1. Night Of The Creeps (1986)
Taking a date to a formal dance for the first time can be quite the rite of passage for any young person. So much to worry about: are your clothes nice enough, is your hair alright, do you know how to dance without looking ridiculous... and then, of course, theres the age-old question of how you should respond if the night is a bust thanks to an attack of zombies spawned by extra-terrestrial parasites taking up residence in the brains of human hosts? Fred Dekkers delirious directorial debut is a veritable smorgasbord of diverse influences, riffing on 1950s sci-fi movies, film noir cop thrillers, George Romero-era zombie movies and David Cronenberg-esque body horror. But theres also a heavy John Hughes element, as the real heart of the film is Jason Livelys loveable loser Chris falling head over heels for Jill Whitlows Cynthia. As much as Night of the Creeps revels in its over-the-top B-movie excess, the love story element remains genuinely sweet and good-natured throughout (why, even Whitlows gratuitous nude scene manages to come off as wholesome). But the best part is, far from being a damsel in distress tale, when the climactic zombie attack is in full force, Chris and Cynthia fight together to save the day. And really, what better way to spend a first date than to take out an army of zombies side by side armed with a shotgun and a flamethrower? Now thats the bedrock that long-standing relationships are built on.