The Video Verdict

#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?  

#33 28 Days Later

A man-made contagion eradicates humanity and leaves survivors fleeing from a zombie-like infection that turns people into vicious, inhuman madmen. That is the simple but highly effective premise of Danny Boyle’s eerie 2002 shocker 28 Days Later, which gave the zombie subgenre a boost in the arm by not only delivering a critically praised film but also a truly scary experience. Whether you’re a fan of fast zombies, or you prefer the old school Romeroesque slow walking dead, you can’t deny the impact 28 Days Later had on future apocalyptic horror movies.  

#32 The Stepford Wives

Based on Ira Levin’s bestseller, this 1975 film took the term “Stepford wife” into the pop culture lexicon and created a modern take on the women’s lib movement. Originally just an afterthought, The Stepford Wives has built a fanbase over the years and transformed into a cult classic, spawning several made-for-TV sequels and an ill-conceived remake in 2004. 

#31 Friday the 13th Parts 1 and 2

Halloween might have brought the slasher movie into the mainstream, but it was 1980’s Friday the 13th that created a cottage industry of cinematic masked maniacs on the hunt for nubile victims. The Video Verdict heads to Crystal Lake for a special double feature episode as Frank and Matt talk everything Friday the 13th and its classic sequel, Friday the 13th Part 2.

#30 Cat People

After reuniting with her long-lost brother, a woman discovers her true nature: she comes from a race of cat people—and unless she becomes her sibling’s mate, she'll transform into a bloodthirsty panther every time she has sex. Paul Schraeder’s lusty, effects-filled remake of Val Lewton’s 1942 thriller features a strong performance by Nastassja Kinski, a hypnotic score by Giorgio Moroder, and an iconic theme song by David Bowie—but does it hold a candle to the original film?

#29 Beyond the Poseidon Adventure

Bad sequels are a dime a dozen. The Sting II. The Exorcist II. The Howling II. Sure, every once in a while audiences are gifted good sequels, but for every The Godfather Part II there’s ten Beyond the Poseidon Adventures. The Irwin Allen-directed follow-up to the classic 1972 The Poseidon Adventure lacked everything that made the original so well-received. What happened? In this episode Frank and Matt take a deep dive into what makes Beyond the Poseidon Adventure a bad sequel.