Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- macabre
- sardonic
- campy
- classic horror night
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics were divided, with some admiring the performances and tightly constructed spoof while others found the repeated gags predictable and overplayed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Waldo's undertaker business and escalating killings are presented through cynical jokes and exaggerated performances.
Waldo kills people to generate customers and pay overdue rent.
Funeral rooms, coffins, poison, cemeteries, and the cat Cleopatra create spooky imagery undercut by farce.
Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff play exaggerated figures within a satirical horror vehicle.
Films like The Comedy of Terrors, and why
The Raven
Shared gothic horror farce, macabre humor, and veteran horror-star ensemble.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Shared comic horror tone, Vincent Price performance, and irreverent treatment of gothic conventions.
Theater of Blood
Shared darkly comic murder premise, theatrical performances, and stylized horror atmosphere.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jacques Tourneur
- Release Date
- 1964-01-22
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (171)
Cast
- Vincent Price
- Peter Lorre
- Boris Karloff
- Joyce Jameson
- Joe E. Brown
- Beverly Powers
- Basil Rathbone
- Alan DeWitt
- Buddy Mason
- Douglas Williams
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Comedy of Terrors about?
- An impecunious undertaker turns murder into a business strategy in a flamboyant, cynical gothic farce.
- What is The Comedy of Terrors like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Comedy of Terrors as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Comedy of Terrors violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Comedy of Terrors as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Comedy of Terrors?
- Critics were divided, with some admiring the performances and tightly constructed spoof while others found the repeated gags predictable and overplayed.
- Which films are like The Comedy of Terrors?
- Films with a similar feel include The Raven, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and Theater of Blood.
- How long is The Comedy of Terrors?
- The Comedy of Terrors runs 84 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Comedy of Terrors?
- In United States, The Comedy of Terrors streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
