Comedy Horror From the Bottom Shelf
Horror Comedy is the beloved sub-genre that brings to mind everything from self-aware zombies to murderous inanimate objects, and the volume of films in the category is substantial. From big-budget blockbusters to movies you’d swear were filmed using an old 80s elementary school AV cart, the popularity of horror-comedy is on the rise as the world grapples with way too many real-life horrors. Want to get away from the pandemic? The war? Food and housing shortages or corrupt governments? Pick any streaming service and surf through their horror lists; it won’t be too long before you stumble across a mindless gem guaranteed to make you forget your troubles for an hour or two.
In this article, we are featuring horror comedies from the bottom shelf, the ones that regardless of their intent (to scare or to titillate) are the worst of the worst. Do you think you’ve seen some bad ones already? We challenge you to sit through these from start to finish. We double-dog dare you. In case we aren’t clear, we formally state that we do not believe any of these films are “good” or “worth your valuable time”. But they are stunners in their own way, and still not as bad as what’s happening outside our front doors.
Llamageddon (2015)
“A killer llama from outer space crash lands on Earth and brings death and destruction to everyone in its path.”
Llamageddon scored a whopping 3.8 (out of 10) on IMDb and does not even appear on Rotten Tomatoes, but I’m a sucker for a llama with laser beams for eyes. Everything about this film is difficult to watch, but it made me laugh out loud. The only actor worth being listed in the credits is Louie the llama. If you search the movie on IMDb, there is only one photo in the cast list: James Earl Cox III. Also known as Jacques M. Felin, James wrote this bad boy AND starred in it. Llamageddon provides everything its tagline promises, death and destruction at the hooves of a killer llama from outer space, but you won’t be scared for even one moment. I will have to say, though, that it looks like Cox/Felin has another movie out there, a short called Desert Knight, and if the images are any indication of its quality I’m going to have to add it to my watch list. I caught Llamageddon on Tubi, along with the rest of the winners in this article.
Hans Crippleton: Talk to the Hans (2014)
“A disturbing mystery lurks on an old backwoods farm brought to new light when a traveling camera team arrives… seeking the one and only Hans Crippleton.”
Hans Crippleton managed to score 6.8 on IMDb but it does not appear on Rotten Tomatoes, either. I put this movie on when I was feeling sad one day, looking for a laugh. I am ashamed to admit that it worked. Hans Crippleton is a seriously messed up movie about disfigured hillbillies, designed to make the viewer cringe as much as anything else. It’s chock full of gross-out gags and zombies, but I’m still unclear what the storyline is supposed to be. I watched it, or most of it anyway, but I think my brain may have gone into “save power mode” a few times. In the end, my mood was effectively changed for the better after watching Hans Crippleton, and now I’m concerned about what that says about me. Give it a watch and let me know if you figure out what the creators were trying to do with this one. (Available free on Tubi)
The Last Inn (2021)
“Laura makes an unplanned stay at a peculiar hotel and is trapped in a life-changing game.”
The Last Inn (The Lawst Inn?) seemed to have a bigger budget than the first two movies discussed in this article, and the inn used for the setting is quite impressive. I watched this one with friends, and we decided the creators must have a rich uncle who let them use the property for a weekend. The film is supposed to be about a woman who gets into a car crash and stays at a creepy inn where she is forced to play a sinister game. It sounds pretty good, right? There’s only one problem: there is zero continuity in the scene cuts or the storyline. It is obviously supposed to be scary, but we spent more time laughing at the errors than shivering with fear. At one point, Mr. Lawst is seen butchering human bodies, but it’s never explained why. The game the movie is supposed to be about (but which plays only a very small part) is a dumbed-down Ouija board, and the planchette, I am not making this up, is a carnival-sized giant pencil. The Last Inn tried hard to be a serious horror film, and when we figured out what was actually happening the plotline became almost intelligent. Alas, the execution of the film was just so bad it was hilarious. Don’t stream it for the scares, stream it for the plentiful “wtf” moments. (Available free on Tubi)
Note: The film is called The Last Inn and/or The Lawst Inn, depending on where you find it. Did I mention the continuity problem?
Killer Sofa (2019)
“A killer reclining chair becomes enchanted by a girl and starts committing crimes of passion.”
Killer Sofa (2019) is not about a sofa. It’s about a chair. The fact that they didn’t call the movie Killer Chair or Killer Recliner makes about as much sense as anything else in this film. A sentient recliner falls in love with a woman and kills everyone around her while seducing her with its…fabric? Her boyfriend is the first to go (obvs), and the recliner somehow drags his body out to a balcony before pushing it over the railing. It’s not implied, it’s shown. With quality scenes like this one, Killer Sofa rates slightly above the bottom shelf of the horror-comedy rating system, but only because more money and talent was put into making it than those ones. The movie is supposed to be funny, and it is, but not necessarily for the reasons the creators were going for. The acting is bad, the story is nonsense, and the “sofa” looks a little too much like Domo. Even though the IMDb rating is only 3.7/10 and Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t acknowledge its existence, Killer Sofa belongs on every “Bad Horror Comedy” list and will probably become a fan favourite for its quirk. There are some fully clothed steamy scenes between the chair and its owner, viewer discretion is advised. (eye rolls.)
American Sasquatch (2020)
“(A) Group of British paranormal seekers trying to find the infamous Sasquatch in America while being hunted by Bigfoot themselves and trying to survive.”
Sigh. American Sasquatch may be the worst movie ever made. The acting is bad, there is no directing, it was filmed on a webcam, and the music sounds like someone hitting random buttons on a Casio. And yet it made it to Tubi! I watch questionable material on that streaming service all the time, but American Sasquatch is so bad it made me angry. People are starving out there, and money is still being spent to create BS like this! It is only included in this list because some of you may find parts of it laughable, but rest assured this was a serious attempt at horror. Different groups of people walk around in a forest looking for Bigfoot, getting killed, filming like it’s the freaking Blair Witch Project, but not one single second of the footage is decent. I should have added another level to the horror-comedy rating system for garbage like this. If you are a fellow bad horror comedy film aficionado and feel like a challenge, give it a whirl, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Do yourself a favour and skip to 1:06, just start there. You’ll get the gist and you might not feel the need to bleach your brain when you’re done.
The contributor gives these movies the combined rating of 0.5/5, rounded up because there was no graphic for 0/5 available.
These films were viewed and rated by the author, and are not the opinion of the Grimoire of Horror or their affiliates. They did not force her to watch them, and will probably not take her advice or recommendations with any seriousness, themselves. No contributors were harmed in the making of this article.
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Kate’s love of all things dark began as a child and deepened when she realized what being an adult meant. She was born with a pencil in her hand and loves nothing more than writing horrific stories to tantalize her inner demons. Kate lives in Hamilton, Ontario Canada with her husband and her boys, stirring up trouble wherever she can.