A sound storyline is almost irresistible to a fan of horror culminating in franchises over the year. Some of the scariest monsters we’ve encountered like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger were used by makers to churn out horror films from them. Starting from Saw to Final Destination, the list of blockbuster horror franchise is too lengthy.
In this video, we will draw your attention to some horror franchise that have gotten lesser recognition than they deserved but are intriguing watches nevertheless for a fun scary movie night!
Critters
This horror franchise blends horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and comedy into a perfectly entertaining set of 5 movies. It is about a group of small flurry carnivorous aliens called Krites. Krites have the ability to roll into a ball and travel across landscapes causing massive destruction.
The first two movies deal with bounty hunters that come from outer space to hunt these monsters on Earth. The following two films were based in a city and in a space station, respectively, but the crux of the matter remained more or less the same.
Director Stephen Herek post the film’s release in 1986 was plagued by allegations of it being a rip-off of the Gremlin which was denied by the director citing that the script for Critters was written prior Gremlins going in for production.
The low-budget but rib-tickling sci-fi horror grabbed the attention of the fans leaving them wanting more. The blend of the cheesiness of the 80s horror, with some decent effects, and intimidating-looking aliens in their own rights was a winning combo. The cast comprising the likes of M. Emmet Walsh, Billy Zane, and Dee Wallace put up an expectedly good performance.
It was also hilarious that the nasty creatures even had their own language, and this film shows some of their bizarre sides to the audience. The first four movies came within four years of each other, but the last one, titled Critters Attack released recently in 2020.
The original is obviously the best one, but the others were also decent efforts and often had something new to offer. In Critters 3, Leonardo Di Caprio worked in his first-ever film role, and throughout the franchise, the Critters remain the same crazy hungry monsters!
Pumpkinhead
Pumpkinhead is a slasher horror series including in itself a feature film, a handful of television films, and a direct-to-video flick. The movies in this franchise are centered around a similar theme, that is of revenge. It is premised around the demonic Pumpkinhead known to destroy its target after being summoned.
In the original movie, a group of children are seen to be involved in an accident that kills the local shopkeeper’s son. The lamenting father calls upon Pumpkinhead to avenge his dead son but it comes with rather dire consequences. Once he realizes his mistake, he tries to help the kids, but is it already too late?
Stan Winston in his directorial debut does a fantastic job while the character of Pumpkinhead is seen more as a legend, and the character of Pumpkinhead is more of a legend in horror film history.
his film wasn’t a commercial success but manged to create a niche as a cult status that promoted its sequels. The plot revolving a father’s unconditional love for his son turning into something bitter and sinister was able to draw the audience’s attention. Stan Winston himself was an expert with special effects, and Pumpkinhead was pretty cool work. The aura of electrical storms around him wherever he went added to this mysterious character.
All the kill sequences are well-executed, and the film maintains a suspenseful atmosphere for the entire duration. Pumpkinhead appears only in the second-half. From then on it only gets bloodier.
While this innovative horror flick is definitely worth a watch its sequels, unfortunately, failed to carry the momentum that the first film had built. A want of budget and disinclination of intent to explore this hellish demon might have been the reason behind this.
Subspecies
This Romanian-American horror franchise has five films directed by the same guy, Ted Nicolaou. The first film about an evil vampire Radu was released in 1991. Radu steals the bloodstone and kills his own father. Eventually, he is drawn to two young American schoolgirls who came to work on Romanian culture.
Radu’s brother Stephan, however, does not share his evil outlook and attempts to help the girls escape the clutches of the evil Radu. Is it to see see who will emerge victorious at the end.
For a direct to video B-movie, this vampire flick was as good as you can expect! Produced by Full Moon Pictures, the gothic theme of this film was perfected by some scenic beauty and castles that were used in filming.
We have a kickass villain in the blood-drooling Radu, and he is quite a character with his raspy voice. The subspecies, which were evil little creatures, were an innovative addition to the plot. Initially, it was planned that actors in costume would play these evil minions, but later on, an FX artist was roped in to work on these creatures with stop-motion puppets.
Is it even surprising to have evil little creatures in a story written by Charles Band? If you have appreciated the Hammer Horror titles of German horror films like Nosferatu, this movie will be to your liking. However you might want to skip the fourth one which is a disappointment after watching the first three.
Puppet Master
The Puppet Master touches on the ‘puppet coming to life’ proposition and spins out a scary story premised on a renowned puppet master by the name of Andre Toulon. Andre stumbles upon an ancient Egyptian formula capable of creating life in a puppet. He commits suicide when Nazis try to use the technology for their benefit.
Many years later, Neil Gallagher stumbles upon the secret and calls his psychic friends. However, when they arrive, Neil’s wife tells that that he is dead. As the night moves ahead, murderous puppets come to life, and the group must come to terms with the horrors they bring!
When the first Puppet Master film was made, the video market was just about to receive a big boom. These weren’t big-budget flicks, and the makers were happy with the rental success of the first few sequels. Coming back to the original film, the plot is exciting enough to hold the viewer’s attention.
The film is marred by gruesome murders showcasing the powers of the little puppets. However, their evil actions are not a result of their free will rather it is directed by their master who eventually suffers his karma. This cult B-movie by Charles Band went on to pop out several sequels.
With over ten movies in the series, it takes a downward plunge after the first three. The first two are amazing slasher thrillers, and even the third one has a gripping narrative! You can check these out on a stormy evening for the chills!
Children of the Corn
Children don’t usually make it to the top of your ‘scariest things list’. However your views might change if you were to watch this Stephan King creation where a group of diabolical children follow a strange cult which compels them to believe that anyone beyond the age of eighteen must be killed.
Needless to say, they go about in a slaughter spree killing every adult in town. An unsuspecting young couple end up in this town in the course of their road trip and realize that there is only a slim chance of getting out alive!
As far as continuity of the series is concerned, the first sequel starts off exactly where the original left off. It is about a reporter and his son who investigate the strange events of the first film. From the third installment onwards, there were mainly standalone plots that retain the theme of the strange, mysterious children!
The original Children of the Corn movie is a nightmare for adults and will make you look at children with fear. There are some unforgettable moments in this film, such as the eerie musical score with the chanting of the children! The café sequence and the hit and run scene will stay with you for long.
Only this original version is an adaptation of the Stephen King story and is probably the reason that hits the hardest. It certainly doesn’t deserve all the stick it gets and is a rather thought-provoking revelation of the world of the occult! In total, there have been 11 films in this franchise, but barring the first two, the rest are forgettable direct-to-video flicks that you might just avoid!
Ghoulies
If you have a taste for horror comedies, the chances are that you are well-acquainted with the Ghoulies franchise. The set of four entertaining horror flicks featuring the tiny demonic creatures was quite a hit back in the day.
The original Ghoulies was easily the best of the lot. It narrated the events following Jonathan’s traumatic childhood where he was almost sacrificed by his father as a part of a satanic ritual. He was saved by Wolfgang and was never made aware of his past.
Many years later, he moves into his father’s house with his girlfriend. Things take a turn for the worst when he performs a ceremony from his father’s book in jest only to unleash the demonic beasts, Ghoulies!
God bless the 80s and minds of those who could come up with stories so bizarre! This cheesy horror-comedy is a Charles Band production, and the ridiculous nature of the plot is almost a given. The pesky Ghoulies hardly look intimidating and are more funny than scary.
They did look lifelike in their nasty sharp teeth and dreadful appearance, but lifelike doesn’t transform into fearsome. However, there are some remarkable moments, such as the scene where Jonathan’s father rises from his grave! This movie was sandwiched between Gremlins and Critters and still managed to do good business. It was initially planned to be filmed in 3D, but the idea never materialized. Ghoulies 2 was a decent sequel, keeping alive the continuity, but the rest of the series is not really worth your time.
Blind Dead Series
The success of the first few movies in the Blind Dead series led to the massive boom in Spanish horror films. The first film in the series was titled Tombs of the Blind Dead. The plot is premised on a mythical lore that a group of knights were executed back in the 13th century for practicing black magic.
In 1970s Portugal, a group of vacationing students come across an abandoned monastery and somehow end up reviving the rotting corpses of these zombified evil knights. The college kids fall prey to the bloodthirsty monsters and it seems that only a miracle can save them from the impending doom!
The director Amando de Ossorio was inspired by movies like Night of the Living Dead and crafted a sensational atmospheric horror flick. The narrative is a bit on the slower side, but the movie never relaxes on the thrill quotient. The locations are perfect and combined with skillful cinematography, the movie promises to be a visually delightful experience.
There are some scenes that will give you goosebumps and the slow motion shots of the knights on their horses chasing their victims would have to be one of them. The skeletons are pretty convincing and they look like they rose from their graves. After the success of this film, three official sequels were made.
While all of them are noteworthy horror flicks, none can match the brilliance of the original version! It brought Ossorio international fame and made the world take notice of Spanish and Portuguese films.
Sleepaway Camp
A young girl, Angela Baker is traumastised by memories of her childhood where her entire family was killed in a tragic accident. She is sent to a summer camp with her cousin where she suffers from bullying for her introverted nature.
However, after she arrives something strange starts happening at the campsite. Some of the campers are dying violent deaths under mysterious circumstances and nobody seems to know who is responsible for such sinister plots. Is Angela responsible for the deaths or is it someone else? The climax of this movie, we promise, will leave you in a trance!
With the abundance of horror flicks that made their presence felt in the 80s, a movie required something special to be remembered for times to come. As for this film, there are two scenes that will never let you forget the horror of it.
The death scene where the victim dies by curling iron is a bit too graphic and comes as a shocker out of nowhere! The climactic twist is another moment that will hit you hard and make you question the events you watched unfold before you! It is often rated as one of the most shocking endings in horror film history.
Overall, it is a typical scary movie that has the creepy element in the right proportion to spook the audience. It is easy to dismiss this as a random slasher, but it is so much more. Soon, the movie developed a cult following and this prompted the makers to go for three sequels. The stories are related in the first two sequels, and it is nice to see such continuity in a franchise for a change.
Night of the Demons
Sometimes the tried and tested formula works best foe horrors and that’s exactly what Night of the Demons is. Lacking in originality, its brilliant execution is bound to win you over. A group of teens party in an abandoned funeral parlor but the fun doesn’t last long after they accidently awaken an evil force which slowly starts killing off these trapped teens. Will there be any survivors to tell the tale? Watch this movie to find out.
The thing we love the most about this movie is the lack of pretension. It is a mindless slasher flick and tries to be nothing more than what the storyline suggests. A group of annoying teenagers dying in a Halloween party gone wrong is nothing innovative, but the presentation has the quirky, goofy thing around it that will make you watch.
From gratuitous nudity to extreme violence, the movie promises everything in moderation. Some of the kills will make you sit back straight in your seats while some others will make you laugh. The director, Kevin S. Tenney succeeds in creating a creepy ambiance that finishes with an explosion once the demon action kicks off.
There are four films in the franchise and Tenney himself has directed the first sequel. The first sequel is a praise-worthy effort while the third film is pretty average. In a world of average efforts, this one deserves your time for the sheer excellence amidst the simplicity!