In Search of Darkness: A Journey into iconic eighties horror (2019)

by foyijor | created - 09 May 2021 | updated - 09 May 2021 | Public

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1. The Fog (1980)

R | 89 min | Horror, Thriller

55 Metascore

An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, John Houseman

Votes: 82,957 | Gross: $21.38M

2. The Changeling (1980)

R | 107 min | Horror, Mystery

70 Metascore

After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at a long-vacant Seattle mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion's attic.

Director: Peter Medak | Stars: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Jean Marsh

Votes: 39,987

3. Friday the 13th (1980)

R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

22 Metascore

A 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.

Director: Sean S. Cunningham | Stars: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan

Votes: 157,385 | Gross: $39.75M

4. The Shining (1980)

R | 146 min | Drama, Horror

68 Metascore

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

Votes: 1,106,113 | Gross: $44.02M

5. Dressed to Kill (1980)

R | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

74 Metascore

A mysterious blonde woman kills one of a psychiatrist's patients, and then goes after the high-class call girl who witnessed the murder.

Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon

Votes: 48,195 | Gross: $31.90M

6. Fade to Black (1980)

R | 102 min | Comedy, Crime, Horror

54 Metascore

A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.

Director: Vernon Zimmerman | Stars: Dennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, Gwynne Gilford, Norman Burton

Votes: 4,993

7. Motel Hell (1980)

R | 101 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller

64 Metascore

A seemingly friendly farmer and his sister kidnap unsuspecting travelers and bury them alive, using them to create the "special meat" they are famous for.

Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke, Nancy Parsons, Nina Axelrod

Votes: 13,607 | Gross: $6.34M

8. Maniac (1980)

18+ | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Horror

22 Metascore

A psychopathic man goes on a killing and mutilation spree in New York City.

Director: William Lustig | Stars: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Abigail Clayton, Kelly Piper

Votes: 20,195

9. Scanners (1981)

R | 103 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

60 Metascore

A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane

Votes: 61,724 | Gross: $14.23M

10. My Bloody Valentine (2009)

R | 101 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

51 Metascore

Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame is the only one that believes he's innocent.

Director: Patrick Lussier | Stars: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, Betsy Rue

Votes: 60,443 | Gross: $51.55M

11. The Howling (1981)

R | 91 min | Horror

68 Metascore

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.

Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone

Votes: 40,176 | Gross: $17.99M

12. The Burning (1981)

R | 91 min | Horror

42 Metascore

A 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.

Director: Tony Maylam | Stars: Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Larry Joshua

Votes: 22,270

13. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

R | 97 min | Comedy, Horror

55 Metascore

Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.

Director: John Landis | Stars: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher, Griffin Dunne

Votes: 120,452 | Gross: $30.57M

14. Full Moon High (1981)

PG | 93 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

A popular high school football player becomes a werewolf after a trip to Romania, and struggles to come to terms with his new reality.

Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: Adam Arkin, Roz Kelly, Ed McMahon, Joanne Nail

Votes: 1,620

15. The Evil Dead (1981)

NC-17 | 85 min | Horror

71 Metascore

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker

Votes: 232,330 | Gross: $2.40M

16. Halloween II (1981)

R | 92 min | Horror

40 Metascore

While Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.

Director: Rick Rosenthal | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer

Votes: 101,679 | Gross: $25.53M

17. Ghost Story (1981)

R | 110 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller

Two generations of men find themselves haunted by the presence of a spectral woman. When the son of one of the elderly men returns to his hometown after his brother's mysterious death, they attempt to unravel her story.

Director: John Irvin | Stars: Craig Wasson, Alice Krige, Fred Astaire, John Houseman

Votes: 9,867 | Gross: $23.37M

18. Cat People (1982)

R | 118 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

61 Metascore

A woman who was orphaned from a young age finally reunites with her older brother. Matters start to go awry when she slowly discovers the true nature of her family.

Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O'Toole

Votes: 23,896 | Gross: $7.00M

19. Basket Case (1982)

Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Horror

77 Metascore

A young man carrying a big basket that contains his extremely deformed, formerly conjoined twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.

Director: Frank Henenlotter | Stars: Kevin VanHentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel

Votes: 21,669

20. Poltergeist (1982)

PG | 114 min | Horror, Thriller

79 Metascore

A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.

Director: Tobe Hooper | Stars: JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight

Votes: 179,509 | Gross: $76.61M

21. The Thing (1982)

R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

57 Metascore

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur

Votes: 466,411 | Gross: $13.78M

22. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

R | 98 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

50 Metascore

Kids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.

Director: Tommy Lee Wallace | Stars: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O'Herlihy, Michael Currie

Votes: 60,982 | Gross: $14.40M

23. Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

R | 93 min | Crime, Fantasy, Mystery

NYPD detectives Shepard and Powell are working on a bizarre case of a ritualistic Aztec murder. Meanwhile, something big is attacking people of New York and only greedy small time crook Jimmy Quinn knows where its lair is.

Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: David Carradine, Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, Richard Roundtree

Votes: 9,457

24. Creepshow (1982)

R | 120 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

59 Metascore

"Creepshow" is a 1982 movie that tells five grisly tales from a children's comic book: a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.

Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall

Votes: 53,205 | Gross: $21.03M

25. Videodrome (1983)

R | 87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

58 Metascore

A programmer at a Toronto TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky

Votes: 102,933 | Gross: $2.12M

26. The Hunger (1983)

R | 97 min | Drama, Horror

52 Metascore

A love triangle develops between a beautiful yet dangerous vampire (Catherine Deneuve), her cellist companion (David Bowie), and a gerontologist (Susan Sarandon).

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, Cliff De Young

Votes: 29,036 | Gross: $5.98M

27. Psycho II (1983)

R | 113 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery

54 Metascore

After twenty-two years of psychiatric care, Norman Bates attempts to return to a life of solitude, but the specters of his crimes - and his mother - continue to haunt him.

Director: Richard Franklin | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia

Votes: 31,064 | Gross: $34.73M

28. Cujo (1983)

R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller

57 Metascore

Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.

Director: Lewis Teague | Stars: Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro, Christopher Stone

Votes: 50,950 | Gross: $21.20M

29. Sleepaway Camp (1983)

R | 84 min | Horror

58 Metascore

Bunks and showers are a mad stabber's beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.

Director: Robert Hiltzik | Stars: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet

Votes: 38,035 | Gross: $11.00M

30. Christine (1983)

R | 110 min | Horror, Thriller

57 Metascore

A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky

Votes: 92,414 | Gross: $21.20M

31. Children of the Corn (1984)

R | 92 min | Horror, Thriller

45 Metascore

A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.

Director: Fritz Kiersch | Stars: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, John Franklin

Votes: 57,313 | Gross: $14.57M

32. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

R | 91 min | Horror, Thriller

33 Metascore

After being announced dead and taken to a morgue, Jason Voorhees spontaneously revives, escapes from the hospital, and stalks a group of friends renting a house in the countryside near Crystal Lake.

Director: Joseph Zito | Stars: Erich Anderson, Judie Aronson, Peter Barton, Kimberly Beck

Votes: 59,136 | Gross: $32.98M

33. Firestarter (1984)

R | 114 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

50 Metascore

A couple who participated in a potent medical experiment gain telepathic ability and then have a child who is pyrokinetic.

Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Drew Barrymore, David Keith, Freddie Jones, Heather Locklear

Votes: 36,893 | Gross: $15.10M

34. Gremlins (1984)

PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

70 Metascore

A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie

Votes: 247,715 | Gross: $148.17M

35. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

R | 91 min | Horror

76 Metascore

Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.

Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, John Saxon

Votes: 262,383 | Gross: $25.50M

36. Night of the Comet (1984)

PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

59 Metascore

A comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.

Director: Thom Eberhardt | Stars: Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, Sharon Farrell

Votes: 24,128 | Gross: $14.42M

37. The Company of Wolves (1984)

R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

69 Metascore

A teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.

Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Graham Crowden

Votes: 18,404 | Gross: $4.39M

38. The Stuff (1985)

R | 87 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

A delicious, mysterious goo that oozes from the earth is marketed as the newest dessert sensation, but the tasty treat rots more than teeth when zombie-like snackers who only want to consume more of the strange substance at any cost begin infesting the world.

Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino

Votes: 18,490

39. Day of the Dead (1985)

Not Rated | 101 min | Horror, Thriller

60 Metascore

As the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.

Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy

Votes: 74,347 | Gross: $5.80M

40. Fright Night (1985)

R | 106 min | Horror

62 Metascore

"Fright Night" sees a teenager believing that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire. He turns to an actor in a television hosted horror movie show for help to deal with the undead.

Director: Tom Holland | Stars: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall

Votes: 78,616 | Gross: $24.92M

41. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

R | 91 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

66 Metascore

When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

Director: Dan O'Bannon | Stars: Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews

Votes: 68,872 | Gross: $14.24M

42. Howling II: ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)

R | 91 min | Horror, Thriller

A man discovers that his sister was a werewolf, and helps an investigator track down a gang of the monsters through the United States and eastern Europe.

Director: Philippe Mora | Stars: Christopher Lee, Annie McEnroe, Reb Brown, Marsha A. Hunt

Votes: 8,111

43. Silver Bullet (1985)

R | 95 min | Horror

26 Metascore

In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.

Director: Daniel Attias | Stars: Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows

Votes: 31,491 | Gross: $5.40M

44. Re-Animator (1985)

Unrated | 84 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

73 Metascore

After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.

Director: Stuart Gordon | Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale

Votes: 71,478 | Gross: $2.02M

45. Chopping Mall (1986)

R | 77 min | Horror, Sci-Fi

22 Metascore

A group of young shopping mall employees stay behind for a late night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lock-down before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions, and goes on a killing spree.

Director: Jim Wynorski | Stars: Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Russell Todd, Karrie Emerson

Votes: 17,227

46. The Toxic Avenger (1984)

R | 82 min | Action, Comedy, Horror

42 Metascore

Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when meek mop boy Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.

Directors: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman | Stars: Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Jennifer Babtist, Cindy Manion

Votes: 32,128

47. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

PG-13 | 91 min | Horror

49 Metascore

The Freeling family have a new house, but their troubles with supernatural forces don't seem to be over.

Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Oliver Robins

Votes: 29,870 | Gross: $41.00M

48. Psycho III (1986)

R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

58 Metascore

Norman Bates falls in love with a fallen nun who stays at the Bates Motel alongside a drifter and a curious reporter. Meanwhile, "Mother" is still watching.

Director: Anthony Perkins | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, Roberta Maxwell

Votes: 16,506 | Gross: $14.48M

49. Maximum Overdrive (1986)

R | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Horror

24 Metascore

A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.

Director: Stephen King | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith

Votes: 35,803 | Gross: $7.43M

50. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

R | 86 min | Horror, Thriller

30 Metascore

Tommy Jarvis exhumes Jason Voorhees to cremate his corpse, but inadvertently brings him back to life instead. The newly revived killer seeks revenge, and Tommy may be the only one who can stop him.

Director: Tom McLoughlin | Stars: Thom Mathews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen, Kerry Noonan

Votes: 51,210 | Gross: $19.47M

51. The Fly (1986)

R | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

81 Metascore

A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel

Votes: 201,818 | Gross: $40.46M

52. Night of the Creeps (1986)

R | 88 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

62 Metascore

Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them.

Director: Fred Dekker | Stars: Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow

Votes: 26,100 | Gross: $0.59M

53. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

Unrated | 101 min | Comedy, Horror

42 Metascore

A radio host is victimized by the cannibal family as a former Texas marshal hunts them.

Director: Tobe Hooper | Stars: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Jim Siedow, Bill Moseley

Votes: 37,951 | Gross: $8.03M

54. From Beyond (1986)

R | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi

60 Metascore

A group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.

Director: Stuart Gordon | Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree

Votes: 30,733 | Gross: $1.26M

55. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

R | 96 min | Fantasy, Horror

49 Metascore

A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.

Director: Chuck Russell | Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette

Votes: 90,261 | Gross: $44.79M

56. Dolls (1986)

R | 77 min | Horror

55 Metascore

A dysfunctional family of three stop by a mansion during a storm -- father, stepmother, and child. The child discovers that the elderly owners are magical toy makers and have a haunted collection of dolls.

Director: Stuart Gordon | Stars: Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Carrie Lorraine, Guy Rolfe

Votes: 12,836

57. Evil Dead II (1987)

R | 84 min | Comedy, Horror

72 Metascore

Ash Williams, the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits, holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva

Votes: 181,861 | Gross: $5.92M

58. It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987)

R | 95 min | Horror, Sci-Fi

The monster babies have been placed by court order on a deserted island so that they can live out their lives as far away from normal humans as possible without killing them. Enraged by the... See full summary »

Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: Michael Moriarty, Karen Black, Laurene Landon, James Dixon

Votes: 2,177

59. The Lost Boys (1987)

R | 97 min | Comedy, Horror

63 Metascore

After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

Votes: 161,064 | Gross: $32.22M

60. The Monster Squad (1987)

PG-13 | 82 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy

61 Metascore

A group of young monster fanatics attempts to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his monsters.

Director: Fred Dekker | Stars: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr

Votes: 35,288 | Gross: $3.77M

61. Hellraiser (1987)

R | 94 min | Horror, Thriller

56 Metascore

A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law and lover. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body and escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their underworld.

Director: Clive Barker | Stars: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman

Votes: 140,454 | Gross: $14.56M

62. Near Dark (1987)

R | 94 min | Horror

78 Metascore

A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton

Votes: 44,714 | Gross: $3.37M

63. Critters 2 (1988)

PG-13 | 86 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

48 Metascore

Eggs of the small but voracious alien creatures called Crites are left behind on earth and, after hatching, set their appetites on the small farm town of Grover's Bend.

Director: Mick Garris | Stars: Scott Grimes, Liane Curtis, Terrence Mann, Don Keith Opper

Votes: 16,846 | Gross: $3.81M

64. Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)

R | 88 min | Horror, Thriller

13 Metascore

Jason Voorhees is accidentally freed from his watery prison by a telekinetic teenager. Now, only she can stop him.

Director: John Carl Buechler | Stars: Terry Kiser, Jennifer Banko, John Otrin, Susan Blu

Votes: 42,345 | Gross: $19.17M

65. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

PG-13 | 88 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

43 Metascore

Aliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.

Director: Stephen Chiodo | Stars: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon

Votes: 45,455 | Gross: $15.63M

66. Phantasm II (1988)

R | 97 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror

42 Metascore

Mike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, meets with Reggie, and discover his dreams (the events of the original film) are real, and they both journey to find and stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.

Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: James Le Gros, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm, Paula Irvine

Votes: 16,754 | Gross: $7.28M

67. The Blob (1988)

R | 95 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A deadly entity from space crash-lands near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.

Director: Chuck Russell | Stars: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch Jr., Jeffrey DeMunn

Votes: 43,488 | Gross: $8.25M

68. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

R | 93 min | Horror

56 Metascore

Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.

Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Robert Englund, Rodney Eastman, John Beckman, Kisha Brackel

Votes: 61,611 | Gross: $49.37M

69. The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

R | 93 min | Comedy, Horror

61 Metascore

When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in a foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable occurrences.

Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Catherine Oxenberg, Peter Capaldi

Votes: 15,082 | Gross: $1.19M

70. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Horror

43 Metascore

"Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" is a 1988 comedy, horror movie - upon arriving in a small town where Elvira has inherited a rundown mansion, the famous horror host must battle an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.

Director: James Signorelli | Stars: Cassandra Peterson, Phil Rubenstein, Larry Flash Jenkins, Damita Jo Freeman

Votes: 20,844 | Gross: $5.60M

71. Pumpkinhead (1988)

R | 86 min | Fantasy, Horror

47 Metascore

After a tragic accident, a man conjures up a towering, vengeful demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy a group of unsuspecting teenagers.

Director: Stan Winston | Stars: Lance Henriksen, Jeff East, John D'Aquino, Kimberly Ross

Votes: 27,811 | Gross: $4.39M

72. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

R | 88 min | Horror, Thriller

34 Metascore

Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?

Director: Dwight H. Little | Stars: Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur

Votes: 58,635 | Gross: $17.77M

73. They Live (1988)

R | 94 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

55 Metascore

They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower

Votes: 145,409 | Gross: $13.01M

74. Child's Play (1988)

R | 87 min | Horror, Thriller

58 Metascore

A struggling single mother unknowingly gifts her son a doll imbued with a serial killer's consciousness.

Director: Tom Holland | Stars: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif

Votes: 116,692 | Gross: $33.24M

75. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

R | 97 min | Horror, Thriller

41 Metascore

Kirsty is brought to an institution after the horrible events of Hellraiser (1987), where the occult-obsessive head doctor resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites and their demonic underworld.

Director: Tony Randel | Stars: Doug Bradley, Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham

Votes: 56,106 | Gross: $11.09M

76. The 'Burbs (1989)

PG | 102 min | Comedy, Mystery, Thriller

45 Metascore

An overstressed suburbanite and his neighbors are convinced that the new family on the block is part of a murderous Satanic cult.

Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman

Votes: 83,473 | Gross: $36.60M

77. 976-EVIL (1988)

R | 92 min | Comedy, Horror

People who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. When Spike dialed 976-EVIL, he knew it was an expensive toll call, but he didn't know that he'd have to pay for it with his soul.

Director: Robert Englund | Stars: Stephen Geoffreys, Patrick O'Bryan, Jim Metzler, María Rubell

Votes: 6,010 | Gross: $2.96M

78. Pet Sematary (1989)

R | 103 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

38 Metascore

After tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead.

Director: Mary Lambert | Stars: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne, Brad Greenquist

Votes: 114,985 | Gross: $57.47M

79. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

R | 100 min | Adventure, Horror, Thriller

14 Metascore

Jason Voorhees is accidentally awakened from his watery grave and ends up stalking a ship full of graduating high-school students headed to Manhattan, New York.

Director: Rob Hedden | Stars: Jensen Daggett, Kane Hodder, Todd Caldecott, Tiffany Paulsen

Votes: 43,062 | Gross: $14.34M

80. Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy (1989)

R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller

After escaping the insane asylum in which he was incarcerated, Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) impersonates a marriage counselor and manages to win over a patient (Meg Foster) and her young son (Jonathan Brandis).

Director: Jeff Burr | Stars: Terry O'Quinn, Meg Foster, Caroline Williams, Jonathan Brandis

Votes: 4,825 | Gross: $1.52M

81. Society (1989)

R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror

50 Metascore

An ordinary teenage boy discovers his family is part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite.

Director: Brian Yuzna | Stars: Billy Warlock, Concetta D'Agnese, Ben Slack, Evan Richards

Votes: 21,934



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