1. Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)
This little gem of a movie, directed by Bob Clark - who went on to direct horror genre classic Black Christmas and Porky's - is seriously worth exploring if you are in the mood for an obscure horror film. Shot in 14 days with a budget of $40,000, the film is amazing for what it achieves despite such meagre resources. The plot concerns a bunch of theatre actors who travel with their leader Alan to a small island where they are to have a night of jolly fun. Alan likes to tell ghost stories and very rudely digs up the dead body of a man called Orville. Alan tries to have a seance with Orville to arouse him from being dead but it doesn't work. Alan is miffed and uses Orville in prat falls to scare the actors. The joke is on Alan though, as the corpses return to life on the Island, including his pet Orville, and rapidly close in on the living! Oh what a joy it is to see that twat Alan getting his comeuppance and all those stupid, pretentious actors. When the dead come to life and eat them all, you - the viewer - will be positively cheering the zombies on. A warning not to practice Satanic rituals in graveyards - not even as a joke - the dead demand respect. Alan and his crew are practically begging for a zombie onslaught. A lot more funny, creepy and weird than your average exploiter, Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things has a crazy atmosphere and is a lot smarter than your average cult movie.