Earlier this week, the estimable Rupert Pupkin (of the blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks and the Gentleman's Guide to Midnight Cinema) sent along a link to his carefully considered list of underrated horror movies. This article was the culmination of a month long series which found discerning cinephiles of all stripes (Joe Dante, Dennis Cozallio, Zack Carlson, Peter Peel, etc.) recommending some of their favorite lesser-known fright flicks. There are some great and surprising titles mentioned - and very little overlap, so if you're looking to fill your Netflix queue for the next year (or go on a VHS shopping spree at Amazon, because a number of these movies are unavailable on DVD), head on over to Rupe's site and get to readin'! As expected, reading Rupert's post (which is lovingly decorated with the VHS covers of my misspent youth) sent me tumbling down a nostalgia hole - the mere mention of DEADLY EYES being the madeleine that transported me back to the well-stocked horror section of The Video Spectrum in Bowling Green, Ohio. Suddenly, I was once again marveling at the gore-soaked boxes of Lustig's MANIAC, Lewis's BLOOD FEAST and Girdler's THREE ON A MEATHOOK. Between the years of 1980 and 1992, I probably rented every movie on those shelves at least once. I watched a lot of profoundly shitty movies during that twelve-year stretch, but, every so often, I stumbled across a gem. So while I'm all worked up, here are ten underrated/underseen horror movies I watched on VHS between the ages of seven and eighteen. None of these films are classics: some are pretty terrific; others are simply enjoyable trash. In no particular order (with regrettably brief summaries)...

1. OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN (1983, d. George P. Cosmatos, w. Brian Taggert)

In which the great Peter Weller goes bonkers trying to kill a rat in his restored New York City brownstone. I rented this film because it starred Buckaroo Banzai, but I fell in love with it because it's got a sly sense of humor, is very well-directed, and features one of the best final lines in any movie ever. Seriously. Right up there with "Nobody's perfect." If you see only one film in the killer rodent subgenre, see OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN.

2. MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976, w. & d. Rene Daalder)

This is more of a revenge film, I guess, but it was always stocked in the horror section, and is notable for the series of grisly murders carried out by its tormented main character. This is easily my favorite entry in the bully-revenge subgenre. It aired frequently on The Movie Channel during the early '80s, but has been difficult to track down since (I'm sure I missed a recent New Beverly/Cinefamily screening). This is one of those exploitation movies that's clearly got something on its mind, but the writer-director doesn't quite know how to get it across - which somehow makes it all the more compelling. The theme song has been lodged in my head since my first viewing.

3. THE CHILDREN (1980, d. Max Kalmanowicz, w. Carlton J. Albright and Edward Terry)

Bizarre, poorly-made flick in which a busload of kids are transformed into zombies after passing through an orange fog billowing out from the local power plant. The hook here is that the children are only dangerous if you let them hug you - which sounds highly avoidable, but it happens anyway. You can probably guess how the little bastards are neutralized, but I can guarantee you're not expecting the most hateful lesbian couple in the history of cinema!

4. JACK'S BACK (1988, w. & d. Rowdy Herrington)

Unavailable on Region 1 DVD, this modern-day Jack the Ripper yarn from the director of our beloved ROAD HOUSE is ripe for rediscovery. I think. I haven't watched it since it hit video (after a very brief theatrical run), but it sticks in memory as an effective, twist-heavy horror flick buoyed by proficient direction and above-average performances from James Spader, Cynthia Gibb (my #1 '80s crush) and the most undervalued actor of our age, Robert Picardo. Read nothing about this movie. Just track down a copy and check it out.

5. THE MUTILATOR (1985, w. & d. Buddy Cooper)

Regional slasher nonsense shot in North Carolina that would be easily forgettable if it didn't feature some of the most imaginatively fucked-up kills I've ever seen. I'm probably overselling this one, but Rupert watched it on my recommendation and was suitably appalled. The magic's still there! This is Buddy Cooper's only cinematic endeavor, so savor it.

6. THE BROOD (1979, w. & d. David Cronenberg)

A bit too too high-profile for this list, but, like Rupert, I think this is one of the master's very best, and I'm consistently amazed by how many horror fans have never seen it. Expected "minor" Cronenberg when I first watched it, but wound up falling in love (my third favorite Cronenberg behind DEAD RINGERS and THE FLY). Get on this one, Criterion.

7. THE BOOGENS (1981, d. James L. Conway, w. Jim Kouf and David O'Malley from a story by Thomas C. Chapman)

Wow, that's a lot of writing credits for a glorified monster-in-the-basement movie! Kouf would go on to write SECRET ADMIRER, THE HIDDEN and STAKEOUT; he was also a producer on CON AIR, which means he's eligible for knighthood. I wrote about these half-turtle sweethearts for CHUD a few years ago, and I stand by every word. Recently screened at The New Beverly. Naturally, I wasn't there.

8. BLOOD DINER (1987, d. Jackie Kong, w. Michael Sonye)

This goofy BLOOD FEAST homage from the director of THE BEING is strictly for the gorehounds. There's an especially nasty bit with a deep fryer that occasioned a good deal of rewinding when I watched this with friends. It probably all looks cheap today (which might explain why it's still unavailable on DVD), but, at the time, it felt like one of the most gruesome films I'd ever seen. This was Ms. Kong's final feature.

9. ROAD GAMES (1981, d. Richard Franklin, w. Everett De Roche)

Hitchcock in the Australian outback, courtesy of his protege Richard Franklin. Stacy Keach plays a truck driver who believes he knows the identity of - or, at least, the vehicle driven by - a serial killer stalking women along his route. When a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis) who's been riding with Keach goes missing, he becomes obsessed with tracking the murderer down. Mark Hartley's NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD brought this film to the attention of cinephiles who'd somehow overlooked it, but it still feels under-loved. Unlike most of the films on this list, ROAD GAMES is widely available on an excellent Region 1 DVD.

10. ONE DARK NIGHT (1983, d. Tom McLoughlin, w. Michael Hawes and McLoughlin)

From the director of the second best FRIDAY THE 13TH sequel (PART VI: JASON LIVES) comes this simple little ghost story about sorority pledges trying to make it through a night locked in a mausoleum. Nothing spectacular, but notable as an '80s horror movie that emphasizes atmosphere over excess bloodletting. It's rated PG, so feel free to terrorize your kids with it!

There's my ten, Rupert. Thanks for the inspiration! Happy Halloween, everyone! Faithfully submitted, Mr. Beaks