A rare example of an 1980s horror/fantasy film without a male lead – and without a portentous, brooding script – Night of the Comet is an irreverently hip comedy about two Valley girls taking a fearless stand against a hungry population of killer zombies left behind by a passing comet. An intelligent comedy/sci-fi hybrid, Comet instantly obtained cult status upon its release in 1984, and continues to be revered by sci-fi lovers, teen pic obsessives, and 1980s nostalgia hounds. –  Liz Coffey

Featuring some of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Q was shot by low-budget filmmaker extraordinaire Larry Cohen on location in New York City. A paranoid, petty crook leads a band of dubious cops and, inevitably, a damsel in distress to destroy Q, a stop-motion animated, flying reptile god in need of human sacrifices in this surprisingly effective 1980s monster movie. –  Liz Coffey