The following three films share a common thread: they all flopped at the box office, belong to the horror category, and are absent from streaming services like Screambox or Shudder. Interestingly, two were helmed by directors who would later become Hollywood titans. However, dedicated fans must dig deeper, scouring platforms like Amazon or niche DVD outlets to unearth these hidden gems. Some are held back by complex rights issues, while others face challenges related to restoration. So, what are these films, and why have they remained so inaccessible to horror enthusiasts?

Released in 1977, “Martin” boasts impressive credentials, making its scarcity all the more surprising. Written and directed by horror legend George A. Romero, the film also showcases the makeup prowess and on-screen presence of Tom Savini. Despite its notable contributors, “Martin” has remained elusive over the years. Its last significant theatrical release occurred in 2023, but it remains unavailable for digital streaming, and the fate of its director’s cut is uncertain.

Initially suffering a limited release, “Martin” was a box office failure despite its modest $250,000 budget. However, Romero’s growing reputation transformed it into a legendary piece of cinema. In 2021, a long-lost director’s cut of “Martin” was uncovered and later auctioned for over $51,000. Yet, due to ongoing rights disputes, it cannot be publicly screened. The George A. Romero Foundation has appealed for the film’s return to the director’s archives at the University of Pittsburgh for preservation.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, support is available. Please visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

“Martin” was only given a limited release by its distributor and thus became a box office flop, even though it had a modest $250,000 budget. But Romero’s burgeoning reputation made it a thing of legend. A copy of the director’s cut of “Martin” was discovered after years of being declared a lost film in 2021. It was later auctioned off and brought in over $51,000, but due to rights issues, it cannot be publicly shown. The George A. Romero Foundation has released a statement requesting the movie be returned to the director’s archives at the University of Pittsburgh for preservation.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

There have been many versions of “The Phantom of the Opera” released over the years. Some have been more romantic in nature, and some have leaned harder into the tale’s horror elements. This 1989 variation on Gaston Leroux’s novel takes the former route.

Robert Englund stars as the musical and titular phantom, and the film is initially set in the modern world, setting it apart from its mask-sporting melodramatic brethren. Christine Day (Jill Schoelen) is a young opera singer who stumbles upon the sheet music for “Don Juan Triumphant,” an opera penned by Erik Destler (Englund), a reported serial murderer who became obsessed with his divas. While performing Destler’s piece at an audition, Christine is knocked unconscious and wakens in 1885 — and there, the real drama begins.

“Phantom” wasn’t a hit like Englund’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movies. It received negative reviews and drew little money, only grossing over $3 million domestically during a two-week theatrical run, which failed to make back its $6 million budget. It’s currently hard to find on streaming, and its last DVD release occurred in 2015.  A planned sequel, which seemed to be less horrific and more romantic in nature, was cancelled because they couldn’t gain access to the Toronto subway system for filming.

Peter Jackson might be better known these days for his poetic take on the “Lord of the Rings” series, but he got his start making goofy, gross horror movies and parodies that helped him get a foot into the door in Hollywood. Besides the darkly comic “Bad Taste” and his Muppets-mocking “Meet the Feebles,” Jackson initially became known for the gore-splattered horror flick “Dead Alive” (or, as it was titled for its worldwide release, “Braindead”). While the film exists under two monikers thanks to a copyright issue, it’s a singular experience — a flick whose humor and blood quotient gives “Evil Dead II” a run for its money.

Set on Skull Island, “Braindead” is the story of Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme), a mousy man living under the thumb of his battle axe of a mother, Vera (Elizabeth Moody). Vera is bitten by an escaped rat-monkey while stalking Lionel’s zoo date, and slowly turns into a zombie. Lionel frantically tries to conceal his mother’s condition from the rest of the world, but she soon manages to infect a whole lot of people. Even though her brain has been all but liquified, Vera hopes to kill Paquita María Sánchez (Diana Peñalver), the girl whom Lionel has fallen in love with. Lionel will have to overcome his innate passiveness to find true love and finally put his mother’s controlling nature behind him.

It only made over $200,000 on a $3 million budget in America, but has since become a horror film that bombed at the box office but still became a cult classic. While Jackson said in 2018 that “Dead Alive” would be remastered for re-release, you can’t currently find it on any streaming service.