BY: DANNY HOYER
Staff
Horror movie parodies are nothing new. In fact, the first horror movie parody to really kickstart the trend is thought to be “Student Bodies” directed by Mickey Rose in 1981. It was made to poke fun at other famous slasher movies that came before it such as “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween.” Arguably the most famous parody horror movie franchise, “Scary Movie,” just had its sixth movie announced for June 12, 2026.
Parody horror movies sometimes have different goals than the average horror movie. Often, these movies are meant to be fun and humorous in a twisted sort of way. While other horror movies are meant to invoke fear and keep you up at night, parody horror movies are meant to poke fun at things like horror movie cliches and things that don’t make sense– like how easy it is to defend yourself against a regular person in a mask and cloak.
One of the most viral clips from the “Scary Movie” franchise is from the first movie when Cindy Campbell is being chased up the stairs by someone in a ghostface mask. Right off the bat, she is doing everything that you probably should do when being chased by a killer. She hurls everything she sees at the killer– even her grandma (you probably shouldn’t throw your grandma at a bloodthirsty killer.) Cindy even throws a piano at the killer, which he dodges and it ends up hitting Cindy’s grandma.
When you’re watching this clip, you most likely aren’t thinking “Oh my god! She just hit her grandma with a piano,” you’re most likely laughing because you know that this isn’t really supposed to be taken seriously. This brings me to my main point: horror/slasher movies based on childhood characters.
This fad has been around for a while, just like parody movies in general, but they really started to boom in popularity and frequency after Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s 2023 movie “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” This movie gave birth to the modern wave of cartoon characters being turned into slasher horror movie villains. While it’s not all cartoon based horror movies, “Blood and Honey” kickstarted a cinematic universe dubbed “The Twisted Childhood Universe.” Already in the universe are both “Blood and Honey” movies, a Peter Pan movie, a Bambi movie that was released in July, a Pinocchio movie set to release in 2026, and even an “Avengers-style” movie titled “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble” releasing sometime in 2026.
Obviously, there is an audience for this and, to be honest, I don’t see a problem with it. Yes, they’re taking beloved childhood characters and making them bloodthirsty killers, but you have to realise that this isn’t really supposed to be taken seriously (or as serious as other movies like “Friday the 13th” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”)
Now the big question: what makes these movies “good?” As crazy as it might sound, it’s the creativity. They’re taking childhood cartoon characters from animated movies and completely shifting all that is known about them. For example, in the Peter Pan movie, Tiger Lily, the Native American girl from the animated movie, is now one of Wendy’s best friends.
There is also something about having childhood characters being twisted and put into movies where they are ruthless killers that adds to the horror aspect of these movies. For example, Winnie the Pooh is this lovable, cuddly bear normally, but in this new movie, he’s a juggernaut of a killer. Having your childhood completely turned upside down adds to the scariness.
It may be hard for some, probably most, people to watch a horror movie about their favorite childhood cartoon character and then go back to the cartoon or movie and watch it the same way. That is why it is important to approach these horror movies with a specific mindset. It’s impossible for one person to like and enjoy everything, and these movies are not for everyone. Being open and understanding of different interests is the most important thing.
