Sinister Cinema: The 80's

If the 60's were characterized by atmospheric chillers, and the 70's by disturbing thrillers, then the 80's were primarily over-the-top spectacles. An upsetting amount of gore drowns many of these movies. Innovative special effects are equally important here, as crowds were hungry for new, often absurd visuals. Another rare 80's treat? The beloved horror movie villain, who for the first time became the audience's favorite character. Freddy? Jason? Michael Myers? Chucky? Pinhead? Heck, even Leprechaun? Thanks to this delirious decade, we have all of them and more.

1980's 

15.) Creepshow (1982): Is there a more fitting way to kick off this list than with Creepshow? It's an anthology horror film, consisting of 5 short stories. They're all pretty great, but my personal favorite is "The Crate" which is pure nightmare fuel. But why wouldn't it be? This movie was directed by genre king George Romero and written by the one and only Stephen King.

14.) Re-Animator (1985): Imagine zombie movies as one big, bloodstained family. If this were the case, then Re-Animator is probably the wacky uncle who everyone else tries to avoid. It's a zany flick, with the gross-out gags amplified to 11 and ridiculously black humor to boot.

13.) Friday the 13th (1980): I'm not overly fond of the Friday the 13th franchise. To me, it always seemed like a hokey imitation of John Carpenter's Halloween. And yet, this first entry in the series has a lot going for it: a fun setting, sensational gore (crafted by genius Tom Savini), a fabulous twist-ending villain, and a final sequence that is truly haunting.

12.) Hellraiser (1987): As a kid, I remember wandering through the video store every Friday night, and whenever I found my way to the horror section, I'd cover my eyes and hurry past Hellraiser. The VHS cover alone, featuring the infamous Pinhead holding a bloody box and gnashing his teeth, was alarming in ways I didn't understand. Ultimately, that's what this movie is - scary, but mysterious. It really gets under your skin, and will stay there like a parasite for days.

11.) The Blob (1988): Remakes usually suck, but this one is an underrated 80's classic. Moving beyond the cheesy B-movie trappings of the original, this one manages to be legitimately terrifying. The Blob is more than a shiny glob of purple snot - it's an unholy abomination, one that devours and dissolves the innocent. It's awesome.

10.) The Monster Squad (1987): In all honesty, this might be my all-time favorite horror movie. It is The Goonies for horror - boatloads of nostalgic fun, with great special effects and endlessly quotable dialogue. My wife and I pop it in almost every year, often on Halloween. So if you're in the mood to watch a gang of monster-obsessed children keep their suburban streets safe from Dracula, the Wolf-Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, then check this one out.

9.) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): I feel like there isn't much I can say about A Nightmare on Elm Street that hasn't already been said. Just remember that Freddy Krueger wasn't always a goofy slasher comedian. In this first outing, he is undeniably menacing. Of all the many sequels spat out in subsequent years, which ranged in quality from pretty good to awful, this first entry will always be the best. The 80's was full of horror mascots, and Freddy is probably the emperor of them all.

8.) The Fog (1980): Here's another entry from the master, John Carpenter. He once described The Fog as "a minor horror classic," and I think he's right on the money here. This is a slasher flick, a campfire ghost story, and an urban legend all rolled into one. It's not nearly as groundbreaking as Halloween, nor is it as memorable as The Thing (which you'll see a little further up the list), but it's nonetheless a well-crafted, lovingly-made chiller.

7.) An American Werewolf in London (1981): This was one of the first horror movies I ever saw, and man is it a doozy. The scares are intense, and the gore is out of this world. And yet, this movie is most notable for 2 things: its enchanting special effects and its uproarious sense of humor. Really - this thing won an Academy Award for best make-up (courtesy of wizard Rick Baker), and is also one of the funniest movies of the decade. I love it.

6.) Day of the Dead (1985): Alright, alright - this is going to be controversial, but here goes: I think Day of the Dead is the best zombie movie George Romero ever made. That's right. It's better than both Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. Deal with it. The characters are, *gasp*, actually interesting. The claustrophobic underground setting is deeply unsettling. The special effects are some of the best ever. And overall, this is the most engaging, most entertaining, and most unsettling entry in the series.

5.) Poltergeist (1982): Tobe Hooper, famous for directing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, teamed up with producer Steven Spielberg to deliver this pitch-perfect haunted house movie. Poltergeist manages to do what many horror films can't - it balances fun, family-style frights with unapologetic balls-to-the-wall horror. It's the perfect melding of Spielberg and Hooper, with each style bolstering the other. Yet thanks to a handful of sub-par sequels and neutered replays on basic cable, it's easy to forget how downright freaky this movie actually is. But give it another watch, preferably the original cut, and tell me it doesn't give you the willies. This is a glossy Hollywood film with a mean streak cut down the middle. Watch at your own peril.

4.) The Fly (1986): Call it a remake, call it body horror, call it an allegory for the AIDS crisis, call it a disgusting mess - call it whatever you want, so long as you also call it brilliant. The Fly is probably director David Cronenberg's magnum opus. It's the timely, tragic tale of science gone wrong, with some nauseating special effects that really exemplify the zeitgeist. At the center of it all are two phenomenal performances, a grounded one by Geena Davis and a warped one by Jeff Goldblum. This is a hard movie to watch, but if you can stomach the nastiness, the rewards are without peer.

3.) Evil Dead II (1987): Let's go back to my "zombie family" analogy from earlier. Assuming Re-Animator is the weird uncle you avoid, and the Romero films are Mom and Dad (and even grandma and granddad), then the Evil Dead trilogy is the cool older cousin you always wanted to hang out with. He's hip, sardonic, and a little too edgy for the rest of the family. And that's what we've got here - a funny, fresh, frenetic take on the traditional zombie flick. Sam Raimi is a madman behind the camera, and in this movie his trippy innovations make for a wild, unforgettable ride. The protagonist, Ash Williams, is one of the genre's best heroes, embodying everything awesome about 80's pop culture. With a wink and a nod (and a chainsaw for a hand), he hacks and slashes his way to your heart. Awwwwww.

2.) The Shining (1980): If you haven't read Stephen King's brilliant novel, do that. Just understand that it's dramatically different from this uncompromising "adaptation" by Stanley Kubrick. With Jack Nicholson chewing as much scenery as he can sink his ax into, this is, at times, a very fun movie to watch. Some of its imagery has been branded into the fleshy folds of our cultural subconscious: REDRUM, the ghost twins, the elevator of blood, Jack Nicholson's face framed in a splintered doorway ("Here's Johnny!"), and my personal favorite, the pages and pages of Jack's novel in progress (All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...). But this is a film that transcends its pop culture resonance. It is truly disturbing, with some of the best chills ever put to film. It's a slow burn, similar to Rosemary's Baby or Don't Look Now, but it's well worth the leisurely run time. This is another top-ten favorite for me. Now's the time to watch.

1.) The Thing (1982): For the second time in a row, writer/director John Carpenter tops the list. From Halloween to The Fog and now with The Thing, he permanently cemented his status as one of the genre's best and bloodiest. This is another remake, but not at all in the ways you expect. A bit like The Blob, the idea was to take a campy 50's monster flick and tell it seriously, using groundbreaking visual effects and a bold style to bring the vision to life. But with Carpenter at the helm, this is unquestionably one of the best horror/sci-fi movies ever made. Period. I won't go into too much detail here (the twists and turns are many, and I'm committed to not spoiling the fun) - just know that you're in for a real treat. This is a litmus test for many: if you can get through it, and enjoy it, then you're a bona fide, dyed-in-the-wool horror hound. I saw this movie for the first time as a high school freshman. I was crashing in my best friend's basement, and everyone else had fallen asleep during the film's first act. I didn't know where the remote control was, and didn't want to wake everyone else looking for it. So I watched the whole thing, essentially alone. I was scared silly, maybe more so than I'd ever been before. It's one of my favorite movie experiences, and I try to spread the gospel whenever I'm able. Rent it, buy it, borrow it - just watch The Thing. Now. Any way you can.