TV Horror Movies from the 80s & 90s
by michaelgosullivan | created - 21 Mar 2018 | updated - 01 Apr 2018 | PublicBeginning in the 1960s through its heyday in the 1970s and into the 80's made-for-TV horror movies were a genre unto themselves. Made specifically for the small screen what these humble movies lacked in budget, they made up for in other ways. They served as a lucrative genre for Stars of yesterday as well young as up and coming Stars, Producers and Directors. Many of these treasures are still highly watchable, memorable, and have even enjoyed big budget remakes. There's something about made for TV movies of the 70s and 80s that I just love. They bring back fond memories of evenings or rainy Saturday afternoons being immersed in a tale of terror. Here is a list of some of my favourites in no particular order
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1. The Babysitter (1980 TV Movie)
Unrated | 96 min | Drama, Thriller
Spoiled 12-year-old Tara's new best friend from next door gets hired as a live-in babysitter, but things soon go horribly wrong when Tara's mom starts hitting the bottle and fighting with her dad.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Patty Duke, William Shatner, Quinn Cummings, David Wysocki
Votes: 734
2. No Place to Hide (1981 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Amy is the Mannings only daughter. After the death of her rich father, she lives together with her stepmother. Recently she sees a man in black following her, waiting for her in her car, ... See full summary »
Director: John Llewellyn Moxey | Stars: Mariette Hartley, Kathleen Beller, Arlen Dean Snyder, Gary Graham
Votes: 383
3. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror
In a small Southern town, four vigilantes wrongfully execute a mentally-challenged man, but after the court sets them free mysterious "accidents" begin to kill them off one by one.
Director: Frank De Felitta | Stars: Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Claude Earl Jones, Lane Smith
Votes: 8,217
4. Midnight Offerings (1981 TV Movie)
Unrated | 100 min | Horror
Vivian has magic powers. She doesn't hesitate to save her boyfriend David from failing in school by murdering teachers. However, David has gotten tired of her and is putting his charm on a ... See full summary »
Director: Rod Holcomb | Stars: Melissa Sue Anderson, Mary Beth McDonough, Patrick Cassidy, Marion Ross
Votes: 659
5. Cry for the Strangers (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 97 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A psychiatrist and his wife move into a quaint coastal town only to discover that a sinister presence is lurking there.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Patrick Duffy, Cindy Pickett, Lawrence Pressman, Brian Keith
Votes: 326
6. Don't Go to Sleep (1982 TV Movie)
93 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A young girl begins seeing the ghost of her sister who died in an accident a year earlier.
Director: Richard Lang | Stars: Dennis Weaver, Valerie Harper, Robin Ignico, Kristin Cumming
Votes: 1,493
7. Hotline (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A beautiful telephone operator is stalked by a murderous madman.
Director: Jerry Jameson | Stars: Lynda Carter, Steve Forrest, Granville Van Dusen, Monte Markham
Votes: 386
8. The Cradle Will Fall (1983 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A doctor at a hospital tries to develop a "fountain of youth" serum to give to his female patients.
Director: John Llewellyn Moxey | Stars: Lauren Hutton, Ben Murphy, James Farentino, Charita Bauer
Votes: 227
9. Deadly Lessons (1983 TV Movie)
100 min | Horror, Thriller
A psycho is stalking the students at an exclusive girls' school.
Director: William Wiard | Stars: Donna Reed, Larry Wilcox, David Ackroyd, Diane Franklin
Votes: 303
10. Dark Mirror (1984 TV Movie)
Unrated | 120 min | Drama, Thriller
After attorney Frank Girard is murdered, Detective Al Church (Vincent Gardenia) suspects that Ms. Leigh Cullen (Jane Seymour) is the perpetrator, as she was supposedly last seen with the ... See full summary »
Director: Richard Lang | Stars: Vincent Gardenia, Jane Seymour, Stephen Collins, Hank Brandt
Votes: 164
11. Invitation to Hell (1984 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A family moves to a suburban town only to be coerced into joining a suspicious club.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Robert Urich, Joanna Cassidy, Susan Lucci, Joe Regalbuto
Votes: 2,054
12. Deadly Messages (1985 TV Movie)
94 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Laura Daniels, single and bored, finds new interest in life when she discovers an old ouija board. It appears, however, that the object's previous owner was murdered - and messages from beyond warn Laura that she may be next.
Director: Jack Bender | Stars: Kathleen Beller, Michael Brandon, Dennis Franz, Scott Paulin
Votes: 278
13. Dark Mansions (1986 TV Movie)
120 min | Thriller
A woman hired to write the history of a wealthy family stays at the family's estate in Oregon. She discovers that she strongly resembles a long-dead ancestor in the family, and finds things... See full summary »
Director: Jerry London | Stars: Joan Fontaine, Michael York, Paul Shenar, Melissa Sue Anderson
Votes: 116
14. Stillwatch (1987 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama, Horror
Television journalist, Patricia Traymore, moves to Washington to do an in-depth interview with vice presidential hopeful, Senator Abigail Winslow. She moves into a house where she lived as ... See full summary »
Director: Rod Holcomb | Stars: Lynda Carter, Angie Dickinson, Don Murray, Barry Primus
Votes: 135
15. Bay Cove (1987 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 95 min | Horror, Thriller
A young newlywed couple move into a remote seacoast village only to find a secret coven of witches who want them to join all the fun, or face the consequences.
Director: Carl Schenkel | Stars: Tim Matheson, Pamela Sue Martin, Barbara Billingsley, Jeff Conaway
Votes: 783
16. Haunted by Her Past (1987 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 100 min | Horror
The evil spirit of one of her ancestors possesses a young woman who inadvertently comes into possession of a haunted mirror.
Director: Michael Pressman | Stars: Susan Lucci, Marcia Strassman, Robin Thomas, Finola Hughes
Votes: 173
17. The Haunting of Sarah Hardy (1989 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A woman's husband and his lover try to drive her mad at their seaside mansion.
Director: Jerry London | Stars: Sela Ward, Michael Woods, Roscoe Born, Polly Bergen
Votes: 457
18. I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990 TV Movie)
R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
When Amy turns an ancient Aztec priest's cloak into a dress, she discovers it's cursed and whoever wears it comes under its evil influence.
Director: Tobe Hooper | Stars: Mädchen Amick, Corey Parker, Daisy Hall, R. Lee Ermey
Votes: 909
19. House of Secrets (1993 TV Movie)
120 min | Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Marion Ravinel is trapped in an abusive spousal relationship. She forms a plan with her husband's former lover to kill him. However, the outcome turns out to be more than she planned on as ... See full summary »
Director: Mimi Leder | Stars: Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner, Kate Vernon, Michael Boatman
Votes: 255
20. The Haunting of Seacliff Inn (1994 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A couple starts to live in strange and scary situations when they move to an old house in a seaside town.
Director: Walter Klenhard | Stars: Ally Sheedy, William R. Moses, Lucinda Weist, Tom McCleister
Votes: 756
21. The Haunting of Helen Walker (1995 TV Movie)
Unrated | 88 min | Horror, Thriller
Television adaptation of the Henry James' classic novel "Turn of the Screw", with changes in location and character names. A live-in nanny discovers two children haunted by the spirits and deeds of their former caregivers.
Director: Tom McLoughlin | Stars: Valerie Bertinelli, Florence Hoath, Aled Roberts, Michael Gough
Votes: 410
22. Dead Man's Island (1996 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 120 min | Mystery, Thriller
A woman is asked to help an old lover discover his would-be murderer.
Director: Peter Roger Hunt | Stars: Barbara Eden, William Shatner, Roddy McDowall, Morgan Fairchild
Votes: 303
23. Trilogy of Terror II (1996 TV Movie)
R | 90 min | Horror, Thriller
Three horror stories, including a woman's fate when she and her lover attempt to rob her husband's grave, a woman who brings her son back from the dead and a Zuni fetish doll who comes to life again and goes on another murderous rampage.
Director: Dan Curtis | Stars: Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies, Matt Clark, Geoffrey Lewis
Votes: 1,805
24. Satan's School for Girls (2000 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 87 min | Drama, Horror
A young woman enrolls at an all-girls college in New England to investigate her sister's suicide and is slowly lured into a witchcraft cult by a quartet of students who want her to become the fifth member of their evil circle.
Director: Christopher Leitch | Stars: Shannen Doherty, Julie Benz, Daniel Cosgrove, Richard Joseph Paul
Votes: 1,424
25. The Spiral Staircase (2000 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 88 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
During a storm, a group of people are trapped inside a mansion with a killer.
Director: James Head | Stars: Nicollette Sheridan, Judd Nelson, Alex McArthur, Debbe Dunning
Votes: 412
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