DAFFY DUCK’S QUACKBUSTERS (1988)

Full disclosure, as a kid I stayed away from horror movies. Despite my family (particularly my siblings) being a fan of them, I was typically more interested in watching cartoons and avoiding all the blood, guts, and terror. Though I did have a meager interest in the macabre which, fortunately for me, there were cartoons that helped me satisfy that interest while keeping me (mostly) nightmare free. Chief among those animated escapades was 1988’s DAFFY DUCK’S QUACKBUSTERS. A Looney Tunes compilation film that featured everyone’s favorite toons in a series of horror-themed adventures, QUACKBUSTERS was tied together by an overarching story where Daffy Duck runs his own paranormal investigation company after coming into a hefty sum of money.

Odds are if you watched Looney Tunes on the regular like myself growing up you’ve seen quite a few of the segments featured here on their own, but they fit so well into the overall story, theme, tone, and rhythms of the movie you’d almost think they were all made for it.

Bugs Bunny faces off against a vampire after making that wrong turn at Albuquerque. Sylvester finds himself being terrorized by a hulking Tweety Bird due to a concoction straight out of Jekyll and Hyde. Porky Pig and Sylvester being terrorized at a hotel. It’s a wonderful mix of horror tropes and themes filtered through the wackiness of the Looney Tunes cast.

As a kid I just loved the movie because it was the same humor I enjoyed from watching the characters on TV.

But as I grew older and revisited it (after getting more into horror), I have grown to appreciate just how much it pays tribute to the entire genre and laid the groundwork for myself becoming more of a fan.

Among the eleven segments, there are two in particular that I feel should be watched by everyone who loves the horror genre. First up is the hilariously titled THE DUXORCIST, which is a wonderfully wacky parody of the “scariest film ever made” (as you could guess). The short finds Daffy as a “Paranormalist-At-Large” being called upon by the alluring Melissa Duck to take care of a malevolent spirit that is causing her trouble.

Great sight gags with fun shout outs to GHOSTBUSTERS (and of course THE EXORCIST), it’s a must watch and a great bit of horror comedy for the season that even folks who haven’t seen the films it parodies will laugh at. DUXORCIST also has some fun history as it was actually the first new cartoon Warner Bros. produced in some time, made in honor of Daffy’s 15th anniversary—which makes it a must watch for Looney Tunes aficionados in my opinion. Also if my recommendation isn’t enough, take it from the legendary Siskel & Ebert who bestowed the film with two thumbs up in their review.

The real centerpiece of QUACKBUSTERS is NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUCK, which is not what you’d expect based on the title. While we don’t get the Looney Tunes cast doing battle with the undead, we do get more than our fair share of horror shout outs.

Made exclusively for QUACKBUSTERS, the short involves Daffy desperately searching through his impressive horror collection for the next issue of “Smogzilla” (yes, even the King of the Monsters gets in on this) when he’s knocked unconscious by a haphazardly-placed piece of his collection.

The duck soon dreams of himself in the role of a lounge singer...to a crowd of horror icons both new and old including the likes of Dracula, The Mummy, and, in one of my favorite cameos of all time…Leatherface.

It’s already a lot of fun to see all these characters hanging out in a classy establishment but to top it off you get the fantastic “Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives” sung by Mel Torme. A loving tribute to the various creatures that haunt our dreams and have a place in our hearts—despite existing predominately to fill us with terror. Besides the fact it’s just really funny to picture Daffy Duck as a big horror geek, it’s a wonderful send up that honestly feels like it was made for horror fans, which makes it a must watch for even those folks who don’t consider themselves fans of Looney Tunes.

While I  focused on two segments, I really can’t recommend DAFFY DUCK’S QUACKBUSTERS in its entirety strongly enough. It’s a horror comedy that just about anyone can enjoy and makes for a great family film if you have any burgeoning horrorhounds who might not be ready for the darker comedies.

If nothing else, “Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives” should at least be on your next Halloween playlist.