Heathers (1988)

An American black comedy directed by Michael Lehmann, starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.
A girl in a popular clique at high school is taught true human values by a homocidal maniac.
This is one of those movies that can be replayed in my brain without turning on the computer. It's a very popular movie and a very good movie. In fact, I don't want to spoil anything. One interesting not from my quick read of the Wikipedia page is that Winona Ryder said she looked like her character in Beetlejuice (1988) at the time of casting. If you haven't seen it, watch it now. I rate it best.

A Bloody Aria A.K.A. Guta Yubalja-deul, 구타 유발자들, 毆打 誘發者들 (2006)

A South Korean crime black comedy directed by Won Shin-Yeon, starring Lee Moon-sik and Oh Dal-su.
A professor and student get pulled over by a cop, angering the professor. He provokes the cop and then hides on a dead end side road. After trying to seduce the student, she runs away. A gang of criminals show up and engege the cop, professor and student in their violence.
Oh wow! The plot held my attention all the way through, making me want to know what happened. I didn't really care about the characters because of what was happening. They were good though. Imagine a South Korean Gummo (1997) cast, but a few years later. The video had lots of hand held shots, but this did not get in the way. It was high quality Breaking Bad style hand held camera. There was also punctuation through a train passing and the main tormentor of the scene saying "nothing happened here today". Looking at other sites, people didn't seem to like this as much as I do. I'm rating it awesome because it has style and plot. However, this is not one to repeat watch. The first time through, you want to know what happens next. Watching again would destroy that.

3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom (2012)

An American black comedy directed by Jordan Roberts, starring Chris O'Dowd and Ron Perlman.
A young man has been hiding in a desert, writing a book. His mom invites him to his brother's graduation from rehab where a woman runs into him on her bicycle. He takes the woman to a clubhouse behind his parents' house and they have sex. The brother has been recording video the whole time and uploads it to a website.
Not very interesting. The plot seemed rambling and unfocused to me. There were plenty of characters, but the 2 brothers were developed most. Video looked very much of the time, but there were some 4th wall breaking production jokes included. Audio was good. I could hear the dialogue and the soundtrack music was not annoying. I rate this o.k. because it was mediocre.
When I started this list of "every film ever made", I was concerned that there may be lots of bad ones. This was unreasonable and unthinking of me. A little bit into the list, my concern is that there will be TONS of mediocre ones. I would rather watch something horrible and write a scathing review than a long line of average films and rate them all o.k. because they were produced fine, but were uninteresting.

11:14 (2003)

A Canadian American black comedy drama directed by Greg Marcks, starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Ben Foster, Clark Gregg and Barbara Hershey.
Separate series of events involving different groups of people all converge at 11:14PM in a car accident. 5 parts are shown.
This was about plot. Each of the people was shown in their own segment and with each passing segment, more of the pieces of the puzzle fit together to show what happened. Characters were kind of temporary and shallow because there were so many of them. I didn't really notice cinematography or editing and the audio seemed fine. There were also good subtitles on the version I found. Most folks seem to like this, but Time Out seemed to find it boring. I liked it because it held my attention. I rate it good and you should probably watch it.
On a side note, I have switched movie lists of what to watch next. I found this list of "every film ever made" https://alphabetizer.flap.tv/lists/list-of-every-movie-ever-made.php and figured I could just start at the beginning and watch whatever I found. It sure beats watching a list of the worst movies, if only for the element of chance involved. My old list was so long that I might as well try a list claiming to be every movie. I've also figured out how to make images start out at the top and centered.

101 Reykjavik (2000)

An Icelandic black comedy drama directed by Baltasar Kormakur, starring Victoria Abril.
A young man lives with his mother and is a little bit of a slacker. He collects unemployment and hangs out with his friends. His nmother's friend comes to visit for Christmas and while the mother is away, the friend and son have sex. The mother returns and announces her lesbianism with the friend.
Not too shabby. This held my interest with plot and characters. I think the son's friends could have been developed better, but the main characters seemed realistic. It was in Icelandic, but I get good subtitles. The mother's friend was Spanish, but spoke English. I noticed some camera-work done from above ground level that looked good. 2 of the son's friends were using a crane to hang Christmas decorations in town and that was shot from a higher view. There was also a scene with the son going into a building and the camera was pointed through second floor windows from outside. I used to wish for more "good green rating" movies, but now I'm happier to get the "adequate blue rating" ones when they come along. I rate this adequate. You might want to check it out.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

An American science fiction black comedy directed by Boots Riley, starring Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, David Cross and Danny Glover.
A black man working as a telemarketer learns to use his "white voice" and becomes successful. This distances him from his old friends who were unsuccessful or protesting against the company that he works for. Finally reaching the top of the corporate ladder, he learns a dark secret about the company.
Amazing! Being white and going to see this with a black friend lead to an interesting discussion afterward. He saw a movie about racial issues and I saw a movie about financial and societal class issues. Either way, the plot was thought provoking and the production quality was great. To elaborate on this, the dynamic plot begins as a regular comedy, turns to black/dark comedy and then to science fiction. The main character and his relationships change as the film develops as well. According to Wikipedia, the "white voice" for black characters was performed by a different person and lip synched. I would recommend this for those who question accepted societal value systems. I rate it awesome for being unique, thoughtful and entertaining.

Election (1999)

An American black comedy drama directed by Alexander Payne, starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon.
During a high school election for student body president, romantic relationships and competition cause problems.
This was an assignment for a film theory and criticism class. The professor better have something really interesting to point out because the film was pretty standard and run of the mill. The hour and 40 minute duration seemed to take a long time. The pacing was dynamic. It sped up for action and slowed down for narration that gave back-story. I think the characters were played well and all of the dialogue seemed to be written professionally. I was unimpressed with sets and costumes. Having a high school with students and teachers does not require much extra effort in that department. What stood out most in camera-work and editing were freeze frames at the beginning of narrations. There was also a crane shot of the main teacher outdoors and a slow dissolve while he was in a restaurant. Another good edit was everyone's faces in the office at the climax. Audio sounded good to me. Dialogue was audible and there was appropriate music that may have been mixed just a bit too loud. The style reminded me a little bit of Wes Anderson, but faster and more boldly expressive. This has 7.3/10 on IMDB, 4.5/5 on AllMovie, 92% Tomatometer and 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and Metascore of 83% on Metacritic for an average of 83.4%. I think they're ranking it a little bit high, but popular opinion favors "marketable" films. I guess a loss of 10 million dollars between budget and box office makes up for the difference. I rate this adequate because it held my attention, the characters were decent and there was some good editing.

Burke & Hare (2010)

A British black comedy directed by John Landis, starring Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis and Tom Wilkinson.
A duo of poor men are looking for opportunities to make money when their neighbor dies. They overhear a rumor that the local anatomy schools are paying for corpses and go into business. The doctor they are selling to is working on an anatomy book and one of the corpse salesmen funds the career of a local prostitute who wants to put on a play.
This was pretty cool. The plot was just complex enough and held my interest quite well. The characters were acted well, but fell into some typical stereotypes. Simon Pegg is, of course, a very skilled actor. The "humor" was mostly funny to me. I also liked the intro and outro narration by the executioner. The video was well-done. I could see everything that was going on clearly, but didn't notice any amazing camera-work. The audio was great. Traditional music of the area and good accents all aroond. Overall, professionally executed and interesting. It reminded me of I Sell the Dead (2008). I rate this good.

Naked (1993)

A British black comedy directed by Mike Leigh, starring David Thewlis.
This film follows the adventures of Johnny, the smart-ass vagrant, his ex-girlfriend and her current roommate.
Wonderful! The plot was a little desultory, but that worked out for the best. The characters were absolutely priceless! Johnny had a Malcolm McDowell style personality that just lit up the screen. The dialogue was all amazingly well written. The video had that gloomy Dolores Claiborne look of decreased saturation. All of this was put together to create a film that made me want to watch it again right after it was over. In order to fully understand how amazing this is, you should watch it. I have to rate this best.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

An American black comedy drama directed by Wes Anderson, starring Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Danny Glover.
A rich family has problems. The absent dad returns pretends to be dying, a brother and sister are in love, etc...
This was very well-made. The plot was very complex and there were lots of characters. I tried to keep up, but I may have to watch it a few times to really understand everything. The video style is standard Wes Anderson awesomeness and the soundtrack is even better than the last few films I watched. My favorite scene was the grandfather - grandsons mischief montage. It must have been very fun to make. Pacing is slow, but an hour 49 is a tad on the long side. Overall, this was fun to watch and I liked it. I will be watching it again soon. I rate this best for prompting repeat viewing. Not many films can make me want to see them again. It's really something special when that happens. WATCH THIS!!!!!

Rushmore (1998)

An American black comedy directed by Wes Anderson, starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams and Seymour Cassel.
A high school student has a crush on a new teacher at school. When he uses a mutual friend to communicate with her, things go awry.
This was not so great. I didn't care about the plot or characters and didn't find them interesting. The video style was good and the soundtrack fit the story. It was all made very well, but just not my favorite story. I really like Wes Anderson's style. The framing and shot composition are always good and the editing puts things together in a way that makes sense. I'm glad that Jason Schwartzman moved on to better roles that I liked more. I didn't even recognize him in this. Overall, well made, but not for me. I give it a weird pink rating. You might like it, but I don't.

Raising Arizona (1987)

An American black comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Nicolas Cage, John Goodman and Holly Hunter.
A stupid criminal marries the police photographer and they steal a baby together.
There was something undefinable that irked me about this movie. The plot and characters were decent and made me care what happened. It was all shot very well and the pacing was moderate. It seems very well made and it all made sense. I even almost liked Nicolas cage in this role. Maybe it's just that I didn't find it funny or get the humor. Overall, a decent flick. I rate it adequate.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

An American black comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Oscar Isaac and John Goodman.
A folk singer is having some problems. He gets beat up, may have impregnated a friend's girlfriend, loses a cat, gets abandoned on the highway and turned down by a music company.
This was AMAZING!!!! Such style! Such grace! Everything was shot really well and the pacing went very slowly to let it all really soak in. The music was slow and soothing, but in a good way. In fact, I can't find anything to nay-say about this. I could keep singing it's praises and saying the Coen brothers can do no wrong, but it's better for you to just watch this movie. I rate it awesome. WATCH IT!!!!

Charade (1963)

An American black comedy mystery by Stanley Donen, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
A woman's husband dies and she finds out that he was one of a group of men looking for a large sum of stolen money. These men initially harass her, but eventually they honestly work together to try to find the money. The other men are gradually killed off by an unknown attacker to keep them from getting the money.
This is a very strange movie. The sense of humor seemed like it was from another planet. Being a mystery, nobody's telling the truth and you have to watch the whole thing to figure out what's really going on. It gets points for being weird, but that still only earns an o.k. rating.

Hesher (2011)

A black comedy by Spencer Susser, starring Natalie Portman.
A boy whose mother died in a car accident is picked on by a bully at school. At home, he lives with his depressed father and benevolent grandmother. One day he disturbs a squatter in a building. The squatter shows up at his house and moves in without consent, but ends up staying for no reason.
The person who recommended this film likes REALLY crappy movies, so I was hesitant to watch it. I'm glad that I did because it's pretty cool. I liked the characters and the strange plot. The style was anything but "new movie perfect" but the production value was good. I had some trouble with the audio levels, but when I like the film, I can let that slide. There were a few cliche moments like the rain starting on queue, but nothing too cheesy. I'm rating this good.

The Chumscrubber (2005)

A black comedy directed by Arie Posin, starring Glenn Close.
A boy's friend and drug dealer kills himself and some other kids at school want him to go and get his friend's remaining drugs for them. They try to kidnap his brother to hold hostage until he gives them the drugs.
Another black comedy with a twisted and complex plot. I see the joke about modern society, parent-child relationships and not seeing the forest because there are so many trees. There were some parts that were funny, but most things were not concluded properly. A prime example of this is the drugs in the casserole at the wedding. This just didn't do it for me. I'm rating it o.k.

Choke (2008)

A black comedy by Clark Gregg.
A man who works at a colonial theme park has sex with strangers and intentionally chokes on food at restaurants. He also has a crazy mother who is in a mental institution.
This is one of those black comedies that barely makes any sense. The main character was the only one who was developed, but this was done confusingly. Obviously, the plot wasn't very clear. The style was not anything to get excited about either. I'm rating this poor.

Very Bad Things (1998)

A black comedy directed by Peter Berg, starring Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz.
A group of friends celebrate a bachelor party in Las Vegas. They are having fun until one of them accidentally kills the stripper/prostitute.
This is one of the films that is mentioned when people talk about crazy and good movies. The plot, characters and production value are absolutely great. The film really comes off as unique and has it's own "flavor". The violence is not over-done and most of the tension is created through the plot. This is another film with mostly upset characters. Apparently, conflict (supposedly essential to plot) must be between the characters themselves. There are many types of conflict:
Character vs. Character (shown here)
Character vs. Self (shown here)
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Supernatural
Character vs. Technology
Character vs. Destiny
I would really like to see some variety in this plot element, given the wide range of choices. However, a good film is a good film and I'm rating this awesome.

Rubin and Ed (1991)

A black comedy directed by Trent Harris, starring Crispin Glover.
A shut-in's mother takes his stereo away until he goes out and finds a friend. A pyramid scheme salesman has to find a person to bring into the business. The 2 meet and go on a quest to bury a cat in the desert before going to a business meeting.
This was strange in that type of way that leaves the viewer asking "why?". The style reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite. There's not much else to say. It gets points for weirdness, so I'm saying adequate.

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

A black comedy directed by Brian De Palma, starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman.
A reporter follows the story of a rich man whose mistress hit a poor, black man with his car when they were being robbed after missing a freeway exit. The reporter publishes a book about this story and becomes rich.
When I say "black comedy", I mean that it may have been intended to be funny, but was not. Real comedies usually involve more absurd situations and are clearly meant to be funny, but I don't get the jokes because comedy isn't my deal. All of the film elements (plot, characters, pacing, setting and style) were extremely mediocre. Hence, I'm rating this o.k.