As impossible as it sounds, i'm trying to educate myself a bit. I want to learn about comedy, and, to be more specific, dark comedy. I've gotten a grasp on certain elements such as time, tact, and wit, however, one thing I want to know about is dark comedy. Is it only limited to "morbid" events such as death, or does it extend to other areas?

I'm assuming that it has a twisted, sadistic sense of humour, but otherwise I'm uncertain.

It has to be in a dark setting, though.

Dark comedy is more an ironic look at things than a funny movie. Heathers is an example of a Dark Comedy. The humor is in the absurdity of what is being done, not in the actions of the performers.

Some people think that Dark Comedy is making fun of dark subjects, like murdering in a funny way, but that's just really macabre slapstick than anything else.

That makes a lot more sense. Such poignant humour has to be entertaining to watch.

Now, what kind of director would make the best dark sitcom? That is the real question.

Problem is, what is Dark comedy to one is not to another, it's in the eye of the beholder.

Dr Strangelove

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (great mix of slapstick and dark humor, the dark humor is mostly in the political and social commentary)

Pulp Fiction

War of the Roses

Throw Momma From the Train

Fargo

Kill Bill

Oh Brother Where are Though?

Fish Called Wanda

Grosse Point Blank

Big Lebowski

Burn After Reading

Those will get you started.

Black comedy makes light of serious matters, taboo topics, and other controversies. That's the shortest explanation I can come up with.

Dark Comedy has nothing to do with macabre scenarios, although it often uses them.

Dark Comedy is all about putting a sardonic twist on mundane or non-comedic events.
"Fargo" is a great example, as is "American Psycho" or "Blazing Saddles"

This.


And outside of movies... Listen to some Richard Pryor, George Carlin, or Bill Hicks.
That is dark comedic stand-up at its finest.

From wikipedia:

"A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor, which, in its most basic definition, is humor that makes light of otherwise serious subject matter, or gallows humor."

Gallows humor:

"Gallows humor is humor in the face of or about very unpleasant, serious, or painful circumstances. Any humor that treats serious matters, such as death, war, disease, crime, etc., in a light, silly, or satirical fashion is considered gallows humor."

Moreover,

"The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor."

So dark comedy is humor that makes light of something serious, like death. It doesn't have any strict definition, so you can use the term in a variety of ways.

That's all there is to it.

It's not impossible, nor does it sound like it.

An older black comedy I like a lot is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kind_Hearts_and_Coronets from 1949. About a guy who wants to kill his relatives so he can inherit their stuff and become a Duke.

So judging from what people said is satire a type of dark comedy? Or did I just say something completely wrong?

Dark comedies tend to be Satires, but they don't have to be. Satires make fun of a genre more so than a situation. Shaun of the Dead for example is a Satire of Zombie movies, and is considered a Dark Comedy. Pulp Fiction or Burn After Reading are not Satires.

A very, very good show with excellent dark comedy was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Gentlemen.

I'm sure that with todays internet you can find it floating around somewhere.

A decade later, I can still quote entire blocks of text from that show, it was brilliant.

"You're my wife now."

I would say that Shaun of the dead is dark comedy along with cockneys vs zombies an to an extent strangers on a train.

Crap another film I'd suggest would be scary movie even though it's more in your face slapstick comedy more then dark.