Society
Dir. Brian Yuzna (1989)

After producing Re-Animator, Brian Yuzna turned his hand to directing with Society—one of the ickiest, most original body horror shockers of all time. Packing stomach-churning gruesomeness and thought-provoking social commentary in equal measure, the film is a biting satire that culminates in the most gag-inducing “climax” in all of horror history.

Teenager Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) has always felt like the odd one out in his wealthy, upper-class Beverly Hills family. But his sense of alienation takes a sinister turn when he hears an audio recording of his sister’s coming-out party, which seems to implicate his family in a bizarre, ritualistic orgy.

Reviews
"In one sense Society takes Billy socially, mentally and sexually into what can only be described as the ultimate teenage nightmare. But Yuzna and his veteran special effects man Screaming Mad George serve up this literal slime with such verve, wit and overall verbal and visual flair that the movie also stands as one of the very finest of teen comedies." –Empire

Phantom of the Paradise
Dir. Brian De Palma (1974)

Writer-director Brian De Palma pumps 1970s decadence into The Phantom of the Opera story with a rock opera that replaces divas with pop stars. A pastiche of cultural influences and references, Phantom Of The Paradise is a smart, funny, and surprisingly affecting commentary on how artists get exploited and destroyed by businessmen.

Winslow Leach, an aspiring songwriter, makes the mistake of pitching his music to the rock ’n’ roll impresario known as Swan (played by 1970s soft-pop legend Paul Williams, who also wrote the movie’s songs). Swan steals Winslow’s cantata—based on the legend of Faust—intending to give it to one of his many novelty acts to perform at his new theater, The Paradise. But a scarred, masked Winslow works behind the scenes to make sure that his true love, Phoenix (Jessica Harper), sings the songs he wrote for her.

Reviews
"There’s a hell of a lot more to Phantom of the Paradise than its reputation as a goofy one off De Palma cult weirdie would allow." –Den of Geek