My adventures in horror movies, as you may have read previously, started with Freddy Krueger. As much as I loved that franchise growing up and as much as I adore Robert Englund, most people are surprised to find out that no film in that series has taken the crown as my favorite horror movie.

Now, that first Nightmare film is within my top 20 horror movies. Absolutely! Wes Craven somehow managed to change the face of horror in three different decades. In 1972, with The Last House on the Left. Friends, check your triggers before you go into that film, please. For real, for real. In 1984, with A Nightmare on Elm Street. Then again in 1996, with Scream. Craven has more than earned his place in the horror community. Yet, none of the aforementioned films take my top spot.

When most people in horror are asked what their ultimate movie is, there is a wide variety of answers. Some people will go a more classic route. The Shining. The Exorcist. Dawn of the Dead. All great films, but not my favorite. Some people profess their love for more modern takes of fear. Get Out. Hereditary. Obsession. Awesome for them, but not for me! Some people steer toward features that highlight gore. Terrifier. Saw. Or the old school classics. Dracula. Frankenstein. The Wolf Man. Every movie listed is amazing in its own way. But no, my friends. No. I am me, and Siemelle will sometimes step away from the crowd, pitter-patter down the side street where the scary fog gathers.

I was, maybe, eleven or twelve when I was introduced to my favorite horror movie. Keep in mind, I was, perhaps, way too young for much of the films I watched. I say this as a way of preparing you ahead of time. Yes, some of the shenanigans pre-18-year-old me got into were pure what the fuckery. Things were overlooked. Mom and Dad, great as they were, did not monitor the materials (movies, music, books) that I placed my hands on. So, yes, I was probably eleven years old, walking through the mom-and-pop VHS rental store when my eyes came across it.

For those of you who have seen this 1988 film that will forever live in my soul, shut up! I know! It’s not exactly high art!

For those of you who have no idea what this movie is, it’s not The Shining. There are no standout performances by Oscar winners. There is no picture-perfect cinematography. This movie isn’t the movie you dissect to figure out what each individual frame means. Night of the Demons is not that film, but it’s so amazingly fun that I can’t feel sorry for it being my favorite.

It’s cliché as hell. A group of teens gathers at an old, abandoned murder mansion on Halloween night (complete with every 1980s horror movie high school stereotype). One past-life seance later, everyone morphs into creepy-looking demons, with Angela at the helm. And she is glorious, my friends.

It is so late-1980s that it hurts, but I love every second of it. As I said, the setup is basic, but it serves its purpose. The acting? Oh, the acting. This is not a well-acted film. And that’s okay because the questionable acting choices make this oddly charming and solidify it as a cult classic. The atmosphere is top-notch Halloween shiz, right there. I want to go to Hull House and party with the demons! The special effects are actually kinda dope. The demon make-up especially.

I just love it so much. I want to sell you on this movie, but I understand that it can be difficult to love a film like this in the modern world. There are so many better-made, better-acted movies with better stories. But, come on! Take a walk on the wild side! Take a walk on the “WTF did I just watch” side.

I leave you with this, my friends.

Siemelle