The Video Verdict

#43 Exorcist II: The Heretic

Often considered the ultimate bad sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic defied expectations by delivering a non-scary, special FX-light, and confusing film that drove audiences away by the millions. Ignoring many of the plot elements that made The Exorcist so memorable, John Boorman’s follow-up wallows in cold characters, meandering exposition, and just plain bad decision making.

#42 An American Werewolf in London

Before werewolves were turned into sexual metaphors for the YA generation they were terrifying monsters in John Landis’s gory groundbreaker, An American Werewolf in London. Along with The Howling, American Werewolf took the wolf man out of the misty swamps of the B&W classics and into the modern era thanks to Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning make-up work and a self-referential screenplay that’s both humorous and scary.    

#41 Blacula

Blacula was once viewed as nothing more than a forgettable entry in the “blaxploitation” genre, but in recent years has garnered admiration among film fans as a genuine work of importance. A horror classic worthy of respect, featuring an honest and nuanced performance by William Marshall, Blacula is an example of a vampire story done well. 

#40 Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Ditching Michael Myers in place of an evil Irish mask maker, Halloween III: Season of the Witch surprised audiences by removing the most recognizable character from his own horror series. Instead, Halloween III delivers a story of witchcraft and robots, and has divided fans ever since into the love it, or hate it categories. There’s no denying Halloween III is an 80s cult classic and a perfect viewing experience for the spooky season. 

#39 Friday the 13th Part 3

It might be the second outing for Jason but Part 3 is the first time the big guy dons his trademark hockey mask in this 1982 3-D threequel. Picking up exactly where Part 2 left off, Jason tosses his sack mask to the side and ventures back to the wilds of Crystal Lake where he discovers another load of bouncing teens, and a shiny new disguise in the form of a sporting goods accessory. But, does Part 3 live up to the previous twosome’s gory expectations?

#38 The Birds

Alfred Hitchcock followed the mega-success of Psycho with a completely different kind of beast: 1963's The Birds. A landmark film (in more ways than one), The Birds revolutionized the growing "when-animals-attack" subgenre that wouldn't gain mainstream popularity until the release of Jaws by inventing plot points and storytelling tricks that most subsequent apocalyptic movies copied, and still do to this day.    

#37 Sleepaway Camp

By the early 80s the slasher movie had come into its own, creating a cottage industry for independent filmmakers to make a name for themselves—and plenty of cash—by delivering inexpensive body count titles for the teen crowd. Taking what started (traditionally) with Halloween and going above and beyond audience expectations, director/writer Robert Hiltzik delivered a new genre classic in the form of 1983’s Sleepaway Camp.

#36 The Omega Man

Charlton Heston headlined this modern adaptation of Richard Matheson’s influential novel, I Am Legend, when it was released in the summer of ‘71. While the Boris Sagal film strays substantially from Matheson’s story dealing with post-apocalyptic vampires, The Omega Man still offers viewers a classic tale of Good vs. Evil—and with mutants! 

#35 Mommie Dearest

Transcending its biopic origins, 1981’s Mommie Dearest transformed the dramatic memoirs of Joan Crawford’s daughter into an over-the-top horror show. Highlighted by an ostentatious performance by Faye Dunaway—and a series of WTF moments—Mommie Dearest has remained a cult favorite since its release but never gained Rocky Horror status as an audience event must-see. Maybe some films work best in small groups. 

#34 Night of the Demon (1980)

A creature running amok. A series of mutilation murders. A crazy hermit. Ample amounts of exposed butts. These are the ingredients that make 1980’s Night of the Demon must-see viewing for fans of the “it’s-so-bad-it’s-good” subschool of cinema. This obscure Bigfoot slasher was once banned in the UK for its overtly graphic kills, which are now all gloriously detailed in a recently revived uncut format thanks to Severin Films. Where else are you going to see Bigfoot rip off a man’s tallywhacker?