Fright Night

Filmed in 1985, Fright Night is not a bad vampire movie...as long as you kinda bypass the most simple of scripts and move directly to the creature effects and possible, accidental homage to b-movies of the 1960s.

Plot: A vampire moves in next door to a horror movie fan and his mum. One night, the 17 year old hears a scream and is convinced he saw the vamp having a nibble. Police ain't interested, his mates are sceptical but Roddy Mcdowall-horror movie star, (Planet of the Apes, The Poseidon Adventure) might be able to help...after he's paid that is.

Gross: $24,922,237

Fun Fact: There's a sequel-Fright Night II and there's even (I say even, it was almost a forgone conclussion) a remake in 3D coming.

C.H.U.D

Cannibalistic.Humanoid.Underground.Dwellers.

How can you fail to see this film?!

Plot: A cop, a photographer, a journalist and an ex-con soup kitchen manager (Daniel Stern-Home Alone) uncover a race of creatures living and eating in the sewers and subways of New York City. Of course, there's a government cover up and lots of very good monster make up.

Oddly enough, this film actually carries it's own weight. Well acted, badly shot, well-ish written and given it's production date-1984, actually could have been a touch scary...at one point.

Budget: $1,250,000

Gross: $4,654,000

Fun Fact: The film sets up for the sequel-C.H.U.D.-Bud the C.H.U.D, starring Bianca Jagger and a cameo by Robert Englund. John Goodman makes a surprise appearance, pre-Roseanne. The script was largely re-written by the film's stars.

Poltergeist

1982 seems to have been a great year for cult films, Poltergeist is no exception.

Directed by horror icon, Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Crocodile) and produced by Steven Spielberg (you've probably never heard of this guy, not very popular you know), this is a breakthrough in ghost stories.

Plot: Young family moves into a new housing development, then odd things start to happen. Cutlery bends, chairs stack themselves and their little daughter begins hearing voices through the TV. As these 'happenings' persist, the large tree in the yard grabs their son and the girl is abducted through a portal in her closet. In come the ghostbusters! Not really them, but, you know, a little old lady and her helpers.

Moral of this story seems to be good rule of thumb for most people looking to but a new home, after you've checked for leaks, cracks and general damage...ask, does this house happen to sit on a cemetary?

Budget: $10,7000,000

Gross: $121,706,019

Two sequels, Poltergeist II-The Otherside and Poltergeist III, as well as a TV series- Poltergeist Legacy.

Fun Facts: The Curse of Poltergeist!!!! Four cast members died throughout the run of the films, including the little girl, Heather O'Rourke, who starred in all three films.

Blade Runner

In 1982, Ridley Scott adapted for the big screen, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by cult sci-fi author, Philip K.Dick. He renamed it Blade Runner...and the rest is history. Really. Everyone knows this film. Even if they haven't seen it, they'll recognise scenes. Iconic.

Plot: Harrison Ford (clearly not had his fill of sci-fi) is Rick Deckard, a retired cop and Blade Runner, enlisted to 'retire' replicants, artificial humanoids, who believe they are in fact human. They don't go quietly, Rutger Hauer (Legend the of b-movie) and his platinum blonde hair are rather tough. Deckard also kinda falls for Sean Young, a possible replicant herself.

This is one of those futuristic sci-fi's that revels in the grim of over population and crime. The landscape and cityscape scenes alone make the film worthy of the repeated tweaks that have led to 7 different versions over the years.

Budget: $28,000,000

Gross: $32,868,943

Fun Facts: Over half of the companies advertised on the sides of the buildings have failed since the film was released, leading to a belief in a Blade Runner curse.

Altered States

Directed by Ken Russell and starring William Hurt, Altered States made use of one of the early surround sound technologies; Megasound, a devise, that once you've seen the film can understand the benefit of.

Plot: A scientist (William Hurt) becomes interested in the advantages of sensory deprevation tanks and begins searching for other similar experiences. To that end he is made aware of a Mexican tribe that uses mushrooms and other ingredients to illicit a dreamlike state. In addition to the tank, Hurt consumes the 'drug' and begins to regress to a primitive conciousness.

This is a sensory experience, both visually and audibly. It relishes throwing the audience headlong into metaphysical questions and sci-fi daydreams.

Budget: $15,000,000

Gross: $19,853.892

Fun Fact: This is the debut of a certain Drew Barrymore. Nominated for the 'Best Sound' award at the Academy that year, losing to Empire Strikes Back.

The Ice Pirates

Star Wars meets Dune meets Pirates of the Caribean meets...a robot pimp.

Filmed in 1984, hopping on that Sci-Fi band wagon, The Ice Pirates is really quite dire. Thing is, with cult films, especially the sci-fi variety, you kinda need to have witnessed their 'glory' in your formative years...hence why I'll never hear a bad thing said about Tremors.

Plot: The Templars control whats left of the Galaxies water supply, as a result, folk steal their shipments...Ice Pirates. Well, mid-theft, said pirates try to abduct a princess, but get caught, then escape, then go looking for a mythical planet with more water.

This film uses almost all the ideas that came before and except for the afore mentioned 'pimp-bot', there's little to entice a new viewer...maybe the rather saucy line 'Ooooh, it's so hard?!'

Fun Fact: Co-stars Anjelica Huston and Ron Perlman.

Demon Seed

There's one reason to watch this film...Insemination. For that scene alone, this is worth the watch...that and the ribbed devise, don't ask, just watch.

Don't get me wrong, it has almost no artistic merit whatsoever, but there in lies the fun in these films.

Polt: Released in 1977, this MGM feature starred Julie Christie (Don't Look Now) as a therapist who lives in a computer controlled house and is married to/seperated from the man responsible for the creation of the world's first A.I. (Robert Vaughn-The man from U.N.C.L.E). So, the computer goes all crazy about the 'rape of the Earth', yep, that's it's reason; then rapes Julie Christie and has a baby. Pretty much as you'd guess it'd go.

Budget: $?

Fun Fact: Written by Dean Koontz