Top 10 Most Parodied Horror Movies

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the horror movies that paved the way for parodies in their honor. Since crucial scenes tend to be the most spoofed, watch out for some spoilers.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the horror movies that paved the way for

00:09parodies in their honor. Since crucial scenes tend to be the most spoofed, watch out for

00:13some spoilers.

00:14In all fairness, this once mighty series became a parody of its former

00:29self by the hugely panned final installment. Funnily enough, parodies of its universally

00:34acclaimed first entry keep Jaws relevant.

00:46There's a good chance you might have seen a Jaws spoof before the film itself. Back

00:50when it first came out, sketch comedies like Saturday Night Live and The Carol Burnett

00:54Show couldn't resist putting their spin on things, with regular Jaws films releasing

00:59in quick succession, 80s franchises like Back to the Future also took some subtle jabs at

01:04it. Certain other monster movies like Piranha 3D go further, bringing Jaws cast member Richard

01:16Dreyfuss for a metafictional wink at the audience.

01:22Remember when slasher films were all the rage? I Know What You Did Last Summer made

01:33one of the biggest splashes in the genre. The film stands out mainly for a few memorable

01:38scenes, which fans love to play on repeat.

01:44Naturally, parody movies wouldn't let them slide, providing us with some hilarious spoof

01:51renditions. I Know What You Did Last Summer's unintentionally quirky outline makes it an

01:56easy story to replicate. Sitcoms like The Simpsons have poked fun at the film's bizarre

02:12premise. We also have films entirely dedicated to satirising the slasher movie. I Know What

02:17You Did Last Summer goes for a scary tone, but its parodies flip this into a mixture

02:21of deadpan and slapstick comedy.

02:37Few films had a marketing campaign as intense as this one. The found footage framing device

02:41convinced many that the film's horrors were genuine. With moments set in isolated areas

02:46and the characters stalked by an evil entity, The Blair Witch Project really kicks in your

02:51paranoia. However, this also gave spoof enthusiasts a lot of material. After the film's success,

03:03just about every comedic media wanted in on it. Whether it was live shows like the MTV

03:08Awards, or sketch comedies like MADtv, there was a parody version everywhere. It was a

03:25matter of time before parody movies got their crack at it. Scary Movie gave us one of the

03:30funniest renditions you'll ever see.

03:43Parodies of Scream are ironic, considering the film is a deconstruction of its genre.

03:47Wes Craven's contemporary classic became popular because of how self-aware it is. Along

03:52with influencing similar slashers for years to come, Scream laid the foundation for several

03:57comedies. Most popular might be Scary Movie, which spoofs most of Scream's events to

04:09hilarious levels. Although Ghostface is now a horror icon, the antagonist is a favourite

04:15among parody aficionados. Scream's entry into the mainstream prompted several comedic

04:31interpretations, remaining just as funny now as they were then. The joke about creepy calls

04:35from strangers might not be original any more, but it's always reliable for a good laugh.

04:50Even if you're too squeamish for a Saw movie, chances are you've still seen Billy the Puppet.

05:03The Jigsaw doll is one of the most recognisable faces in the horror genre. Films and shows

05:08like to poke fun at him every chance they get. Jigsaw's arbitrary reasons for placing

05:12victims in elaborate traps is Saw's most meme-able aspect, and spoofs max this out to its wackiest

05:19potential. From shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to films like Scary Movie

05:294, you'll find some comedic variation of a Jigsaw trap. You know you've got something

05:33funny when you get Shuck and Dr. Phil to play along. With the series going strong for two

05:38decades, we expect more parodies to keep coming our way.

05:52The Alien series revolutionised the horror genre, masterfully blending sci-fi and action.

05:57This also helped the spoof genre to go bigger, turning the film's scary elements on its head.

06:08Whether geared towards an adult audience or a family-friendly one, Alien parodies are

06:12abundant. Some prefer to mock the dreaded chestburster, while others rip on fully-grown

06:18xenomorphs. Whatever it might be, these deliberately cheesy interpretations still manage to capture

06:23the Alien aesthetic. Certain parodies like Spaceballs have taken on a life of their own,

06:28carving out a separate fanbase of the scene. Kid shows like Animaniacs have also taken

06:44a stab at it, giving young viewers a look into the Alien experience. Without all the

06:49gory trauma, of course.

07:01How many times have you heard the words, it's alive, uttered in your life? Famously heard

07:06in 1931's Frankenstein, the quote has long since been used as meme fodder, best used

07:20to highlight a villainous overreaction or to exaggerate a character's wacky personality.

07:25We've seen such derivative scenes time and time again, and yet the execution always works.

07:36Apart from its most famous scene, the film has spawned several well-received parodies,

07:40from Mel Brooks' much-revered Young Frankenstein to Tim Burton's reimagining of the monster

07:45as a dog in Frankenweenie. The idea of a creature made from body parts is surprisingly funny.

08:00Its evergreen quality has enabled this form of humour to remain relevant on both big and

08:05small screens across centuries.

08:10Parodies of The Exorcist are almost as old as the film itself. The horror classic took

08:14the world by storm, remaining one of the scariest movies ever made. Comedy writers accepted

08:25the challenge of giving it a humorous spin. Five decades later, we're still laughing

08:29at the many parodies released since then.

08:32The exorcism scene has become a staple in both horror and comedy. Reagan's Possession

08:36is horrifying in the original, but spoofs usually turn up its absurdity to epic proportions.

08:42You have to admire the creativity that goes into these, as no two skits are alike. Whether

08:55you're a fan of the Scary Movie 2's slapstick take, SNL's wittier comedy style, or any other,

09:01laughter is guaranteed.

09:15Another movie with its fair share of memorable quotes, The Shining's more iconic moments

09:20have been part of the spoof genre for decades.

09:31Jack Torrance's eventual meltdown has a funny side if you've got a devious sense of humour.

09:36Shows like South Park and The Simpsons have exploited these for some truly bizarre jokes.

09:48Then we have Jack's famous catchphrase that immortalised him into the echelons of pop

09:52culture. That crazy visual proved too good to resist, quickly becoming the most parodied

10:01aspect of the film. Other horror franchises like Child's Play have paid homage to this

10:06scene, adding a bit of personal flavour along the way. It might be a horror movie, but the

10:10comedy genre also owes a lot to The Shining.

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10:36The shower scene in this Hitchcockian horror has the greatest shock value in cinema. Nobody

10:41saw it coming in the film, but everyone knows what's about to happen in spoofs. It's a perfect

10:51set up for some off-kilter humour, usually deviating from the brand of comedy the film

10:56or show is associated with. The joke comes from the complete tonal contrast between Psycho

11:01and the comedic material. We've seen it in live action, animation, and in between. Even

11:06Bugs Bunny got in on the action. Meanwhile, films like Mel Brooks' High Anxiety offer

11:19a deflation of Psycho's airtight intensity. Hitchcock's masterpiece has an enduring legacy,

11:34proving characters are just as likely to be killed in the shower, no matter which genre

11:37they belong to. Did we miss any horror parody that gives you all the funny chills? Let us

11:43know in the comments.

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