Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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), 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), FRIGHT NIGHT (1985), 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)






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