Horror films have a tendency to go a little crazy sometimes in an attempt to top themselves.  Here are 12 clear cases of that happening...

With so many horror films out there, an abundance of sequels was a given.  Many of these are good and/or decent, but many are...strange.  Not all of these movies are bad, mind you, but they have a certain aspect to them that strikes people as odd.  For example, one of these films takes place in both outer space and during the Italian Renaissance.  That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about!  Just to note- this list is solely for horror sequels.  If you want other stuff, go read someone else's Top 12 Lists.  Let's get to the craziness, shall we?

12. Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: This one bears repeating, for sure.  After three sequels that centered around the killer siblings, the producers in charge just said 'screw that.'  Instead, this film is about a weird cult that also does stuff on Christmas.  The only connection to the original films comes in the form of Ricky as a homeless bum...and played by Clint Howard.  How do you go from buff Eric Freeman to Bill Moseley to Clint Howard?  Yeah, bull and shit.

11. The Boogeyman 2: This obscure horror film decided to go meta for no clear reason.  The original Boogeyman film featured a killer spirit in a mirror.  This film features one of the film's sole survivors taking part in a film made about her experience.  Who'd make a film about that?  Besides, who take the original Uli Lommel film so seriously that it needed a sequel like this?

10. Prom Night 3: Laugh at death and dismemberment!  After a serial killer film and a killer ghost film, the series veered off into bad territory thanks to a little thing called The Evil Dead Effect.  Seriously, we wouldn't have as many odd sequels without that Sam Raimi film!  In this one, the ghost of Mary-Lou is horny and will kill anyone to get with a new student.  Oh yeah, she also walks out of hell after cutting the single chain holding her in.  Ugh.

9. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: Is there any surprise about this film being on here?  Set 10 years after the events of the classic original, this film is a dark comedy involving the famous family killing people, dancing around and making chili.  The film rubbed a lot of people the wrong way due to it's dark, comic tone.  It also features an old man getting his groin cut up with a chainsaw.  Hilarious?

8. Sleepaway Camp 3: You just had to push your luck, didn't you?!?  In this second sequel to the cult classic, Angela is back a year after the last murder spree at the same camp, which is now owned by a group of religious conservatives.  The movie is rife with in-jokes and things that only work if you really strain your imagination.  Take the simple opening of the film in which Angela steals a garbage truck (off-screen), chases a teenage girl down a New York street, kills her and takes her place, right as she stands by a bit of graffiti that says 'Angela is Back.'  The film also builds up a confrontation between Angela and a cop- who was at the original camp site and who's son she killed in Part 2- and ends it in 30 seconds.  Lame.

7. Basket Case 2: Talk about over-doing escalation!  The first film is a tongue-in-cheek tale about a pair of brothers in NYC, one of whom is a knotted ball of muscle-tissue.  The second film takes place months after the first one, although it was actually shot several years later.  In this film, the pair end up in a house full of mutants.  Yes, we went from one to about 20!  The whole thing is just bizarre, especially with a plot that brings in an evil reporter and people trying to find out heroes.  It's just...weird.

6. Retro Puppet Master:  When in doubt, bring in mummies.  Full Moon's Puppet Master series has always been weird, but this one adds a little something extra.  The film is a prequel to a prequel, telling the events before Puppet Master 3, which takes place before Puppet Master and Puppet Master 2.  Confused yet?  In the film, a young Toulon gets the potion to animate his puppets and must do battle with a trio of mummies that shoot Force energy.  I wish I was making at least one part of that up, but I'm not.

5. Halloween 6: Seriously, I hate the stupid Cult of Thorn.  I have mocked this movie a couple times here, so I'll make this one brief.  Michael Meyers' rebirth and semi-immortality is explained here as part of his resurrection via the Cult of Thorn.  Their plan is to have him be a killer and...that's about as far as their plan goes.  So yeah, they all die and this plot thread never arises again.

4. Jason X: Jason in space- how could I resist?  While I can't fault the film for creativity, the premise is just surreal.  It's the future and a frozen Voorhees ends up on a space ship.  After getting beaten by a cyborg, he gets robotic upgrades to form Mecha-Jason.  I can't accept Mecha-Jackson, so I can't accept this!  It's not the worst premise, but damn does it not come out of left field!

3. I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer: Why?  Why?  Why?  In this unofficial third film in the series- also the only one not in Theaters- the Fisherman killer is back after some friends cover a prank that inadvertently led to one of them dying.  It's extra-Meta too, since they were faking an attack by the guy at the time.  The real reason this film makes the list- Zombie Fisherman.  Yes, Phelous has reviewed this- in fact, it's his first official video- but I still need to mention it.  At some point, the killer died and came back as a super-strong zombie.  Why?!?!?

2. Hellraiser-Bloodline: Why make one shitty film when you can make three?  This entry in the Hellraiser series is a weird anthology of sorts that covers the background of the puzzle box.  In the Renaissance, a guy makes it for a client, not knowing the purpose they plan to use it for.  This action apparently curses his family for all-time.  In the present, Pinhead comes back and is sent away again.  Finally, the film jumps to the future where the man's ancestor makes a space station that morphs into the puzzle box and seals the demons away forever.  As a bonus, this film says that every other film in the series that would come is pointless, since we know how the whole story ends.  Good-bye, drama!

1. Leprechaun in the Hood: Rap and the Irish do not mix!  This is the 5th film in the Leprechaun series and signaled a turn for the weird.  Yes, I'm saying that in context to Leprechaun 4: In Space.  In this movie, a young man finds the statue of the titular villain and steals his golden flute.  This allows him to become a famous rapper because...it just does, okay?!?  He awakens from his forced slumber- when did he get turned into stone again?- and goes after the guy, who is now Ice T.  In the film's most infamous moment, the Leprechaun raps and takes part in a musical number.  I want to go back to space and fight Marines again.

For more horror movie talk- including reviews of 8 films listed here- go to my blog.  You can taste the apathy!

Next up, I take a listed look at some of the best fantasy films to come out of the 1980s.  Get out yonder Glaives!  Stay tuned...