A Haunted House is a 2013 American satirical horror comedy film directed by Michael Tiddes, written by, produced by and starring Marlon Wayans. Although Wayans said the film was "not exactly a parody but rather a movie with funny characters doing the opposite of what typical people do in similar horror films," the film pokes fun at the "found footage" horror genre, such as Paranormal Activity and The Devil Inside. It was released on January 11, 2013 and received negative reviews from critics, but grossed $60 million against a budget of $2.5 million. A sequel, A Haunted House 2, was released on April 18, 2014.
Theatrical release poster
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." It often crosses over with the black comedy genre. Comedy horror can also parody or subtly spoof horror clichés as its main source of humour or use those elements to take a story in a different direction. Examples of comedy horror films include Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), An American Werewolf in London (1981), the Evil Dead franchise (1981–present), Gremlins (1984), Shaun of the Dead (2004), and The Cabin in the Woods (2011).
The 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a comedy horror film, in that it pairs the comedy duo Abbott and Costello with the Frankenstein monster.