Some stories are short and simple.  The films of today's focus are the ones that impressed us (or weirded us out) and never got a sequel.  You can't imagine how hard it was to find horror films without sequels, let alone films that are also good!  Maybe a couple of them are not classics, but they are interesting nonetheless.  You'll see films about evil magicians, cannibal killers and P.O.V. killers.  These movies didn't have a dozen sequels, but they are memorable nonetheless.  Let's begin...

*Just to note: remakes don't count against these entries.  If they did, I couldn't fill a Top 12 without cheating.*
 
12. Neon Maniacs: Let's jump to the '80s right off of the bat.  This obscure little gem is quirky fun.  Basically, there are a group of mutants living under the Golden Gate Bridge (stay with me) who come out at night to kill people, but are killed by rain.  No, really.  It's got a whole batch of gimmicky monsters, including The Doctor (an homage to Jeffrey Comb's Dr. West), an Indian, a Cyclops monster and a Soldier (probably an homage to Day of the Dead).  Unlike a lot of films from this era (Witchboard, The Gate, etc), this film got no sequel.  Drat.

 
11. The Wizard of Gore: When in doubt, toss in the blood!  This H.G. Lewis classic tells the tale of a mad magician- as opposed to THE Mad Magician- who kills people on stage.  It's all part of an elaborate plan to...actually, I'm still not sure.  I've seen the film twice and it still doesn't quite make sense.  It's still cool though. 

 
10. Big Trouble in Little China: I guess being a cult hit doesn't mean you get a sequel!  This horror-comedy is certainly weird as hell.  If you haven't seen it, go see it!  If nothing else, you can watch a Chinese guy explode while listening to its Star and Director do an Audio Commentary drunk!

 
9. Haisu (House): Japan is cra-azy!  This cult classic has finally gotten a fitting DVD release in the last year.  Good- it's only been about thirty years!  The film is hard to explain.  Basically, a group of girls go to one of their grandmothers' house for vacation & are assaulted by crazy ghosts.  It's a mix of comedy, horror and trippy visuals.  All things considered, how could they have followed up on this?

 
8. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: We're going back a long way for this entry!  This is one of the first horror films ever made- circa 1919- and it still influences people to this day.  The plot is pretty basic- Dr. Caligari is a doctor who is killing people by way of his somnambulist friend Cesar.  What makes the film so great is its sense of style and it's twist ending (unknown for this era).  In spite of a few remakes, nobody has followed up on this tale.  Is that good or bad- you decide!

 
7. Cannibal Holocaust/Cannibal Ferox/Eaten Alive: By the way, fake sequels don't count either.  All three of these films define the Jungle Peril/Cannibal films from the late '70s and early '80s.  All of them feature Americans (who are often Italians) going out into the jungle and facing off with flesh-eating villagers.  They also star the same guy- Robert Kerman.  It's a good thing to know that he took time out of his busy schedule of making porn to star in the the three biggest Cannibal films of the Era!

 
6. Who Can Kill A Child?: This import film is not recognized by many...except for Eli Roth.  Basically, a pair of people end up in a small town overrun by killer children.  As they run for their lives, they are forced to confront the titular question.  While not a great film, it's notable for sharing a plot with Children of the Corn (save for the supernatural stuff)...which was first published a year after this film came out.  Coincidence?  Maybe...maybe not.

 
5. Captain Kronos- Vampire Hunter: Here's a film series that just never got off of the ground.  Near the beginning of the '70s, Hammer Studios was having some issues of the money variety.  Shortly before the studio died out (with To The Devil A Daughter), they made this classic film.  Kronos is a vampire hunter with a vague past (obviously for the sequels to explore) who is hunting down the remnants of a vampire family.  Conflict abounds as do sword fights and terror.  With all of the remakes out there, why not this one?

 
4. The Thing: Video games don't count either, by the way.  John Carpenter's remake (of sorts) manages to surpass the original The Thing From Another World in most people's eyes.  Then again, most people don't even know that the original exists!  The '80s classic ends with a cliffhanger of sorts that has never officially been concluded.  Want to get on that some day, guys?

 
3. The Wicker Man: Screw you, Cage!  The original film is a classic.  I don't think that anybody is questioning it.  It's a harsh tale of life, love and why you shouldn't ever dress up like a clown!  The story leaves itself open to any number of sequels, but none was ever made.  Go figure.

 
2. Black Christmas: This one seems kind of obvious, right?  The other Christmas film by Bob Clark is one about a group of co-eds under assault by a crazed killer.  This film is notable for never revealing the killer's identity and for it's dark tone.  The movie even leaves itself open to a sequel or two...which was also never made.  Thanks for ruining the best parts, remake!

 
1. The Haunting/The Haunting of Hell House: Two houses, two ghosts and two classic films.  In spite of when they were made (the '60s and '70s), these films bring good scares and great atmosphere.  The first film is famous for showing you nothing (it is a ghost), but being scarier than some of the more bloody films made later.  The other is great, but almost more famous for some dark irony attached to it.  You see, James H. Nicholson split from his long-time producing partner Samuel Z. Arkoff to make this film.  Right after that, he died.   Ouch.  At least we know why HE didn't make a sequel.

 
For more horror film talk, go to my blog.  It has all of the horrors films you love...and Hobgoblins 2.  
 
Next up, let's flip the script here and take a look at the films that everyone loved to rip-off.  Is it an homage or people just being lazy?  Stay tuned...