Phantasm (1979)

Phantasm is a wonderfully creepy film. It feels a little off, in that the editing is choppy, and the acting a bit wooden, but what it excels at is maintaining a very creepy tone throughout the film. The music, and the images, and the sounds, all work together to create a strange and foreboding atmosphere.

The horror elements are infused with a healthy dose of science fiction (I noticed what must have been thinly veiled homages to both Dune and Star Wars), which makes them both unusual and unpredictable. Mike's exploding hammer is brilliant! And the dwarves sound positively ferocious, which adds to their menace.

One of the best scare elements in this film is utilized a lot in the beginning, perfectly capturing the unease of seeing something strange in the corner of your vision, just as it dodges out of view. Very creepy. And speaking of the beginning, I love that the film opens with a scene of two people making love in a graveyard (though as you can imagine, it quickly turns sinister)!

I'm sorry, but isn't she just gorgeous?