5. Tales From The Crypt (1989-1996)
I may be cheating a little including a television series on this list, but the series is too close to my heart not to.
Tales from the Crypt is a horror anthology series based on the EC Comics series that ran on HBO from the late 80s to mid 90s. Its host, the Crypt Keeper, is an admittedly creepy looking skeleton puppet. The series is notable for attracting big names like Robert Zemeckis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, and Steve Buscemi, to name but a few. Episodes varied in quality, with some being classics, and others being utterly forgettable. Never the less, the series itself has gone on to be considered a classic in itself. I was a wee lad when Tales from the Crypt was at its peak, and everything about it scared me to death. The Crypt Keeper, in particular, scared me so much that even a glimpse was enough to set me off in a panic. Everything about him, from his look to his high pitched laugh, frightened me to my core. For most of my early childhood, I stayed as far away from the show as much as possible. Any adult will tell you that the only thing scary about the Crypt Keeper is his god awful puns. Its clear to see now that the Crypt Keeper segments are actually meant to be funny; his puns so groan inducing they inspire genuine laughter. Watch enough episodes, and he becomes a character you grow fond of; the familiar comfort between the different stories being told. But to a child, there is no recognition of his puns, nor any laughter, just a high pitched corpse who wants to eat your soul.