Horror - 80s Style!
Gather for the creepy, scary or cheesy horror of the 1980s! Many classics were born in that decade. Thank goodness for the B-horror that actually added lots of unforgettable moments to the horror genre. Without the wealth of special effects and CGI, the famous 80s B-horror is in a class all its own. This list resurrects some of those awesome titles, some from the 70s. I included some, now famous films, because in the 70s and 80s, they were considered B-movies and weren't recognized as much more than that. Hatchets and nudity - awesome throwback party fodder!
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- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsJohn FriedrichAdrian ZmedErnest Harden Jr.A group of rangers go camping on unfamiliar forest grounds. All's well until the group members start getting killed by a cunning killer in the woods.Perfect example of actors before they were famous. This is a great film. Shot outdoors, cinematography was wonderful. Sound, acting, wounding, killing and even a well-written story made this another of my faves.
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsBetsy PalmerAdrienne KingJeannine TaylorA group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.Back in the day, it wasn't given a second glance by critics. There's still an ominous tone and a couple of surprises. The foundation was enough to keep going for years.
- DirectorPaul LynchStarsLeslie NielsenJamie Lee CurtisCasey StevensAt a high-school senior prom, a masked killer stalks four teenagers who were responsible for the accidental death of a classmate six years previously.Jamie Lee Curtis herself - the Scream Squeen! Well arranged film. Excellent choice for an 80s movie night.
- DirectorGeorge MihalkaStarsPaul KelmanLori HallierNeil AffleckA decades-old folk tale surrounding a deranged murderer killing those who celebrate Valentine's Day turns out to be true to legend when a group defies the killer's order and people start turning up dead.There's a remake, but nothing tops the original, imo.
- DirectorFred WaltonStarsDeborah ForemanGriffin O'NealClayton RohnerNine college students staying at a friend's remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool's Day weekend, but nothing is as it seems.You see the progression of clothing styles in this one. Worth the watch.
- DirectorKen HughesStarsLeonard MannRachel WardDrew SnyderWho's been decapitating the innocent girls at a local night school? The police are baffled.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsElizabeth BerridgeShawn CarsonJeanne AustinFour teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsBen JohnsonJamie Lee CurtisHart BochnerThree years after a prank went terribly awry, the six college students responsible are targeted by a masked killer at a New Year's Eve party aboard a moving train.The Scream Queen joins a traveling party. Mayhem ensues, along with other surprises. I like a horror flick with Jamie Lee Curtis - this one's well-done.
- DirectorRobert HiltzikStarsFelissa RoseJonathan TierstenKaren FieldsBunks and showers are a mad stabber's beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.Excellent example of an 80s "slasher" with more than slashing to hold your attention. Sleepaway Camp has a creepy vibe along with a total jaw-dropper. The film has some sequels but none as good as this one. A must-watch! Plus, could these shorts get any higher?
- DirectorJohn QuinnStarsBetsy RussellLeif GarrettLucinda DickeyA group of cheerleaders become the targets of an unknown killer at a remote summer camp.
- DirectorTony MaylamStarsBrian MatthewsLeah AyresBrian BackerA former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement.
- DirectorJoseph ZitoStarsVicky DawsonChristopher GoutmanLawrence TierneyAn unknown killer, clad in World War II U.S. Army fatigues, stalks a small California town, bent on reliving a 35 year-old double murder by focusing on a group of college kids holding an annual graduation dance.
- DirectorScott SpiegelStarsLiz KernRenée EstevezDan HicksThe overnight stock crew of a local supermarket find themselves being stalked and slashed by a mysterious maniac.
- DirectorArmand MastroianniStarsDon ScardinoCaitlin O'HeaneyElizabeth KempA young bride-to-be is being stalked upon by a serial killer in Staten Island. She gets help from a former lover, but will they manage to escape?
- DirectorStephen CarpenterJeffrey ObrowStarsLaurie LapinskiStephen SachsDavid SnowFour college students are stalked by an unknown assailant while staying on campus over the Christmas holidays to help clear out a dormitory which is to be demolished.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDonald PleasenceJamie Lee CurtisTony MoranFifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.Pro movie, but still viewed in the B category back in the day (despite the appearance of the famous Scream Queen!).
- DirectorKevin ConnorStarsRory CalhounPaul LinkeNancy ParsonsA seemingly friendly farmer and his sister kidnap unsuspecting travelers and bury them alive, using them to create the "special meat" they are famous for.
- DirectorCarol FrankStarsAngela O'NeillWendy MartelPamela RossCollege student Beth and her sorority sisters are stalked by an escaped psychopathic killer who shares a strange telepathic link with her.
- DirectorBoaz DavidsonStarsBarbi BentonCharles LuciaJon Van NessWhile receiving a routine check-up, a woman finds herself stranded on the hospital's eighth floor, while someone dressed as a doctor is intent on her never leaving, even if it means killing any staff member who comes into contact with her.
- DirectorJack SholderStarsJack PalanceDonald PleasenceMartin LandauA few dangerous and delusional mental patients break out of a mental asylum during a power blackout, and lay siege to their new doctor's house, who, they believe, killed their previous doctor.
- DirectorTim BoggsStarsDoug BarryAngela DarterMike Kaufman6 teenagers are partying one weekend. One couple disappears, only to be found brutally murdered. A blood thirsty killer is stalking them. One by one bodies begin to show up, as they become prey to the vengeance-seeking maniac.
- DirectorWalter GraumanStarsKathleen BellerBlythe DannerTony BillA teenage girl is harassed by a stalker who torments her with threatening notes and phone calls.
- DirectorJoseph EllisonStarsDan GrimaldiCharles BonetBill RicciA disturbed young man who was burned as a child by his sadistic mother stalks women with a flamethrower.
- DirectorDon GronquistStarsLaurel MunsonJanet PennerSara AnsleyThree young women who crash their car during a rainstorm are taken in by a bizarre family at their large, rural estate.
- DirectorRick RoesslerStarsJoe B. BartonDon BarrettSherry LeighThe owner of a slaughterhouse facing foreclosure instructs his obese and mentally disabled son to go on a killing spree against the people who want to buy his property.
- DirectorJeff LiebermanStarsGeorge KennedyMike KellinChris LemmonFive young people venture into the backwoods of Oregon to claim a property, and find themselves being stalked by a hulking, machete-wielding psychopath.
- DirectorMark RosmanStarsKate McNeilEileen DavidsonJanis WardAfter a seemingly innocent prank goes horribly wrong, a group of sorority sisters are stalked and murdered one by one in their sorority house while throwing a party to celebrate their graduation.A cult classic, this is a very well-done flick. Worth the watch.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsMelissa Sue AndersonGlenn FordLawrence DaneAt the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.
- DirectorJimmy HustonStarsCecile BagdadiJoel S. RiceRalph BrownA psycho killer shows up on college campus to slash up pretty co-eds and dumb jocks.
- DirectorHerb FreedStarsChristopher GeorgePatch MackenzieE. Danny MurphyA masked killer begins murdering students on the school track team after a track runner dies upon completion of a 30 second 200-meter race.
- DirectorRuggero DeodatoStarsDavid HessAnnie BelleChristian BorromeoTwo low-life punks invite themselves to a party at a posh villa and after being taunted by their snobbish hosts, hold everyone hostage and subject them to various forms of torture and mayhem.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsSusan LanierRobert HoustonJohn SteadmanOn the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack.The film that started it all. I love the remake and the sequel, but you have to pay homage to the original.
- DirectorAdam HolenderStarsLois SmithChristian SlaterDina MerrillAlienated teenager Mark uses his evil genius to manipulate his family and intimidate his peers. When a sensitive neighbor offers to baby sit, her disturbing past make her perfect prey for the reign of electronic terror Mark has in store.
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsCatherine Mary StewartKelli MaroneyRobert BeltranA comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.Classified as horror, I did wonder "why aren't you guys a little more horrified?" Well done film, combining horror, thrills, suspense and a surprise element. Also, another actor on the rise.
- DirectorStephen KingStarsEmilio EstevezPat HingleLaura HarringtonA group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.Never considered a box office great, Maximum Overdrive does have Emilio Estevez in a B-movie developed from a little-known Stephen King story. The set is awesome, especially for a B-movie. The action and storyline makes the movie strange enough to hold your attention till the end.
- DirectorAmy Holden JonesStarsMichele MichaelsRobin StilleMichael VillellaA female high school student's slumber party turns into a bloodbath, as a newly escaped psychotic serial killer wielding a power drill prowls her neighborhood.Not a knife or a gun or a machete. Massacre - drill-style?
- DirectorRomano ScavoliniStarsBaird StaffordSharon SmithC.J. CookeA mental patient embarks on a murder spree upon escaping from an institution.
- DirectorJeannot SzwarcStarsBradford DillmanJoanna MilesRichard GillilandAn earthquake releases a strain of mutant cockroaches with the ability to start fires, which proceed to cause destructive chaos in a small town. The studies carried out by scientist James Parmiter, however, reveal an intent with much more far-reaching consequences.Well-developed and weird. The movie travels the B-train till the odd ending.
- DirectorJeffrey BloomStarsDavid HuffmanMarianna HillBurt YoungSomething is attacking and killing people on the beach. David and Mariana, old friends, search for clues where they played as kids to uncover the mysterious creature.The remake is better, but props for what the 80s started.
- DirectorJames L. ConwayStarsRebecca BaldingFred McCarrenAnne-Marie MartinOtherworldly creatures are released from the bootleg tunnels underneath a small-town mining community, and begin chomping on the locals.
- DirectorWilliam FruetStarsMartin HewittRalph SeymourElaine WilkesIn order to join a sorority, three friends go to a hazing party in an old house where a sadistic bloodthirsty demonic spirit is lying in wait.The first part of the synopsis doesn't come close to the plot. So those of you expecting a horror movie, you're in the right place. However, I wouldn't suggest ruining my film experience by reading the lengthy continuation of the synopsis on the next page.
- DirectorJim MallonStarsMark JacobsLisa Jane ToddPatrick DanzDuring a local fishing contest, people are being violently dragged into the lake and killed by a giant fish hook.Characteristic of the decade - unique 'slasher.'
- DirectorEmmett AlstonStarsRoz KellyKip NivenChris WallaceDuring a New Year's Eve celebration, a Los Angeles disc jockey receives a phone call saying that when New Year's strikes in each time zone, someone will be murdered - and she will be the last one.
- DirectorJoe GiannoneStarsGaylen RossTony NunziataHarriet BassA legendary psychopathic murderer stalks a summer camp.
- DirectorBuzz KulikStarsScott JacobyPippa ScottJohn LarchA perverted teenage boy who lives in the walls of a house finds the house sold to a family after his mother dies, then he falls for one of the new residents.Sort of like Willard - ominous, creepy and dripping with strange. 'Weird' Ronald seems appropriate. Of course, he earns his "bad".
- DirectorSkip SchoolnikStarsBunky JonesBrittain FryeAnnette SinclairA group of teenagers spend the night in a furniture store for a graduation party. A psycho killer starts hunting them down one by one.