Karate Girl (1973)
The Other Guys (2010)
The Funny Deaths: Chris Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) try to prove their hot-shot credentials by leaping from a 20-storey building in pursuit of criminals. They fundamentally misjudge the distances and don't so much fly as plummet.
If It Had Been Played Straight: The entire film would be about them, they wouldn't die, and it would be called simply The Guys .
Tucker And Dale Vs Evil (2010)
The Funny Death: Misguided hillbilly-killer Mike (Joseph Allan Sutherland) attacks Tucker (Alan Tudyk) only to miss his target and land head-first in a wood chipper. Despite his best efforts, Tucker can't save him.
If It Had Been Played Straight: It would look for all the world like Tucker was feeding Mike into the machine - exactly the horror movie cliché being subverted here.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
The Funny Deaths: Take your pick from John 'Stumpy' Pepys (bizarre gardening accident), Peter 'James' Bond (spontaneous on-stage combustion) or any of the other hapless drummers who didn't make it with Spinal Tap.
If It Had Been Played Straight: Much of the film would have taken place at a series of funerals.
Meet Joe Black (1998)
The Funny Death: As Brad Pitt's unnamed character dithers in the middle of the street, he is hit not once, but twice by passing cars.
If It Had Been Played Straight: It's meant to be serious… but the scene's (literal) overkill, as an obviously CGI Pitt bounces from bonnet to bonnet like a ragdoll, is inadvertently funny.
Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949)
The Funny Death: Hard to pick just one of many memorable D'Ascoyne deaths instigated by genteel serial killer Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) but downing Lady Agatha D'Ascoyne's (Alec Guinness) hot air balloon with a bow and arrow hits the spot.
If It Had Been Played Straight: There would be no room for Louis' flippant poetry, "I shot an arrow in the air / She fell to earth in Berkeley Square."
Zombieland (2009)
The Funny Death: Bill Murray (playing himself) has successfully avoided being attacked by zombies. However, his disguise is a little too convincing and he's killed by Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). Asked if he has any dying regrets, he replies, "Maybe Garfield."
If It Had Been Played Straight: Using a fictional character rather than a celebrity might have added a extra touch of pathos.
Dr Strangelove (1964)
The Funny Death: What's a guy to do when he gets stuck on the nuclear missile that will end life on Earth as we know it? In the case of Major 'King' Kong (Slim Pickens), the answer is to whoop 'n' holler, and wave your cowboy hat in the air rodeo-style.
If It Had Been Played Straight: We'd be looking at a film more like Sidney Lumet's Fail-Safe - sweaty palms and panic-stricken faces all round.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Funny Death: Having miraculously escaped certain death, Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are looking forward to a quiet morning… until their car hits a bump and the latter accidentally shoots Marvin's (Phil LaMarr) face off.
If It Had Been Played Straight: The characters would hit panic mode and quickly dump the corpse. Instead, Quentin Tarantino spends half an hour focussing on the droll clean-up operation instigated by Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel).
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
The Funny Death: Confronted with a fierce Arab swordsman in a Cairo market, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) realises he has a gun and simply shoots the guy.
If It Had Been Played Straight: As originally planned before Ford's dysentery required a pragmatic rewrite, the scene would have been a straightforward sword fight. The actor's bowel's loss is our gain.
