10 Horror Movies That Gave Fans EXACTLY What They Wanted (And They Hated It)

The Steve Miner-helmed House made quite the impression upon hitting the silver screen in 1986. It may not have been the most terrifying of horror pictures, but this tale of an author being tormented by the haunted house left to him by his aunt was well received for the sheer uniqueness and oft-erratic nature of its scares.

A year later we had the aptly-titled House II: The Second Story, with a similar premise to its predecessor but with even more emphasis on comedy and family-friendly frights. Again, the general response to the picture was positive, and thus audiences were left baffled when the franchise took a bizarre left-field turn for its third outing.

That threequel - dubbed House III: The Horror Show - removed the light-hearted nature of the series, took the action away from haunted houses, and instead the focus was on serial killer Meat Cleaver Max as his spirit returns from the grave following his electric chair execution. Despite impressive SFX work, House III took away the charm of the franchise and relied on lazy, excessive gore, which turned fans off.

Regardless of House IV: The Repossession giving fans what they wanted by returning to the franchise's roots - as in, haunted house shenanigans and even a brief return for the first movie's Bill Katt - this fourth outing for the IP, whilst better than House III, was ultimately a disappointing final nail in the coffin of the franchise.