3) The Burning (1981)
Teens in peril, campfire stories come to life (at an actual camp), scarred killer on the loose – this is the quintessential teen slasher flick.
The film also worthy of your time as there is some curiosity value in seeing master of his craft Tom Savini’s special effects following Friday the 13th (he also makes an uncredited appearance as the killer) and also Holly Hunter’s debut film performance. With a fantastic aesthetic (just look at the cover art above) and a bold attempt to make Cropsy’s hedge clippers as iconic as Jason’s mask and Freddy’s knife hand this is a firm favourite with the cult crowd.
Like many of the films on this list it hasn’t lost its power to shock and disgust but it’s arguable that had it not been banned it would have been lost in the crowd of similar fare. It was released a few years ago on DVD meaning the sequence on board a raft, which caused so much gnashing of censorial teeth, is now available uncut.
