I'm really glad you liked Piranha DD. It's inexcusable on so many levels except that it somehow actually works. I love the Hoff''s 'character' ... "you went back in the water, you little ginger moron" and Ving Rhames's whole "bring me my legs" heroics. And yes, the gore is sooo outrageous it could only work as a comedy. Even thinking about certain moments while typing this is making me laugh. I only wish more remakes would forget about trying to improve on the original and adopt this approach.
And yeah, Black Sunday. Interesting that just as Hammer was busy revolutionising gothic horror with its vivid colours, Bava produced one of the most beautiful looking B&W horror film ever made. At the time it was considered extremely violent, to the extent it was banned in the UK for quite a few years and heavily censored in the US. Hard to see now what all the fuss was all about and it's a shame that it's (in)famous more for its notoriety than for how beautiful it is. Although admittedly, that opening scene with the mask does still pack a punch.
Also, jumping onto the Poltergeist discussion, I like it as a Spielberg film but I don't think it works as a horror film at all.
Plus I seem to be in the minority in preferring the 1st Evil Dead to the sequel. It's purely down to the tone. The 1st one has comedy in it but never forgets that it's ultimately a horror film whereas the sequel really only works as a comedy for me. Nothing against comedy horror (as my love of Piranha DD shows) but I just get far more from watching Evil Dead I than I do II.
Anyway, just watched ...
Night of the Living Dead
For all my love of Fulci, it's pretty much impossible to over praise this. I'm not just talking about its influence, which is obviously beyond question, but purely as a horror film in its own right, regardless of everything it inspired. A perfect 10/10 for me.