We all know that Evil Dead 2 is the greatest horror/comedy movie ever made. It won’t ever be topped, and that is a scientific fact proved by scientists with science. However, the race for second place has always been a close call (Slither, Behind the Mask, Bubba Ho-Tep, Re-Animator, the list is endless) and this fall we’ll be getting plenty of new entrants into the genre… or maybe just some funny movies. Microsoft has announced that they will be releasing a series of short film pilots directed by some of horror’s greatest masters, but they’re all about the comedy, they’re all going to be for free and they’re all going to be released over LIVE.

James Gunn (Slither, Dawn of the Dead) and producer Peter Safran (Scary Movie, Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie) came up with the idea and have invited the likes of James Wan (Saw, Death Sentence), David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy), Lucky McKee (May, The Woods), Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror) and Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th) to work along with them. Each will produce their own comedic short which you can read about after the break. This announcement also kicks-off Microsoft’s original content offerings, which will be followed up with more films and interviews beginning this year.

I’m a huge James Gunn fan so anything he’s doing I’ll jump right into. I don’t know if I would call some of these other directors “Masters of Horror,” but it should be an interesting experiment since most of them seem to be leaning far closer to comedy than horror.

• “Doggie Heaven (Woof!)” — The creative team behind the smash hit “Saw” films, James Wan (“Saw,” “Death Sentence”) and Leigh Whannell, tell the story of a young man who is having a dog of a day. He’s just been shot dead, but his real problems are only just beginning because of a clerical error that has sent him to the wrong heaven.
• “Humanzee!” — James Gunn (“Slither,” “Dawn of the Dead”) directs and stars in a sitcom about his human-chimp hybrid son, the Humanzee (played by Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn, from “Gilmore Girls”). It’s a delightful mix of “South Park,” “Wonder Showzen” and “Small Wonder.”
• “MEATDOG: What’s Fer’ Dinner” — Director David Slade (“30 Days of Night,” “Hard Candy”) presents MEATDOG, an animated mutt made up of cold cuts. MEATDOG is pitted against a church of evil occult pigs while being pursued by a carnivorous rabbit and a slobbering hound. It’s dogicide when everyone wants MEATDOG on their menu.
• “Blue Like You” —From director Lucky McKee (“May,” “The Woods”), “Blue Like You” follows the antics of old friends Patrick and Cyndy as they get to know their mysterious and extraordinary new friend Blue, a beautiful young woman who doesn’t seem to understand how the simplest of things work.
• “The Miracle of Phil” — From director Andrew Douglas (“The Amityville Horror”), “The Miracle of Phil” shows that the best relationships are full of screaming, shouting and cursing, but when Phil gets knocked up, Chris is the one who feels screwed.
• “Adrenaline Slam” — Director Marcus Nispel (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Friday the 13th”) brings “ADRENALINE SLAM,” a high-octane hybrid of hidden camera reality and Hollywood fantasy that exposes ordinary people to extraordinary events.