An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.

The first appearance of John Landis on this list.

This movie is fucking hilarious.  Don't get me wrong, it's a horror movie, and not a comedy that just happens to have horror elements in it (ie Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, etc.).  But for a horror movies, it's fucking hilarious.

I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but I will just say "Nazi werewolfs, porno films, decomposing friends, stuffy Brits being torn apart, and people taking headers through their windshields."  You know, the typical laugh-riot types of things.

But seriously, watch this movie.  I know it was heralded for its practical effects back in the day (and they are rather wonderful to this day), but watch it for the laughs.

Poltergeist (1982)

A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.

Also known as that Steven Spielberg movie that's not really a Steven Spielberg movie.

Two things with this movie.  One, I don't know what it is about movies that take place in suburban California during the 1980s, but that shit makes me nostalgic as hell.  Something about split level houses with wood paneling really speaks to me I guess.

The other thing, is that I love, love, love so many moments in this film.  They're classics for a reason.  Carol Ann in the TV, the guy tearing his face apart, the swimming pool, the tree, the clown...

This is also one of those movies where I try to pretend the sequels don't exist.  Don't watch them.  Pretend this thing exists in a vacuum, with the story being concluded at the end.  It's better that way.

Creepshow (1982)

Six grisly tales about a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, a plague of cockroaches and a disgruntled boy.

Did I mention how much I like anthology films?  Or George Romero?  Or Stephen King?  Or all of the above?

To be clear up front, I don't think any of the segments are all-time greats.  None of them can stick with likes of "The Raft" from Creepshow 2 (which scared the holy fuck out of me as a kid), or the "water" segment of Black Sabbath, or one of the segments in another movie that I will be covering in the near future.

But all five segments (I don't really count the wrap-around pieces at the start and end as a full segment) here are still great.  My favorite would be the one with Ted Danson and Leslie Nielson.  It involves being buried alive at the beach.  I won't say anymore.