BEST HORROR MOVIES OF THE 80s

A continuation of my Best/Worst of Horror ranked by decade series that I began here. I personally believe the '80s to be the best decade the horror film has seen thus far, and I'm not just saying that because most of my introduction to the genre was watching 80s horror VHS tapes in the 90s as a child and then crying myself to sleep either. No no. I just think most of the world directors that could be considered "masters" of the genre began working in that counter-culturish 70s period and then perfected their crafts by the time the 80s rolled along. While compiling this one I noticed the decade had its share of bad horror releases but also had significantly more of what I would consider "great" ones than any other decade.

Click the following links to see my past top horror lists: 2000s, 1990s. And stay tuned for posts on 70s, 60s & 50s horror cinema.

#150-132 = quite good

#131-91 = great

#90-38 = top shelf liquor

#37-1 = God tier

 Here's the final countdown:

  

150.            THE SENDER

149.    DEAD OF WINTER (1987)

                         ELVIRA:

148.    MISTRESS OF THE DARK

147.          THE OGRE (1989)

146.             THE BRAIN

145.       DEMON WITHIN 

     [GAKIDAMA]  餓鬼魂

144.             SATURN 3

143.     PATRICK STILL LIVES!

                CHRISTMAS EVIL 

142. [YOU BETTER WATCH OUT]

141.               SHOCKER

140.            DEAD CALM

139.    SEEDING OF A GHOST

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: 

138.    THE DREAM MASTER

137.

   SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II

136.   THE CARPENTER  [Uncut]

135.           VENOM (1981)

134.          NIGHT WARNING

   [BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER]

 

133.           WAXWORK

132.      RETRIBUTION (1987)

131.     PORTRAIT IN CRYSTAL

130.           EYES OF FIRE

129.       WITCH FROM NEPAL

128.

THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE

127.           BILLY THE KID

  AND THE GREEN BAIZE VAMPIRE

126.          BASKET CASE

     FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII:

125.      THE NEW BLOOD

124.            PIN

123.              HENRY:

PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER

122.             GOTHIC

        POISON FOR THE FAIRIES

121. [VENENO PARA LAS HADAS]

120.

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II

119.          MANIAC COP

         3615 CODE PÈRE NOËL

118. [DIAL CODE SANTA CLAUS]

117.             LIFEFORCE

116.

  SWEET HOME スウィートホーム

115.            DARK AGE

114.             INTRUDER

113.   FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

112.             PSYCHO II

111.         SOLE SURVIVOR

110.                 XTRO

109.     WHITE OF THE EYE

      NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET

108.[TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE]

107.             CURTAINS

106.   THE MONSTER SQUAD

105. HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

104.      SLEEPAWAY CAMP

                 SOMETHING 

103.  WICKED THIS WAY COMES

102.

THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM

101.       THE FAN [DER FAN]

100.THE RAFT  [CREEPSHOW 2]

99.     THE DEADLY SPAWN

              IT'S A GOOD LIFE

98.[TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE]

97.           ANGEL HEART

96.   CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD

95.               HOUSE

94.             MR. VAMPIRE

 

93.   A CHINESE GHOST STORY

92.                VAMP

91.       APRIL FOOL'S DAY

               ENCOUNTERS 

90.     OF THE SPOOKY KIND

89.               DEMONS

88.              CRITTERS

87.            CREEPSHOW

86.              THE KEEP

85.     THE STEPFATHER (1987)

                  THE TEXAS 

84.    CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2

83.            LADY IN WHITE

82.         THE DEAD ZONE

81.    CELIA: CHILD OF TERROR

80.

THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW

79.           BORN OF FIRE

78.        THE BOXER'S OMEN

77.                 PIECES

76.          FATAL ATTRACTION

75. 

THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY

74.      PRINCE OF DARKNESS

73.       THE SEVENTH CURSE

72.             HELLRAISER

71.          NEXT OF KIN (1982)

70.             PUMPKINHEAD

69.                  SOCIETY

68.            THE HUNGER

67.          THE FUNHOUSE

66.                  DOLLS

65.              THE HIDDEN

64.          BRAIN DAMAGE

           THE RETURN 

63. OF THE LIVING DEAD

62.               THE GATE

61.       NIGHT OF THE COMET

60.           SILVER BULLET

59.

  THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989)

58.           STREET TRASH

57.             RAZORBACK

56.            KITCHEN SINK

55.   ALONE IN THE DARK (1982)

               HALLOWEEN III:

54.    SEASON OF THE WITCH

                JASON LIVES:

53.   FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI

52.              ALLIGATOR

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3:

51.         DREAM WARRIORS

       KILLER KLOWNS 

50.FROM OUTER SPACE

49.               SCANNERS

48.               THEY LIVE

47.           ALTERED STATES

46.                 INFERNO

45.              BAD TASTE

44.            FROM BEYOND

43.            THE BLOB (1988)

42.             PAPERHOUSE

                  AN AMERICAN 

41.      WEREWOLF IN LONDON

                            Q:

40.      THE WINGED SERPENT

39.               THE STUFF

38.     GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

37.           THE LOST BOYS

36.                  OPERA

35.       THE BEYOND

34.         CAT PEOPLE (1982)

      STAGEFRIGHT: AQUARIUS

33.               [DELIRIA]

32.            PHENOMENA

31.     NIGHT OF THE CREEPS

30.             BEETLEJUICE

29.           THE HOWLING

28.     TETSUO: THE IRON MAN

27.

MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER

26.       THE HITCHER (1986)

25.             THE 'BURBS

24.                  ANGST

23.            THE CHURCH

22.           MANIAC (1980)

21. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES

20.           A NIGHTMARE 

  ON ELM STREET (1984)

19.            RE-ANIMATOR

18.       POLTERGEIST (1982)

17.         THE CHANGELING

16.               TENEBRE

15.         THE FOG (1980)

14.            EVIL DEAD II

13.             MANHUNTER

12.        DRESSED TO KILL

11.             NEAR DARK

10.           VIDEODROME

9.            THE FLY (1986)

8.                CHRISTINE

7.       THE EVIL DEAD (1981)

6.     DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)

5.           THE THING (1982)

                 POSSESSION

4.        [Director's cut]

3.                  ALIENS

2.                GREMLINS

1.              THE SHINING

*****

HONORABLE MENTION

SUNDOWN: VAMPIRE IN RETREAT (1989), THE ADVENTURE OF DENCHU-KOZO aka ELECTRIC ROD BOY (1987), SCARECROWS (1988), LILY C.A.T. (1987), THE STRANGENESS (1985), EVIL DEAD TRAP [TRAP OF DEAD SPIRITS] (1988), DOORドア (1988), THE BURNING (1981), FRIGHT NIGHT (1985), CHOPPING MALL (1986), PSYCHO III (1986), THE BEAST WITHIN (1982), CRAWLSPACE (1986), VIRUS (1980), FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3D (1982), FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981), FRIDAY THE 13TH: FINAL CHAPTER (1984), FULL MOON HIGH (1981), CAT’S EYE (1985), FADE TO BLACK (1980), GHOSTKEEPER (1981), CEMETERY OF TERROR (1985), IN A GLASS CAGE (1986), MONKEY SHINES (1988), CANNIBAL FEROX (1981), WATCHER IN THE WOODS (1980), I MADMAN (1989), DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981), AMSTERDAMNED (1988), DON’T GO TO SLEEP (1982), HALLOWEEN II (1981), THINGS (1989), TERRORVISION (1986), BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE (1984), THE HAND (1981), THE ENTITY (1982), THE INCUBUS (1982), BIOTHERAPY (1986), BURIAL GROUND (1981), DEAD & BURIED (1981), TERROR TRAIN (1980), HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981), EL RETORNO DEL HOMBRE LOBO (1981), CLASS OF NUKE ’EM HIGH (1986), MAUSOLEUM (1983), THE NEW YORK RIPPER (1982), CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE [INVASION OF THE FLESH HUNTERS] (1980), THE MONSTER CLUB (1981), MOTEL HELL 1980, LOOKER (1981), SLUGS (1988), 976-EVIL (1988), DELIRIUM: PHOTO OF GIOIA (1987), EYES OF A STRANGER (1981), VISITING HOURS (1982), A BLADE IN THE DARK (1983), CORPSE MANIA (1981), NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (1985), PHANTOM OF REGULAR SIZE (1986), GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989), SLEDGEHAMMER (1983), CUTTING CLASS (1989), WITHOUT WARNING (1980), HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW (1982), HAUNTED HONEYMOON (1986), VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985), DEVIL STORY: IL ÉTAIT UNE FOIS LE DIABLE (1986), PHANTASM II (1988), GUZOO: THING FORSAKEN BY GOD PT. I (1986), THE BOOGENS (1981), HOUSE WHERE EVIL DWELLS (1982), SLIME CITY (1988), DAWN OF AN EVIL MILLENNIUM (1988)

MIXED BAG. WORTH WATCHING!

MADMAN (1981), LEVIATHAN (1989), VAMPIRE’S KISS (1988), INVADERS FROM MARS (1986), SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE (1986), DREAMSCAPE (1984), CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980), NEKROMANTIK (1987), C.H.U.D. (1984), HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1980), MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981), FIRESTARTER (1984), GALAXY OF TERROR (1981), CRITTERS 2 (1988), STRANGE INVADERS (1983), HELL NIGHT (1981), THE LIFT (1983), RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES! (1988), FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982), MANHATTAN BABY (1982), DEMONS 2 (1986), MOONTRAP (1989), SLAUGHTER HIGH (1986), MONSTER IN THE CLOSET (1986), THE WIND (1986), DEAD HEAT (1988), NIGHTMARE WEEKEND (1984), NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988), BLUE MONKEY [INSECT] (1987), HORROR HOUSE ON HIGHWAY FIVE (1985), ONE DARK NIGHT (1982), SCREAMTIME (1983), DEATH SHIP (1980), NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: DREAM CHILD (1989), SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT III: BETTER WATCH OUT! (1989), SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT (1984), PRISON (1987), BLOOD RAGE (1987), NIGHTMARE Unrated (1981), DEADLY DREAMS (1988), THE NEST (1988), GHOST MONEY เงินปากผี (1981), THE POWER (1984), HELLBENT (1988), THE DEAD PIT (1989), PARASITE (1982), THE BLACK CAT (1981), RAWHEAD REX (1986), THE FINAL TERROR (1983), NIGHT TRAIN TO TERROR (1985), THE VINDICATOR (1986), WOLFEN (1981), CHILD’S PLAY (1988), PARENTS (1989), CUJO (1983), THE FLY II (1989), NEON MANIACS (1986), PUPPET MASTER (1989), SLAUGHTERHOUSE (1987), PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC'S REVENGE (1989), CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984), NOMADS (1986), PROM NIGHT (1980), I WAS A TEENAGE ZOMBIE (1987), CREEPSHOW 2 [excluding "THE RAFT" segment] (1987), RETURN TO SALEM’S LOT (1987), THE SPIDER LABYRINTH (1988), DEADLY BLESSING (1981), HUNTER’S BLOOD (1986), OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN (1983), THE PIT (1981), SUPERSTITION (1982), DEATH VALLEY (1982), STEPFATHER 2 (1989), ZOMBIE 3 (1988), THE OUTING (1987), DEADLY FRIEND (1986), PULSE (1988), GHOST TOWN (1988), THE GALAXY INVADER (1985), HELLGATE (1989), CAMERON'S CLOSET (1989), TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT (1980), AMITYVILLE 3D (1983), MY BEST FRIEND IS A VAMPIRE (1987), SHE WOLF: WILCZYCA (1983), THE AFTERMATH (1982), DEAD DUDES IN THE HOUSE [HOUSE ON TOMBSTONE HILL] (1989), CELLAR DWELLER (1987), KILLER CROCODILE (1989)