Horror Movie Survival Guide

Clive Barker's feature film debut has "Clive Barker" written all over it, and that's why Hellraiser works so well - it's one man's vision to marry gore and sex, repulsion and glamour. The story is fresh and unashamed of its perversity, Ashely Laurence shines in her first movie role as Kirsty, a bad ass Final Girl up there in the ranks - I mean, she's fighting dem...

Frank Marshall's directorial debut is a big budget ode to low budget monster movies and is a thrill ride for spider haters everywhere. Terrific performances by Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, plus more spider jump scares than you can shake a stick at, this film is fun for everyone! Support the show

Little monsters indeed. This film is a confusing mess, but hey! At least there's a ghoulie on the VHS cover coming out of a toilet wearing suspenders!* (*no actual ghoulie suspender wearing occurs in this film) Plus - Jack Nance! Support the show

This flick boasts the film debut of Stephen Dorff, special effects that are outta site, and a bitchin' best friend, Terry, who just loves him some satanic Canadian thrash metal. Lucky he does, because that record album might just come in handy when a demonic hole opens in the backyard... Support the show

Stephen Herek's 1986 creature feature is full of silliness, gore, intergalactic bounty hunters and Billy Zane with an earring/ponytail. When the crites hijack a spaceship and hightail it to Earth, they didn't expect to face off against the plucky Scott Grimes and Dee Wallace Stone! Fine little monster fun! Support the show

Linda Blair stars again as Regan, now a teenage girl more interested in tap dancing than demons, gets sucked back into Pazuzu's world of pain through a hypnotic synchronizer, apoplectic Richard Burton and James Earl Jones in a locust costume. Really! Support the show

Hot on the heels of 1984's Nightmare on Elm Street, and hot to cash in on this Freddy fellow, Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge follows Jessie, the weirdo boy who just unknowingly moved into Nancy's house and suddenly finds himself face to face with a man with knives for fingers who...wants him to kill for him? This is gonna turn out well, right? Support the show

Mary Lambert, director of the original Pet Sematary, comes back for more Micmac Burial Ground madness in this 1992 sequel, starring Eddie Furlong and Anthony Edwards as son and father who move to the same tiny town of Ludlow, Maine, and get mixed up in some gnarly undead action. Support the show

Starting our round of sequels is 1981's Halloween 2, notable for starting the EXACT second the first one ends and finishing up Michael's long, bloody night of carnage candy in an abandoned hospital, with Dr. Loomis hot on his heels, and newcomer (and Horror Movie Survival Guide favorite) Jimmy hot for Laurie - what will happen on the rest of the night he came home? Support the show

Joel Schumacher's quintessential 80's vampire movie flipped the script on the undead, turning the villains into heroes, and heroes into...well, weird comic book obsessed vampire hunters. Glamour, glitter, the first team up of the Coreys, Keifer Sutherland on full blast AND Timmy Cappello playing that sax and shaking his hips with all his might! It's fun to be a vampire! Support the...

Ken Russell directs 1980's Altered States, based on the novel by Paddy Chayefsky (who also wrote the screenplay - and then took his name off of it). This movie features the film debuts of both William Hurt and Drew Barrymore, and involves hallucinogenic psychedelic drugs, sensory depravation tanks and the eternal search for the "first self". Deep stuff! Support the show

1994 saw Kenneth Branagh giving 110% to starring/directing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - a thinking man's version of the classic tale, somewhat faithfully adapted from the famous novel. Everything's ramped up to a 12, Robert DeNiro is our monster and Kenny B sports some wicked abs, so you know it's a sight to behold! Support the show

Dario Argento's 1977 cinematic sensory assault Suspiria is a giallo classic for a reason - the iconic score, the instantly recognizable color scheme, the bright red gore - this film is a must see! Jessica Harper is a new ballet student, cringing and sneaking endlessly around the dance academy where something strange is afoot! What could the secret be? Support the show

Rounding out our horror anthology series, Nightmares is definitely the least seen of the bunch. It features 4 stories, and features not only a juuust pre Repo Man Emilio Estevez as an arcade junkie, and Lance Henriksen as a priest! Support the show

1990's Tales from the Darkside is a star studded, gory, ghastly and great anthology horror film, with Stephen King being represented again, as well as Arthur Conan Doyle. Julianne Moore makes her big screen debut, and Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, James Remar and Debbie Harry being some of the other rad actors in the film. Support the show

A triple dose of Stephen King 1985's Cat's Eye continues our look into the sub-genre of anthology horror, with three grisly tales for the price of one, united by a hitchhiking cat and "our girl" Drew Barrymore! Support the show

When George Romero, Tom Savini and Stephen King team up for a horror anthology film, you know you're in for a gory good time! 5 mini movies in one, each with a delicious amount of gore and an amazing cast including Stephen King (!), Leslie Nielsen, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau and Hal Holbrook, amongst others! PLUS a fun old school, colorful horror comic theme! Ain't no party...

Written and directed by Wes Craven, this film is an excercise in surface normality hiding a wealth of perversion and violence, brought to you by Everett McGill and Wendy Robie! If you have ever dreamed of seeing Big Ed from Twin Peaks in a gimp suit, this movie is for you! Support the show

Steven Spielberg changed summer movie going (and ocean swimming) forever with his 1975 blockbuster, starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. A notoriously horrific shoot somehow was transformed into a perfect film. Maybe this Spielberg kid has some talent? Support the show

Stan Winston's directorial debut is a grim fairy tale involving a bitchin' vengeance demon (come on, it's Stan Winston! You KNOW the monster effects will rock) and Lance Henricksen! Support the show

Francis Ford Coppola uses every camera trick in the director's book for this lush, opulent, sexy version of Dracula - and if Gary Oldman as Dracula doesn't lure you in (and it should!), how about a supporting cast including Winona Ryder, Tom Waits, Cary Elwes and Anthony Hopkins! (Notice Keanu was not mentioned - ahem.) Support the show

John Carpenter's little seen 1994 flick In the Mouth of Madness stars everyone's favorite Sam Neill as a insurance agent drawn into a mind melting Lovercraftian horror courtesy of the mind of horror novelist Sutter Cane. Support the show

Tom Holland's 1988 film is the beginning of another iconic horror franchise - everyone's favorite serial killer possessed Good Guy doll - Chucky! Support the show

Psycho is known as Hitchcock's masterpiece for a reason - the film is flawless. From outstanding opening title sequences to brilliant camerawork, from breath taking performances to iconic shower scenes and mind melting twist endings, this film is genius from soup to nuts. Support the show

Sean S. Cunningham's horror classic Friday the 13th influence on the horror genre cannot be exaggerated. Often imitated but never duplicated (not even by any of its own sequels), the OG Friday the 13th is a Tom Savini fueled blood spurting camp counselor slashing ball of fun! Support the show