4. Trick Or Treat (1986)
Out of all the supporting cast in Family Ties, why wasnt Skippy the next mega-star? He was goofy, lovable, and relatable and destined for massive Hollywood fame. Which leaves no excuse for why Trick Or Treat wasnt a financial and critical success. Charismatic leading man? Check. Topical plotline reflecting societys fear of the influence of heavy metal? Check. Obligatory rock star cameos? Check. The plot is classic: Bullied but likeable teen plays his record backwards and resurrects shock rocker Sammi Curr from his brief stint in the afterlife. After gaining a measure of revenge on his bullies, Skippy realizes things have gone too far and is forced into a showdown with his undead hero. Its like Gone with the Wind minus the running time, Clark Gable, and the plot. Needless to say its an often overlooked masterpiece of eighties horror comedy. Director Charles Martin Smith, who played a lovable geek himself in American Graffiti, gets the material and it shows. Hes not setting out to reinvent the horror genre but instead just has fun with the plot. And he knows how to please and tease heavy metal fans as well. Gene Simmons shows up as a local DJ, looking more terrifying out of KISS makeup than with it. And Ozzy Osborne as an anti-metal televangelist is a three minute joke that never gets old.