankind's resistance.

Evil Robot (9)

Director Shane Acker's Tim Burton-produced, feature-length adaptation of his animated short 9, which came out in 2009, begins after humanity is no more and the only living beings left are a group of nine sentient rag dolls. They were created by a scientist who was also forced by a fascist leader to build the robotic device that would end mankind known as B.R.A.I.N.

Vampires (The Strain)

In most vampire lore, the creatures typically keep to themselves, waiting until nightfall to feed on, maybe, one or two victims at a time. However, Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse's FX TV show The Strain — also based on their series of novels — sees the bloodsuckers attempt world domination, leaving a small batch of unbitten survivors to hopefully bring light back into the world.

Dragons (Reign Of Fire)

We often associate dragons with stories set in a fantasy world and at a time way before modern technology existed. However, Reign of Fire, starring Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale, imagines a near future in which most of humanity has been wiped out by the large, winged, fire-breathing beasts.

Global Loss Of Electricity (Revolution)

Creator Eric Kripke's NBC series Revolution takes place years after a worldwide blackout leaves humanity in a state of violent disarray. It would later be revealed that a highly advanced computer virus is what caused electricity to become extinct.

A Combination Of Things (This Is The End)

The point of the 2013 apocalyptic comedy This Is The End is really just to see celebrities like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Emma Watson poking fun at themselves. So, Rogen and co-writer and co-director Evan Goldberg do not harm the story one bit by throwing various doomsday scenarios at you, such as the Rapture, earthquakes, a sinkhole, and giant demons.

Virus Carried Through Precipitation (The Rain)

One of the best horror TV shows on Netflix is a Danish import called The Rain, in which the eponymous, common weather pattern becomes humanity's worst fear. The reason being: that anyone who is touched by rainfall immediately contracts a disease that proves deadly for most, but causes bizarre effects for others.

Zombie Outbreak Via Mad Cow Disease (Zombieland)

Most of the best zombie movies do not even bother to explain how the dead rise from their graves and pass on an appetite for human flesh through bites. Leave it to a horror comedy movie like 2009's Zombieland to come up with a source of the carnage, which Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) reveals in his overhead narration to be a mutated strain of Mad Cow Disease.

Global Animal Attacks (Zoo)

Animals lack ego, ambition, and other qualities that keep humanity at the top of the food chain, but what if they suddenly gain a desire to take the planet back? Authors James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge envisioned this scenario in their 2012 novel, Zoo, which was later adapted into a short-lived CBS series of the same name. 

World War III (Equilibrium)

Writer and director Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium imagines a society in which, in the aftermath of a brutal third World War, human emotion is medically suppressed by law, in addition to all art being banned. Yet, when John Preston (Christian Bale), whose profession involves maintaining order in his dystopian society, accidentally misses a dose, the emotional response leads him to join a resistance against his totalitarian state.

Overpopulation And High Pollution (Terra Nova)

With the world's population rising rapidly and the environment suffering as a result, an ordinary family searches for a new place to call home. They find what they need by traveling back to prehistoric times and joining Terra Nova, which is the eponymous colony from Fox's short-lived sci-fi series.

Vanishing Technology And Government (The Postman) 

If you missed the opening caption that indicates The Postman takes place 16 years in the future, you might be quick to assume this dystopian sci-fi flick is just another Kevin Costner-led Western. While the initial cause of the apocalypse in the 1997 thriller is never made clear, its lingering aftermath involves the complete erasure of modern technology, leaving people to travel by horse, for instance, and a rise in neo-feudalism.

Deadly Exposure To Sunlight (Into The Night)

In Netflix's Belgian sci-fi series Into the Night, the radiation from the Sun becomes too intense for humanity to withstand, causing anyone exposed to its light to drop dead where they stood. This event forces a group of airline passengers to fly wherever the sun has not risen for as long as they can.

Nuclear Holocaust (The Book Of Eli)

The desolate world from 2010's The Book of Eli was brought on by a nuclear disaster that caused a wide depletion of most natural resources... and religion, too. Denzel Washington stars in the title role of a drifter on a mission to bring the last Bible in existence to the right people, if he can survive the treacherous dystopian landscape.

Monsterization (Sweet Home)

Netflix's live-action adaptation of the webtoon Sweet Home takes place in a version of South Korea eradicated by a virus that turns humans into bizarre creatures in a process referred to as "monsterization." The series' hero, Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang), becomes infected by this disease in Season 1, but is one of the few to maintain human characteristics amid his transformation.

Alright, let’s have a chat. Say that you’re on a date, hanging out with friends, or maybe you’re just on your own, and the desire to watch a horror movie arises. You’re scared at first because you’ve never watched a horror movie; you don’t know how you’ll react to them. Are they all as terrifying as Midsommar and Hereditary seem to be?

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting. 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films. 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old (2021)

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

Everybody loves a good, harmless prank… emphasis on “harmless.” Unfortunately, not every trick or gag results in a particularly funny outcome — even for the pranksters themselves — and many signature instances of this can be found on the big screen and the small screen. We decided to only count our favorite fictional examples, so do not expect to see any of the real-life victims of Johnny Knoxville or Sacha Baron Cohen among our picks for the most disastrous pranks from movies and TV shows.

Dumping Pig Blood On Carrie (Carrie)

In the iconic climax of Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, bratty Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen) conspires to humiliate Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) by dumping pig blood on her head at prom. Unbeknownst to her, the meek student is telekinetic and the stunt unleashes a rage within her that results in an all-out massacre in the high school gym with very few survivors.

The Prank War (Boy Meets World)

It starts when Cory (Ben Savage) and Shawn (Rider Strong) sneak Rachel's (Maitland Ward) car into her and Angela's (Trina McGree) dorm room. They and Jack (Matthew Lawrence) retaliate by gluing Cory, Shawn, and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) to their desk chairs, dousing them with honey, and letting a bear loose on them. Cory and Shawn's retort, in the form of posting an enlarged, revealing photo of Rachel in the student union, hurts her to tears and nearly ruins the relationship between these characters from the Boy Meets World cast.

Kidnapping Niedermeyer's Horse (National Lampoon's Animal House)

After helping D-Day (Bruce McGill) and Bluto (John Belushi) kidnap a horse belonging to Omega House member Neidermeyer, Flounder (Stephen Furst) is convinced to shoot the animal, not realizing they only put blanks in the pistol. Still, when Flounder shoots upward, the sound gives the horse a fatal heart attack, resulting in one of the darkest gags from National Lampoon's Animal House, which is really saying something.

Lloyd Gives Harry A Laxative (Dumb And Dumber)

To get even with Harry (Jeff Daniels) after learning he spent the day with Mary behind his back, Lloyd (Jim Carrey) puts a heavy dose of laxative in his coffee before he goes to see Mary again. This leads to, easily, the grossest scene from Dumb and Dumber in which Harry ends up violently unloading his waste into Mary's toilet, which he only then discovers is broken.

Getting Back At Mrs. Slater (The House On Sorority Row)

In the 1982 slasher, The House on Sorority Row, seven female college students attempt to prank their house mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt), by stealing her cane and forcing her to retrieve it from their pool herself while holding her at gunpoint. When the older woman retaliates by startling Vicki (Eileen Davidson), she accidentally shoots her, which makes them a target of a killer using her cane as the murder weapon.

Winston Convinces Nick And Jess They Are Evicted (New Girl)

The entire New Girl finale, in which Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel) are forced to leave the loft, was an elaborate prank by Winston (Lamorne Morris). While the couple did successfully find a new place to live, the gang chalks up this gag as an example of when "Prank Sinatra" takes his sense of humor way too far.

Michelle And Natalie's Car Chase Game (Urban Legend)

In a late '90s slasher called Urban Legend, a wave of murders related to popular myths reminds Natalie (Alicia Witt) of a game she played with her high school friend, Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner). The object was to drive without headlights on and chase after the first car to flash its lights at them, which resulted in the death of the other car's driver.

Jim Hides Andy's Cellphone (The Office)

Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is the victim of Jim’s (John Krasinski) best pranks on The Office, but one that backfired a bit was targeted at Andy (Ed Helms) in retaliation for his annoying new ringtone. In the series’ third season, Jim hides the former Stamford Branch salesperson's cell phone in the ceiling and calls it repeatedly, which sends him into a rage that, ultimately, leads him to overreact by punching a hole in the wall.

Squidward Tries To Get Back At SpongeBob (SpongeBob Squarepants)

In an April Fool’s Day episode of one of the best-animated series of all time, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants, Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) decides to get even with his eponymous co-worker (Tom Kenny) simply for enjoying one of his favorite holidays by setting an elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style trap in the Krusty Krab. However, the cantankerous octopus’ prank only causes SpongeBob physical and emotional pain and earns criticism from bystanders, forcing him to apologize.

Flaming Poop Bag Blows Up A Competing Bar (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

A classic example of the aggressively dark humor on FX’s It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in the second season when the gang conspires to get back at a business developer who tries to claim he owns half of Paddy’s. One of their acts of vengeance is throwing a flaming bag of fecal matter into their rival’s property, unaware that there is a gas leak occurring at that moment, which causes an explosion inside.

The Gym Rats Make Melvin Kiss A Sheep (The Toxic Avenger)

After Melvin (Mark Torgl) is tricked into wearing a pink tutu and kissing a sheep he thinks is his crush, Julie (Cindy Manion), the embarrassed gym custodian accidentally runs through a window and falls into a vat of toxic waste. However, you could argue that this had a positive outcome, since the accident transformed him into a grotesque, but powerful, vigilante known as the Toxic Avenger.

Hiding Fish Causes A Deadly Standoff (Dirty Work)

In the cult favorite, 1998 Norm Macdonald movie, Dirty Work, professional revenge artists Mitch (Macdonald) and Sam (Artie Lange) try to make a client's rowdy neighbor's mansion literally smell fishy. When the owner returns with others to complete an illegal business deal, the buyer points out the odor, which the seller assumes is a signal that he is being set up, leading to a bloody massacre offscreen.

The Haunted Rock Quarry (Trick 'R Treat)

One of the most chilling segments from the 2007 anthology horror movie classic, Trick 'R Treat, sees Rhonda (Samm Todd) in hysterics by fellow-trick-or-treaters pretending to be the vengeful spirits of children who died at the bottom of a local quarry years earlier. Rhonda gets the last laugh, however, when she leaves the pranksters to die as the actual spirits of the murdered kids emerge to attack them.

Bart's Exploding Duff Can (The Simpsons)

Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) is one of pop culture’s most legendary pranksters, but one of his biggest bombs occurred in an April Fool’s Day episode of The Simpsons as fate would have it. He shakes up a can of Duff so vigorously that, when Homer (Dan Castellaneta) cracks it open, it literally blows the roof off their house.

A Flaming Halloween Prank Leads To Victor Crowley's Death (Hatchet)

A horror movie villain we have some sympathy for is Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), whose brutal murder streak in the Hatchet franchise is out of vengeful retaliation for the cruel Halloween prank that inadvertently led to his demise. When the grotesquely deformed man becomes trapped in his house as it is lit on fire by trick-r-treaters, his father (also played by Hodder) uses a hatched to break in and save him, but accidentally kills him with the tool instead.

Geoffrey Thinks He Won The Lottery (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

In Season 3 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will (Will Smith) and Carlton (Alfonso Ribiero) convince Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) that he won a $26 million jackpot, to which he excitedly responds by resigning as the Banks’ live-in servant. This forces the cousins to come clean about their trick (achieved by playing him a tape of the previous week’s lottery reading and buying a ticket with corresponding numbers), to which he responds by nearing choking them to death.

Aiden And Mia Convince Grace They Are Dead (The Lodge)

In many great horror movies, the inciting incident or entire plot revolves around a prank gone awry and a most devastating example is 2020’s The Lodge. The major reveal of the holiday horror movie is that Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) successfully convince their father’s girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough), that they are all in purgatory, but are unable to get her to realize it was a joke, leading the unstable cult survivor to shoot their dad (Richard Armitage) under the belief that he has also joined them in the afterlife upon his return to the cabin. 

Frasier's Clown Costume Gives His Dad A Heart Attack (Frasier)

To get back at his father, Martin (John Mahoney), for spooking him earlier, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) sneaks up on him dressed as a killer clown. The gag works too well, causing the startled Martin to end up in the hospital with a mild heart attack.

Scott And Cartman's Prank War (South Park)

It probably came as no surprise to South Park fans that a series of retaliative pranks between Scott Tenorman (voiced by Toby Morton) and Eric Cartman (Trey Parker) would lead to extreme circumstances, but just how it came to be was shockingly absurd. After Scott tries to trick Cartman into eating his body hair, Cartman gets even by tricking Scott into eating his own parents.

Columbus Gets Spooked By Bill Murray In Zombie Makeup (Zombieland)

The 2009 horror-comedy classic Zombieland features one of the most memorable Bill Murray cameos, especially for the tragic turn it takes when he tries to sneak up on Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). Because the comedy legend’s disguise as a walking corpse is so convincing that, Columbus ends up shooting him in the chest, ending his life for real.

Joey Gets His Head Stuck In A Turkey (Friends)

In one of the best Friends episodes set on Thanksgiving, a flashback reveals a time when Joey (Matt LeBlanc) placed his head inside the dinner’s main course and could not take it off. He explains to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) that he put the turkey on in the first place in hopes it would scare Chandler (Matthew Perry).

Lewis And Fuller Accidentally Prank A Psychopath (Joy Ride)

The 2001 thriller Joy Ride stars Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski as three road-trippers stalked by a sadistic trucker known as Rusty Nail (voiced by Ted Levine), but really have no one to blame but themselves for the ordeal. Walker and Zahn’s characters, Lewis and Fuller, played a practical joke on Rusty Nail — posing as a woman on CB radio and luring him to a racist businessman’s motel room — that he clearly did not find funny.

Liz's Fake Birthday Kidnapping Results In Her Death (Jawbreaker)

One of the darkest high school movies of the ‘90s is Jawbreaker, in which a clique of popular young men (Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Rebecca Gayheart) decides to surprise their fourth member, Liz (Charlott Ayanna), with a birthday dinner by pretending to kidnap her and throwing her in the trunk of a car. However, they are the ones who end up being surprised when they discover that, on the way, she choked to death on the titular piece of candy.

Max's War On Bullies (Max Keeble's Big Move)

When he learns he is moving by the end of his first week at school, the title character of Max Keeble's Big Move (Alex Linz) decides to get back at his bullies with, not just one prank, but a series of elaborate and uproarious gags. Unfortunately, when his dad quits his job, allowing his family to stay home instead, all of Max's tormentors come for him at once. At least his friends come through and help save him from a grisly fate.

Scaring Cropsy (The Burning)

The 1981 slasher The Burning follows a former summer camp caretaker named Cropsy, who seeks murderous vengeance years after he was the victim of a prank gone awry by a group of campers. An attempt to scare Cropsy by placing a burning, bug-infested skull near his bed works too well, resulting in an inferno that engulfs his cabin and leaves him horribly disfigured.

Just About All Of Junior's Mischievous Acts (The Problem Child Movies)

Dennis the Menace and Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister may be the more famous mischievous youngsters, but pop culture’s true, most fearsome troublemaker might be Junior (Michael Oliver) from 1990’s Problem Child and its sequel from the following year. The seven-year-old wreaks havoc by throwing the family cat on his grandfather (which ends him up in the hospital) and turning the propane on his new neighbor’s gas-powered barbecue pit high enough to cause an explosion.

Booker Thinks He Saw A U.F.O. (The Famous Jett Jackson)

On Disney Channel’s The Famous Jett Jackson, Jett (Lee Thompson Young), Kayla (Kerry Duff), and J.B. (Ryan Sommer Baum) mess with a working flying saucer prop from the Silverstone set that ends up hovering over Booker (Andrew Tarbet). While the trio never intended to prank him with it, they indulge in the opportunity when the deputy appears visibly shocked by the sight. However, they come to regret it when Booker spreads the word and causes a ruckus across town that ends up costing him his job.

Rachel Teaches Ben The Art Of Pranking (Friends)

Desperate to find some way to relate to young Ben (Cole Sprouse), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) shows him some of the ways she and her siblings used to mess with each other in their youth, such as putting saran wrap around the toilet. Rachel ends up in the dog house, though, when Ben’s gags begin to upset his father, Ross (David Schwimmer), and mother, Carol (Jane Sibbet).

The Badger At Cece's Wedding (New Girl)

In the Season 2 finale of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) wants to sabotage Cece’s (Hannah Simone) wedding to Shivrang (Satya Bhabha) and enlists the help of “Prank Sinatra,” Winston, who conspires to drop a live badger onto the officiant from inside the venue’s vents. Unfortunately, he and Nick never get that far into the plan because they get trapped in the vents with the badger after it springs loose from his crate.

A Crank Call Leads To Manslaughter And Murder (Don't Hang Up)

In the 2017 thriller, Don't Hang Up, Sam (Gregg Sulkin) and Brady (Garret Culkin) convince a woman over the phone that there is an intruder in her home and, unwittingly, reveal the truth only after she had dropped the phone. Hearing someone that she believes is the intruder, she fatally shoots them before discovering it was her own daughter entering the house. This incident makes Sam and Brady the target of a cruel killer who punishes pranksters like them.

The Haunted Warehouse (The Office)

As part of the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch's Halloween haunted house attraction, Michael (Steve Carell) suspends himself from the ceiling with a fake noose around his neck, absolutely traumatizing their young guests. The cold open proved controversial in real life, too, and has since been removed from the episode, called “Koi Pond,” wherever The Office is available to stream.

Faking Megan's Death Proves Fatal (Sorority Row)

The inciting incident of the 2009 slasher, Sorority Row (a reimagining of 1982's The House on Sorority Row), is a prank to punish Garrett (Matt O'Leary) for cheating on Megan (Audrina Patridge) by convincing him he killed her. However, he ends up killing her for real by mortally wounding her with a tire iron.

It should go without saying, but you should be careful about who you prank and how you prank them. If you don’t believe us, just check out these examples of pranks from movies and TV for reference.

Zombie movies have become one of the most beloved genres of films today. With hit shows like The Walking Dead dominating the ratings in recent years, it's no surprise that the genre has an enduring legacy that goes back decades. Rotten Tomatoes is a great resource for finding out what the critics think, but we've added our own flavor to this list of the best zombies out there. 

1. One Cut Of The Dead (2017) - 100%

It's a little bit of a surprise to see One Cut of the Dead at #1 on the list, but that's not because it's bad. It's a great movie, a very meta movie. It's a low-budget movie from Japan about the cast and crew filming a low-budget zombie. As the crew starts to turn, they decide to use the "real" zombies for the film. It's a great commentary on the genre and landing at #1 shows just how well done it is, despite the minuscule budget. 

2. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) - 95%

You can't argue with a classic, and there isn't a more classic zombie movie, or indeed, horror movie, than George A. Romero's Night Of The Living Dead. It's the movie that really invented the modern genres. It may have been controversial in its day, but there is nothing controversial about calling it one of the best of all time today. 

3. Train To Busan (2017) - 95%

In what has to be one of the deadliest zombie movies of all time, the Korean movie Train to Busan comes in at #3 on the list of Rotten Tomatoes' best zombie movies. The entire movie takes place on a train as the zombie apocalypse breaks out. It adds an element of claustrophobia to the already terrifying situation and it's remarkably effective, as are the zombies. 

4. Re-Animator (1985) - 94%

1985's Re-Animator is a stone-cold classic when it comes to low-budget horror. It's had an enduring legacy, including sequels and spinoffs in other media. It's funny, and gory in the best ways. It fits right in with movies like Evil Dead and The Toxic Avenger from the same era and should considered a must-see for fans of zombie flicks. 

5. Dawn Of The Dead (1978) - 91%

George A Romero is the godfather of the zombie genre, and his follow-up to Night of the Living Dead is an excellent example of why. It took him ten years to get the sequel made, but it was worth the wait, as it's at least as good, if not better than the first movie in the series.  

6. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - 92%

As much a love letter to George A. Romero and a comedy as it is a zombie movie, Shaun of the Dead became an instant classic when it was released. It's not about being scared, it's about a deep appreciation for the genre and how funny it can be when presented in the abstract. Simon Pegg, who co-wrote the movie with director Edgar Wright, stars alongside his pal Nick Frost in a movie sure to have you rolling on the floor, laughing. 

7. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - 91%

The Return of the Living Dead is notable for lots of reasons, but the biggest one has to be that it's the first to introduce what has since become a classic trope – brain-eating zombies. Believe it or not, it's considered the first to introduce the idea that has become standard fare for the genre, and even if it wasn't as funny and as cool as it is, it would be on any list of the best. 

8. Blood Quantum (2019) - 89%

It's rare for zombie movies to mix in political messages, but Blood Quantum does it, and does it well. Set in Canada, Blood Quantum's twist is that the indigenous First Nations people are immune to the disease that causes the zombie outbreak, so while there is plenty of good zombie action, there is an underlying message that sets it apart from much of its brethren.  

9. Rec (2007) - 90%

Zombie movies aren't just a North American thing, of course. From Spain comes 2007's Rec which uses the idea of "found footage" much like The Blair Witch Project. It's pretty much all contained in one apartment complex in Barcelona, Spain and is full of jump scares and thrilling moments. 

10. Zombieland (2009) - 89%

Director Ruben Fleischer hit one out of the (amusement) park with his debut film Zombieland. Not only is the movie a hilarious take on the genre, but it features one of the most out-of-blue appearances by Bill Murray, playing a zombified version of himself. Without Murray it's an A+ movie, with him, it's simply out of this world. 

11. Dead Alive (1992) - 89%

Right before director Peter Jackson hit the big time with Heavenly Creatures in 1994, he directed the low-budget zombie flick Dead Alive, which was originally called Braindead in his native New Zealand. The movie bombed at the box office but has since gained a huge cult following, hence its inclusion on this list. 

12. 28 Days Later (2002) - 87%

If you are director Danny Boyle, how do you follow-up to Trainspotting and The Beach? With a zombie movie, naturally.  28 Days Later is a terrifying movie, starring a young Cillian Murphy as one of the few survivors of the zombie apocalypse in London. The deserted streets of London were as spooky as anything ever done on film. 

13. The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) - 85%

One thing you have to love about a good zombie movie is what they call the zombies. In The Girl with All the Gifts, they are called "hungries" which has to be one of the best names ever. The other cool twist is that a zombie is also a savior, one that can save the world, or destroy it. 

14. The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016) - 86%

The Autopsy of Jane Doe is unique for zombie movies in that it's almost completely contained in one place, and really just one zombie, Jane Doe, who has been a zombie for centuries, presumably taking regular people out for all that time, including the two protagonists here, doing the autopsy. 

15. Day Of The Dead (1985) - 87%

When it comes to zombie movies, George A. Romeo's movies still remain the king, even Day of the Dead, which is generally considered one of the "weaker" movies in his zombie series but is still one of the best of the genre. There is nothing weak about it when you aren't comparing it to some of his other masterpieces. 

16. I Walked With A Zombie (1943) - 85%

Taking it way back, I Walked with a Zombie, is one of the earliest zombie movies out of Hollywood. The low-budget horror flick wasn't appreciated in its day but has since been regarded as a pioneer in the genre. The zombies come from voodoo rituals, rather than the more recent tradition of a disease or something more sci-fi-based, but that only makes it scarier in a way. 

17. Warm Bodies (2013) - 81%

Warm Bodies has two of the best twists on the zombie genre we've ever seen. First, it's from the zombie's perspective, and two, the zombie heals and becomes more human. R (Nicholas Hoult) is a zombie who falls in love with Julia (Teresa Palmer) and after saving her, they begin a romance, humanizing R along the way. A zombie love story, if you will. 

18. Little Monsters (2019) - 79%

There might be a little recency bias with the Rotten Tomato ranking of Little Monsters. It's a fun movie, no doubt, and it's funny, but it's not bringing a lot of new ideas to the genre. Lupita Nyong'o and Josh Gad are great, no question, and mixing rom-com tropes into a zombie movie is interesting, but it's not as good as some of the others on this list if you love zombie movies. 

19. Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - 76%

Remakes are always a little hit or miss. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. For the 2004 remake of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, first-time director Zach Snyder teamed up with James Gunn to make one heck of a good remake. It's not quite as classic as the original, but it's still well worth any fan of the genre's time. 

20. Wild Zero (1999) - 100%

The Japanese film Wild Zero is, frankly, wild, as the name implies. The zombie part kind of comes out of nowhere, and while it fits in the madness of the movie, it adds a strange dimension to it. Rock 'n Roll zombies will save the world. 

21. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) - 88%

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is easily the most innocent and kid-friendly entry on this list. That said, it's a little different than traditional Scooby fare, as there are actual monsters, or zombies, not just the old man living in the abandoned amusement park. It's also notable and it kicked off the new era of Scooby movies and shows that have continued to this day. 

22. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) - 86%

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is a classic that many fans of the zombie genre may have overlooked. The Italian film, set in England was released in 1974 and has a very European take on the genre. The unique spin here is that it's essentially set up as a murder mystery, with the undead as the murderers, not the innocent living who are suspected. 

23. Deathdream (1974) - 85%

Deathdream is unique in that it's a zombie movie with a political message. Released in 1974 towards the end of the Vietnam War, the movie is about an undead son who is struck down in Vietnam but returns home, seemingly ok. He's not ok, but it takes some time for his family to realize it. 

24. Juan Of The Dead (2010) - 83%

Great zombie movies can come from just about anywhere, including Cuba, as is the case of Juan of the Dead. It follows two men who discover the first walking dead while fishing, but not the last, as a zombie apocalypse breaks out on the island, mirroring in some ways the past revolution, as they see it, anyway. 

25. Night Of The Comet (1984) - 79%

Anyone who grew up with cable TV in the 1980s knows, and probably loves, Night of the Comet. The movie aired on cable all the time and while it was a huge box office hit, it really found its stride later, when it became a cult classic. It tells the story of the last few survivors of an apocalyptic event when Earth passes through the tail of a comet, rendering most of the world's population dead or undead. 

26. Planet Terror (2007) - 77%

Robert Rodriguez's take on zombies, Planet Terror, is exactly what you would expect from the From Dusk Till Dawn director. It's funny and full of wild, over-the-top action. Released as a double feature with Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, it is sublimely silly and action-packed. 

27. Night Of The Creeps (1986) - 73%

The best thing about Night of the Creeps is that it doesn't try to be something more than it is. It's a first-rate B movie that doesn't pretend to be anything different. It's the directorial debut of one of the best horror creators of his generation, Fred Dekker, and is worth seeking out if you love campy B movies.  

28. Versus (2000) - 75%

Japan has produced some great, campy zombie movies, like 2000's Versus. It combines the best of horror and king fu movies, resulting in a cult classic that has stood the test of time. 

29. 28 Weeks Later (2007) - 75%

Normally, when a sequel comes around that doesn't include the creators of the original, it's best to steer clear. 28 Weeks Later is an exception to that rule, though. Even though Danny Boyle doesn't direct it, and Cillian Murphy doesn't star in it, the sequel to 28 Days Later brings all the same vibes and scares that the original does. 

30. Final Cut (2022) - 72%

Final Cut is a remake of a movie, in which a movie crew is remaking a movie of the fictional movie that the crew in the original was making. Got it? Very meta, right? This French remake of the Japanese zombie film One Cut of the Dead isn't as good as the original, but it's still really funny. 

31. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) - 68%

Zombieland: Double Tap is about what you would expect from a sequel of this kind. It's not as good as the original Zombieland, it doesn't quite have the charm, nor the originality, but it's a worthy successor in the series. Is it a must-see? Only if you really love the first one.

32. Army Of Thieves (2021) - 68%

Critics of Army of Thieves called the film's plot unoriginal, and that's fair. It's not the unique zombie flick on this list, nor is close to the best. It's a prequel to Army of the Dead directed by, and starring, Matthias Schweighöfer, alongside Nathalie Emmanuel. They both do a great job with it, and it's worth watching if you love zombie movies, but it doesn't need to be at the top of anyone's list. 

It's a little surprising that some of the more well-known zombie movies like Army of the Dead, World War Z, and Resident Evil don't make this list, but then again, there are a lot of great zombie movies out there. 

Everyone gets excited when a big-name star randomly appears in a movie for a cameo. Sometimes they are only there for a couple of lines, sometimes they get a little more. Sometimes they are playing themselves, or versions of themselves, and sometimes they are playing an actual character. The moment is always fleeting and wonderful regardless of the time on screen and whoever they are playing. Here's a list of some of the most amazing examples of celebrity cameos. Warning, this story does have spoilers. 

Bob Barker - Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore will forever be one of Adam Sandler's best movies, but the whole thing is almost stolen by one short appearance by the late, great Bob Barker, former host of The Price Is Right. For poor Happy, the price is wrong.

Neil Patrick Harris - Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle

In Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, Neil Patrick Harris plays an unbelievably funny exaggerated version of himself. He might just be the funniest part of the movie and while it's obvious he's playing himself as a character, the audience can't help but believe it, if just for the moments he's on screen. The cameo was so successful that Harris returned for the sequels. 

Bill Murray - Zombieland

Bill Murray's cameo towards the end of Zombieland is perfect. Not only does he play a zombie version of himself, but audiences are treated to a quick snippet of the Ghostbusters theme song. It's truly brilliant. 

Channing Tatum - This Is The End

Pretty much the whole cast of This Is The End feels like stars doing cameos. All the actors are playing ridiculous versions of themselves and there are a lot of stars. To pick one though, is easy. Channing Tatum as a prisoner at the end is just fantastic. He's got about one line, and for most of the scene, he's wearing a wrestling mask. You have to love any star willing to do what Tatum did here. 

Luke Hemsworth - Thor: Ragnarok

The first cameo audiences spot in the play-inside-the-movie in Thor: Ragnarok is, of course, Matt Damon as Loki. It's not as obvious who is playing Thor and many were confused because it looked so much like Chris Hemsworth. Well, that's because it was his brother, Westworld star Luke Hemsworth. 

David Bowie - Zoolander

David Bowie was no stranger to the screen. The musical legend was landing acting gigs early in his career and had major roles in Twin Peaks, Labyrinth, and The Last Temptation of Christ among others. His cameo in Zoolander is by far the funniest though. 

Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis - The Player

Robert Altman's The Player has an amazing 65 cameos in it, so how do you choose just one? It's actually pretty easy. There is a running joke through the movie as writers and producers pitch their projects to studio head Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) that they all want Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis to star in it. In the final scene, who pops up in the movie-in-a-movie? That's right Willis and Roberts themselves. 

Keith Richards - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End

Johnny Depp based his legendary character Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films at least partly on another legend, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. It only makes sense that Richards himself would appear as Captain Teague in Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, who audiences would learn is Sparrow's father, because of course he is.  

Jimmy Buffett - Jurassic World

In a true "blink and you'll miss it" cameo, Jimmy Buffett is seen doing, what else, protecting his margarita during a dinosaur attack in Jurassic World. 

Jerry O'Connell - Can’t Hardly Wait

Trip McNeely! Jerry O'Connell's role in Can't Hardly Wait is more myth and legend than character, actually. Former high school stud Trip McNeely is spoken with great reverence throughout the movie, so when he does show as a sort of pathetic college freshman, it's all the more wonderful. 

Matt Damon - Eurotrip

This one might be the most unexpected and therefore funniest on the list. Matt Damon showing up as the singer of a power punk band singing about what Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) doesn't know is now a classic moment on film. Don't tell Scotty. 

Topher Grace - Ocean’s Eleven

When audiences first meet Brad Pitt's character in Ocean's Eleven, he's teaching Hollywood stars how to play cards and his main client is none other than That '70s Show star Topher Grace (playing himself). Unfortunately, Grace is really terrible at learning, it seems, but it's very funny.  

Keanu Reeves - Always Be My Maybe

Keanu Reeves is one of the most beloved Hollywood stars and it's because of moments like when he randomly shows up in the Netflix romcom Always Be My Maybe as Sasha's (Ali Wong) new boyfriend. It's only one scene, but there's a reason it's the most talked about scene in the movie. 

Johnny Depp - 21 Jump Street

Johnny Depp clearly appreciates where he got his start, which was, of course, on the Fox show 21 Jump Street. It was in the spirit of that appreciation that Depp returned to the role of Officer Tom Hanson alongside his former co-star on the show, Peter DeLuise in the 2012 movie based on the show starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. 

Brad Pitt - Deadpool 2

By far the quickest cameo on this list is Brad Pitt's maybe one second appearance in Deadpool 2. It's the definition a "blink and you'll miss it" moment when Pitt's character, who says nothing and is in fact invisible for most of the movie, gets zapped by electrical wires, revealing the actor in just a few brilliant frames that had audiences gasping with excitement. 

Hugh Jackman - X-Men: First Class

Hugh Jackman loves playing Wolverine. A regular in the X-Men movies, his character isn't a big part of the origin story film X-Men: First Class but the filmmakers still found a brilliant way to work Wolverine in. As Dr. X and Magneto recruit mutants for the X-Men, they find Wolverine in a bar but his terse response when they ask him to join makes it clear he's not interested. At least not yet. 

Daniel Craig - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Only the Star Wars franchise could get a star as big as Daniel Craig to have a brief cameo in which his face is never seen. It was obviously a lot of fun for the James Bond star to show up in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, though Craig really hated the stormtrooper suit he had to wear for the scene. 

Kevin Bacon - Planes, Trains And Automobiles

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is one of John Candy's best movies, but before we even meet his character, there is a quick scene that surprisingly includes Kevin Bacon. As Steve Martin searches for a cab on a busy New York City street, he spies Bacon's unnamed character from across the street and races him to the cab. 

Stan Lee - Mallrats

There is no one in Hollywood with more cameos than the great Stan Lee. Before his death in 2018, the comic book writer appeared in more than 40 films and TV shows based on the Marvel comic books he was such a huge part of creating. But it's his appearance in Mallrats that came before them all, playing himself. Lee also shows up in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement as a wedding guest. 

Will Ferrell - Wedding Crashers

It takes guts to cast Will Ferrell in a cameo because he might just steal the show. In Wedding Crashers, you could argue he did. There isn't a more meme'd cameo on the internet than Farrell's character in the movie yelling "Mom! Where's the meatloaf??"

Bruce Springsteen - High Fidelity

It makes sense that in a movie that is all about great music, one of the greatest musicians of all time would make a cameo. Such is the case in High Fidelity when Bruce Springsteen shows up in one of Rob Gordon's (John Cusack) dreams about his top five exes and offers some sage advice. 

Martin Sheen - Hot Shots! Part Deux

Hot Shots: Part Deux is, by design, a silly, surreal comedy. One of the most surreal moments is when Charlie Sheen's character is traveling up a Southeast Asian river, satirizing Apocalypse Now, which, of course, starred his father, Martin Sheen. Suddenly, the voice-over changes from Charlie to Martin and the look both look up from their respective boats and yell to each other, "I LOVED YOU IN WALL STREET," which they starred in together. Very meta. 

Ben Stiller - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

In one Anchorman scene, there is a rumble between the competing news teams on the various San Diego networks. Each anchorman is a star. Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, and Tim Robbins show up with their respective teams, but it's when Ben Stiller shows up with the Spanish network that things get especially ridiculous and it's hilarious. 

Stephen King - It Chapter 2

Stephen King, like Stan Lee, pops up quite a bit in stories and books of his that have been adapted on screen. Going all the way to the early '80s with movies like Creepshow, and Pet Sematary, King has had cameos (and larger roles) in many of his stories. He even directed one, Maximum Overdrive, based on his short story "Trucks", though that isn't always fondly remembered, though it should be. In more recent years, he made a great cameo in It Chapter 2.

Madonna - Die Another Day

It's no surprise that Madonna would be picked to record a James Bond theme song, which she was for Die Another Day, though her Bond theme does not rank all that highly for most fans. In a rarer occurrence, the singer of the theme also got a cameo in the movie. Madonna plays a fencing coach who works with Pierce Brosnan's version of the British super spy. Let's be real, she was actually better acting in the movie, than singing in it.  

Micheal Jackson - Men In Black II

If there is any perfect role for late-era Michael Jackson, an alien that can't quite make it in the MIB fits the bill. The King of Pop only has about half a minute of screen time, and it almost feels like AI, even if that technology only existed in the Terminator universe at that point. It's a weird cameo, but it's kinda perfect. 

Elon Musk - Iron Man 2

It's definitely one of the weirder entries on this list. In the scene in Iron Man 2, in the very early days of the greater MCU, none other than the electric car-driving rocketman and X boss Elon Musk shows up for a brief cameo. Predictably, the tech entrepreneur wants to meet with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) about some ideas he has. 

Quentin Tarantino - Sleep With Me

If you take yourself back to September 1994, Quentin Tarantino is not yet the legend he has become since. A few weeks before Pulp Fiction set the cinema world on fire, Tarantino popped up in a small art film called Sleep With Me. Despite the very fine cast that includes Meg Tilly, Eric Stolz, and Parker Posey, among others, the film isn't really remembered all that fondly. Except for one scene. Tarantino delivers, in a very Tarantino way, a fantastic diatribe about the script for Top Gun and what it really meant. It's pure genius and while he doesn't get credit as a writer, it's exactly what you'd expect from him. 

Dan Aykroyd - Casper

Here's a good trivia question for you: How many times has Dan Aykroyd played his Ghostbusters character, Ray Stance, on the silver screen? Though there are three previously released Ghostbusters movies, the answer is four.  Aykroyd randomly shows up in the mostly forgotten movie Casper from 1995 as the two main characters are desperate to rid their house of ghosts. 

David Letterman - Cabin Boy

David Letterman is one of the most famous television stars in America, but weirdly, he was never really an actor. In fact, according to IMDB, he's only credited with one role in a movie in which he wasn't playing himself or in archival footage. That movie is the absurdist and, frankly, weird movie, Cabin Boy. It makes sense as it stars Late Night With David Letterman regular Chris Elliott and is directed by a writer from the show, Adam Resnick. It's... not a great movie, but it's worth watching for Letterman's one short scene when he attempts to sell Elliott's character a monkey. 

Mike Tyson - The Hangover

Mike Tyson’s part in The Hangover is one of the best of all time. Not only does the former boxing champion knockout Ed Helms, but he brings his tiger along for the cameo! Let’s get real, every movie could be a little better with a surprise Mike Tyson appearance. 

Sean Connery - Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

In the summer of 1991, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves was everywhere. Not only was it the second biggest movie at the box that year, but the Bryan Adams theme “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”  spent almost the whole summer at number one on the Billboard charts. Somehow through all that, the movie's best-kept secret, Sean Connery’s uncredited cameo as King Richard, stayed a surprise for most moviegoers. Ah, those pre-internet days! 

A good cameo can make otherwise mediocre movies fun, and make good movies great if placed perfectly, like all the great ones on this list. 

When I’m not in a theme park, I spend my time wishing I was in a theme park. While that usually means getting a look at somebody on social media at Disneyland and wishing I was there as well, the feeling isn’t limited to real theme parks. When I see a fictional theme park in a movie or TV series I feel largely the same way. And, perhaps the feeling is worse because that’s a place I’ll never even be able to go.

Sometimes, when a movie needs a theme park or amusement park for the story, they visit someplace real, even Disneyland has played itself in a couple of films. Sometimes a real park becomes a stand-in for something invented. Other times the fictional theme park is entirely invented, and thus has no restraints in its creation, which of course, makes it seem like the greatest theme park ever.

Walley World (National Lampoon's Vacation)

The greatest of all fictional theme parks has to be National Lampoon’s Vacation’s Walley World. It’s the ultimate destination vacation, as the movie is entirely about the attempts to simply get there. Of course, when they do, they discover the park is closed. Imagine getting to Orlando to discover not only closed Disney World attractions but a closed park.

Walley World is very literally inspired by Disneyland. However, Six Flags Magic Mountain was the park used to create Walley World in the original Vacation, and Magic Mountain is an excellent park, especially if you’re a serious roller coaster enthusiast. But, there’s something about the anticipation that builds up in the movie for Walley World that even the real Magic Mountain couldn’t possibly provide. Also, Magic Mountain doesn’t have a ridiculous Moose mascot.

Spooky Island (Scooby-Doo)

If there’s anything that Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights have taught us, it’s that horror and theme parks go great together. Universal is going so far as to build a permanent Horror Nights’ inspired spot in Las Vegas, but wouldn’t it be great if there was an entire, full-sized, theme park dedicated to horror? This is why Spooky Island from the Scooby-Doo movie would be so great to visit.

Entire attractions dedicated to horror themes, and even a Spooky Hotel, would have made Spooky Island a great place for horror fans to go, assuming there wasn’t somebody trying to steal your actual soul while you were on vacation. 

Luna Park (Futurama)

There are several reasons that Futurama’s Luna Park is a theme park we’re desperate to visit. First off, it’s on the freaking moon. Maybe people in the future will find a theme park on the moon so common as to be dull, but we’re with Fry. It’s a theme park… on the moon. How could you not want to go? Also, Whalers on the Moon looks like fun.

Luna Park is also a fantastic park because, for all its futuristic elements, it’s also a total throwback. Luna Park was one of the first American amusement parks, built on Coney Island in the early 1900s. It also, perhaps not coincidently, included a “trip to the Moon” attraction. The symmetry is too good to pass up. 

WonderWorld (Beverly Hills Cop III)

In a lot of ways, the theme park in Beverly Hills Cop III could be just any park. It was primarily shot at Northern California’s Paramount’s (now California’s) Great America, which (though it has seen better days more recently) was a nice enough place at the time. However, the film goes hard to make WonderWorld a true rival to Disneyland, making it a place that would be worth checking out.

WonderWorld has a full cast of original animal mascot characters like Mickey Mouse and his friends, and the park even has its own theme song, which was brilliantly written by Richard and Bob Sherman, the same duo responsible for some of the most popular Disneyland music, like the iconic “It’s a Small World” and the music of the Enchanted Tiki Room. That elevates WonderWorld beyond a simple theme park and into something quite special. 

Pacific Playland (Zombieland)

If I found myself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, I wouldn’t even need to be told there was a theme park or amusement park free of the undead before I headed there. I honestly can’t think of a place I’d rather spend the end of my days. Even if the rides aren’t actually working it would still be a lot of fun to hang out. 

Pacific Playland is the destination for our band of heroes in Zombieland, and somewhat surprisingly, it actually is the zombie-free haven they believed it would be. They get inside and get to hang out and have some fun while zombies simply look on from outside the fence. Living in a theme park is literally the dream. It's why Disney is now building planned communities. It doesn’t work out in the movie, but now that you’ve seen it, if the zombies do come you know what not to do.

Action Point (Action Point)

Action Point, from the movie of the same name, is a bit of a cheat when it comes to fictional theme parks because, while it was filmed in South Africa, Action Point is based on a very real place, New Jersey’s Action Park, which became infamous for its attractions that were deemed so thrilling that many were legitimately dangerous.

Still, there was a reason that so many flocked to Action Park. There was truly nothing else quite like it, and the fact that the park no longer exists, in reality, makes the fictional version from Action Point that much more enticing. How bad could it be? After all our Action Point review said the movie version was quite good.

Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park/Jurassic World)

Is there a greater movie theme park than Jurassic Park? Yes, when the dinosaurs get loose people get eaten and that’s terrible. But other than that I mean? In Jurassic World, it’s clear that the park has been running for years without incident and that is the park that we need to actually exist. 

The park looks massive, and the attractions are incredible. Oh, and also, it’s full of freaking dinosaurs. Who could possibly pass that up, even if there’s a slight chance you might get eaten?

When theme parks do their job, they make you feel like you've been transported to another place. The same is true of a great movie. So, theme parks in movies, when done well, must have even more magic to make us want to visit them.

What makes an R-rated movie? Is it crass and foul language? What about nudity? Violence, too? Or it could be a combination of these different elements, which is often the case for some of the best comedies of all time. 

Below is a list of 25 R-rated comedies that really earned their R-ratings, either because of language, nudity, violence, or simply because the subject matter was too harsh for audiences under a certain age. With classics like Blazing Saddles and modern gems like The Hangover, and just about everything in between, here are some of the raunchiest comedies and why the MPA felt they should be “restricted” at the box office, but not enough to earn the dreaded NC-17 rating.

The Hangover (2009)

Todd Phillips’ The Hangover pushed the limits of the R-rating in 2009 with its pervasive language, all kinds of references to drugs, violence, sex talk, and even some full-frontal nudity involving Ken Jeong. Those elements, along with a fun story about a group of guys who lose their friend in Las Vegas right before he’s set to get married, created one of the most popular comedies of the century as well as the most successful R-rated comedy of all time, per BoxOfficeMojo.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Most likely the first Mel Brooks movie that comes to mind, Blazing Saddles is often considered one of those movies that could never be made today. And there’s a good reason for that: Brooks already made the classic Western comedy in 1974. But seriously, this legendary R-rated comedy is full of racist, sexist, and straight-up dirty language, has all kinds of references to sex, violence, and so much more. But, what more would you expect from a script co-written by the late, great Richard Pryor?

American Pie (1999)

Undoubtedly the biggest teen sex comedy of the 1990s, American Pie took the world by storm in 1999, especially for those who had to sneak into the living room while their older brother and his friends were watching it. From the scrambled porn opening scene to the infamous apple pie moment, there are plenty of reasons the movie about a group of high school seniors trying to lose their virginity earned an R-rating.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Though David Wain’s teen comedy parody, Wet Hot American Summer, doesn’t push the boundaries like other movies on this list, the 2001 movie about the counselors and campers of Camp Firewood does have one sequence that earns its R-rating: the “Going into town” scene. In the span of three minutes, we go from a library to an alley where the counselors buy cocaine, rob an elderly woman, and shoot up heroin in a drug den that looks like something out of Trainspotting. As quickly as it starts, the scene ends and the teens go back to camp as if nothing happened. Classic. 

Bridesmaids (2011)

Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids is another movie on this list that is on the softer side of the R-rating, but this raunchy 2011 comedy starring Kristen Wiig (who also co-wrote the script) and Maya Rudolph more than earns its restricted classification. The food poisoning scene, especially when Rudoph’s character is pooping in the street, might not be too extreme, but the sexual references and crass language throughout the two-hour comedy were what made this modern classic too much for younger audiences.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

One of the best Eddie Murphy comedies, the Martin Brest-directed Beverly Hills Cop also happens to be one of greatest buddy cop movies, and comedies in general, of all time. Murphy’s turn as Axel Foley, a reckless Detroit police detective who goes to Los Angeles to solve the murder of his best friend, is definitely what gives this movie its R-rating, considering his constant barrage of profanity would be enough to lose a PG-13 classification in his first scene alone.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Nicholas Stoller’s comedy about a composer who goes on a Hawaiian vacation following his high-profile breakup with a famous actress, only to discover she’s at the same resort with her new boyfriend, was one of the biggest surprises of 2008. The language and situations found in Jason Segel’s script were enough to make this romp R-rated, but the two scenes where the actor is seen fully naked is what pushes it over the edge.

Friday (1995)

One of the best ‘90s comedies, F. Gary Gray’s Friday follows Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) over the course of a single day, a day in which they get incredibly stoned, survive a drive-by, and take on neighborhood bully, Deebo (Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr.). With language totally not suitable for younger audiences (unless they’re watching the USA Network edit), constant drug references, and one of the most brutal fights, there are plenty of reasons this 1995 comedy earned an R-rating.

Booksmart (2019)

Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart took the teen coming-of-age/sex comedy premise and flipped it on its head in 2019 with a hilarious and crude yet incredibly heartfelt story about two girls who finally decide to come out of their shells on the last day of school. Drug use, cursing, sexual situations, and other things often associated with male leads are instead tied to Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein’s characters as they attempt to let loose after years of following the straight and narrow.

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith has had an incredibly long and fruitful career in Hollywood, and it all started with the 1994 black-and-white comedy, Clerks. If you are familiar with Smith’s movies, then you know this landmark film is full of unsavory language, drug use, some violence, and an extended bit of dialogue about a certain girlfriend and the number 37. 

Ted (2012)

Seth McFarlane’s 2012 comedy, Ted, follows life-long slacker John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), as he spends his days wasting away with his best friend, a stuffed bear named Ted (McFarlane). This incredibly hilarious and crude movie checks all the boxes when it comes to an R-rating: drug use, sexual content, obscene language, and situations that may be too much even for some adults. 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Judd Apatow’s 2005 comedy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, follows Steve Carell’s Andy Stiltzer as the introverted Smart Tech employee attempts to have sex for the first time. But, the craziest thing about this movie is that Andy isn’t what really earns the R-rating, but instead the cast of characters surrounding him. Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen’s characters are foul-mouthed, sex-crazed lunatics who really turn up the volume throughout the movie, especially a certain scene shared by Malco and a then up-and-coming Kevin Hart.

Superbad (2007)

We had Booksmart on the list, so you knew Superbad wasn’t going to be too far behind. This seminal teen comedy from Greg Mottola has all the hallmarks of a teen buddy comedy: two nerdy friends (played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera), an end-of-the-year party, and language that would make a sailor blush. If the language and drug/alcohol use by teens wasn’t crazy enough, there’s that notebook scene at the end of the movie.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Amy Heckerling’s 1982 coming-of-age comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is just as popular 40 years later thanks to its incredible cast, multiple storylines, and some of the genre’s most iconic scenes. Some of these scenes, like the fantasy sequence involving Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates, help you figure out why the movie was given an R-rating upon its initial release. But, the cussing and drug use by Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli also probably helped in that department.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

The Farrelly Brothers’ 1998 romantic comedy, There’s Something About Mary, is one of those movies that could have earned an NC-17 rating; it’s that wild. The movie centers on Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) as he seeks out Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz), his high school crush who’s also the obsession of pretty much every man she encounters. If you’ve seen this movie, you know it doesn’t hold back when it comes to language, sexual situations, and gross body humor like the zipper scene and that hair gel moment.

Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle introduced the world to two of the greatest movie potheads in 2004 with its story about a pair of underachievers who go on an epic quest to find a greasy, square-shaped burger. It’s the journey that makes these road trip movies so much fun, right? Well, along the way, Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) get into all kinds of ridiculous situations, including a sequence with Neil Patrick Harris, that more than earn it a spot on this list.

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

After There’s Something About Mary, the Farrelly Brothers gave the world another great R-rated comedy, and one that pushes the limits of the rating once again, with the 2000 Jim Carrey comedy, Me, Myself & Irene. The movie follows Carrey’s Charlie Baileygate, a meek and overly nice Rhode Island state trooper who finally snaps after years of taking abuse from everyone around him. This split personality, known as Hank Evans, creates some of the most hilarious, and depraved, moments from Carrey’s career.

National Lampoon's Animal House

The legendary National Lampoon’s Animal House is an absurdly funny and raucous affair, which is to be expected considering the movie is about a college fraternity on probation for poor academic standing and countless conduct violations. Even then, John Landis’ 1978 comedy surprises you with its vulgarity, sexual situations, and straight-up ridiculousness from characters played by the likes of John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, and Kevin Bacon.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

One of the best Coen Brothers movies, The Big Lebowski is one of those films that transcends genre, but since it’s funny as all hell, we can’t not include it here. Released in 1998, the movie follows Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) as he gets caught up in a scheme involving the other Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), which leads to a long and winding road of kidnappings, pornography, and an epic fantasy sequence. The sexual situations, violence, and language from Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) sent this over the edge.

Porky's (1982)

Two years before he gave the world the classic holiday movie, A Christmas Story, Bob Clark presented a less wholesome and raunchier movie that made the whole leg lamp situation look like nothing. Of course, we’re talking about the successful 1982 sex comedy, Porky’s. So, why the R-rating? Well, there’s the main plot that involves a group of Florida high schoolers going to a strip club in an attempt to get their friend laid. Combine that with the “pepping” and “Lassie” subplots, and you can figure it out.

Borat (2006)

Released in 2006, Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, or Borat for short, was a mockumentary following Sacha Baron Cohen’s titular character as he explored America and got into all kinds of hijinks. With a combination of scripted sequences and some of the most absurd hidden-camera pranks, there was no way Larry Charles’ movie was going to be anything but R-rated. Nudity, sexual situations, cussing, violence, and racism/xenophobia are all at play in this utterly ridiculous movie.

Zombieland (2009)

Though movies like My Boyfriend’s Back, Warm Bodies, and World War Z proved a good zombie movie could have a PG-13 rating, that wasn’t the case for Ruben Fleischer’s 2009 horror comedy, Zombieland. Taking the best elements of buddy action comedies and combining them with the hallmarks of the zombie genre, the movie was a fun ride. Crude language, violence, and so much gore are the main reasons the movie earned an R-rating.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

How Tom Green’s surrealist comedy, Freddy Got Fingered, was given an R-rating instead of the NC-17 classification is something that remains a mystery 22 years after its initial release. While the main plot about Green’s Gordon “Gord” Bordy trying to become a professional cartoonist doesn’t sound all that crazy, the movie is anything but tame. The horse and elephant scenes, the subplot where Gord accuses his father of sexually abusing his brother, and pretty much everything that happens is WILD. 

Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)

Jeff Kanew’s 1984 comedy, Revenge of the Nerds, doesn’t seem all that bad or too risque on the surface, but man, this movie is absolutely nuts. Sure, there’s an edited TV version that cuts out a lot of the language and some of the more absurd scenes, but the theatrical cut is a depraved exploration of college culture. The language is one thing, but the Lambda Lambda Lambda members spying on a sorority, the Darth Vader scene, and several other interactions mean giving this movie an R-rating was a no-brainer.

Super Troopers (2001)

The 2001 Broken Lizard comedy, Super Troopers, follows a group of Vermont state troopers as they try to prevent their raucous station from being shut down and their jurisdiction handed over to the local police department. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, this movie is bonkers in all the good ways. With more curse words than one can count, so many drug references, and so many shenanigans, it’s easy to see what an R-rating was a given with this one.

Well, we’ve come to the end of this wild and debaucherous ride going back several decades. If you want to know about all the upcoming comedy movies that will push the boundaries of the R-rating, take a look at our 2023 movie schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

Remember when Ruben Fleischer’s weekend box office hit Zombieland had a surprise cameo from Bill Murray? Believe it or not, that role was actually going to go to another celebrated actor we all know and love. Joe Pesci was originally approached to take on what ended up being Bill Murray’s surprise cameo role, but turned it down for one specific reason.

You may remember that random Bill Murray cameo as he played a fictional version of himself in the zombie-comedy flick Zombieland. The gang visits his mansion, accidentally gets killed after being mistaken for a real zombie, and he regretted Garfield. Well, Joe Pesci was about to be the cameo that would have made audiences cheer as it was revealed on Twitter by Zombieland co-screenwriter Rhett Reese that the Home Alone star wasn’t offered enough money to sign on for it.

It’s a shame that Joe Pesci rejected the offer. This would have been a cameo no one would have expected since he announced his retirement in 1999 and focused on his music career. But Pesci came out of retirement for Netflix’s The Irishman, where he reunited with a number of actors from Martin Scorsese's movies. But it wasn’t without a little coaxing from Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and others who were part of the Netflix Oscar-nominated film. Shows that everyone wanted this talented performer to come back to play the gangster-type roles we all know him for.

It’s a funny story about how Bill Murray ended up taking on his Zombieland role. The horror-comedy film’s co-screenwriter Paul Wernick approached Woody Harrelson about which celebrity would be great for the part. He said it was either Dustin Hoffman or Bill Murray. Since Hoffman wasn’t available, he gave his St. Vincent pal a call and he took the bait. His cameo was almost completely different where Murray’s character would go full zombie on the characters and was nearly impossible to destroy. But the comedic actor wasn’t a fan of that writing choice, so rewrites had to be done to give us the memorable scene we know today. 

When Zombieland 2: Double Tap came out, Bill Murray was brought back to the sequel. You can see him in a post-credits scene where during his interview promoting the fictional film Garfield 3: Flabby Tabby, the zombie apocalypse starts with Murray battling all of the zombies that break in during the junket. Clearly, this iconic actor ain’t afraid of no ghosts or zombies. Joe Pesci could have gotten his chance to appear in a funny scene with Ghostbusters stars for the sequel, but the Goodfellas actor wasn’t acting anymore at the time and still would have wanted more money for the role. If ten years later they decide to make a third Zombieland movie let's hope Pesci will say yes this time. I wouldn't care if he would be in his late '80s. He would still make the role memorable.

While it would have been entertaining to see a surprise cameo of Joe Pesci in Zombieland, Bill Murray was still a real treat for audiences to see. You can his hilarious cameo appearance in Zombieland on your Peacock subscription and Zombieland 2: Double Tap on Starz.

Jamie Foxx tried his hand at horror-comedy movies in 2022 with Day Shift, in which the Academy Award winner plays a hunter of vampires lurking in the San Fernando Valley. If you are like me, this addition to the 2022 Netflix movie schedule might have gotten you in the mood to revisit other flicks about monsters like werewolves, ghosts, zombies, or other creatures from more traditional horror stories that also have a good sense of humor. If you are looking to have a scary good time, the following are some of the most hilarious creature features now available on streaming — starting with one of the best funny vampire moves in recent memory.

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

A group of centuries-old bloodsuckers (including Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Jonathan Brugh) invite a film crew into their New Zealand home to document their struggles with romance, sunlight, rival werewolf packs, and modern times in general. 

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: Waititi (the future Academy Award-winning director of Jojo Rabbit and two of Marvel’s Thor movies) and Flight of the Conchords star Clement also co-wrote and co-directed What We Do in the Shadows — a cleverly convincing and thoroughly hilarious, mockumentary-style send-up of lore pioneered by Bram Stoker that later inspired a hit sitcom on FX.

Rent (or buy) What We Do In The Shadows on Amazon.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

An aimless technology store salesman (Simon Pegg), his lazy best friend and housemate (Nick Frost), his fed-up ex-girlfriend (Kate Ashfield), and others struggle to survive an outbreak of flesh-eating, reanimated corpses attacking London.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: The film that put director Edgar Wright on the map and solidified his star and co-writer Pegg as one of the sharpest talents in both comedy and genre story-telling is Shaun of the Dead — less a spoof than it is a love letter to the horror subgenre pioneered by George A. Romero and, genuinely, one of the most believable zombie movies of all time for its authentic use of humor amongst earnest and grisly thrills.

Stream Shaun Of The Dead on Peacock Premium.
Rent (or buy) Shaun Of The Dead on Amazon.

Zombieland (2009)

A mild-mannered slacker (Academy Award nominee Jesse Eisenberg), a Southern-fried loner (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), a strong-willed con artist (Academy Award winner Emma Stone) and her younger sister/partner-in-crime (Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin) become unlikely companions on the road to a possible safe haven after the world becomes overrun with the undead.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: While not quite as realistic or even as scary as the aforementioned British horror-comedy above, this hit from Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer and Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick — is easily one of the most exhilaratingly fun takes on the zombie movie genre ever made, with special thanks to the Zombieland cast — who reunited for a follow-up a decade later. 

Rent (or buy) Zombieland on Amazon.

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

After suffering a horrific attack while backpacking in the English countryside, a student from the U.S. (David Naughton) is haunted by the ghost of his best friend (Griffin Dunne), who warns him about the vicious beast he will soon become at the next full moon.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: While cleverly witty and overtly silly enough to be considered a comedy, writer and director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London is still considered to be among the all-time finest movies about lycanthropes, especially for a monumental transformation sequence courtesy of Rick Baker’s Academy Award-winning makeup effects.

Stream An American Werewolf In London on Amazon Prime.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Three fired parapsychologists from New York (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis) and a fourth team member who joins later (Ernie Hudson) hunt and trap paranormal entities terrorizing the city.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: No film about spiritual hauntings has ever been more of an uproarious, feel-good time than Ghostbusters — an undisputed classic written by stars Aykroyd and Ramis and directed by the influential comedic filmmaker, Ivan Reitman.

Stream Ghostbusters on Hulu.
Rent (or buy) Ghostbusters on Amazon.

Gremlins (1984)

An absent-minded inventor (Hoyt Axton) brings home a Christmas gift for his son (Zach Galligan) in the form of an adorable, furry, one-of-a-kind creature that — if a certain set of rules are not followed — could mean danger for his small town.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: There is no doubt that the titular batch of little green monsters in Gremlins are deadly, but they will also surely have you dying with laughter at their cartoonish antics in this classic holiday horror flick from writer Christopher Columbus, producer Steven Spielberg, and director Joe Dante.

Stream Gremlins on HBO Max.
Rent (or buy) Gremlins on Amazon.

Tremors (1990)

In a small, dreary desert community in Nevada, a pair of disillusioned handymen (Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward) are forced to put their plans for leaving town on hold when a horde of giant, underground-dwelling, man-eating worms begin swallowing up their friends.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: Also one of the best Kevin Bacon movies and the one proved him to be an all-time great Scream King a decade after starring in Friday the 13th, director Ron Underwood’s Tremors is one of the best monster movies of its time while, itself, being a fun, cheeky throwback to creature features of yesteryear.

Rent (or buy) Tremors on Amazon.

Slither (2006)

In a small, quiet town in South Carolina, a police officer (Nathan Fillion) and others must band together when a horde of small, parasitic worms from outer space begin to turn their friends into grotesque, flesh-eating mutants.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: Imagine if the Graboids from Tremors were much smaller and capable of a fate worse than death, add even more splatteriffic gore and gross-out humor, and you would essentially have Slither — the acclaimed feature-film debut of writer and director James Gunn (who would work with Fillion several more times).

Stream Slither on Peacock Premium.
Rent (or buy) Slither on Amazon.

Grabbers (2012)

On a small island off the coast of Ireland, townsfolk band together at their local bar to do the one thing that, for some reason, will protect them from getting snatched by a pack of bloodthirsty, sea-dwelling aliens: drink as much alcohol as possible.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: The invasion of Lovecraftian extra-terrestrials with a resistance to intoxicated humans is a hilarious enough concept on its own, but, luckily, director Jon Wright and writer Kevin Lehane’s execution of Grabbers is a blast all the way through. 

Rent (or buy) Grabbers on Amazon.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

In a small-town, a young couple (Grant Cramer and Suzanna Snyder) struggle to outrun and outwit a group of alien invaders who have disguised their deadly labyrinth of a ship as a circus tent and taken the form of grotesque, humanoid harlequins.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: With a title like Killer Klowns from Outer Space, you might expect the Chiodo Brothers’ cult favorite to be an aggressively cheesy mess, and you would not be wrong, but its unique production design, cleverly constructed macabre humor, and genuinely unnerving makeup effects make this a truly investing alien invasion thriller and the perfect clownish horror flick for people who are not ready to see It.

Stream Killer Klowns From Outer Space on Showtime.
Rent (or buy) Killer Klowns From Outer Space on Amazon.

Men In Black (1997)

A young, wise-cracking New York cop (Will Smith) is recruited into a top secret organization that specializes in monitoring extra-terrestrial activity on Earth by an uptight veteran agent (Tommy Lee Jones).

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: I would be willing to argue that no film has ever mastered the combination of the alien invasion subgenre with comedy as flawlessly nor with as much acute sophistication as Men in Black — director Barry Sonnenfeld and executive producer Steven Spielberg’s dazzling adaptation of an irreverent Marvel comic starring two Oscar winners at the top of their game.

Stream Men In Black on Netflix.
Rent (or buy) Men In Black on Amazon.

The Monster Squad (1987)

A group of youngsters discover that the iconic cinematic villains that they are obsessed with are not only real, but are causing trouble in their home town and the kids assume the responsibility of saving the day.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: If you are looking for something that has all the most essential movie monsters in one (including Count Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman, a Creature from the Black Lagoon-esque fishman, and Frankenstein’s Monster) and is not that scary, look no further than The Monster Squad — director Fred Dekker and co-writer Shane Black’s cult favorite fusion of a fun family adventure like The Goonies with Universal’s horror classics. 

Stream The Monster Squad on Starz.
Rent (or buy) The Monster Squad on Amazon.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

A sexually innocent woman (Kristen Connolly), a ditzy blonde (Anna Hutchinson), a brutish jock (Chris Hemsworth), a brainy student (Jesse Williams), and a stoned slacker (Fran Kranz) find their much-needed break from college interrupted by a family of killer zombies, but soon discover that nothing is truly as it seems.

Why it’s a great funny monster movie: Now, if you are looking for something a little (or a lot) scarier than The Monster Squad and one that has, literally, every type of beastly horror antagonist you could ever imagine, look no further than The Cabin in the Woods — director Drew Goddard’s brilliantly subversive and unapologetically insane deconstruction of the ill-fated cabin-in-the-woods trope.

Rent (or buy) The Cabin In The Woods on Amazon.

Sometimes the best kind of monster movies are the ones that do not take themselves all that seriously. There are no better examples of this than the 13 creepy comedy classics above.

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

When it comes to zombie films, there are few that often stray from the simple course of survivors just needing to survive, shooting zombies and somehow staying alive. While there have been a couple that have sort of reinvented the zombie franchise in the last couple of years, such as Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, only one film series stands out to me among the rest, and that’s Zombieland, and its successor, Zombieland: Double Tap.

The wonderful combination of gore and hilarious jokes, plus the superb acting from the Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap cast made these films so much fun to watch, and became a wonderful addition to the world of zombie-comedy films, like Shaun of the Dead. But with casts as star-studded as some of these, where have they been seen before and what have they done, like Emma Stone? Are any of them going to be in the upcoming 2021 movies or 2022 movies? Luckily, we have that covered for you if you were a fan of these two great zombie films.

Woody Harrelson (Tallahassee)

Tallahassee is the kind of survivor we would all want as our partner in a zombie apocalypse, and was a great partner to Columbus in Zombieland and Zombieland: Double-Tap. Woody Harrelson portrayed the wise-cracking zombie killer and has been plenty busy since his zombie killing days.

From 2012 until 2016, Woody Harrelson portrayed Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games movies. Afterwards, he would go on to have starring roles in hit films such as the coming-of-age film, The Edge of Seventeen, the action film, War for the Planet of the Apes, the space-western, Solo: A Star Wars Story, the anti-hero film, Venom, the war film, Midway, and several others. He also starred in True Detective for its first season in 2014.

In the next couple of years, Harrelson will be appearing in several films, like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, where he will reprise his role. He will also be appearing in films currently in production, called Triangle of Sadness and The Man from Toronto.

Harrelson will also be in two upcoming TV series, one called The White House Plumbers and the other called The Most Dangerous Man in America. There’s truly no stopping this awesome actor.

Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus)

Columbus is a nerd - but he’s a surviving nerd and that’s all that matters in the rules of Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap. Jesse Eisenberg played Columbus in both films, and has been on a roll since his time in the zombie world.

Jesse Eisenberg went on to play Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Blu in the Rio animated film series, and have a starring role in the heist series, Now You See Me, with a third film on the way. Eisenberg also portrayed the iconic DC villain, Lex Luthor, in both Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and in the two Justice Leagues that released afterwards. In 2021, Eisenberg also had a role in the thriller film, Wild Indian.

In the upcoming years, he will have a role in several films, one titled The Medusa, and another titled Manodrome, so keep an eye out for this talented star.

Emma Stone (Wichita)

Wichita in both Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap is the epitome of what a badass girl should look like and be in the zombie world, and is a character I will always love to root for. Emma Stone, in one of her earlier roles, portrayed Wichita perfectly, and since then, she’s gone on to have quite the career.

Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the musical La La Land in 2016, certifying her amazing acting skills. Besides that, Stone has been in plenty of critically acclaimed and well-received films, such as the comedy film, Easy A, the historical film, The Help, playing Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man films, starring in the Academy-Award-nominated Birdman and The Favourite, played the titular character in the Disney live-action film Cruella, and so many more. She was also a star in the Netflix miniseries, Maniac, alongside Jonah Hill.

Coming up, she will be appearing in a new film titled Poor Things, and a TV series called The Curse. With how much she’s done in the last decade, I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Abigail Breslin (Little Rock)

As the last of the original cast to appear in both films, Little Rock was adorably badass in Zombieland, and managed to keep some of her original character in Zombieland: Double Tap. Abigail Breslin portrayed the younger sister to Wichita both times.

Breslin has been in many different genres of film since her time in the zombie world. She was in the animated film, Rango, the sci-fi movie, Ender’s Game, starred alongside Matt Damon in 2021’s Stillwater, and several others. One of her biggest roles thus far was playing Libby Putney in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens for two seasons.

Coming up, Abigail Breslin will be in a couple of films, Slayers and Saturday at the Starlight, so she’s sure to pop up in movies theaters soon.

Bill Murray (Himself)

While Bill Murray didn’t play an original character in Zombieland, his fictionalized version of himself will always make me hold my sides in laughter every time I watch. Bill Murray has been active in Hollywood for decades now, and that hasn't changed ay all, because he's filmed plenty of movies since Zombieland's release.

Since his appearance in Zombieland, Murray has been in several big films, such as Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dumb and Dumber To, the Wes Anderson film, Isle of Dogs, the zombie film, The Dead Don’t Die, and many others. Coming up this year, he will be appearing in both the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife film, and have a role in the anticipated The French Dispatch, so it seems that 2021 is going to be Bill Murray’s year.

Rosario Dawson (Nevada)

As the first character who only appeared in Zombieland: Double Tap, Nevada was a great character to introduce to the sequel, and her Elvis-themed hotel was to die for. Rosario Dawson, who played Nevada in the film, has been acting in Hollywood for some time, and only continues to do so.

You might have seen her hits like the comedy, Zookeeper, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, The Water Man and more. She’s also continuously voiced Diana Prince, otherwise known as Wonder Woman, in several DC animated films and TV shows - including 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Dawson also had a major role in Netflix’s Defender’s universe, where she played Claire Temple in Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders series. She also had a recurring role in the cast of Jane the Virgin.

Recently, she took the playing the live-action version of Ahsoka Tano in Disney+’s The Mandalorian, and will continue to play the character in the upcoming spinoff, titled Ahsoka. She will also be in a couple new films, titled Clerks III and Speed of Light, as well as another new miniseries called DMZ.

Zoey Deutch (Madison)

I mean, I think all of us loved and hated Madison in Zombieland: Double Tap, but that doesn’t mean that Zoey Deutch wasn’t a great actress to pick for the role.

Deutch has appeared in several different movies, namely the fantasy film, Beautiful Creatures, the teen fantasy movie, Vampire Academy, the teen drama film, Before I Fall, the biographical film, The Disaster Artist, and more. Zoey Deutch also had a main role on the Netflix series, The Politician.

In the next couple of years, Deutch will be in a few new films, titled The Outfit, Not Okay, and Hound, so hopefully we will get to see more of this talented actress.

Luke Wilson (Albuquerque)

Albuquerque is basically Tallahassee except a bit younger and I am all here for it, because he brought some great comedy to Zombieland: Double Tap. Only a star like Luke Wilson could play someone like him perfectly, and it’s no surprise that he’s been busy in Hollywood just like the rest of his co-stars.

Wilson has appeared in plenty of hits during his time as an actor, including The Legally Blonde movies, the Netflix original film, The Ridiculous 6, The Goldfinch, another Netflix original film, All the Bright Places, 12 Mighty Orphans and more. Recently, Wilson has taken on a role in the Disney+ original series, Stargirl, and will continue that into its next season.

Wilson will also be in several new films, including Gasoline Alley alongside Bruce Willis, The Cleaner, and Plus/Minus. He will also be in an upcoming TV series titled New-Gen.

Avan Jogia (Berkeley)

Oh, Berkeley. You gotta love him and hate him at the same time. I mean, who has ever heard of a pacifist in a zombie apocalypse? But that’s who he was in Zombieland: Double Tap, played by the wonderful Avan Jogia, who has been around for some time.

Jogia has mainly kept his career towards TV during his time in Hollywood. He grew in fame when he had a main role on the Nickelodeon show, Victorious, as Beck, and continued to star in several other shows after it ended. Avan Jogia had the lead role in the teen drama mystery series, Twisted, the lead role in the miniseries, Tut, the lead role in the SyFy series, Ghost Wars, the lead role in comedy TV series, Now Apocalypse, and part of the main cast in The Stranger on Quibi.

In 2021, he is going to be playing legendary video game character Leon S. Kennedy in the upcoming adaptation, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, and have a role in a film titled Door Mouse. With a resume that packed with TV work, I hope that he takes that talent to film more and we get to see him on the big screen soon.

Thomas Middleditch (Flagstaff)

Flagstaff is a mirror of Columbus in Zombieland: Double Tap, and has plenty of commandments for survival just as Columbus does. Thomas Middleditch, who played Flagstaff, did a great job of mirroring those same traits of Columbus and creating some funny moments.

Middleditch has appeared in several films, such as the sports comedy, The Bronze, the comedy film, Tag, the monster film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and had voice role in Disney+’s original film, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe.

However, Middleditch has been also super active in TV as well. He had one of the main roles in popular comedy series, Silicon Valley, and went on to voice and write for Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero. Currently, he is voicing a main role in Solar Opposites, an adult animated sitcom made by the Rick and Morty creators, and has a role in the sitcom, B Positive on CBS.

These two roles will likely continue into the next couple of years, so if you’re a fan of this talented and funny actor, be sure to check out his latest TV series.

With how much these big stars have done, there’s no surprise that you’ve most likely seen them in some way or another throughout their years in the industry. Maybe if there’s a possible Zombieland 3 we might get to see them all together again, but if not, I’ll have to tune in to whey they’re all doing next.

In the last ten years or so, new stars have emerged in Hollywood who have truly taken over, bringing in a brand new generation of amazing talent. One of those actresses was none other than Emma Stone, a young woman who has gone on to have quite the career so far.

It’s about time that we gave Emma Stone the honor that she deserves in re-watching some of her best films. Because, trust me, there are plenty of them. These are the best Emma Stone movies on Amazon, Hulu, and other streaming platforms which you should go and watch right now if you’re a fan of the actress.

Superbad (2007)

Starting off this list, we take a look at Emma Stone’s film debut, Superbad. In this classic comedy, starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, we follow the story of two high school students, who have been best friends since they were small, on their quest to lose their virginity to the prettiest and coolest girls in school before they go away to college.

There’s a reason why, after this film, Emma Stone was signed up for so many other roles. Her performance as Jules was comically fantastic and showed off her acting chops, as well as her natural talents with comedy. This might have been the first comedic role she starred in, but it's been far from her last. The rest of the Superbad cast is great, but Stone was a standout. 

Stream Superbad on Peacock..
Rent/Buy Superbad on Amazon.

Zombieland (2009)

Moving into another genre that Emma Stone rocks, we take a look at Zombieland. This apocalyptic comedy follows the story of a geeky college kid, who has a set of rules for surviving in an apocalypse filled with zombies. He ends up meeting three strangers along the way, and they band together for a long road trip across the country to find sanctuary from the zombies.

There was a sequel ten years later for more than one reason. Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg have amazing chemistry. Not only is their comedic timing fantastic, but their strange and yet quirky relationship is believable, as well. Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin also add to this awesome ensemble that not only makes you laugh but gets you prepped for the zombie apocalypse. But, remember to get a kickass partner to do it with. It’s a shame Stone didn’t get that Walking Dead crossover that she wanted though. 

Stream Zombieland on Apple TV+.
Rent/Buy Zombieland on Amazon. 

The Amazing Spider-Man (And The Sequel) (2012, 2014)

I’ve always felt that a lot of people forget these movies exist because of how popular Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man became, but Emma Stone rocked it in The Amazing Spider-Man movies. In the first Amazing Spider-Man, we see the origin story of Peter Parker, the boy who would go on to be bitten by a radioactive spider and become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, saving NYC.

Emma Stone portrays Gwen Stacy, Peter’s love interest in the two films, and while she looks amazing as a blonde, she also kills this role. You’d never think she could be anything other than an awesome scientist. I always wished that we got to see more of her as the character – but, let’s be honest, neither she nor Andrew Garfield really looked like high schoolers, did they? They’re still great films, though. It’s a shame she wasn’t in Spider-Man: No Way Home like her co-star Andrew Garfield, but that’s something I can live with as long as I have these films. 

Stream The Amazing Spider-Man on Netflix.
Stream The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Netflix.
Rent/Buy The Amazing Spider-Man on Amazon.
Rent/Buy The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Amazon.

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)

Winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2015, Birdman, otherwise known as Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), is a black comedy-drama that tells the story of a faded Hollywood actor and his rise to try and come back by starring in a new adaptation of Broadway play. 

Birdman has an impressive cast overall, and Emma Stone was one of the best additions the movie could have had, co-starring as Sam Thomson. Birdman actually earned Stone her first Academy Award nomination, and showed just how talented she is in the drama sphere. She went on to win for a different film a couple years later, but her role in Birdman is legendary. 

Stream Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) on Amazon.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Crazy, Stupid Love is just another example of how great Stone performs in a comedic manner – with a hint of drama as well. In this popular romantic dramedy starring Steve Carell in one of his best movies, we follow the story of a recently separated man who wants to rediscover his manhood and is taught by his new friend, Jacob, how to pick up women at bars.

Let me just say that this film is ridiculously funny. Not only are the dramatic moments on point and pull at your heartstrings in a great way but the jokes land every single time. Even the scenes between Emma Stone and Steve Carell are some of the best in the film because it feels like a father and a daughter conversing, not two actors. It’s just so great. Please, give it a watch if you haven’t seen it!

Stream Crazy Stupid Love on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Crazy Stupid Love on Amazon.

Battle Of The Sexes (2017)

If you’re looking for a great biographical sports film, Battle of the Sexes is one that you need to check out, starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell. The film is based on the real-life match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, two major tennis players who took the world by storm, and the drama that led up to this competition. 

Battle of the Sexes premiered a year after Birdman and continued to show just how brilliant Stone was in more dramatic roles. While the movie itself was a box-office bomb, both Stone and Carell received plenty of praise for their performances, including a Best Actress in a Comedy for the Critics Choice Awards and Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Stone.

Rent/Buy Battle of the Sexes on Amazon.

La La Land (2016)

If you haven’t heard of La La Land at this point, then you’ve been living under a rock. La La Land is a wonderfully written musical telling the story of two unlikely lovers meeting in Hollywood, who have two very different dreams for their lives.

Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress because of her role in the La La Land cast. We like to talk about how she’s amazing in comedy, but you listen to her sing, dance, and show off her drama skills. I promise you will be crying by the end of this film. Plus, the music is incredibly catchy. I found myself listening to “City of Stars” for months after the film’s release. Your dreams just might come true with La La Land if you take the time to watch it.

Rent La La Land on Amazon.

The Help (2011)

In The Help, we are told the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young white woman who works as a journalist, and her relationship with two Black maids during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963.

The film received high praise and several awards. Emma Stone stars as the journalist, and her story captivates you as you watch her interactions with the women who face constant racism on a daily basis. It’s raw and real, which is what makes The Help so fantastic. The performances of this amazing ensemble cast will have you clapping at your TV screen like you would do at the credits in a movie theater. Truly outstanding.

Stream The Help on the Roku Channel.
Rent/Buy The Help on Amazon.

Easy A (2010)

After some heavy choices on this list, we turn back to a comedy – which was the first Emma Stone movie I ever saw. Easy A is about Olive, a high school student who ends up as a victim of her school's “rumor mill” when she lies to her best friend that she had sex for the first time. When word spreads, she welcomes the attention she receives.

I’ve gone off so many times on this list with how amazing Emma Stone is at comedy, but in my opinion, she is at her best in Easy A. The jokes are consistent (I don’t think any of us could forget that ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’ bit), and the acting talent beside her, like Lisa Kudrow and Stanley Tucci, is phenomenal. Plus, this movie is all about women’s empowerment and embracing your sexuality – who wouldn’t want to watch a hysterical movie with a message like that?

Rent/Buy Easy A on Amazon.

The Favourite (2018)

Coming off of her win for La La Land, Emma Stone decided she wanted another Oscar nomination and signed onto the period piece, The Favourite. In this black comedy, we are given the chance to look at the relationship between two cousins, the Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham, both of which are trying to be the Court favourite for the queen.

Emma Stone with a British accent is something I didn’t think I ever needed but God, it’s one of my favorite movies ever. The chemistry that she shares with Rachel Weisz is top-notch, and the comedic moments that come from this film will have you snorting out whatever drink you have. Not only that, but the set design is absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes you won’t even be focusing on the jokes, but looking at the beautiful landscapes, or even the outfits that they have on. If you’re a supporter of period pieces, but want to laugh your butt off, The Favourite is the way to go.

Stream The Favourite on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Favourite on Amazon.

Poor Things (2023)

You knew at some point this would be on here. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things is based on the novel of the same name and tells the story of a young woman who is brought back to life, but with the brain of someone else in her head, and follows her journey into adulthood and discovering more about herself and the world around her. 

Emma Stone knocks it out of the park with Poor Things, so much so that she won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. I’ll be honest and say that out of all the 2024 Best Picture nominees, Poor Things is certainly the wackiest, but it’s such a fun time. It tells an intriguing story that will capture your interest instantly. 

Stream Poor Things on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Poor Things on Amazon.

Kinds Of Kindness (2024) (Coming Soon)

While this isn’t a film you can watch right now, I have to bring it up because it’s coming out soon. Kinds of Kindness is Stone’s third collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos after The Favourite and Poor Things, and while not much is known about the film, we know it follows three different stories, as if they’re like three different films.

Stone is just one of the many talented cast members who are in this new film. Willem Dafoe reunites with her, as well as newcomers to Lanthimos movies like Mamaoudou Athie, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley and more. Trust me when I say this is a movie you’re going to want to see. 

Kinds of Kindness opens in theaters June 21, 2024.

I mean, let’s be honest – these are some of the best movies on Amazon, on Apple TV+, on Hulu and many more. You all need to watch them – but if you’re a fan of Emma Stone, then you have to check all of these out. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go stream Zombieland for the millionth time.

Some months are admittedly better than others when it comes to the movies being added to the Netflix library. Amid the incoming originals like Army of the Dead are usually a handful of great movies that people can enjoy, either for the first time or as a returning classic. But when it comes to May 2021, the list of new library titles from other studios is actually quite impressive.

If you want to see the full list of incoming titles for May, you can check that out quickly below before heading into the best and brightest of the month to come. Other than that, we’re not going to waste too much time getting down to business, as it’s time to see what May has in store for you loyal Netflix subscribers.

The Back to the Future Trilogy

Great Scott! The Back to the Future trilogy is back on Netflix for those of you who really like to stream the time traveling adventures of Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown. What can you really say about this legendary trilogy, except it’s always beautiful to see it available on various streaming platforms. Whether you want to revisit the “Enchantment Under The Sea Dance” or want to see if a locomotive can time travel, it’s almost time to go back in time yet again.

Fun With Dick And Jane (2005)

Before The Big Short really lit into the world of financial wrongdoing and corporate malfeasance, there was a remake of Fun with Dick and Jane. This Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni remake laid down a foundation for comedies that could really make you mad, while also laughing at the real pain a crisis of management could bring. While this movie is more of a fictional narrative played for laughs, it still feels like a perfect spiritual predecessor/double feature partner for Adam McKay’s more reality-based follow-up.

Mystic River

Mystery writers have their familiar stomping grounds, and author Dennis Lehane loves to use Boston as the backdrop for many of his stories. Mystic River uses the city to tell the story of three childhood friends (Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins) who navigate a traumatic childhood event that resurfaces when one of them loses their daughter (a pre-Shameless Emmy Rossum) under mysterious circumstances. Clint Eastwood’s steady directorial hand guides this tale of dark tragedy as only he could.

Notting Hill

Julia Roberts fans are going to love Netflix in the month of May, as two of her biggest hits are coming online in the coming month. In the case of Notting Hill, her whirlwind romance with Hugh Grant’s lovable bookstore owner is one that has been on the roster of rom-com classics for quite some time. If only we could get a Roberts/Grant reunion into the works, then Netflix could help bend our hearts broken by the events of 2020.

Open Season

Most people turn to Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks or even Illumination for their children’s themed entertainment. And while those are proven sources of joy, Sony Pictures Animation has remained an underrated hero of the genre. With its latest film, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, starting to make a splash with the critics, it’s a good time to revisit some of its lesser known films, like the Ashton Kutcher/Martin Lawrence wilderness romp Open Season. Trust us, if you like surprisingly funny adventures full of adorable woodland creatures, you’re in good hands.

Resident Evil: Extinction

Want to start an argument really quickly on the internet? Ask people what their favorite Resident Evil sequel is! It’s a choice of violence to throw that question into the air, but two candidates for those honors are coming to Netflix in May. Out of the two that are being offered, Resident Evil: Extinction is arguably the better choice, though some would still go to bat for Resident Evil: Afterlife. Now you get to watch both for yourself, fueling the hypothetical argument of which film deserves to rank behind Paul W.S Anderson’s original vision.

Scarface

Scarface is the perfect example of a classic that has its reputation questioned every so often. But the one thing that those who challenge Brian De Palma and Al Pacino’s drug-fueled tragedy forget is that the film isn’t meant to be a portrait of a role model. Tony Montana’s rise and fall is supposed to be a wild roller coaster that teaches a classic lesson: pride cometh before the fall. But in this life lesson, there’s also an absolutely sick period appropriate soundtrack along for the ride.

The Land Before Time

It used to be that if you wanted to find animated classics that could make you cry, Disney was the only real game in town. That changed when animator Don Bluth defected from the studio and set out to make his own classic canon of tear-jerking beauty, which eventually gave us all The Land Before Time. Playing like a prehistoric remake of Bambi, the adventures of Littlefoot and his friends are a timeless gem in this initial entry.

The Pelican Brief

Some movie fans remember the ‘90s as the era of the adult legal thriller. If there was ever a king to be crowned in that genre, author John Grisham would certainly wear that crown in a heartbeat. The Pelican Brief is a firm example of why that type of movie absolutely crushed back in the day, as Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington hold court in this gripping potboiler that combines legal conspiracy with top-notch thrills. One could see why Netflix would make a big deal about reuniting those two actors for a future project, thanks to the existence of this previously beloved pairing.

The Sweetest Thing

Any genre, even a popular stomping ground like the rom-com, has those hidden gems that people need to talk about more often. The Sweetest Thing is one of those movies, as Cameron Diaz goes from carefree dating to absolutely in love. With best friends Christina Applegate and Selma Blair trying to help her process these feelings, while not letting her dream guy get away, absolutely raunchy humor is in play throughout the process. You’ll never look at Aerosmith the same way again after watching this one.

The Whole Nine Yards

It’s still amazing to think there was once a time where Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry had a comedy hit on their hands. It’s not that they aren’t funny guys, but the pairing is one you wouldn’t automatically think of, until The Whole Nine Yards proved it was worth discovering. Throw Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollack and Michael Clarke Duncan into the mix, and if you aren’t already familiar with this somewhat hidden gem, you’re probably ready for a story of witness relocation, the private lives of dentists and, of course, romance.

Zombieland

Zombies, man. Netflix is in the business of the undead, as Army of the Dead brings Elvis and tigers and a queen, oh my, to not-so-shambling life. But if you want some more lighthearted action involving those who should be taking the big dirt nap, Zombieland will be on hand to bring some life to your movie-watching habits. It’s hard to believe we’re past a decade since Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin first kicked some living dead ass, but we guess that’s just how time works.

Layer Cake

There’s always “the movie” that some feel helps cast a future James Bond, and Layer Cake is arguably the one that brought Daniel Craig to the attention of the franchise’s watchful stewards. While the future 007 finds himself involved with drugs, murder and organized crime in this breakthrough role, the trademark wit and danger of Craig’s career is present in this earlier entry from his filmography. Though it’s also fun to note that Matthew Vaughn, director of the Kingsman franchise, is the hand behind the camera on this gangster romp. It's odd how fate works sometimes.

Available 5/13/21

We weren’t lying when we said that this month’s Netflix lineup was impressive. A wide variety of thrills are available, with quite a few prime options to choose from. However, you’re going to have to keep an eye on the schedule throughout May 2021, as titles are subject to change and availability. Also, keep in mind that unless noted, all titles will be available on the first of the month! Last, but not least, should you find yourself running out of titles from May’s assortment, you can always see what April 2021 brought to the table, as we wait for June’s lineup to drop around this time next month.

You may or may not be ready for another month of movie and TV options making their way to Netflix's streaming platform. Which is rather appropriate, considering May 2021 is rearing its head, and bringing a huge spectrum of old favorites and exciting new originals to your TV in the coming month. It’s a natural part of life, so if you’re not ready just yet, you can breeze through and find April 2021’s full lineup and movie highlights included below. Should you be primed to take that slight step (back) into the future, then get ready to enjoy the listing of what’s headed to Netflix in May 2021!

Premiering On Netflix - May 1

Aliens Stole My Body - 5/1/21

Angelina Ballerina: Season 5 - 5/1/21

Angelina Ballerina: Season 6 - 5/1/21

Back to the Future - 5/1/21

Back to the Future Part II - 5/1/21

Back to the Future Part III - 5/1/21

Barney and Friends: Season 13 - 5/1/21

Barney and Friends: Season 14 - 5/1/21

Best of the Best - 5/1/21

Dead Again in Tombstone - 5/1/21

Due Date - 5/1/21

Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) - 5/1/21

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 5/1/21

Green Zone - 5/1/21

Hachi: A Dog's Tale - 5/1/21

JT LeRoy - 5/1/21

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - 5/1/21

Mystic River - 5/1/21

Never Back Down - 5/1/21

Notting Hill - 5/1/21

Open Season - 5/1/21

Resident Evil: Afterlife - 5/1/21

Resident Evil: Extinction - 5/1/21

S.M.A.R.T Chase - 5/1/21

Scarface - 5/1/21

SITTING IN LIMBO - 5/1/21

Stargate - 5/1/21

State of Play - 5/1/21

The Land Before Time - 5/1/21

The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure - 5/1/21

The Lovely Bones - 5/1/21

The Pelican Brief - 5/1/21

The Sweetest Thing - 5/1/21

The Whole Nine Yards (2000) - 5/1/21

Under Siege - 5/1/21

Waist Deep - 5/1/21

Your Highness - 5/1/21

Zack and Miri Make a Porno - 5/1/21

Zombieland - 5/1/21

Premiering On Netflix - Week of May 2

Hoarders: Season 11 - 5/2/21

The Clovehitch Killer - 5/4/21

Selena: The Series: Part 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/4/21

Trash Truck: Season 2 - NETFLIX FAMILY - 5/4/21

Framing John DeLorean - 5/5/21

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY - 5/5/21

Dead Man Down - 5/6/21

Girl from Nowhere: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/7/21

Jupiter's Legacy - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/7/21

Milestone - NETFLIX FILM - 5/7/21

Monster - NETFLIX FILM - 5/7/21

Mine - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/8/21

Sleepless - 5/8/21

Premiering On Netflix - Week of May 9

Money, Explained - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY - 5/11/21

Dance of the Forty One - NETFLIX FILM - 5/12/21

Oxygen - NETFLIX FILM - 5/12/21

The Upshaws - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/12/21

Castlevania: Season 4 - NETFLIX ANIME - 5/13/21

Layer Cake - 5/13/21

Ferry - NETFLIX FILM - 5/14/21

Haunted: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/14/21

I Am All Girls - NETFLIX FILM - 5/14/21

Jungle Beat: The Movie - NETFLIX FAMILY - 5/14/21

Love, Death & Robots: Volume 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/14/21

Move to Heaven - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/14/21

The Strange House - NETFLIX FILM - 5/14/21

The Woman in the Window - NETFLIX FILM - 5/14/21

Premiering On Netflix - Week of May 16

Sleight - 5/16/21

Sardar Ka Grandson - NETFLIX FILM - 5/18/21

The Last Days - 5/19/21

Sabotage - 5/19/21

Small Town Crime - 5/19/21

Who Killed Sara?: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/19/21

Hating Peter Tatchell - 5/20/21

Special: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/20/21

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World - 5/20/21

Army of the Dead - NETFLIX FILM - 5/21/21

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Season 3 - NETFLIX FAMILY - 5/21/21

The Neighbor: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/21/21

Sam Smith: Love Goes - Live At Abbey Road Studios - 5/22/21

Premiering On Netflix - Week of May 23

Home - 5/25/21

Baggio: The Divine Ponytail - NETFLIX FILM - 5/26/21

High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America - NETFLIX FILM - 5/26/21

Nail Bomber: Manhunt - NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY - 5/26/21

Black Space - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/27/21

Blue Miracle - NETFLIX FILM - 5/27/21

Eden - NETFLIX ANIME - 5/27/21

Soy Rada: Serendipity - NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL - 5/27/21

Dog Gone Trouble - NETFLIX FAMILY - 5/28/21

Lucifer: Season 5 Part 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/28/21

The Kominsky Method: Season 3 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/28/21

Premiering On Netflix - May 31

Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story - 5/31/21

The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 5/31/21

May TBD

AlRawabi School for Girls - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir (2021)

HALSTON - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Mad for Each Other - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Master of None - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Racket Boys - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Ragnarok: Season 2 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Netflix’s Movie Highlights For May 2021

After what feels like an eternity of delays and waiting, the Amy Adams-led thriller The Woman In The Window finally will be making its debut on Netflix! Acquired after both the Disney/Fox merger and the 2020 pandemic saw the film sailing on rough waters, author A.J. Finn’s best selling mystery sees Adams’ agoraphobic protagonist, Dr. Anna Fox, trying to solve a murder she may have seen from her own window. The only problem is, the reality of what Dr. Fox thinks she saw may not line up with what really happened.

Meanwhile, those of you who have been waiting for Zack Snyder to finally make his return to zombie action in Army of the Dead only have to wait just a little longer. First proposed in 2007, the long awaited post-apocalyptic heist movie boasts a killer ensemble headed by Dave Bautista, all of whom are looking to hit it big in Vegas! Normally, this would be a great idea; but with Sin City becoming a zombie-ridden wasteland, the stakes are even higher than one would have hoped.

Netflix’s TV Highlights For May 2021

Premiering as a runaway hit for the Netflix TV scene, Selena: The Series’s first part was a smash debut at the end of 2020. So naturally, those who watched the first 9 episodes are going to have had time to convert some friends, and hype up a potentially larger fanbase for the debut of Part 2. Set to debut on the Netflix slate in the middle of May, the continuing story of Selena Quintanilla will be poised to dazzle those who followed it as it happened, as well as those who are new to the fold.

Being a superhero is hard, but in the Netflix adaptation of Mark Millar’s Jupiter’s Legacy, being the next generation of supers is just as taxing. With an aging generation of superheroes (including Josh Duhamel and Lesliel Bibb) looking to hand their mantle of protecting the world down to their younger counterparts, things are going to get a bit stressful. Especially when the villains of the world certainly won’t let something like the line of succession stop them from doing their evil deeds.

May 2021 has a lot going for it when it comes to providing Netflix subscribers with something to talk about. But you’re going to want to be sure that you keep an eye on the new crop of titles debuting through the month, as everything listed above is subject to change and availability. With that in mind, we’ll see you back here around this time next month, when June 2021’s new crop of contenders unveil themselves to the world.

Several days ago, Abigail Breslin’s father was diagnosed with Covid and placed on a ventilator as part of his treatment. The Zombieland star took to social media not long after to ask her fans for prayers and to kindly ask people to wear masks and follow Covid protocols. A day later, she followed up her Instagram post, though this time she was a lot more forceful, telling readers ventilators are more uncomfortable than masks.

In the short but aggressive post, Breslin referenced her hospitalized father and told people they need to shut their mouths and follow Covid protocols because no one should have to go through what her family is going through right now. You can check out her entire post below…

The above post is part of a series of three so far that Abigail Breslin has dropped on Instagram that have touched on her father’s condition. The first was the announcement post asking for prayers. The second was the more aggressive STFU one above and the most recent one was a screenshot of her father’s favorite Rudyard Kipling poem. Breslin said her father always read it to her when she was scared. As such, it’s uniquely fitting for the moment and a good lens into the close relationship the actress and her father seemingly share.

The movie industry has been completely upended by Covid, both in personal and professional capacities. Like hundreds of millions of others around the world, those working in Hollywood have had to deal with family members getting sick and in many cases dying, and others have had to deal with fighting against coronavirus themselves. Movie theaters across the country were shuttered and in some cases, still remain closed. Hundreds of movies were pushed back or changed release dates, and countless more either had to stop filming or had their start dates pushed back, in some cases causing producers to scramble and recast. Those problems are nothing compared to the human toll, but there’s a real question as to whether the industry will ever look like it did prior to Covid.

Abigail Breslin first rose to prominence as a child actress when she was nominated for an Oscar for her terrific work in Little Miss Sunshine. Throughout her teenage years, she starred in a series of other hit movies including Zombieland and later its sequel. She can next be seen in Stillwater opposite Matt Damon and in the upcoming Slayers, which is currently filming.

Our thoughts go out to Breslin, her father and everyone else close to her who is currently dealing with this medical emergency. We all owe it to each other to try and end this deadly pandemic as quickly as possible by being responsible, following protocols and doing our part to look out for each other.

Bill Murray has an interesting habit of just showing up in places unannounced. I am not just referring to the movies and TV shows he has been known to make cameos in, I am actually talking about him as a real life urban legend.

There have multiple reported sightings in recent years of the Ghostbusters star and former Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player just showing up in random places like neighborhood basketball games, for instance, and for no discernible reason. Yet, he does not necessarily need a reason. That is one of the charmingly unique aspects of Bill Murray that makes him the one and only Bill Murray.

As much as we would we love to do a retrospective on the many random public appearances of Bill Murray, we figure that, for this list, we will just stick with a good handful of his many out-of-nowhere appearances on the big and small screen alike. Why? Well, otherwise, no one will ever believe us.

Space Jam (1996)

This might be the beginning of Bill Murray’s prolific career in cameos, not to mention many a ‘90s kid’s first exposure to the actor (especially if their parents were late to show them Ghostbusters). Murray’s role as himself in Space Jam, the beloved feature-length adaptation of a Nike ad starring basketball legend Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, is a curious case because, while he is relatively integral to the plot (teeing off with Larry Bird and Jordan right before his abduction to Looney Tune Land, offering help to the Tune Squad at a crucial moment of the game), it does not make his appearance feel any less out of place, and hilariously so. The very acknowledgement of this leads to one of the film’s best bits, in which Daffy Duck questions how Murray got to the game and he literally replies, “The producer’s a friend of mine.”

Coffee And Cigarettes (2003)

In all honesty, this one is teeters on cheating because this collection of vignettes from Jim Jarmusch already features a seemingly random assortment of celebrities as themselves and, at this point, rarely does a film by the quirky The Dead Don’t Die director feel complete without Bill Murray, but the very segment from Coffee and Cigarettes in which he appears very much surpasses expectations. The scene, titled “Delirium,” sees GZA and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan meeting up at a coffee shop, where they recognize their server to be “Bill Groundhog Day, Ghostbustin’ ass Murray,” who tells them he is trying to keep his identity a secret for an unspecified reason. Perhaps, hidden within this black and white, guerrilla style conversation between two rappers and a comedian lies the secret to the actor’s urban legend origin.

Get Smart (2008)

Of all the places in which Bill Murray has made a bewildering appearance, none have been quite as ridiculous as a tree. Such is where Steve Carell, as Maxwell Smart, finds him as the unlucky Agent 13, who claims that “communication is down,” so CONTROL has stationed him to the hollowed out trunk of a nearby tree in a brief moment from the cinematic update of the 1960s espionage parody series Get Smart. The scene is actually heartbreaking in retrospect, from the subtle longing in Agent 13’s voice when he asks Max how he has been to his tearful submission at the realization that “No one wants to talk to a guy in a tree.”

Zombieland (2009)

When you think of Bill Murray cameos, what is the first movie you think of? In arguably the most epic of Murray cameos, the four heroes of Zombieland decide to take refuge at a mansion belonging to the actor and, much to their surprise, the Bill Murray has survived the apocalypse by donning zombie makeup “to blend in.” It is all fun, games, and pop culture references until Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) mistakes him for a real walking corpse and shoots him dead. Among his final words, Bill Murray cites his one regret as “Probably Garfield,” an infamous quote called back to in the 2019 sequel.

Dumb And Dumber To (2014)

Bill Murray has a history with Peter and Bobby Farrelly that dates all the way back to 1996’s Kingpin, so it might not have been too much for them to ask him to make an appearance in their long-awaited sequel to 1994’s Dumb and Dumber… well, just barely, if we are being honest. When Harry (Jeff Daniels) brings Lloyd (Jim Carrey) back to their old apartment after 20 years of faking mental illness in an institution, he is surprised to find Harry took in another roommate to make ends meet: a crystal meth manufacturer named Ice Pick hidden underneath an oxygen mask and hazmat suit. If you listen closely to Ice Pick’s sole line of dialogue, spoken through the mask, you should be able to recognize Murray’s voice effortlessly.

Parks And Recreation (2015)

In the seventh and final season of Parks and Recreation, we finally got to meet the mayor of Pawnee, Indiana, Walter Gunderson, but only after his death and played by an uncredited Bill Murray. At the mayor’s memorial service, a video is played of him giving a final word to his fellow townspeople in which he admits that he never really paid much attention to what happened in the city (not that the citizens ever acknowledged him very often either) which he claims gives him the advantage to take credit for any achievements and blame everyone else for failure. In true Murray cameo fashion, and to quote Adam Scott’s Ben Wyatt, “That was really something.”

Vice Principals (2016)

In another instance of Bill Murray in a brief role as a symbol of authority on a TV comedy, his first and only appearance on the HBO series Vice Principals was on its pilot episode. What makes this cameo an especially odd one for Murray is that, this time he does not play the troublemaker, but, instead he plays Welles, the respected principal of North Jackson High School, whose resignation amid his wife’s terminal illness sparks an immature competition between vice principals Neal Gamby (Danny McBride) and Lee Russell (Walton Goggins) to become the new head honcho. Watching him try to wrangle his bickering subordinates like a substitute on recess duty is a hilariously welcome change of pace for the comic.

Are there any funny Bill Murray appearances that I let slip through the cracks? If so, please leave a comment to let us know and also be sure to check back for more news and information on your favorite living urban legend here on CinemaBlend.

There is a tremendous amount to love about the original Zombieland, but certainly high on the list of great things is the legendary cameo made by Bill Murray. It truly comes out of left field, and while relatively brief in the grand scheme of things, it's at the center of one of the movie's most hilarious sequences.

What you may not know, though, is that it wasn't always going to be Bill Murray playing that part. Because screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick weren't entirely certain that they would be able to get the actor for the part, they wound up developing many iterations with many different stars. One, for example, was the late, great Patrick Swayze, and now that version of the script has been revealed in full.

It's never been a secret that Patrick Swayze was written into an early Zombieland script, as Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick were talking about the potential cameo even before the movie was released back in 2009, but now we know exactly how the alternate version of things was going to play out. With people worldwide stuck inside during Covid-19-related social distancing/quarantine, the writers have done their part to keep movie-fans entertained by posting actual script pages from the Swayze draft.

Prefacing that the version featured some switched-up characters names, as Tallahassee was originally Albuquerque, Columbus was Flagstaff, and Little Rock was Stillwater (fans will note how that creates a little Easter egg in Zombieland: Double Tap), the first page of the draft once again finds Woody Harrelson's character leading the pack in fandom, expressing that Patrick Swayze was his hero going back to his first time seeing The Outsiders as a kid:

Unfortunately, we learn on the next couple pages that Tallahassee/Albuquerque's Patrick Swayze worship couldn't outlive the release of Dirty Dancing. The group searches the house to clear it for zombies, with Columbus/Flagstaff pairing off with Little Rock/Stillwater, and Tallahassee/Albuquerque going with Wichita. They each discover that Swayze is a big fan of his own work, while there is some creepiness happening.

Upon discovering a potter's wheel and some clay, Tallahassee/Albuquerque then gets a special opportunity to reenact a scene from Ghost in Patrick Swayze's house... but things don't exactly go as planned:

Unlike the Bill Murray version, where it turns out that the Ghostbusters star is only pretending to be undead, Patrick Swayze is actually a zombie in this version of Zombieland. A fight scene breaks out, and it's one that manages to include references to Point Break, Dirty Dancing, City Of Joy, and even Father Hood.

Sadly, Patrick Swayze became unavailable to do the Zombieland cameo because he became sick, and he died just a few weeks before the release of the horror comedy.

There story doesn't end there, however, as the Patrick Swayze script wasn't the only drafts that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick put together as a backup plan. The writers have been continuing posting these alternate versions to social media, and you can follow them to see the posts in real-time, but when they are done we'll also have a full round-up for you detailing how Zombieland could have been very different.

For about as long as I can remember, I have always been drawn to zombie apocalypse movies, and have long thought that the best horror movies involve armies of the undead. What started out as a fear of flesh-eating ghouls slowly turned into an enjoyment of the genre. If there was a zombie movie on DVD, I had it in my collection. And whenever there was a possibility of some kind of ghoul showing up in an upcoming horror movie, I would make plans to be there.

I've watched a lot of zombie movies over the years and thought it would be fun to put together a list of my favorites and the various ways you can watch them online. And yes, George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later are finally on the list after not being available digitally for years.

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning Of The End (2024)

Seemingly released out of nowhere in late 2024, Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End premiered on Prime Video and quickly became a massive hit. Set in Spain, Carles Torrens’ zombie thriller follows a grieving widow named Manel (Francisco Ortiz) as he tries to survive a mysterious viral outbreak turning people into flesh-eating monsters. Equipped with a dirtbike, some great improvised armor, and his trusty pet cat, Manel races against time (and an army of the undead) to reach safety.

Stream Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End on Prime Video.

28 Days Later (2002)

After being missing from streaming for a few years, Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is finally available in digital storefronts. First released in 2002, this low-fi thriller centers on a courier named Jim (Cillian Murphy) as he awakes from a coma to discover that London has been devastated by a mysterious virus. Joined by other survivors, Jim seeks to make sense of the mad world around him, ultimately ending up in an abandoned mansion with a group of soldiers.

Rent/Buy 28 Days Later on Amazon.

Dead Snow (2009)

A skiing trip in Norway seems like a great way for a group of medical students to blow off some steam, until they find themselves fighting an army of the undead north of the Arctic Circle. But these aren’t just normal zombies - they’re a battalion of Nazis whose corpses have come back from the dead decades after the end of World War II. Tommy Wirkola’s has everything you’d want in a zombie movie: thrills, chills, blood, gore, and Nazis getting absolutely wrecked.

Rent/Buy Dead Snow on Amazon.

Blood Quantum (2020)

Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum offers a unique spin on the zombie genre. Set in an isolated Red Crow reserve, the movie follows a group of natives immune to the zombie plague as they try to protect those who are not while also keeping order in their community. Blood, drama, guts, action, and an interesting premise make this 2020 horror flick an engaging and intense thriller like no other.

Rent/Buy Blood Quantum on Amazon.

Alone (2020)

When a zombie outbreak turns his city into a feasting ground for the undead, a young man named Aidan (Tyler Posey) makes the decision to barricade himself in his apartment in an attempt to wait it out. As the days turn to weeks and weeks to months, Aidan makes the brash decision to go out into the world to save another survivor, a decision that could cost him his life.

Rent/Buy Alive on Amazon.

Maggie (2015)

If someone were to pitch a zombie movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, most would assume it would be an action-packed thriller with some wild sequences and catchy one-liners. However, Henry Hobson’s Maggie is anything but that. In this tense and incredibly emotional drama, Schwarzenegger plays the devoted father of a young girl (played by Abigail Breslin) who has become infected after being bitten by a zombie. A touching and gut-wrenching affair, the movie shows the great lengths parents go to protect their children, even in the face of an inevitable fate.

Stream Maggie on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy Maggie on Amazon.

The Night Eats The World (2018)

Dominique Rocher’s The Night Eats the World (or La nuit a dévoré le monde in French) follows a musician living in Paris (played by Anders Danielsen Lie) as he awakens one morning to discover that a zombie outbreak has taken over the French capital. Less of a movie about daring escapes and the search for answers, this thrilling horror film instead focuses on a lone man’s attempt to survive the apocalypse one day at a time.

Stream The Night Eats the World on Peacock.
Stream The Night Eats the World on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy The Night Eats the World on Amazon.

The Dead Next Door (1989)

The Dead Next Door is perhaps one of the cheesiest zombie movies of all time, but that’s honestly part of its charm. J. R. Bookwalter’s 1989 horror flick follows a group known as the Zombie Squad as they attempt to get control of a massive outbreak of undead flesh-eaters. Things take a turn, however, when they enter the turf of a crazed cult that may or may not have a cure. Outrageous gore, voiceovers by Bruce Campbell, and the home video look and feel make this a cult classic worth revisiting.

Stream The Dead Next Door on Plex.
Stream The Dead Next Door on Tubi.

Dawn Of The Dead (1978) 

Featuring some of the most resourceful horror movie characters, a great setting, and more social commentary than we know what to do with, George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead is still considered one of the best zombie movies of all time more than 45 years after its release. This 1978 classic follows a helicopter pilot, his pregnant TV news station producer girlfriend, and two cops as they escape Philadelphia and take refuge at a massive indoor mall. Bountiful resources and a place to lay their heads await, but so do hundreds of flesh-eating ghouls trapped within.

Sure, this horror sequel is campier than its predecessor, Night of the Living Dead, and it doesn’t feel as claustrophobic, but this doesn’t mean it’s lacking in any way. In fact, thanks to Tom Savini’s impressive and inventive make-up and special effects work, this movie blows away anything that came before.

Rent/Buy Dawn Of The Dead on Amazon.

Braindead (1992)

Before Peter Jackson became a director known for The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, and documentaries like The Beatles: Get Back, the New Zealand filmmaker made a name for himself in the world of horror. One of his best features is 1992’s Braindead, a zombie movie that combines equal parts horror and comedy to create a hilarious and blood-soaked cinematic experience.

Also known as Dead Alive, the movie follows Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme) as he tries to keep his mother, Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in quarantine after she is bitten by a rat, only for her to repeatedly escape and infect more and more of their neighbors. Filled with camp, comedy, romance, and buckets of blood, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Rent/Buy Braindead on Amazon.

Nightmare City (1980)

Umberto Lenzi’s 1980 Italian horror film, Nightmare City (also released as City of the Walking Dead) combines elements of zombie movies, vampire thrillers, and anti-nuclear sentiments to tell its wild, engaging, and terrifying story. Sent to cover the emergency landing of a military plane carrying scientists investigating a nuclear accident, a news reporter (played by Hugo Stiglitz) instead witnesses a group of crazed and seemingly invincible men attacks and drink the blood of soldiers on the runway.

What follows is a race against time to not only tell and warn people of the ensuing danger but also try to get to the bottom of the story and figure out its cause before it's too late. Forced quarantine, a city bursting at the seams with ghouls, and other dangers make this no easy task.

Stream Nightmare City on Kanopy.

Night Of The Creeps (1986)

Fred Dekker, who’d go on to work on everything from The Monster Squad to Tales from the Crypt, got his start with the 1986 sci-fi/horror comedy, Night of the Creeps. When two college students (played by Jason Lively and Steve Marshall) steal a cadaver as part of an initiation ceremony to join a frat at their college, they unwittingly take a corpse that is under the control of alien invaders. As the zombies begin to grow in numbers (thanks to extraterrestrial slugs), Corman University becomes ground zero of the apocalypse.

If you’re a fan of B movies, zombies, aliens, and all things ‘80s, then this campy yet earnest horror flick is going to quickly become one of your go-to cult classics.

Rent/Buy Night Of The Creeps on Amazon.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Released in 2007, 28 Weeks Later is one of those awesome horror movie sequels that works despite being a major departure from its predecessor. Set months after the initial release of the “Rage” Virus that decimated England, the movie centers on a group of U.N. soldiers as they try to contain its spread.

Though none of the actors from the 28 Days Later cast return for this one, the audience is introduced to some outstanding characters throughout this action-packed horror thriller. Oh, and that opening sequence is still just as great more than a decade-and-a-half later. And with the upcoming 28 Years Later on the way, now would be a fun time to revisit this thrilling zombie flick.

Rent/Buy 28 Weeks Later on Amazon.

Army Of The Dead (2021) 

Seventeen years after coming onto the scene with his surprisingly good Dawn of the Dead remake, Zack Snyder returned to the zombie genre with the Netflix exclusive, Army of the Dead. This flashy, over-the-top, and action-packed Las Vegas adventure feels like Ocean’s Eleven with zombies, because of its setting and large ensemble cast.

Set years after a zombie outbreak devastated Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries led by Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) is sent into the ruins of Sin City to break into a massive vault and recover $200 million hidden inside. Just like his Dawn of the Dead movie, this action-packed, blood-filled, and rather emotional zombie flick has a lot of brains and heart.

Stream Army of the Dead on Netflix.

Little Monsters (2019)

In 2019, Abe Forsythe gave the world his unique spin on the zombie genre with the horror-comedy, Little Monsters. Instead of a group of mercenaries sent into a deadly location or a group of scientists trying to find a cure, this charming tale centers around a kindergarten teacher played by Lupita Nyong’o, a children’s TV show host portrayed by Josh Gad, and Alexander England’s washed-up musician as they try to protect a group of young kids from a deadly zombie outbreak.

With a lot of heart, soul, and so much gore, this remarkably funny zombie romp is full of surprises and great moments around each corner. Like zombies grabbing your limbs, this movie takes hold of your heart.

Stream Little Monsters on Hulu.

Zombie (1979) 

Zombie (or Zombi 2) is Lucio Fulci’s 1979 unofficial sequel to George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. But instead of taking place in a shopping mall, the movie is mostly set on a Caribbean island and follows a researcher, a journalist, and several other new characters as they investigate claims of a strange viral outbreak.

This movie is just as terrifying as it is campy (a zombie fights a shark), features one of the most disgusting eye scenes of all time, and is definitely not for the faint of heart. However, this is a classic addition to the genre that is a must for horror fans, even if it is just to check out the impressive zombie effects and all that incredible gore.

Rent/Buy Zombie on Amazon.

Land Of The Dead (2005)

After a 20-year break, the late George A. Romero returned to his iconic zombie franchise with 2005’s Land of the Dead. Set in a walled-off Pittsburgh protected from the millions of ghouls outside its gates, the movie plays out like A Tale of Two Cities but with zombies, in that the wealthy live a life of luxury and security in a massive tower while everyone else fights for scraps (and their lives).

If a rebellion to overthrow the ruthless Paul Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) isn’t bad enough, the survivors also have to deal with a group of undead who have evolved and started to work under the direction of Big Daddy (Eugene Clark), one of the smartest and best movie zombies of all time.

Rent/Buy Land of the Dead on Amazon.

Planet Terror (2007) 

Released as one half of the Grindhouse double-feature, director Robert Rodriguez’s 2007 zombie thriller, Planet Terror, is one hell of a ride. On a seemingly normal night, a rural Texas town becomes overrun with zombies that bring death, destruction, and chaos to the once-quiet community.

Injured go-go dancer Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), whose leg is ripped off in the mayhem and later replaced with an assault rifle, and her ex-boyfriend El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) lead a group of survivors through the night in hopes of creating a better tomorrow. This proves to be no easy task, however, and survival is far from guaranteed.

Rent/Buy Planet Terror on Amazon.

One Cut Of The Dead (2017) 

Shin'ichirō Ueda’s uniquely funny 2017 Japanese zombie comedy, One Cut of the Dead, follows an obsessive filmmaker, his cast, and crew as they film a horror movie in an abandoned and haunted plant that is attacked by real zombies. Instead of screeching to a halt, the production continues and is completed in a single take due to various reasons.

It’s best to stop reading about One Shot of the Dead there, as the movie takes some wild and crazy turns that are so off-the-wall they’re hard to believe.

Rent/Buy One Cut of the Dead on Amazon.

Train To Busan (2016)

Nearly a half-century after George A. Romero introduced audiences to the idea of the flesh-eating undead masses, South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho gave us one of the most refreshing and beautifully crafted films in the genre with 2016's Train To Busan. Set aboard a high-speed train infested with the walking dead, this movie carries on a lot of the messages that Romero inserted into his classic Dead anthology.

Throughout its nearly two-hour runtime, Train To Busan contains some of the best and most inventive trappings for its survivors. With one half of the survivors stuck on the back of the train and the other half on the front, they must find a way through the wall of zombies separating the two.

Stream Train to Busan on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Train to Busan on Amazon.

Rec (2007) 

Often considered one of the best found footage horror movies, the 2007 Spanish thriller, Rec, follows a young reporter (Manuela Velasco) as she and her cameraman (Pablo Rosso) become trapped in an apartment complex in which the residents are turned into flesh-eating zombies.

Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, this streamlined thriller makes the most of its 78-minute runtime to produce one of the most frightening and unique experiences that pumped new life into the zombie horror subgenre upon release.

Stream Rec on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Rec on Amazon.

Cargo (2018) 

Based on their 2013 short film of the same name, Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke’s 2017 zombie drama, Cargo, follows a father (Martin Freeman) as he and his infant daughter navigate rural Australia in hopes of being rescued in the midst of a massive viral outbreak that turns people into rabid monsters within 48 hours.

In a race against time, and the onset of infection, the father searches for a way out of the terrifying situation, one that only gets more dire by the minute. Far more dramatic than most zombie movies, Cargo will absolutely leave you gutted by the time it’s finished.

Stream Cargo on Netflix.

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

You couldn't have a list of the best zombie movies without including George A. Romero's landmark low-budget thriller, Night Of The Living Dead. Not only did this 1968 classic start one of the greatest horror franchises in the history of cinema, it was also paramount in the creation of the modern zombie movie.

This black-and-white tale of the undead follows a small group of strangers who seek shelter in an old farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. As the zombies slowly begin to overtake the exterior of the house, the survivors are verbally ripping one another apart as they fail to put aside their differences.

Stream Night of the Living Dead on Max.
Stream Night of the Living Dead on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Night of the Living Dead on Amazon.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Not all zombie movies have to be dark and dreary retellings of the apocalypse as Edgar Wright showed us in the hilarious horror comedy Shaun Of The Dead. Written alongside the film's star, Simon Pegg, this parody of the genre remains one of the best zombie movies.

Following the life of Shaun (Pegg), a down-on-his-luck electronics salesman and his best friend Ed (Nick Frost), the film pits the two deadbeat losers against hordes of undead on the streets of London. While technically a comedy, Shaun Of The Dead doesn't hold back on the gore, guts, or headshots as Shaun, Ed, and their friends and family try to escape to their favorite bar, the Winchester, where who knows what'll happen.

Rent/Buy Shaun of the Dead on Amazon.

Zombieland (2009)

If you are looking for a star-studded cast, loads of comedy, and plenty of zombie kills then Zombieland is the movie for you. Released in 2009, this Ruben Fleischer picture brings together Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as the group of outcasts come together and make their way across the continental United States that has been all but destroyed by the masses of undead littering the landscape.

One part comedy and one part horror, this highly imaginative mashup of the genres offers some of the most inventive zombie kills and plot devices ever seen in horror movies. With a long list of "rules" in order to prolong their survival, this ragtag group gives us laughs, chills, and plenty of kills. There are even a few tears along the way.

Stream Zombieland on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Zombieland on Amazon.

Day Of The Dead (1985)

In 1985, George A. Romero completed his original Dead trilogy with Day of the Dead, an extremely bleak concluding chapter that picked up years into the zombie apocalypse. Confined to a military base established in an old mining system, a group of scientists and soldiers attempt to coexist in hopes of finding a cure for the virus that has brought humanity to its knees.

While Romero's previous efforts lacked in the detailed gore department, Day of the Dead goes all out with some of the best work by legendary special effects artist Tom Savini. It’s slower, meaner, and less action-packed than Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, but this ‘80s horror movie has quite the bite.

Stream Day of the Dead on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Day of the Dead on Amazon.

Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

Zack Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead, which was written by James Gunn, is similar to George A. Romero’s horror classic in name and setting only, but that's not to say it's a bad movie. Instead, it's just a different approach to the zombie mall concept. With an ensemble cast that includes Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Ty Burrell before he went on to become the lovable Phil Dunphy on Modern Family, this reimagining has some bright spots.

The most memorable of those scenes is the film's opening, in which Polley's character must escape her suburban neighborhood as it's being ripped apart by the undead masses. The way the scene transitions to the superb title sequence still amazes me.

Rent/Buy Dawn of the Dead on Amazon.

Warm Bodies (2013)

Who says you can't have a romantic comedy set inside a world that has been overtaken by millions of zombies? I guess no one told Jonathan Levine that before he adapted and directed the 2013 zombie comedy Warm Bodies about a ghoul by the name of "R" (Nicholas Hoult) who falls in love with a very living Julie Grigio (Teresa Palmer).

Based on a novel by the same name, the oddball comedy horror mashup is as funny as it is terrifying as the romance blooms in a world that is nearly a decade into a widespread zombie outbreak. With their perfect mixture of romance, thrills, and chills, Warm Bodies is perfect for anyone looking for a happier approach to the zombie genre.

Rent/Buy Warm Bodies on Amazon.

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

I could hem and haw about the intricacies of Jim Jarmusch's absurdist The Dead Don't Die, but I'll cut to the chase and say that this is one of the most refreshing and hilarious zombie movies I've ever seen. Not quite a horror movie and yet still not exactly your typical comedy, this mishmash of genres, along with the insane cast (Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, etc.), The Dead Don't Die is a gem.

When a zombie outbreak takes over a small city, the local police force, mortician, and hermit must make sense of the world around them as the dead mysteriously return from the grave. This one isn't for everyone, but man is it great.

Stream The Dead Don’t Die on Netflix.
Rent/Buy The Dead Don’t Die on Amazon.

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

I was just a kid when I first saw The Return Of The Living Dead, so young that I failed to see the humor in this 1985 oddball horror comedy and thought it was the scariest movie I'd ever seen. It was truly frightening watching this classic on WGN that fateful October afternoon. Since then, I've grown to love this unconventional zombie movie about a viral outbreak in Louisville, Kentucky, of all places.

Written and directed by Dan O'Bannon, who's mostly known for writing the screenplay for Ridley Scott's Alien six years earlier, The Return Of The Living Dead takes place in a world in which Night Of The Living Dead was based. Add a medical disaster, a gang of street punks, and a soundtrack for the ages, and you have yourself one of the goofiest and goriest comedies to come out of the 1980s.

Rent/Buy The Return of the Living Dead on Amazon.

World War Z (2013)

And then there is the Marc Foster-directed World War Z, starring Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former United Nations investigator who is tasked with finding the cause of a viral outbreak that has spread throughout the world. Based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, World War Z, is a fun, globetrotting adventure about a man who happens to find himself in the face of danger at every turn.

The film is a departure from the narrative structure of the well-written novel on which it was based, but World War Z does have some of the most exciting action sequences and a finale in the zombie-infested World Health Organization headquarters that still makes me quiver all these years later.

Stream World War Z on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy World War Z on Amazon.

Well, this should be enough to hold you over while we wait for the next great zombie movie to take us back to the graveyard.

Whether still riding solo or committed to forever, Valentine’s Day unites all those who adore romance, passion, and love. It’s the perfect time to shower someone with affection. It’s also a great day to turn on the TV and watch some fun romantic movies.

On Valentine’s Day, many basic cable and premium networks air primetime movies about romance. These films remind people how dandy it is to fall in love on or off screen. We get to watch everything from an awkward meet cute to commitment ceremonies. These movies make staying at home on Valentine’s Day very romantic.

Loving and being in love means something different to everyone. Therefore, to represent different types of love stories, we selected a varied collection of movies. These twelve films not only have a varied definition of love, but they also fit into many different genres, not just romantic comedies.

Pitch Perfect

Freeform, 6:00 pm EST

In Pitch Perfect, Beca (Anna Kendrick) leads a cast of misfits as they join the now disgraced Barden Bellas, an all-female a cappella group. The group must learn how to perform as a unit to win an international collegiate championship. Current leader Aubrey (Anna Camp) must also learn to break tradition to give the Bellas a real shot at winning the a cappella finals.

The main romance of Pitch Perfect is between Beca and Jesse (Skyla Astin). Jesse is part of The Treblemakers, a rival all-male a cappella group. The two begin Pitch Perfect as friends who are just trying to navigate their first year of college and this scarily competitive a cappella community. Jesse and Beca have an endearing romance because it’s one of mutual respect, admiration, and growth. The romance in Pitch Perfect is very adorable, but the main appeal of the film is the hilarious cast of characters—one played by Rebel Wilson. Watch Pitch Perfect for a funny comedy with a side of sweet romance. Freeform airs Pitch Perfect 2right after the original, so turn it into an aca-awesome night.

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

ABC, 8:00 pm EST

Holidays don’t feel the same without a Charlie Brown primetime special. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown originally aired on CBS in 1975. On Valentine’s Day, the children exchange cards and Charlie Brown (voiced by Duncan Watson) expects to receive a lot of them, but instead receives none. Meanwhile, Linus (Stephen Shea) tries to tell his teacher, Miss Othmar, that he loves her with candy, but Sally (Lynn Mortensen) assumes that the gift is for her. Miss Othmar leaves before Linus can give her the candy. Now, both Charlie and Linus have broken hearts.

There isn’t really a main romance of Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown because it’s more about the further adventures of the Peanuts, but the movie ends hopeful for Charlie Brown. The animated film shows that the expectation of Valentine’s Day sometimes doesn’t match the reality, but there is always hope for a better one next year. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown has been airing annually on ABC since 2001.

Shakespeare In Love

TMC, 8:00 pm EST

Shakespeare in Love combines themes and storylines from Shakespeare’s work with real historical figures. This act of fiction has Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) falling in love with Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow), and his love for her inspires him to write Romeo & Juliet. Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards at the 1999 ceremony, including Best Picture, and a Best Lead Actress award for Gwyneth Paltrow and a Best Supporting Actress award for Judi Dench. The supporting cast includes Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Ben Affleck.

Many people who love historical fiction will adore watching Shakespeare and Viola fall in love. It has all the appeal of a forbidden and doomed romance, like Romeo & Juliet, without all the death. It may be very historically inaccurate, but if you can get pass that, then Shakespeare in Love is an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Poetic Justice

VH1, 8:00 pm EST

John Singleton wrote and directed Poetic Justice, which stars Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson. Regina King and Joe Torry have supporting roles in this movie. Lucky (Tupac Shakur) and Justice (Janet Jackson) have the typical reluctant romance at the beginning of Poetic Justice. They bicker and try to deny their feelings before they realize their strong, deep connection. In Poetic Justice, Justice is an aspiring poet and Lucky wants to pursue music. Famous African American poets, like Maya Angelou, have their poetry read throughout the movie and they’re featured in the film.

Despite all the death that Justice and Lucky experience in their young lives, they still find a way to continue to open their hearts and love again. Poetic Justice is about learning to love again after a tragedy. Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur give really strong performances and their chemistry is amazing in this movie. It’s a romantic drama with a lot of heart and grit.

A Valentine’s Match

Hallmark, 8:00 pm EST

Hallmark has the Christmas romance market conquered, so of course the network known for its love stories has some Valentine’s Day movies scheduled. A Valentine’s Match premiered on February 1 and stars Bethany Joy Lenz and Luke Macfarlane. Natalie (Bethany Joy Lenz) is fired from her hosting job on a reality TV show. She heads back home and ends up planning the town festival auction with her ex-fiancé (Luke Macfarlane).

A Valentine’s Match hits all the familiar Hallmark marks. Familiar stars? Check, because Bethany Joy Lez and Luke Macfarlane are no strangers to Hallmark movies. First loves finding their way back to each other? Check. Town festival bringing exes together? Check. Some slow motion dancing and cheesy one-liners? Check and check. If you love Hallmark movies and a specific type of romance movies then A Valentine’s Match should be perfect for you.

Zombieland

SYFY, 8:00 pm EST

Zombieland stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. It opens with Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) trying to survive this new zombie apocalyptic world alone. Then he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and they become a duo. Eventually, they meet sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and they become a little family of zombie fighters.

While Wichita and Columbus are getting to know each other, they start to fall for one another, which of course isn’t the best idea in a world full of zombies. It also doesn’t help that Wichita doesn’t want to get attached to anyone besides her sister. Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone work well off each other as this nerdy guy and tough girl. They have opposite personalities, but their core values are the same. Wichita and Columbus differences also help them balance each other. Zombieland 2 explores their romance even more.

Beyond The Lights

BET, 8:00 pm EST

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Minnie Driver, Nate Parker, Danny Glover, and Machine Gun Kelly star in Beyond the Lights. Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a rising music artist who starts to feel the pressure of superstardom. One day, she attempts suicide but her bodyguard Kaz (Nate Parker) saves her. The two feel an instant connection, but everyone around them worries that their romance could hurt their careers.

Beyond the Lights is almost a modern-day version of The Bodyguard, minus Whitney Houston’s epic high notes. Noni and Kaz’s love story shows how the right romance can have healing powers, and allow a person to express their true self. Plus Beyond the Lights has a lot of catchy songs, including an original song performed by Academy Award nominated Cynthia Erivo.

Five Feet Apart

Showtime 2 (East), 9:00 pm EST

Five Feet Apart is about two teens with cystic fibrosis who fall in love. Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson star in this film. Because of cystic fibrosis, the teens must keep a distance, to avoid catching infections from each other, but as their attraction grows, the temptation to break the rules become stronger. Five Feet Apart is directed by Jane the Virgin star Justin Baldoni.

Teen romance movies where one or both of them have a disease rarely ends happily. Don’t expect a happy ending with Five Feet Apart, but instead enjoy the ride as two teens find love for the first time, and they learn to not let fear stop them from loving and being loved.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

More Max, 9:00 pm EST

Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg, and Regina King star in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Angela Bassett plays Stella Payne, a 40-year-old woman who takes a girls trip to Jamaica, and meets and falls for a man 20 years younger named Winston Shakespeare.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back shows that women don’t stop being desirable after 40. It’s a fun romance movie all about empowering women to not just settle for mom and career woman roles. They can have romance as well. Taye Diggs and Angela Bassett are naturally very attractive people, so put them together and you got one hot May-December romance.

Fifty Shades Of Grey

E!, 9:15 pm EST

Fifty Shades of Grey is a movie based on E.L James’ best-selling novel of the same name. Ana (Dakota Johnson) is a young, inexperienced woman who begins a relationship with mature, rich, mysterious Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Ana and Christian begin a BDSM relationship that helps Ana embrace her sexuality.

If you want a kinky Valentine’s Day, then look no further than Fifty Shades of Grey. Ana and Christian’s romance starts off mainly being a sexual one, but it grows into something deeper and more intimate. E! plans to show Fifty Shades of Grey multiple times on Valentine’s Day, and it will show Fifty Shades Darker along with it. You're on your own if you want to finish off the trilogy with Fifty Shades Freed, as it doesn't appear to be playing on TV.

Pride And Prejudice And Zombies

SYFY, 10:00 pm EST

Take the classic story of Pride and Prejudice and then add zombies to the mix. This is the premise of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. This parody movie includes all the beloved characters of Jane Austen’s classic, Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James), Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), Jane Bennet (Bella Heathcote), and others.

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s romance will always be at the heart of any Pride and Prejudice adaptation, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies gives viewers a respectable and rootable version of Elizabeth and Darcy, but with a bit more comedy added. The film should please both sci-fi fans and romance fans.

Dirty Dancing

Paramount Network, 10:00 pm EST

Dancing and the class system takes center stage in Dirty Dancing. While on vacation, Baby (Jennifer Grey) begins taking dance lessons from Johnny (Patrick Swayze), an older man from the working class. As the two dance together, they begin to fall in love.

Dirty Dancing is a classic romance movie for many reasons: it has hot dancing, great chemistry between the leads, memorable songs, and lifts. Dirty Dancing is a great movie to enjoy on Valentine’s Day because it’ll make you want to have the time of your life. Watch the original version of Dirty Dancing to forget all about that questionable TV remake.

These TV romance movies are ideal for a cozy romantic movie marathon with someone you love. Snuggle up and get to watching.

If you are reading this it is probably because you are a Netflix subscriber in need of a good laugh. The comedies section of the streaming service has a plentiful selection of funny movies that quench your thirst for witty dialogue and childish sight gags in no time.

To help narrow down your search, however, allow us to provide a few recommendations available to stream. These are just 12 of some of the funniest movies on Netflix.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)

Since childhood, I have always wondered how even a secret agent as unkillable as James Bond could live through several decades and still be young enough to continue kicking ass. Thus, I would have to side with Mike Myers’ hip, swinging Brit as the more believable cinematic secret agent since Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery at least tries to explain its hero’s stunted aging process between the 1960s and 1990s.

Austin Powers (Mike Myers, who also wrote this hit espionage send-up) is awakened in 1997 from a 30-year cryogenic hibernation in order to stop his recently unfrozen enemy, Dr. Evil (Myers), but neither are having an easy go adapting to the new decade. For thoughtful jabs at James Bond tropes and shameless indulgence in unbridled absurdity, this highly quotable comedy from Bombshell director Jay Roach is arguably the crown jewel of modern day spy movie parodies. Stream it here.

Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)

The Hangover may have made him a household name, but Between Two Ferns, the hilariously cringe-worthy talk show deconstruction from Funny Or Die, might be the most brilliant thing Zach Galifianakis has ever done. While you may not have expected a series of digital shorts to inspire a feature-length spin-off, that is just what happened and the results are praise-worthy.

This Netflix original sees Zach Galifianakis hit the road in a desperate attempt to continue his show after a disastrous accident leaves his set indefinitely unusable. The mockumentary shines its brightest when it sticks to the awkward celebrity interview format (featuring cameos by Brie Larson, Keanu Reeves, and David Letterman, to name a few), but they so satisfyingly live up to the webseries’ reputation enough to earn Between Two Ferns: The Movie a strong recommendation. Stream it here.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

For much of the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was the biggest name in comedy (and Hollywood in general), but has since seen a handful of ups and several downs for the past few decades. His Golden Globe-nominated role in the Netflix original biopic Dolemite Is My Name could be the comeback fans of the comedian have been waiting for.

The film chronicles the struggles of late cult comedy phenomenon Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) as he, with the help of his boisterous friends, scrambles to make his popular, foul-mouthed stage persona, Dolemite, into a feature film that would eventually become a staple of blaxploitation cinema… despite its schlocky execution and aggressive cheesiness. Imagine The Disaster Artist if Tommy Wiseau had a genuine personality and optimism to earn your support and you have the inspiring and charmingly hilarious Dolemite Is My Name. Stream it here.

Free Fire (2016)

In 1978 Boston, two differing parties meet in an abandoned warehouse to conduct an illegal arms deal. However, as soon as we become familiar with each eccentric character, things quickly get out of control, inciting the symphony of relentless gunfire that makes up the most of director Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire.

A movie that is essentially 90 minutes of angry people shooting at each other sounds more traumatizing than fun. However, with some ‘70s-style B-movie flavor, a colorful ensemble cast (including Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, and Sharlto Copley), fast-paced wit, and the music of John Denver, the Martin Scorsese-produced Free Fire easily becomes one of the most enjoyably riotous action comedies in recent memory. Stream it here.

Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)

Every classic stoner movie begins with a simple premise that rapidly spirals completely out of control. One of the most definitive examples of this is the story of two childish twenty-something pals who just want to satisfy their “medically-induced” munchies, but run into a little trouble along the way in this critically acclaimed, raunchy cult hit that spawned two sequels.

What is especially fascinating about Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle is the careers it would spark. John Cho (Harold) is known for playing Sulu in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, Kal Penn (Kumar) worked for the Obama Administration at one time, and Neil Patrick Harris (playing a highly fictionalized version of himself) is, well, Neil Patrick Harris. Take a look back at a unique time in these actors’ lives with this hilarious adventure. Stream it here.

Kingpin (1996)

Peter Farrelly struck Oscar gold for the first time last year by winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for his fact-based period drama, Green Book. You would never believe that this was same guy who, along with his brother Bobby, directed Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and this comedy that raises the stakes of knocking down pins higher than ever.

Years after a misunderstanding leaves star bowler Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) without his good hand, he finds hope in the talent of Ishmael (Randy Quaid), whom he convinces to bowl competitively, something his Amish community would never allow, and they are soon joined on the road by the beautiful Claudia (Vanessa Angel). While Kingpin initially got mixed reviews, Roger Ebert praised the film for its consistency in delivering one striking comedic bit after another. Stream it here.

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

Absurdist comedy usually panders to a very niche audience. Nevertheless, Monty Python, the groundbreaking British comedy troupe who pushed absurdity dangerously further than anyone before or since, managed to pull off one of the most iconic and widely beloved farces of all time with this comedy that turns Arthurian literature on its head.

The Knights of the Round Table embark on a quest to find the Holy Grail, but run into the far too resilient Black Knight, rude Frenchmen, and a homicidal rabbit, along the way, all culminating to a hilariously abrupt conclusion that supposedly coined the term “cop out.” Co-directed by eccentric visionary Terry Gilliam and the late Terry Jones, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is commonly considered the troupe’s greatest cinematic achievement and one of the strangest experiences you will ever have laughing. Stream it here.

The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad! (1988)

Speaking of dangerous levels of absurdity, here we have a tale of man so unwittingly a danger to himself and other that it is just plain absurd. Of course, that is very thing we can expect from this movie from the creators of Airplane! starring the best straight face in comedy: the late, great Leslie Nielsen.

The legend reprises his role as Lt. Frank Drebin, from the short-lived crime procedural spoof series Police Squad!, who must foil an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II despite countless goofy sight gags getting in the way. If you can get past seeing O.J. Simpson in a starring role as an equally bumbling officer, The Naked Gun is the ultimate detective parody and the beloved Leslie Nielsen’s most definitive comedic role. Stream it here.

Scary Movie (2000)

The irony of Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher revival, Scream, is that Kevin Williamson’s script was intended as a deconstruction of the teen horror genre. Therefore, when The Wayans Brothers wanted to use the film as the focus of their slasher send-up, they had to go for a more overtly humorous tone.

Scary Movie is essentially a parody remake of Scream, with all the clever plot twists and hair-raising suspense supplemented with over-the-top callbacks to common horror cliches and tasteless sight gags that, impressively, never run out of steam. It just may be the last in an era of good cartoonish spoofs. Stream it here.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

If films like Hot Fuzz or Baby Driver were not enough to convince you that Edgar Wright is one of cinema’s most inventive modern day visionaries, maybe Scott Pilgrim vs. the World will. A movie that complements its video game-esque plot line with 8-bit music cues and imagery has to be considered genius.

Struggling punk band bassist Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his new love interest Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in order to win her heart. Based on a series of graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a game-changing comedy with a nerd-tastic visual style and brilliant twists and turns, all while never sacrificing its tone that fuses off-beat slacker quirkiness with fantasy so uniquely, it veers on cinematic rebellion. Stream it here.

Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008)

This comedy from indie slacker comedy king Kevin Smith is more than likely the sweetest and most heartwarmingly romantic film on this list. It just takes a lot of incessantly raunchy humor to get to that point, followed by a little more dirt after that.

When lifelong friends Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) become desperate for money, they come up with the brilliant idea to produce an adult film, a project that becomes more revealing than they expected. Zack and Miri Make A Porno is a surprisingly tasteful movie for a comedy that revolves around tasteless subject matter and a highlight of the Clerks director’s post-’90s career. Stream it here.

Zombieland (2009)

Of the many films that pay tribute to the pioneering achievements of Night of the Living Dead creator George A. Romero through a more humorous lens, I would rank Zombieland second to a certain British horror comedy. However, this goofy road trip through an apocalyptic landscape, with a killer cameo from a beloved comedian, is still a great time for any occasion.

A quartet of mismatched survivors (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) must learn to work together as they seek refuge in a world overrun by the undead. The impeccably witty script from future Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and the cast, who clearly enjoyed themselves making this, make Zombieland one of the funniest films focusing on otherwise morbid subject matter ever made. Stream it here.

Are you laughing yet? No? Then, I suppose that means you have not started your binge of funny movies on Netflix yet. Go ahead and get your comedy fix and be sure to check back for more recommendations of what to stream here on CinemaBlend.

I am the kind of movie fan who loves to see filmmakers attempt to combine two different genres that, in theory, should not blend smoothly but result in one exciting and uproarious concoction. That being said, I love horror-comedy movies and would even say that some of the best horror movies of all time have successfully managed to be as frightening as they are funny. See for yourself by looking at my recommendations for some of the best horror-comedy movies ever, along with a tip on how to watch them.

Dead Alive (1992)

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver

What it’s about: A bite from a Sumatran rat-monkey unleashes a virus that turns most of a New Zealand town into ravenous, flesh-eating monsters.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Before he was best known as the Oscar-winning director of the Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson bread and butter was uproarious gorefests like Dead Alive, which is also known as Braindead.

How to watch Dead Alive

• Buy Dead Alive on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ghostbusters (1984)

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson

What it’s about: A group of New Yorkers work together to eliminate bizarre paranormal encounters throughout the city.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Also written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and one of Ivan Reitman’s best movies, the original Ghostbusters is one of the most universally beloved examples of fusing horrifying story elements with hilarious hijinks.

How to watch Ghostbusters

• Stream Ghostbusters on Max
• Rent or buy Ghostbusters on Amazon
• Buy Ghostbusters on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Menu (2022)

Director: Mark Mylod

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult

What it’s about: Wealthy food enthusiasts discover that a special dining event curated by a prestigious chef is not quite the delicious experience they were hoping for.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Anya Taylor-Joy (arguably the top Scream Queen of her time) proves that she possesses a striking wit as the central hero of The Menu – a pitch-black satire of elitist culinary culture with some real bite.

How to watch The Menu

• Stream The Menu on Netflix
• Rent or buy The Menu on Amazon
• Buy The Menu on Blu-ray on Amazon

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Director: Stephen Chiodo

Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder

What it’s about: A young couple struggles to protect their town from an invasion of grotesque aliens disguised as clowns.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Oddly enough, the antagonists from one of the truly funniest examples of the typically earnest creepy clown movie genre, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, are not actual harlequins but evil extraterrestrials who adopted a thematic aesthetic inspired by circus culture, for whatever reason.

How to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space

• Stream Killer Klowns from Outer Space on MGM+
• Stream Killer Klowns from Outer Space on Tubi
• Rent or buy Killer Klowns from Outer Space on Amazon
• Buy Killer Klowns from Outer Space on Blu-ray on Amazon

Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

Director: Frank Oz

Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene

What it’s about: A meek floral shop employee discovers that an unusual plant he recently purchased does not feed on water or sunlight, but human beings.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Based on a popular stage show inspired by a Roger Korman classic, Little Shop of Horrors is also one of the best horror-comedy musical movies for its toe-tapping numbers and boasts one of the best ‘80s movie villains: the “mean, green” Audrey II.

How to watch Little Shop of Horrors

• Rent or buy Little Shop of Horrors on Amazon
• Buy Little Shop of Horrors on Blu-ray on Amazon

Happy Death Day (2017)

Director: Christopher Landon

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard

What it’s about: A conceited college student finds herself reliving the same day over and over, allowing her the chance to identify the masked murderer who keeps killing her.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The horror genre has plenty of great time-loop movies, but none are as funny as the wonderfully silly slasher, Happy Death Day.

How to watch Happy Death Day

• Rent or buy Happy Death Day on Amazon
• Buy Happy Death Day on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

Director: Dan O’Bannon

Starring: Thom Matthews, James Karen

What it’s about: A pair of medical supply warehouse employees accidentally release a strange gas that causes the dead to rise.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The origin of zombies being hungry for brains can be traced back to The Return of the Living Dead, which is arguably the better 1985 zombie movie over Day of the Dead but undeniably the more magnificently ridiculous.

How to watch The Return of the Living Dead

• Stream The Return of the Living Dead on MGM+
• Stream The Return of the Living Dead on Tubi
• Rent or buy The Return of the Living Dead on Amazon
• Buy The Return of the Living Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon

Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil (2010)

Director: Eli Craig

Starring: Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine

What it’s about: Disaster strikes when a couple of hillbillies just trying to enjoy a vacation in the mountains are mistaken for slashers by a group of frightened college students.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The classic slasher movie trope of shady country folk who are clearly psychopathic, possibly cannibalistic murderers is turned on its head in a hilarious and graphic fashion in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.

How to watch Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

• Stream Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on Amazon Prime
• Stream Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on Peacock
• Stream Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on Tubi
• Buy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ready Or Not (2019)

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody

What it’s about: A newlywed agrees to her wealthy in-laws’ seemingly innocent game of hide-and-seek that turns out to be a deadly, all-night hunt in which she is the sole target.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Radio Silence crafts Ready or Not into an intense, expertly paced cat-and-mouse game that is a little bit Die Hard, a little bit Rosemary’s Baby, and thoroughly batshit crazy, and secured Weaving as one of the top Scream Queens of her time and any time.

How to watch Ready or Not

• Rent or buy Ready or Not on Amazon
• Buy Ready or Not on Blu-ray on Amazon

Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Director: Scott Glosserman

Starring: Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals

What it’s about: A documentary crew follows an aspiring masked killer as he prepares to embark on his first murder spree.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Set in the same universe as classic slasher movies like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a mockumentary that cleverly makes light of the genre’s cliches by presenting them in a hilariously and refreshingly informal way.

How to watch Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

• Stream Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon on AMC+
• Rent or buy Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon on Amazon
• Buy Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon on Blu-ray on Amazon

Zombieland (2009)

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

What it’s about: A mismatched group of travelers struggles to tolerate the undead flesh eaters dominating the earth, as well as each other.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Despite its graphic imagery and dark themes, Zombieland is a light, breezy road trip movie with a killer celebrity cameo that puts a bright, blood-stained smile on your face.

How to watch Zombieland

• Rent or buy Zombieland on Amazon
• Buy Zombieland on Blu-ray on Amazon

Slither (2006)

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks

What it’s about: After a small town becomes overrun by large parasitic worms from another planet, a police officer races to prevent the plague from transforming more townsfolk into revolting mutant creatures.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Slither is a body horror movie of the grossest kind and a horror-comedy of the most crass kind but James Gunn (years before Guardians of the Galaxy) crafts it into something uniquely endearing.

How to watch Slither

• Rent or buy Slither on Amazon
• Buy Slither on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gremlins (1984)

Director: Joe Dante

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates

What it’s about: When Billy Peltzer receives an unusual furry creature called a Mogwai from his father as a Christmas gift, he soon learns that, lurking beneath its cuddly exterior, is a vicious, green monster that takes the ignorance of a few important rules to unleash.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The frightening nature of the titular creatures in Gremlins is not to be underestimated, yet they often indulge in some wacky, cartoonish mischief that makes the holiday horror movie an undisputed classic.

How to watch Gremlins

• Rent or buy Gremlins on Amazon
• Buy Gremlins on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Cabin In The Woods (2011)

Director: Drew Goddard

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams

What it’s about: Five young friends fall prey to horrifying circumstances at a remote cabin where nothing is truly as it seems.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The less you know about The Cabin in the Woods and its wild ending, the better but I will, at least, mention that it is one of the most dizzyingly clever and unabashedly witty deconstructions of the horror genre yet.

How to watch The Cabin in the Woods

• Stream The Cabin in the Woods on Amazon Prime for free
• Buy The Cabin in the Woods on Blu-ray on Amazon

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

Director: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement

Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh

What it’s about: A film crew documents the daily activities of three centuries-old bloodsuckers while living together in modern-day New Zealand.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: What makes What We Do in the Shadows one of the funniest movies about classic monsters is its surprisingly relatable and convincingly executed tale of friendship that takes great pleasure in its respectful mocking of traditional vampire lore.

How to watch What We Do in the Shadows

• Rent or buy What We Do in the Shadows on Amazon
• Buy What We Do in the Shadows on Blu-ray on Amazon

Trick ‘R Treat (2007)

Director: Michael Dougherty

Starring: Quinn Lord, Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin

What it’s about: Sam (a lone trick-r-treater who is more than meets the eye) is the connective tissue for a collection of stories all taking place on one particularly unusual Halloween night.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: In addition to being one of the best anthology horror movies, the enduring cult favorite, Trick ‘r Treat, makes a great case for being the ultimate Halloween movie, as a wonderfully wacky, often chilling, and clearly proud celebration of the holiday.

How to watch Trick ‘r Treat

• Rent or buy Trick ‘r Treat on Amazon
• Buy Trick ‘r Treat on Blu-ray on Amazon

Beetlejuice (1988)

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton

What it’s about: A recently deceased couple runs into trouble after enlisting a crude, revolting bio-exorcist to rid their house of its pretentious current inhabitants.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Tim Burton’s signature macabre whimsy, fused with Michael Keaton’s laugh-a-minute, high-energy wit make Beetlejuice a time of your afterlife film that was later adapted into a Tony-nominated Broadway musical and spawned a long-awaited follow-up called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

How to watch Beetlejuice

• Rent or buy Beetlejuice on Amazon
• Buy Beetlejuice on Blu-ray on Amazon

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Director: John Landis

Starring: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter

What it’s about: While visiting the United Kingdom, American college students David and Jack are attacked by an animal that kills Jack but turns David into a half-man, half-wolf creature.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: While the humor that made John Landis a household name is present, what really makes An American Werewolf in London a one of the best werewolf movies is its horrific body horror imagery, thanks to Rick Baker’s Academy Award-winning makeup effects.

How to watch An American Werewolf in London

• Stream An American Werewolf in London on Tubi
• Rent An American Werewolf in London on Amazon
• Buy An American Werewolf in London on Blu-ray on Amazon

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

What it’s about: An everyman struggles to protect his friends and family after mindless flesh-eaters overrun London.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: Instead of spoofing the zombie genre, Shaun of the Dead honors George A. Romero’s formula and splices it with sitcom conventions that result in, surprisingly, one of the most realistic zombie movies ever made.

How to watch Shaun of the Dead

• Rent or buy Shaun of the Dead on Amazon
• Buy Shaun of the Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon

Evil Dead II (1987)

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry

What it’s about: A man stranded at a remote cabin in the woods is forced to contend with malevolent and mischievous spiritual forces after accidentally unleashing them with a mysterious book.

Why it is one of the best horror-comedy movies: The second installment of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies is a near-perfect marriage of gross-out gore with classic slapstick unlike anything the subgenre had seen before.

How to watch Evil Dead II

• Stream Evil Dead II on Amazon Prime
• Buy Evil Dead II on Blu-ray on Amazon

I believe that it can be healthy for us to be able to find the humor in everything, sometimes even the most grisly topics. That being said, there is no better way for us to exercise that concept than by indulging in a fun horror-comedy movie like the favorites above.

Rule #56: There are SPOILERS ahead so don’t read this until you’ve seen Zombieland: Double Tap.

After finally delivering a sequel to 2009’s Zombieland after a decade of false starts, you might think that director Ruben Fleischer would be content to leave the zombie-infested wasteland behind for good. But thankfully, that’s not the case and following the recent release of the incredibly fun Zombieland: Double Tap, Ruben Fleischer actually has an idea for a potential spinoff that would focus on one of the sequel’s new characters. Ruben Fleischer explained his idea, saying:

Yes please. Ruben Fleischer’s idea for a Zombieland spinoff is to follow Madison, the bubbly, beautiful and charmingly stupid character introduced in the sequel film and portrayed by actress Zoey Deutch. The director believes that there is still more story to tell with Madison and therefore the potential is there to give the character her very own standalone spinoff movie.

Ruben Fleischer sounds particularly keen on the idea and thinks it would be fun to explore a Madison story. He even muses that a sample of such a spinoff film would have made for a good post-credit scene in Zombieland: Double Tap. The sequel film already has a pretty great post-credits scene, but the pitch for a Madison post-credits scene and what it could mean for a potential spinoff is a neat idea.

As he tells The Hollywood Reporter, Ruben Fleischer envisions a post-credit scene with Madison and Avan Jogia’s Berkeley, which would have taken place after the events of the film. Madison was Columbus’s rebound when Wichita took off but after Columbus and Wichita get back together at film’s end, this leaves Madison without somebody. Fortunately, Little Rock dumps Berkeley so Berkeley and Madison end up hooking up.

The post-credit scene would have seen these two fools, who miraculously survived the zombie apocalypse to this point, in the hippie community of Babylon just doing dumb stuff. Ruben Fleischer doesn’t say if that’s the idea he has for a Madison standalone movie, but that could theoretically be a good jumping off point to tell more of her story.

Zombieland: Double Tap is one of those exceedingly rare comedy sequels that is actually good. It performed admirably at the box office in its opening weekend as well so hopefully this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this series. It might take another decade to get a proper Zombieland 3, but a spinoff would be a fun way to continue the franchise and following Zoey Deutch’s Madison is a great idea.

Madison was an absolute scene-stealer in Zombieland: Double Tap. Despite being the kind of ditzy blonde character archetype that might be annoying, she wound up being positively hilarious and loveable. It would be great to see more of her and as we know from the existing films, the Zombieland franchise is open to flashbacks and cutaways, so maybe we could find out more about her life before Zombieland and how exactly she wound up in that freezer.

The only thing I wonder about with a Madison spinoff, especially if it’s a movie with her and Berkeley, is if you would need a straight man type character in there to balance things out. Part of what made Madison so funny was how Tallahassee, Wichita and Columbus reacted to her.

Zombieland: Double Tap is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what other movies are headed to theaters this year.

We've just gotten our big look at what's coming to Netflix's streaming library in the month of November, and it’s a perfect bridge between Halloween and the holidays. And hidden in-between the would-be blockbusters and brand new TV shows debuting on the platform are some gems that are both underrated and well known. Most importantly, they’re part of the next month of programming over at Netflix HQ.

If you want to see the big notables we highlighted back in October 2019, head on over to that list and skim through what you should be watching, if you haven’t already. As for the here and now, let’s take that one step into the future and go over the best movies coming to Netflix in November 2019.

End Of Watch

This week, police procedural fans will be able to catch that same sort of film in theaters with the release of Sony’s Black and Blue. However, if you find yourself wanting another trip on the beat of law enforcement, then you’ll soon be able to watch director David Ayer’s End Of Watch. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, the film is a 'day in the life' account of two LA police officers, and their part in the war against gang related crimes.

Both humorous and heartfelt, it’s a film unlike most dealing with the men and women who protect and serve, as it portrays their duties with less sensationalist drama and more reality.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Hunter S. Thompson is a man who lived as outrageously as he wrote, and the best cinematic proof to that effect is still Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Based on Thompson’s book of the same name, Johnny Depp portrays the legendary journalist/counter-culture figure and the strange journey he found himself embarking on in the name of sports journalism.

While director Terry Gilliam’s film starts off with a more hysterical bent to its proceedings, eventually heavier thoughts and weirder occurrences start to happen. By time you’re done watching this film, you’re either going to love it forever or start asking a lot of questions. Either way, it’s worth finding out which column you belong in through firsthand experience.

Grease

If you need the plot of Grease explained to you, then that’s… absolutely fair. We all have gaps that involve classic movies, and sometimes you need a reason to get into a musical tale of rambunctious teenagers in high school during the 1950s. So if you’re new to John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s romp involving the potential romance between a greaser and a good girl, Netflix is going to have you covered starting in November.

Though if you’re a true blue fan, then just reading the title is probably all you need for another ride with the T-Birds and Pink Ladies of Rydell High. With HBO Max setting its sights on bringing this world back to life in a new musical series, everyone now has a chance to shape up before the next chapter begins.

Rosemary's Baby

Halloween is almost here, and movies like Rosemary’s Baby almost always tend to end up on the list of those films you need to include in your seasonal watchlist. There’s a reason for that, as the tale of young Mia Farrow’s journey into motherhood, paranoia and the occult is remembered fondly for all the right reasons.

Following the story through the actions and reactions of Farrow’s Rosemary, we’re limited to her point of view on the action. And that is part of how Roman Polanski’s horror film is still as effective with a modern audience as it was back when it first debuted. If you want to triple down on this sort of scares, throw mother! and The Omen into the mix, should you have them on hand.

Rounders

“Two stacks of High Society.” It’s the type of line you don’t hear that often in movies these days, and Rounders is certainly an atypical movie of our modern era. With Matt Damon and Edward Norton as a pair of gamblers forced back into the world of underground gambling they once called home, the action is a bit more of an exercise in telling than in showing.

But the way that the poker comes to life in this independent classic is too wonderful to describe. So instead, we’ll sweeten the pot with the presence of both John Turturro and John Malkovich as fellow gamblers the boys encounter along their journey, as well as even more gorgeous dialogue from the pens of Billions’ co-creator Brian Koppelman and co-writer David Levien. Think of it as a mental vacation before blockbuster season kicks in once again.

Sling Blade

Another legendary indie from the Miramax stable of ‘90s classics, Sling Blade is the film you have to thank for bringing the talents of Billy Bob Thornton to a sharp and immediate focus right before the new millennium would make him a superstar. Serving as the film’s writer, director and one of its stars, Thornton plays a developmentally disabled man who’s released into the world after decades in state custody.

What follows after his release is an affecting story of how a person catches up with the world when so much has changed without them. Themes of friendship and self-sacrifice are present, and Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as Karl, the central character to Sling Blade, even earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, on top of his win for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Step Brothers

What can you say about Step Brothers that hasn’t already been said? Over ten years after Will Ferrell’s Brennan Huff and John C. Reilly’s Dale Doback first wove their comedic spell in what could be Adam McKay’s funniest film ever, their story of stunted personal growth and their hysterical defiance to truly grow up makes pretty much anyone’s day when it’s being shown.

Tons of quotable lines and memorable moments await newcomers to the world of Step Brothers, so if you’ve heard your friends going on about the Catalina Wine Mixer and you don’t even live remotely close to California, this is the movie they’re invoking the spirit of. Join them. Join us. Watch Step Brothers.

The Game

Confess: you’ve finished yet another season of David Fincher’s Netflix lovechild Mindhunter, and you want more action in a similar vein. Well if you’re tired of re-watching Se7en or Gone Girl, but you’re not quite at the point of watching Alien 3, you can score some more Fincher with one of his most underrated films. The Game is a mystery-thriller that sees Michael Douglas put into an elaborate mindbang that sees him questioning everything, and everyone, around him.

It’s a David Fincher thrill ride that we don’t talk about enough in the world of film commentary, which means it’s a welcomed addition to the Netflix streaming service you may not have seen. If that’s the case, don’t read any further into the film and don’t even watch the trailer. Just trust us when we say you should play this game as freshly as humanly possible.

The Matrix Trilogy

While The Matrix trilogy is indeed a standout example of science fiction storytelling at its finest, it’s been a while since the series has been in the pop culture consciousness. Admittedly, unless you’re a die-hard fan who owns the films in every format, and watches them at least once a year, you’re probably a little rusty on Keanu Reeves’ adventures as Neo, “The One” who would save all in the grasp of the insidious machine overlords that rule this dystopia.

Maybe it’s because the announcement of The Matrix 4 has people revved up to see them again, or maybe Netflix was just feeling generous, but all three films, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, will be back online for Wachowski fans far and wide to enjoy once again.

Zombieland

Speaking of modern sequels to long-passed favorites, Sony seems to be doing rather well with its return to the world of the undead with Zombieland: Double Tap. And much like The Matrix, enough time has passed that you might not remember a lot about Zombieland, which may have turned you off from seeing this new adventure. Never fear, Netflix is here again to save your day.

Whether you’ve seen the first one or not, it’s safe to say you could probably still see the sequel to Zombieland and know what’s going on. But if you absolutely need to see this series in order, or if you just want more of Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin’s zombie killing comedy antics in your life, November is going to be very kind to you in either respect.

As any good friend would tell you, these titles are subject to change. Netflix's library is mysterious in that way, so if you're looking for a particular title on any given night, you'll want to check your streaming queue, or our full November 2019 lineup, to see where and when certain titles will drop. Have a happy Thanksgiving, stuffed with joy from Netflix!

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Being a sequel coming out a decade after its predecessor, Zombieland: Double Tap is hitting theaters with a particular amount of pressure on it, but it’s actually a pressure with which the movie’s writers are already familiar. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick faced similar stakes just last year with the release of Deadpool 2, as there was an immense burden to make a film as good or better than the first.

As many will remember, everything worked out quite well for the writing/producing duo, as Deadpool 2 was both acclaimed and made just as much money as the original – so it was very much a positive learning experience. It was something they brought with them into the making of Zombieland: Double Tap, as I learned sitting down with them this past weekend during the movie’s Los Angeles press day.

During our interview I specifically asked what they took from their time making Deadpool 2 into the development of the Zombieland sequel, and Rhett Reese explained,

Continuing, the writer explained that the process requires a bit of imagination, but the ultimate goal is to try and totally dismiss all of the pressure, and just follow the same instincts that resulted in a successful movie the first time around:

As noted by Rhett Reese, ignoring the pressure doesn’t make it not exist – and it is very real, as disappointed can be extremely vicious. But nothing about it is a benefit to the creative process, so it all just needs to be put aside. Ultimately Reese and Paul Wernick found magic working with Ryan Reynolds and David Leitch in the making of Deadpool 2, and so they let the same thing happen with director Ruben Fleischer and stars Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin in the making of Zombieland: Double Tap.

It’s notably a successful effort too, as the new movie very much recaptures the spirit of the original Zombieland – coalescing as a fun and freaky 10 year reunion (as I wrote in my review of the movie). Fans will be able to see it for themselves this weekend, as Zombieland: Double Tap will be playing in theaters nationwide.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland was such a big hit. It’s not an overly complex setup from a plot perspective, delivering a road trip through the zombie apocalypse, and the movie features a truly wonderful group of characters to follow, played by an ensemble of four incredibly talented actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. The material is bolstered by the impressive wit and cleverness of screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and what culminates from those ingredients is a really funny, fun adventure that pulls off some real surprises, and even a few scares.

All this in mind, the big question that has surrounded Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland: Double Tap in recent months has been whether or not the magic could be recreated. The production was given all of the same ingredients, with not only Fleischer returning, but also Reese and Wernick and the entire core cast, but that alone did not guarantee that the film would come together successfully like its predecessor.

That’s a lot of pressure for a sequel, especially one being released 10 years later, but it’s a high bar that the movie is able to reach. It turns out that it’s really just immensely enjoyable to hang out with these characters at the end of the world, and with the story throwing a handful of excellent new elements at our heroes – both human and zombie alike – once again audiences get an entertaining, laugh-out-loud ride.

Following reality’s timeline, Zombieland: Double Tap picks up with its main characters 10 years after the rise of the flesh-eating undead, and they have basically settled into a routine. They’ve taken up residence at the White House, and their group dynamics haven’t much changed. The timorous, “rules”-obsessed Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has maintained a romantic relationship with Wichita (Emma Stone), though he is ready to commit, while she still remains terrified at the prospect of getting too close to anyone. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), meanwhile, is still the same brash, catch phrase-spouting redneck, though he has also taken Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) under his wing like a daughter – something that the young woman bridles against as she is reaching leave-the-nest age.

With tensions rising in the group, the two sisters pull off a familiar move and split in the middle of the night… but things don’t go exactly as planned. A few days after leaving, Wichita returns to the White House with news that Little Rock left her in the lurch as well, sneaking away with an acoustic guitar-playing pacifist named Berkeley (Avan Jogia).

The trio once again hits the road so that they can try and find Little Rock – but this time they are joined by a fresh face in Madison (Zoey Deutch), an energetic ditz who has survived the rise of zombies by living in a freezer at the mall.

The greatest strength that Zombieland: Double Tap possesses is the fact that the character voices feel impressively familiar, lending the movie a feeling of reuniting with old friends. A lot has changed for the core cast in the last 10 years, with the group together earning six Academy Award nominations and one victory, plus Abigail Breslin becoming an actual adult, but their return to these particular personalities and energies feels effortless. They’ve matured and have a level of comfortability together to the extent that it doesn’t all feel like material we’ve seen before, but these are also definitely still the individuals we fell for back in 2009.

Further helping balance the scales in that particular arena is the excellent injection of new that Zombieland: Double Tap gets from its fresh faces. While you might think that a “dumb blonde” character in 2019 might be too much of a trope to work, you’re actually dead wrong, as Zoey Deutch is an impressive scene-stealer who generates some of the biggest laughs of the movie, both with fantastic comedic timing, and some great physicality.

And while their roles aren’t quite as big, similar sentiments can be shared about the roles played by Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Thomas Middleditch. Set up as a foil for Tallahassee, Dawson’s Nevada is a wonderful, Elvis-loving, tough-as-nails ass-kicker, while Wilson and Middleditch make for an excellent mirror duo for Eisenberg and Harrelson – the differences between them being that Middleditch’s Flagstaff has survived Zombieland with a set of commandments instead of rules; and Wilson’s Albuquerque isn’t totally emotionally stunted and able to compliment his partner when he does a good job.

The sequel is even able to get a bit novel with its worldbuilding, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to check back in with a zombie apocalypse 10 years after it started. Not only is there the interesting idea explored that none of the events from the last decade in our own timeline played out in the fictional universe, but there is even a smart advancement in the way in which the characters deal with the monstrous cannibals that have taken over the Earth. After years of slaying, they’ve discovered that the population of the walking dead basically breaks down into two categories: the dimwitted “Homers,” and the surprisingly-clever “Hawkings.”

Not only does this have a cool effect on the way Zombieland: Double Tap approaches its attack scenes, with the characters creating strategies based on the demographics of the hordes they are facing, but it also provides a smart opportunity for raised stakes. The heroes have gotten so comfortable killing the two kinds of undead that they are almost bored, but then they get wind of a new kind of evolved zombie (“T-800s,” named after The Terminator) that are stronger and faster than anything Columbus, Wichita, Tallahassee, and Little Rock have ever seen.

The film isn’t exactly a game-changer, as while it doesn’t fall into the devastating sequel trap of repeating all the same gags from the original, it does have a very familiar structure. But this isn’t a movie that needed to break the mold to succeed. Zombieland: Double Tap is a solid addition to the big screen zom-com legacy, and a funny, freaky 10 year reunion.

When we first experienced the world of Zombieland 10 years ago, the undead apocalypse in-universe was still a relatively recent phenomenon. While the flesh-eating walking corpses had certainly done quite a lot of damage by the time the story caught up with the film’s protagonists, the voice over narration from Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus informs the audience that the events that take place in the movie are only set about two months after a diseased burger doomed the planet.

Because of this, the world we saw in the film wasn’t too far off from our own – mostly just filled with more abandoned cars and occupied by fewer people than what we see every day. Of course, such was not the case for the upcoming sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap. The movie picks up with its predecessor’s main characters a full 10 years after the events of the previous feature, and that simple fact required the filmmakers to present the development of the planet in a very different way.

Back in late August I joined a small group of journalists for a Zombieland: Double Tap edit bay visit on the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City, CA, and it was in conversation with director Ruben Fleischer that we learned about the special ways the walking dead-infested Earth has changed since we last saw it in 2009. As we learned from the filmmaker, there was some legitimate research done to make sure that everything looked accurate in the movie given a) the events that transpired to limit human population, and b) how much time had passed. Said Fleischer,

(Note: Life After People is a History Channel show, and “The World Without Us” is indeed the title, written by author Alan Weisman)

It was a subject that came up thanks to a bit of Zombieland: Double Tap footage that was shown to the group, namely a scene with a conversation between Columbus, Woody Harrelson’s Tallahassee, and a new character, Zoey Deutch's Madison – who lives in a mall freezer to stay away from cannibal corpses. When Madison complains about it being a cold environment, Tallahassee suggests her turning it off, to which she replies that there is no switch, and that she’s just been waiting for the electricity to run out. It’s this comment that leads Columbus to chime in, “As long as it keeps raining, the dams keep giving us power.”

Per Ruben Fleischer’s research this is a real thing that would actually happen, and potentially allow electricity to still exist in the world even 10 years after humans had abandoned power plants. So if you find yourself watching Zombieland: Double Tap and feeling incredulous about the fact that there are working lightbulbs, know that it’s not as crazy as it might seem.

Based on a script by the writers of the original Zombieland, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Zombieland: Double Tap reunites audiences with the aforementioned Columbus and Tallahassee, as well as Emma Stone’s Wichita and Abigail Breslin’s Little Rock – all of whom have taken up residence together in the White House. Things aren’t exactly all peaceful, however, and things actually get a bit chaotic when Little Rock runs off with a cute boy named (Avan Jogia). A road trip is inspired to find her, bringing the characters back out into the craziness of the world.

Zombieland: Double Tap is set to be released almost 10 years to the day after Zombieland, and that anniversary is coming up soon. The film will be hitting theaters everywhere on October 18, and you’ll definitely want to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we have more coverage for you leading up to the release!

By time the aptly titled Zombieland: Double Tap hits theaters, it will be just a little over a full decade since director Ruben Fleischer delivered the smash hit that put his career on the map. Alongside his cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone, the original Zombieland boosted the profile of all involved, and has kept the world wanting another round of zombie killing madness.

Should this new film be successful, there’s a possibility that we’ll get to see Zombieland return yet again, and if Emma Stone has it her way, it'll be after another 10 year wait. This fact came from Ruben Fleischer himself, as he discussed the prospects for a second sequel below:

Most franchises would want to strike while the iron is hot, as the shelf life of a series like Zombieland isn’t always guaranteed. Meanwhile, waiting a decade between films is something that could shoot Zombieland: Double Tap in the foot, as your basic movie math will tell you that the longer you wait to make a sequel, the greater the level of hype will be when trying to live up to expectations.

That hasn’t stopped Rueben Fleischer, nor has it put a damper on Zombieland: Double Tap writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as they’ve returned with new co-writer David Callaham to bring a new adventure in the lives of Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock to the silver screen after such an extended hiatus.

Skepticism aside, this new sequel does have the advantage of looking like it hasn’t missed a beat with maintaining the zany energy and daffy fun that Zombieland brought to the world in 2009. With an updated coat of paint and some topical humor looking to be hiding beyond what we’ve seen, it doesn’t seem that crazy to want Emma Stone’s wishes of putting out a sequel every 10 years, as reported to EW by Fleischer himself, to come true.

Sequels, while thriving on a typical approach of the faster, the better, might benefit from a slower hand like that of Zombieland: Double Tap. With collaborators eager to get together again and ample time to prepare the idea for the next film, there’s a chance that this new sequel could be one of the best to ever hit the market. Considering the universal response to the pilot to the proposed Amazon series for the original Zombieland, this could be the best case scenario for this would-be franchise.

Zombieland: Double Tap will have folks shambling into theaters on October 18.

With every month’s refresh to the Netflix streaming library comes a list of titles that make up the best and brightest of what the platform has to offer. As such, a new crop of titles means a new opportunity for us to tell you what you should be spending your screen time on, and May has brought a good number of notable offerings to the table.

Before we head into the lineup, we’d like to remind you that if you want to see the full lineup of TV and movie titles headed to Netflix in May, as well as the best films from April’s additions to the library, you can find those lists elsewhere. If you’re still with us, let’s dive into what truly stands out in May’s additions to the platform.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Naturally the news that Mike Myers has landed himself a sketch show on Netflix is a surprise. But with the backbench of characters Myers could revisit, as well as the possibility of the new and exciting ones for him to create, it’s an exciting prospect.

Seeing that his iconic spy comedy romp Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is headed to Netflix, along with its first sequel The Spy Who Shagged Me, it feels like a good time to revisit some material from the peak Mike Myers era of comedy. Maybe, just maybe, we can skip an entire fourth film for the time being and see more Powers on that untitled Netflix series.

Dumb and Dumber

Comedy classics are usually paragons of wit, wisdom and perfect timing. But much like the intelligence of its protagonists, Harry and Lloyd, Dumb and Dumber is only about a third of the way there. And in the name of total honestly, that’s just the way we like it.

The Farrelly Brothers broke into the movies with this legendary tale of Jim Carrey and Jeff Bridges’ monumental dolts goofing their way through a road trip that turns into a crime caper on the stop of a dime. With a perfect marriage of precise comedic timing and lowball shenanigans, there’s a reason Dumb and Dumber still stands as a laugh filled master course in how to do a toilet gag.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Most people think of Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as merely a vehicle for Johnny Depp’s performance of dear friend Hunter S. Thompson to be a hysterically crude contrast to the world that he navigates in his titular adventure. And to be fair, Depp’s performance as Thompson, alongside Benicio del Toro’ s Dr. Gonzo, is quite funny in the traditional sense.

But what really makes this adaptation of the writings of Hunter S. Thompson worth your time is how, through his own comedic and drug fueled lenses, Thompson saw the truths of the early ‘70s and what they represented. So come for the jokes about relations between dogs and The Pope, but stay for the analysis on the impending crash of the peace and love that the ‘60s represented into a void of rudderless activism. Or keep your eye out for all the famous faces that pepper this film’s cast in minor roles; it’s your choice, really.

Gremlins

Few films deserve to be shielded from further sequelization and/or full on remakes, and director Joe Dante’s classic Gremlins is one such film. There’s, quite simply, no way that another version of this film could be as successful as that original streak of madness, and anyone who thinks otherwise is an absolute fool.

The balance of scares and comedy in Gremlins’ story of the titular creatures running rampant on small town America is so perfect, very few could ever nail it the way Dante did. So unless you’re going to hire James Wan, Jordan Peele or Jason Blum to develop this one into a modern context, you’re probably better off watching the original and seeking out the more comedically-inclined sequel.

Just Friends

Ryan Reynolds is a genius, full stop. Between his timing, physical spryness, and handsome air about him that anchors even his most outlandish/egotistical moments in film, you couldn’t have cast a better person to play the fat kid turned heartthrob exec in Just Friends.

What’s even more impressive is landing the supporting cast of Amy Smart, Anna Farris and Julie Hagerty, among others, to make that particular sandbox even more fun to play around in. Though it should be warned that if you’re thinking of watching this one with your kids after Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, you may want to see it for yourself and see if it’s right for them.

Scarface

The tragedy of Tony Montana is not an obscure tale of woe, but it’s one that still keeps its freshness every time you watch Scarface. A rise-and-fall tale of a man who chased the American dream and wouldn’t stop shooting for it even until the very end, it’s one of Al Pacino’s most magnificent performances outside of The Godfather.

Director Brian De Palma and writer Oliver Stone nail the excess of the ‘80s before it ever kicked into full gear, and through extreme violence and colorful profanity, they paint a portrait of a landscape that was just beginning to take shape as morning rose in America. Both a perfect period piece, and a timeless classic, Scarface is a quotable classic that maintains its place in pop culture.

Snowpiercer

While audiences will be watching Chris Evans in the latest Avengers film in the very near future, it’s nice to take a break and sample some of Evans’ finest work outside of that huge tentpole monolith. And if you’re not in the mood to watch Not Another Teen Movie, then Snowpiercer is probably your best non-MCU bet for some Evans greatness.

Set in a dystopian future that sees humanity’s last survivors permanently living on a train circling the world, Snowpiercer is all about a class struggle between the poor lead by Chris Evans, and the rich lead by Tilda Swinton. These two factions go to war in some of the most impressive action you’ll ever see, which only masks the underbelly that truly defines the society, and the message, that the film has to offer.

The Matrix

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of The Matrix, a film that redefined action in its own time and still inspires imitators to this very day. And while the reboot machine is currently trying to find a way to bring this film series back online, the original is still celebrated with great reverence.

The entire Matrix trilogy is coming to Netflix, as it periodically does from time to time, but this most recent addition feels as close to an official celebration of its two decades of existence as we’ll get. If you want to skip the sequels, you’re more than welcome to, but at the very least, paying homage to the journey that kicked off a new era of action filmmaking seems appropriate.

Zombieland

This October is another anniversary worth noting: it’ll be a decade since Zombieland first landed in movie theaters all over. While there is definitely a proper celebration in the works for that event, with the sequel Zombieland: Double Tap being slated for release in that very month, you’ll be able to revisit the one that started it all on Netflix in May.

Undoubtedly, a lot has changed since that original film, but the public’s obsession with zombies certainly hasn’t. And while Zombieland has tried to revive itself a couple of times between then and now, the original film stands as the best example of it particular apocalyptic formula at work.

Olympus Has Fallen

Sometimes cloning the style of a storied franchise can work well enough that the results are exciting in their own right. In a lesser incarnation, Olympus Has Fallen would have been a subpar action film, but thankfully, history shook out differently and provided the world with a highly entertaining spin on the Die Hard style of action-adventure antics.

With Gerard Butler being the John McClane stand-in and his bromance with Aaron Eckhart’s president replacing the need for a Holly Gennaro to bookend him, this brutal action flick plays close to the playbook while injecting some of its own charm to spare. And by charm, we mean explosions.

No matter which of these films you’re looking to enjoy, you’ll want to keep your eyes out for any changes and surprises that may crop up, as all titles are subject to availability. But other than that, we wish you Netflix subscribers happy hunting and hope that you enjoy streaming these and other top notch titles available in your own fashion.

Should you want to head out to the movies for something more recent, our 2019 release schedule is your gateway to all that has come to the box office this year and all that’s headed our way in the months to come.

Out of all the monster movie genres out there, few have gotten as many entries as the zombie genre. Some may argue hype on the genre has somewhat cooled, although with The Walking Dead set to start making Rick Grimes features, and more shows and films springing up all the time, it's safe to say the zombie genre will not die. Kind of ironic, right?

With that said, there have been so many entries in the zombie genre that some of the better quality features have been lost in the mix as decades pass. Additionally, some audiences may have specific zombies they want to see in a movie, be it the iconic walker, aggressive runners, classic voodoo, or the lighthearted funny zombie flick. These are the definitive picks for the best zombie films someone should hit up first before getting into the other offerings.

The Best Walker Zombie Movies

Walker zombies are the traditional type of zombie most people are familiar with. They're slow moving, work in large numbers and aren't always the sharpest tools in the box. There are exceptions, of course, but these types of zombies are built more towards building films more on suspense and claustrophobic situations than fast-paced over-the-top action.

Dawn Of The Dead

It's impossible to make a list of great zombie films without featuring at least one by the godfather of modern zombies. George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead is one of his most profitable and critically acclaimed features, and has served as the inspiration for numerous zombie movies that followed. The effects may be a bit dated compared to shows like The Walking Dead, but the story is as timeless as ever and remains a classic.

Zombie

Zombie, or Zombi 2 in Italy, features the traditional type of walker zombie, although this one is technically a mixture between walker/voodoo genres. With that said, voodoo isn't as heavy to the plot as some of the entries seen later. What this movie is heavy on is some truly gross and cringe-worthy imagery to see in this feature. There's also an underwater zombie that gets into it with a shark, and that alone is worth the price of admission.

Planet Terror

Planet Terror isn't the most conventional zombie film out there, which may be why more folks are drawn to it as time goes on. While Robert Rodriguez's feature was viewed as the lesser in the grindhouse double feature, there's no denying its unique style and aesthetic have helped it become a stand out of the genre. It also helps Rose McGowan's character has a gun for a leg.

The Best Runner Zombie Movies

As the name would imply, runner zombies are more fast-moving and generally more athletic than the walker-types. These zombies plow ahead with reckless abandon, and generally have little regard for their own preservation or other zombies around them. Speed is obviously a scary attribute for a monster that doesn't have to worry about endurance, so runner zombie movies are often high-action and high intensity throughout a bulk of the feature.

28 Days Later

There are some movies that, if someone is looking to get into the zombie genre, can't be missed. 28 Days Later is mandatory viewing for its heart-pounding action, fast and strong as hell zombies, and view of just how bleak a post-apocalyptic zombie world can be. There's also times where Danny Boyle's film is beautiful, in what may be one of the most aesthetically pleasing zombie movie for film buffs.

Train To Busan

South Korea isn't typically known as a hub for films that appeal to an American audience, but the nation has had a few hits over the years. Even for those who aren't too psyched for foreign language films with subtitles, Train To Busan is worth checking out. Perhaps the best part of this film is the zombies' one weakness being an inability to see in the dark, which makes for incredibly tense and heart-pounding scenes.

World War Z

A lot of die hard zombie fans will take issue with this entry, mainly because it's not the same quality of the Max Brooks novel it was adapted from. Be that as it may, World War Z has some fantastic sequences with runner zombies, and it takes advantage of its big Hollywood budget to show some scenes most zombie movies haven't pulled off. Unfortunately, the long in-development sequel was cancelled, so chances of a follow up are slim.

The Best Voodoo Zombie Movies

Before George Romero brought zombies back into the mainstream, voodoo zombies were typically the cinematic standard for zombies in cinema. These creatures are typically similar attribute-wise to walker zombies, but enslaved throughout the use of Haitian Voodoo magic or some spell that enslaves them to an individual. For those looking for some of the beginnings of zombies in Hollywood, these are the films to start with.

White Zombie

White Zombie is regarded as the first feature length zombie film, and the movie that laid the groundwork for others. Dracula icon Bela Lugosi plays a witch doctor who is capable of taking dead bodies, re-animating them and making them his slaves. It's far from the modern interpretation of a zombie, but it is based in the Haitian voodoo interpretation of zombies. For those that want to see where it all started, this is where it starts.

Sugar Hill

One of the more contemporary voodoo zombie films, Sugar Hill is a '70s blaxploitation film about a vengeful woman who seeks revenge on the mob boss who killed her boyfriend. Diane "Sugar" Hill goes to a former voodoo queen and ends up summoning Baron Samedi and zombies to take the fight to the mob. This might be one of the only movies where the main character is actually the source of a zombie outbreak.

Voodoo Man

Voodoo Man is one of the weirder entries on this list, as it goes from traditional voodoo zombie film to meta by the movie's end. Without revealing too much about the film's ending, a character suggests making a movie called "Voodoo Man" and requests that Bela Lugosi (who is in the film) be in the movie. Considering this movie starts with a doctor tricking women into stealing their essences to resurrect his dead wife, that's kind of impressive.

The Best Comedy Zombie Films

These aren't necessarily a type of zombie per se, but there's been a handful of zombie comedy movies that are some of the best zombie films out there. These movies typically have a mixture of different zombie types, and can poke fun at the overall silliness of the genre. For those looking for a laugh just as much as gore, look no further than these great movies.

Zombieland

One of the zombie genre's funniest films is also one of its most star-studded, as Zombieland boasts talent like Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray. The zombie rules of survival in this movie are great advice should an actual zombie apocalypse ever hit, and the zombie attacks highlight some of the sillier encounters a more serious zombie film wouldn't tackle. It's no wonder audiences are still excited for a sequel a decade later!

Shaun of the Dead

Had Shaun of the Dead never been made, it's possible the careers of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost wouldn't have skyrocketed to the status they enjoy now. That's not important when it comes to the film, which is a fantastic zombie flick regardless of its impact on those individuals. Shaun's story is exceptionally well told, and most zombie movie lovers can attest that strong individual stories are not a strength of the zombie genre.

Dead Alive

This is zombie comedy that's a bit of a cult classic, mainly because its relatively unknown director at the time became a pretty big deal years later. Even if most folks check this out due to their love of Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson, Dead Alive is a pretty funny film, with some of the more obscene slapstick humor that can't be found in most zombie films.

Do you have a great zombie movie that didn't make the list that folks should check out? Be sure to post it below in the comics and keep with CinemaBlend for all the latest news on zombies, movies, and all things entertainment.

Zombies have captivated audiences for decades, starting with 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Nowadays they're perhaps most associated with popular TV empires The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, Ruben Fleischer's horror/comedy Zombieland actually pre-dated both shows. The Venom director brought levity to the zombie apocalypse, with Zombieland quickly becoming a cult favorite.

Fans have been calling for a Zombieland sequel for years, and now it's finally happening. Zombieland: Double Tap will arrive a decade after the original film hit theaters, so it's been a long time coming. The full cast is returning, including Jesse Eisenberg as the protagonist/narrator Columbus. The Social Network actor recently spoke to the long development and multiple scripts, saying:

It looks like quite a few scripts were brought to the table for Zombieland: Double Tap. But those involved in the franchise wanted to make sure it was the right one, which is why it took so many years for the sequel to finally get green-lit. But Zombieland is finally getting its follow-up, so we should expect big things from the movie's script.

Sequels are a tricky game, as there are tons of expectations associated with follow-up movies. And more often than not, they fail to capture the same magic as the original film. This is no doubt a concern for Zombieland: Double Tap, especially now that zombies have become such an integral part of the pop culture zeitgeist. The first film had a tone wholly unique, and the project defied genre in a many ways. So can Ruben Fleischer and the cast strike gold twice?

In his same conversation with The Toronto Sun, Jesse Eisenberg spoke to this pressure, and how those involved with Zombieland didn't want to put out a sequel to simply grab at more money. Instead, they want to produce another film that is just as great. As Eisenberg tells it:

You have to respect this craftsmanship and professionalism in this statement. When sequels fail, it's usually because not enough attention was paid to the story. Instead, blockbuster are rushed out in order to make the most money at the box office. That's not the case with the Zombieland franchise. In fact, director Ruben Fleischer passed on directing the Venom sequel in order to pay full attention to Zombieland: Double Tap. Given how successful the comic book movie was, that's saying something.

Zombieland: Double Tap will arrive in theaters on October 11, 2019, just in time for Halloween. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Aside from superheroes, one of the most popular macguffins in entertainment world are zombies. The undead have captivated audiences since back in 1968's Night of the Living Dead, with endless adaptations coming on both the silver and small screen. While The Walking Dead may have revolutionized zombies for the modern audience, Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland arrived in theaters years before Rick Grimes woke up in the apocalypse.

The zombie comedy hit is finally getting a sequel with Zombieland: Double Tap, which is set to arrive this October. The four leading actors are set to reprise their roles in the highly anticipated follow-up: Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg recently revealed that everyone involved in Double Tap is working especially hard. After joking about phoning it in, he said:

It looks like Jesse Eisenberg and the rest of the Zombieland: Double Tap cast truly understands just how beloved the first movie is. As such, they're taking special care to provide the same mixture of laughs and heart with Ruben Fleischer's sequel.

Jesse Eisenberg's comments to Movieweb will no doubt excite the many fans of the first Zombieland movie. The blockbuster defied genre, and made light out of the zombie apocalypse in a fresh and exciting way, while also making an impressive amount of money in theaters. The years since Zombieland arrived have elevated the project to cult status, so the pressure is on to deliver something as unique and twisted as the first movie.

Director Ruben Fleischer will be back to direct Zombieland: Double Tap, fresh off the massive success of his comic book movie Venom. He brought his same unique tone and vision to that Sony blockbuster, so he should hopefully have the momentum to bring back his zombie franchise to theaters. And with the original cast also returning, the pieces of the puzzle have presumably been set up for a great sequel.

The quartet of returning actors aside, there is some new and exciting talent being brought into the franchise in Zombieland: Double Tap. Newcomers including Rosario Dawson, Silicon Valley's Thomas Middleditch, Luke Wilson, and Zoe Deutch (Why Him?). It's a significantly larger cast than the first film, so it appears the surviving humans will factor heavily into the upcoming film's narrative. While Zombieland was mostly the four people vs the dead, it should be interesting to see how the world has changed since we last saw those returning characters.

Zombieland: Double Tap will arrive in theaters on October 11th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

We've now left 2018 behind us and have 2019 in full view. There are a lot of movies to look forward to over the next 12 months, but as with the start of any new year, one doesn't need to simply look to the future. It's also fun to reminisce about the past; 10 years ago specifically. Just like where we find ourselves now, 2009 was the final bow to a decade, and thankfully, there were a lot of interesting movies released to help bid the 2000s goodbye. With that in mind, here are the ten most memorable theatrical entries of 2009, taking into account critical and commercial reception, as well as just narrative and/or technological uniqueness.

10. Watchmen

Having already proven his comic book adaptation mettle with 300, director Zack Snyder went for Round 2 with Watchmen, based off the critically-acclaimed DC Comics miniseries that changed the superhero comics landscape. Rather than take a lot of creative liberties, Snyder's Watchmen adaptation closely resembled the source material (though there were still a few key changes), and the end result was a polarizing feature that is still being discussed a decade later. However you feel about Watchmen, compared to the superhero movies from that era, this one definitely set itself apart from the pack with its darker, more mature narrative that deconstructed the superhero story tropes.

9. The Hangover

Raunchy comedies have been around for decades, but it's not often that these types of movies become pop culture phenomenons. The Hangover managed to do just that, as the tale of three guys trying to figure out what they'd done on their blacked-out night of debauchery and then falling into another round of Las Vegas shenanigans was one of 2009's most talked-about movies. Along with earning a lot of positive reviews, The Hangover made over $467 million worldwide, making it both the 10th highest-grossing movie of 2009 and the sixth highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. It's just a shame that the two Hangover sequels didn't come close to measuring up to this hilarious first installment.

8. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director Wes Anderson had already shown off his weird, symmetrical filmmaking in live action several times, but this time, we got to see how he fared in animation. Based off the Roal Dahl book of the same name, Fantastic Mr. Fox followed the eponymous character and his family outwitting a group of farmers who were sick of Mr. Fox stealing from them. Simultaneously honoring the original source material and displaying Anderson's creative sensibilities, Fantastic Mr. Fox was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It's definitely an odd movie (as we expect from Anderson), but one that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

7. Zombieland

Several years before The Walking Dead TV series premiered and the zombie genre experience a full-on resurgence, Zombieland had Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin on a journey to find a new place to live free from the undead. We'd seen zombie-oriented comedies before, but Zombieland nonetheless stood out as an enjoyable feature that blended gore with laughs seamlessly, with one of the biggest examples of the latter being its Bill Murray cameo. Zombieland was so popular that it was the highest-grossing zombie movie until World War Z, and while it stood just fine as a standalone movie for a decade, this October we'll finally get the long-awaited sequel, Zombieland Too.

6. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince isn't necessarily the best of the eight Harry Potter movies, but it definitely one of the franchise's highlights. Arriving four years after the same-named book was released, The Half-Blood Prince stayed true its literary predecessor and delved deeper into the more mature themes of Harry and the gang's fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Not only was The Half-Blood Prince received better critically than its predecessor, The Order of the Phoenix, it also made a lot more money. Over $934 million, to be precise, making it the eight highest-grossing movie of all time for a period. At the time of its release, J.K. Rowling even called The Half-Blood Prince her favorite of the Harry Potter movies, so that gives it an extra boost on the popularity scale.

5. Star Trek

The Star Trek franchise was in a weird place in 2009, with the last movie, 2002's Nemesis, largely failing to impress, and the TV series Enterprise wrapping in 2005 on an underwhelming note. It was decided to rewind the clock and revisit James T. Kirk, Spock and the rest of the main characters from The Original Series, only this time we would see how they all met. And thus, Star Trek was born, and because it was set in an alternate timeline, that freed J.J. Abrams and the rest of the creative minds involved from continuity restrictions. Make no mistake, this reboot and its two sequels were met with mixed reception from the hardcore Star Trek fans, but overall, the 2009 Star Trek movie accomplished its goal of revitalizing the franchise, as it was met with a lot of positive reviews from critics and collected $385 million worldwide.

4. Avatar

What do you do when you've made the highest-grossing movie of all time? You break your own record, and that's just what James Cameron did with Avatar, which knocked Titanic off its 12-year perch. Cameron waited to make Avatar until the technology necessary to achieve his vision was available, and it's a good thing he didn't rush things. Avatar's motion capture was unlike anything that had been seen before, resulting in the Na'vi people and the Avatar bodies modeled after them looking incredibly realistic. Avatar's derivative, Dances With Wolves-like story prevents it from ranking any higher on this list, but it's unquestionably 2009's most visually striking movie, and at the end of 2020, we'll finally return to Pandora in Avatar 2, the first of four sequels.

3. Inglourious Basterds

If there's one thing you can count on for a Quentin Tarantino movie, it's a lot of violence. Inglorious Basterds was no exception, but this time, we got to see Tarantino's exaggerated gore in World War II, as the story followed a group of Jewish-American soldiers who take great joy in killing Nazis and an SS colonel tasked with finding and eliminating this military group. Among Inglorious Basterds' accomplishments was Christoph Waltz winning a Golden Globe and Academy Award for his performance as Hans Landa. As one would expect from a movie with this kind of subject matter, Inglorious Basterds didn't escape controversy, but it's certainly one of the more memorable cinematic offerings from Tarantino.

2. District 9

While science fiction continues to be a popular genre, it becomes more difficult each year to tell a story in this realm that feels truly fresh and different. District 9 had no problems pulling this off, because rather than go with a standard alien invasion story, director Neil Blomkamp's project showed us a tale of aliens of sick aliens arriving on Earth and meaning humans no harm being forced to live in internment camps in South Africa. With its exploration of xenophobia and segregation, District 9 earned numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination, not to mention made over $210 million worldwide off a $30 million budget. It's looking increasingly unlikely a sequel will ever be made, but District 9 can stand perfectly well on its own as an innovative sci-fi movie.

1. Up

Pixar isn't quite the infallible studio it once was, but it still has more hits than misses on its filmography. One of the biggest hits is Up, which arrived at the tail end of Pixar's uninterrupted streak of making all original movies from 2000 onwards (Toy Story 3 would come out in 2010). Up's opening sequence, i.e. seeing Carl and Ellie's life together, is brilliant filmmaking on its own, but thankfully the rest of the movie kept up the high quality through Carl's relationship with Russell, its humorous moments (we can Dug the dog for a lot of those) and, as we can count on from a Pixar movie, its stunning animation. Up walked away with two Golden Globe wins, two Academy Award wins and three other Oscar nominations. Not only did Up cinematically reign supreme in 2009, it remains one of Pixar's most cherished stories a decade later.

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There are few zombie-slashers as hilarious as 2009's Zombieland. Oh, and remember when Columbus and the gang ran into Bill Murray as himself? In the upcoming sequel, set to begin filming in January, it looks like Murray is rejoining the cast, and this time he's bringing a fellow Ghostbuster along with him.

According to a report by Geeks WorldWide, both Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd have joined the cast of Zombieland 2 as fictional versions of themselves. We're undead.

It's currently unknown just how large their roles are in the sequel, which will reunite the main cast -- including Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin -- 10 years after the dark comedy was released. If this GWW report pans out, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd are welcome additions to the highly-anticipated sequel that is thankfully finally happening after years of talk about the project.

In Zombieland, Columbus and friends ran into Bill Murray while on their bloody voyage through a zombie-filled America. When they find him, Murray isn't a zombie, but convincingly dressed as one so he can blend in and still go out and do what he pleases without being bothered.

However, Bill Murray decides to play a practical joke on Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus and Abigail Breslin's Little Rock by using his acting chops to scare them into thinking he's a zombie coming toward them. Columbus instantly fires his gun at Murray, leading to a hilarious moment of his last words admitting his regret for playing Garfield the Cat, which gets Emma Stone's Wichita inappropriately laughing.

Considering the events of Zombieland, I'd guess Bill Murray is coming back in the sequel as an actual zombie and will be joined by his Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd. It's sure to be a hilarious moment -- here's hoping it's more than a cameo and Murray is the main villain looking to exact revenge on his murderer.

While this bit of information might have been more effective as a surprise, it's still exciting that Zombieland 2 is reportedly continuing an effective gag from the first film.

The upcoming sequel will be directed again by Ruben Fleischer, who recently found massive success for his Spider-Man spinoff, Venom. Zombieland 2 will also be penned by the screenwriters of the first film, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who have recently also written both the Deadpool movies, along with Wonder Woman 1984 writer Dave Callaham.

Zombieland 2 will also star Set It Up's Zoey Deutch in an unknown new role. The sequel is said to revolve around Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita attempting to rescue Little Rock from a dangerous threat amidst a world of more-evolved zombies.

The 2009 movie was a success at the box office as it earned $102 million on a $23 million budget. Now that each of the main stars have become huge Hollywood stars in the past 10 years, Zombieland 2 will likely destroy those numbers when it comes to theaters on October 11, 2019. Here's what else is coming to the big screen in 2019.

After a decade's worth of stops and false starts, it appears that Zombieland 2 is at last on the way. The sequel is set to begin shooting in January and it will reunite the cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin. At least one new face will be joining the film alongside the quartet as Zoey Deutch has been cast in Zombieland 2.

Zoey Deutch recently starred in Netflix's acclaimed romantic comedy Set it Up and also appeared in last year's The Disaster Artist. Based on the casting news, as reported by Variety, it is unknown whom the actress will be playing in Zombieland 2 at the moment. So we'll have to wait a while to get more details about her role.

Zombieland 2 will pick up with the characters in a world where many of the zombies have been wiped out, in part thanks to the double-tapping work of people like Columbus and Co. But the zombies are not gone, and the remaining ones have evolved over the years to become more dangerous and will likely require far more cardio to be prepared to deal with.

Zombieland 2 will also introduce some new human survivors to the mix and I'd expect Zoey Deutch to be playing one of them and not one of the undead. Without any further details, we're left to speculate about whom the actress might be playing and what city she will derive her Zombieland name from.

An earlier report said that the film will find Columbus, Tallahasse and Wichita attempting to rescue Abigail Breslin's Little Rock, who has run off with an unnamed and potentially dangerous character. There is also may be a character named Madison, who Columbus starts a relationship with. Perhaps one of these two characters (if they aren't the same person) is whom Zoey Deutch is playing in the film.

Whoever she's playing, Zoey Deutch had something of a breakout role on Netflix's Set it Up and she should be a great addition to this cast. While the small group feel of the first film was part of its charm, it will be nice to see the world expand out a little bit and help Zombieland 2 not just feel like a rehash of the first film.

Zombieland 2 reunites the original cast onscreen as well as the directors and writer offscreen. Venom director Ruben Fleischer returns to direct the horror/comedy and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are back on script duties.

Zombieland 2 is set to release on October 11th of next year, coinciding with the first film's 10th anniversary. But Zombieland 2 is just one of the anticipated titles arriving in 2019, check them all out in our 2019 Release Schedule.

For some movies, the possibility of a sequel goes from an inevitability to a never ending loop of development hell. The sequel to 2009's horror comedy Zombieland has been one of those. After years in that purgatory, it was confirmed over the summer that Zombieland 2 is finally happening. It'll be much easier to get excited and believe it's actually happening once cameras start rolling, so where does Zombieland 2 stand at the moment? Director Ruben Fleischer explained that work has already begun, saying:

After almost a decade since the first film, Zombieland 2 is finally in pre-production with location scouting and storyboarding underway. And in only a few short months, at the beginning of next year, Zombieland 2 will finally start filming. This is encouraging news for fans that have endured lots of false starts waiting for this sequel to get made. So to hear that it is finally, truly in the works, albeit the early stages, is extremely exciting.

Ruben Fleischer sounds excited about it too. Speaking with Fandango, he talks about how he look forward to working with the cast again. That's certainly a relief to hear, the cast's availability was reportedly was one of the primary obstacles to this film getting made. Zombieland's actors have gone on to plenty of success in the years since that film, and demand for their talents could make scheduling difficult. With the cast all returning to join director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, all the ingredients are present for Zombieland 2 to recapture the charm of the first film and deliver a frightfully funny entry in the oft-underutilized horror comedy genre.

We don't yet know what the film will be about, but according to Ruben Fleischer it has a great script. We have heard for a long time that Tallahassee might get a love interest, and according to one report Zombieland 2 will feature a world where the zombies have been almost wiped out, but the heroes find that there may be a pack of "super zombies" to contend with. Take that all with a grain of salt until we hear more, which will likely occur once Zombieland 2 begins filming next year.

Before really ramping up for production on Zombieland 2, Ruben Fleischer has another movie coming out in less than a month with Venom, which officially kicks off Sony's Spider-verse. Venom features Tallahassee himself, Woody Harrelson, in a secret role. Venom releases in theaters on October 5th.

Zombieland 2 is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019. You can see all of next year's biggest movies in our 2019 release calendar. There's still plenty of stuff to come in 2018 too, so check that out in our guide.

Halloween is right around the corner, which means it is time to start carving pumpkins, eating candy, getting costumes ready, and (if you are a cinephile like us) popping in some scary movies. The library of great Halloween horror movies is seemingly endless, but Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has taken to social media to give us his top 50 favorites for the creepiest of holidays. They are:

A pretty solid selection, right? Within James Gunn's top 50 horror movie Facebook post, there's a proper blend of eras, with John Carpenter's endlessly ambiguous 1982 classic, The Thing, nestled right alongside last year's neo-Nazi slasher fest, Green Room. There's also a commendable blend of American and international films, with Asian horror flicks like Audition, Train to Busan, The Host all within the top 15. That said, you cannot beat the classics, as James Gunn's list is topped off with Steven Spielberg's game-changing blockbuster, Jaws, taking the top spot.

Amid all of the films that provide straight-faced screams, James Gunn also made a point to include some of the most iconic horror comedies of all time. Among these are Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn, Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, and Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland. Gunn is a man known for including a healthy dose of grim humor in most of his movies (look no further than Slither if you need evidence of that fact) so it makes quite a bit of sense that he would have a personal affinity for that blend of laughs and scares. After all, what's better than sitting down to watch a gut-busting horror comedy on Halloween night?

We should also take the time to note that James Gunn made sure to temper this list by pointing out the fact that these merely represent his 50 favorite horror movies of all time. This list does not present itself as an objective ranking of the 50 best spooky flicks ever made, which is likely the reason why some typical classics like Halloween and Psycho are not present on this list. My personal list would probably include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Dawn of the Dead, maybe even the original Evil Dead. Everyone has his or her own taste, and this is Gunn's.

What do you think of James Gunn's top 50 list of horror films? Give us some of your Halloween mainstays in the comments below. Beyond that, make sure to take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide to keep yourself up-to-date on all of the major film releases over the next year.

As ironic as it sounds, the zombie genre is something that simply refuses to die. Reanimated corpses have existed as a cinematic mainstay for the last 50 years, with countless films using them to great (and gory) effect. However, 2009's Zombieland stands apart from the crowd for its inventive twist on genre conventions, and its endlessly charismatic cast. Thanks to a series of frustrating delays, fans have waited the better part of a decade to see this franchise come back. So what's the deal? Is the sequel ever going to happen? According to screenwriter Paul Wernick: yes, but they're still figuring out how to make it work financially. Wernick explained:

It's not difficult to understand Paul Wernick's comments to Comicbook.com when you consider the sheer amount of talent associated with the Zombieland franchise. Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Abigail Breslin are all big names in Hollywood, and Eisenberg and Stone have both gone on to become Oscar-nominated actors in the years since the first film debuted, with Stone recently taking home an Oscar for her work on La La Land. The cast and crew are all on board for the follow-up; now it's just a matter of figuring out the money for the project.

We certainly applaud the sequel for trying to keep the budget down (which seems to abide the Zombieland and Deadpool school of thought), but there is an option in place if the price of talent becomes too high for the Zombieland sequel to match. The first film makes it abundantly clear that other survivors are living in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, and as such, it wouldn't necessarily be entirely difficult for a new installment in the franchise to focus on a new group of survivors. After all, I would watch an entire movie devoted to Sister Cynthia Knickerbocker's piano dropping shenanigans.

That said, it would be hard to capture the same magic without this particular group of zombie killing badasses. Zombieland worked as well as it did because of the perfect balance of personalities in its story, so messing with that formula might not be in the sequel's best interest. Let's just hope that they can figure out this money situation as soon as possible so we don't have to wait any longer than we need to for Zombieland 2.

Stay tuned for more updates related to Zombieland 2. For now, make sure to check out our comprehensive movie premiere guide and fill out the rest of your 2017 moviegoing calendars accordingly!

While horror is the genre that Halloween calls its own, there's a subgenre that's just as important as its parent classification: the horror-comedy. If horror's the trick, then comedy must be the treat, as laughing and screaming have gone hand in hand for a long while. And yet, for as legendary a field as the land of the horror-comedy is, there are 10 films that top the rest, no questions asked (in our humble opinion, anyway). These 10 films take the world of the absurd, the unexplained, and in some cases, the vicious, and make them into films that can thrill as well as chill. So dim the lights, grab your popcorn, and get ready to laugh at the best genre crossovers that the horror-comedy field has to offer!

10. Zombieland

Zombieland is a film that's basically the American cousin to Shaun of the Dead, though in the case of Ruben Fleischer's directorial debut, it's a little more on the nose, and tends to weigh heavier in its comedic execution than it does in its horror prowess. But without the heavy compliment of laughs and rich character moments that our cast of four zombie hunters keep the film stocked with, those moments of frightening action wouldn't be worth a box of Twinkies after the zombie apocalypse. The planned sequel can't come soon enough, as that failed Amazon pilot reminded us just how delicate of a balance the original film existed in.

9. The Cabin In The Woods

The fact that The Cabin In The Woods sat on the shelf for two years is enough of a justification for this film to be classified as a horror story, as the Joss Whedon / Drew Goddard collaboration is such an entertaining flick that any doubt of its marketability is retrospectively ridiculous. Using the classic Whedon mechanic of mocking horror convention with a look behind the scenes, even the "manufactured" horror is pretty terrifying at times. But let's not undersell the magic that is Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as the bureaucrats running the show, and a certain 80's horror vet in a pivotal cameo as their boss. If you haven't seen this one yet, that mistake's on you... and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

8. Beetlejuice

If Pee Wee's Big Adventure wasn't enough of an indication that Tim Burton was a mad genius who time traveled from the 1960s in order to find a decade that appreciated his madness, Beetlejuice is the ultimate proof of such a fact. Replete with retro flourishes, and a very '80s sensibility when it came to color schemes and the behaviors of yuppies, the movie that introduced us to "the ghost with the most" stood out during an era where masked psychos, knife happy dream enthusiasts, and killer dolls made a killing at the box office. The world would never look at shrimp the same again.

7. Slither

He may be a big wig over at Marvel Studios now, but before James Gunn even set foot on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy, he was breaking into Hollywood by way of Troma Studios. With an education in both extreme body horror and effective dark comedy in hand, Gunn created Slither, a film that harkened back to the heyday of 80's horror, while keeping an extremely modern sensibility about it. It works perfectly, thanks to a cast of seasoned vets (Michael Rooker) and fresh faces (Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks,) and a constant balancing act between what's laughable and what's frighteningly disgusting.

6. Evil Dead 2

While The Evil Dead will always be known as a horror classic through and through, the character of Ashley "Ash" Williams has gone on to represent both worlds of comedy and horror equally. You can thank to Evil Dead 2 for that, as the film took the setting and premise of The Evil Dead and recycled it into a more ferocious horror-comedy hybrid. In fact, depending on who you talk to, Evil Dead 2 does what most horror sequels can only dream of: it outpaces the original in terms of quality. If you're a Bruce Campbell fan, then you've more than likely paid homage to this very film numerous times already.

5. Young Frankenstein

Yes, Young Frankenstein isn't really that scary of a film. In fact, there's no real scares to be had in Mel Brooks' comedic classic, but the scares aren't what make the film a horror, as well as a comedy, flick. Rather it's Brooks' dedication to parodying the style of James Whale's iconic Frankenstein that makes Young Frankenstein a classic horror film. As for the comedy half of the equation, it's not hard to sell the world on how Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and Peter Boyle turned out a comedic classic - all with the steady hand of Mel Brooks and his sharp wit.

4. Ghostbusters

The one... the only... the original! Ghostbusters is a hell of a comedy, and everyone knows it and thinks of that factor first when discussing the film's merits. However, think back to when you first saw it as a kid. Remember the first time you saw the librarian ghost? How about the scene where Dana (Sigourney Weaver) finds that portal to another world in her fridge? Hell, even Zuul was creepy beyond all recognition to a young kid who was drinking it all in for the first time. The big reason Ghostbusters is such a good horror-comedy is that while the jokes are fast and furious, the scares fill in the cracks and do so in epic fashion. You may remember getting huge laughs out of this all-time classic, but it was those frightful moments that helped sell the jokes all the better.

3. The Lost Boys

Vampires have changed over the century and change they've existed, and the current state of the beasts is in flux. While Twilight tried to tell the story of vampires that spanned separate genres, The Lost Boys did that a good couple of decades ago - and it did so in a very hip manner that didn't forget to laugh at itself. The film's plot of sussing out the secret network of vampires in fictional Santa Clara is not only a great opportunity to show off some killer facial prosthetics, as well as Kiefer Sutherland's fantastic chops as a villain, it's also a great chance to delve into the lore of vampiric legend. That's where the legendary Frog Brothers come in, as these two laugh drivers help anchor both sides of the film's story, creating one hell of a combination of laughs and shocks.

2. Gremlins

Arguments can be made that Gremlins 2: The New Batch is the better of the two films in Joe Dante's horror duology involving ill-suited house pets. However, if one were to argue which film was the scarier one, Gremlins' original recipe would be the winner hands down. Filled with a sense of tension that rivals some of the best horror films out there, Dante's first entry in the series manages to play as one hell of a creature feature. If you cut the scenes of comedy from Gremlins, you'd have a hell of a horror film left to watch. Conversely, if you cut all of the horror elements from the film, and you'd have a pitch black comedy that still pleases the crowd. In its original form, it's a legendary blockbuster that walks the fine line between both worlds.

1. Shaun of the Dead

The first thought I had after seeing Shaun of the Dead was the fact that Edgar Wright had not only created a hell of a comedy that runs down the tropes and trials of a zombie film, but he also managed to craft a truly emotional horror film in the process. The best part about Wright's prolific mash-up is that you can't spot the seams between the two genres, as one can have you so occupied in the moment that the other is allowed to blind side you with its full potential. With no set pattern of which move it'll make next, Shaun of the Dead is the perfect horror-comedy because it plays in both sandboxes, but does so in such a subtle and brilliant manner.

There's nothing like a surprise cameo to really blow moviegoers' minds as they sit in theaters. While certain films can use this device to a fault (we're looking at you Zoolander franchise), it can also truly make a movie when done correctly. Stan Lee kills it with every appearance he makes within Marvel properties, Harold and Kumar had Neil Patrick Harris playing a heinous version of himself, and almost all of This Is the End's cast members were cameos roles. And then there's perhaps the best celebrity cameo in film history: Bill Murray in 2009's Zombieland.

Zombieland was one of the happy surprises of 2009, as a comedy with a fair amount of heart and also tons of good old fashioned zombie killing. Things really got crazy when Bill Murray suddenly appeared as a fictional survivor version of himself. But the question is: how the hell did they book Murray in this role? It turns out it was a mixture of luck and Woody Harrelson that did the trick, according to Zombieland's writers.

Way to go, Woody. It looks like he really saved the show in this instance.

This quote comes to us from AMC's Geeking Out, which hosted Zombieland and Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. While appearing on the delightfully nerdy program, host Kevin Smith asked the duo how exactly they landed Bill Murray, to which they responded got the above awesome answer.

Although Bill Murray might not have been Zombieland's first choice for a cameo, I can't imagine any other actor selling it as much as he did. Happy to make fun of himself, Bill gave a delightfully self-deprecating performance which cumulated in a bonkers death scene. Check out that final scene below.

Seriously, no one could pull this off like Bill Murray. And though his cameo must have been a stressful situation for those behind the scenes of Zombieland, it payed off with interest when audiences got to see the glorious cameo in theaters.

Do you think anyone else could have killed it in Bill Murray's cameo role? Let us know in the comments below.

Before Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were the toast of Hollywood thanks to their successful script for Deadpool, they had actually written several successful films. One of these was the hilarious Zombieland. The movie’s most famous scene includes a cameo by Bill Murray, who is living life pretending to be a zombie in order to avoid becoming a real one. It turns out that in the original script, that sequence played out very differently.

The two writers were guests on the Q & A Podcast and discussed the evolution of the scene. Numerous drafts were written with different actors in mind, but each turned the men down. Even Bill Murray was hesitant at first to take the part. It turns out, Murray didn’t see much for him to do in Zombieland. This is because the sequence was going to lean very heavy on action, and less so on comedy.

To be sure, there’s still a pretty funny joke in the idea that Bill Murray, or any other celebrity, is somehow the most vicious, violent zombie that the team has come up against, but it wasn’t really enough for Murray. However, the actor was willing to talk to the writers about the script, and they were able to make the changes that the actor wanted, which transformed the scene into what we know and love today. The writers confess that it’s possible that the more action-oriented script may have been the reason that nobody else seemed to be interested. However, none of them ever explained what their problem with the original screenplay was, so the writers couldn’t make the changes that they needed to. Luckily, the necessary rewrites were done, and we got a very memorable scene as a result.

Bill Murray wasn’t actually the writers' first choice. The scene had originally been written with Patrick Swayze in mind, complete with Dirty Dancing and Ghost references. Unfortunately, the actor became unable to work due to cancer prior to the beginning of filming, and they were never even able to offer him the part.

Do you prefer the scene as it was done, or would you have preferred Bill Murray, king of the rage zombies?

With a relatively low budget and no huge stars—Woody Harrelson was the biggest name, though Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin have all gone on to lots of success—Zombieland was a nice sized hit back in 2009. And damn near ever since there’s been talk of a sequel. This has been going on sporadically over the last seven years, but apparently, at least according to one of the writers, Zombieland 2 is still in the works.

With the massive success of Deadpool over the last few weeks, writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who penned both the foul-mouthed superhero adventure and Zombieland, have been all over the place. When they stopped by The Q & A podcast, the subject of Zombieland 2 came up, and Reese revealed:

At least it sounds like if Zombieland 2 does happen, and that’s a big if at this point, the people involved actually want to get it right and try to capture what makes the first movie so damn much fun. Over the years Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, as well as stars like Woody Harrelson and others involved, have expressed interest in going on another adventure in this particular world, but who knows if that will ever happen.

If Zombieland 2 does happen, it won’t be the first follow up to make it to the screen. In 2013, Amazon Studios ordered a pilot for a Zombieland series. Directed by Tucker and Dale Versus Evil helmer Eli Craig, the episode starred Kirk Ward, Tyler Ross, Maiara Walsh, and Izabela Vidovic as the four main characters, Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock (roles originally played by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, respectively). But that one episode was a far as it got and Rhett Reese, who wrote the pilot with Paul Wernick, and helped create the series, announced that Amazon was not picking up the project.

If they really, really want to, with their newfound Deadpool cache, now might be the time for Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to finally make Zombieland 2 happen. But at the same time, they’re also super busy, with Deadpool 2 already in the works. They also penned the sci-fi adventure, Life, which is coming together nicely, and now includes Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds, and Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation breakout Rebecca Ferguson. Maybe it’s just time to let one go.

Do you want Zombieland 2 to happen, or would you rather see them leave well enough alone? Sound off in the comments below.

Bill Murray is a bona-fide legend. Simply mentioning his name is enough to make anyone who has ever seen one of his films break out into an impassioned smile. Even the people who have seen Garfield. 

While over the last few years Murray has turned himself into a refined, dramatic leading man with his turns in Lost In Translation, Broken Flowers, and Hyde Park On Hudson, it’s comedy where he originally won all of our hearts. 

But when and where has Bill Murray been at his most amusing? Well, to celebrate the release of Rock The Kasbah, here’s a look at Bill Murray’s funniest roles. 

10. Space Jam

Bill Murray just about steals Space Jam from Daffy Duck, Michael Jordan, and Babs and Bugs Bunny, popping up and providing laughs at every possible opportunity. The proud Chicagoan wasn’t going to miss the chance to star alongside the Windy City’s most famous sporting son, and it’s clear that he had a great time while doing so. Murray also gives Space Jam an edge of chic and cool, while the quip, "I didn’t know Dan Aykroyd was in this picture?" when Murray walks on court is still one of my favorite all time movie lines.

9. What About Bob?

Arguably Bill Murray’s most underrated film, What About Bob? sees the comedian pair up with the legendary Richard Dreyfuss, with Murray playing a patient to Dreyfuss’ psychiatrist. Dangerously unstable, Murray’s Bob Wiley decides to follow Dreyfuss’ Leo Martin on his family holiday and begins to push the good doctor over the edge. The key to What About Bob? is Murray and Dreyfuss’ chemistry, which felt so real because the pair genuinely did hate each other during production. In 2009, while speaking to The A.V. Club, Dreyfuss admitted that even though he still doesn’t like Murray, he still makes him "laugh even now."

8. Caddyshack

Bill Murray’s breakout movie role proved that he could mix it with established comedy heavyweights like Rodney Dangerfield and Chevy Chase. More impressively, though, he does this while also implementing his own style and voice. As Carl Spackler, the greenskeeper hell-bent on killing each and every gopher he confronts, Murray came across as deranged but is still nevertheless hilarious. Sure, he might be a little over the top, but there are so many quips and laugh out loud moments that people couldn't help but recognize that a new, huge comedic star was upon them.

7. Scrooged

While Scrooged is deeply flawed, there’s still something wonderfully charismatic about Billy Murray as the titular tyrant. Which is probably because of the fact that, as Scrooge, Murray is able to be as big a bastard as he possibly can be, but still get away with it because the audience knows redemption is just around the corner. It also benefits from its New York setting and sardonic tone, which gives the legendary Charles Dickens story a harsher edge that Murray is able to repeatedly sharpen with his tongue and wit. Sure, not every joke lands, and you can almost sense the on-set tension between Murray and director Richard Donner, but when it’s funny, it’s downright hysterical, and anything good with it is down to Murray.

6. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Wes Anderson breathed new life into Bill Murray’s career after casting him in Rushmore. And while Murray excelled in Anderson’s sophomore film, The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Grand Budapest Hotel, it’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou where he gives his most heartfelt and hilarious performance. Murray brings Zissou’s eccentricities to life in compelling fashion, while his dry, deadpan responses provide the film’s loudest laughs. Sure, there were critics who found The Life Aquatic to be Anderson’s most underwhelming film, but it’s the one that brought the very best out of Murray.

5. Kingpin

Kingpin is a nasty and vulgar film. And that’s exactly why you can see Bill Murray having so much fun with it, even though he’s only its fourth lead. That doesn’t stop Murray from stealing every single frame he is in as Big Ern, though, whose enormous ego and rampant eye for the ladies gives him plenty of opportunities to be at his boisterous best. The fact that Kingpin came out in between both Dumb & Dumber and There’s Something About Mary means that it’s often overlooked when people discuss the Farrelly brothers’ mid-'90s comedies, but with Murray in fine form, and the film being so gloriously over the top, it’s one that still deserves your attention.

4. Zombieland

I’m going to put it out there: this is the greatest movie cameo in the history of movie cameos. Bill Murray’s appearance in Zombieland is only brief, which some of you might believe make its entry on this list a little too high, but it’s also surprising, self-deprecating, and packed with great jokes. While seeing Murray, Emma Stone, and Woody Harrelson replicating Ghostbusters was sublime, the true highlight of his performance comes in the shape of his final line. After being asked if he had any regrets, Murray, with nothing but sincerity in his eyes, admits, "Garfield, maybe."

3. Stripes