An American Werewolf in London (1981)

For it's time, its truly something nobody had ever seen. A throwback to the golden age of Universal Horror films, with more blood and guts than any mainstream film of the early 80's, and enough strange humor to suggest that John Landis was making a comedy, which he vehemently claims he wasn't. This is a peak 80's movie. I loved every minute of it. Look, even I agree, it's a choppy mess of a film. The editing is off the wall. That nightmare scene with the masked invaders is something I will never understand in a million years. The film ends on the most bizarre note in history. But it just doesn't matter. I had a thrilling time. Everyone involved looked like they had a ball. The genius special effects by Rick Baker still holds up. David Naughton is such a terrific lead, it's a wonder how his career didn't take off after this. Best of all, this film inspired Michael Jackson to make Thriller. Just remember that, folks. Whether you love this film or not, we wouldn't have gotten Thriller without it.