Throwback Thursdays: The Scariest Movies from the 80s

Back in the days of VHS and video stores, whenever you had those movie night marathon sleepovers, you never ever really rented only ONE movie. It would always be a minimum 3 movies: First: something (probably animated) for the 'wee ones' - the Disney stuff mostly but a comedy or something family-centric would work just as well. Then: whatever was popular or the latest blockbusters at the time. It would probably be action or with ninjas or something. There would be violence and heads getting lopped off but the second movie always called for a second round of pizza slices. 

Lastly would be the horror - It would range from something B-grade to something totally terrifying but you would be guaranteed that this epic flick would be watched around the midnight hour, which was when one of the younglings would undoubtedly wake up and and ask you to walk them to the bathroom. You, being the eldest, would be brave of course...there's nothing to be afraid of...it's just a movie...things don't really go bump in the night...or do they?

These are lifeofuZ's list of creepiest horrors from the 80s:

25. Children of the Corn (1984)

"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."

Loosely based on the Steven King novel, Children of the Corn may not be as popular a horror movie today as it was back then but, for a bunch of kids on a Saturday night sleepover, man this movie gave me the chills. It's a low budget horror but still creepy!

24. Pet Semetary (1989)

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

Antother Steven King movie on the list and is also deeply unsettling. Its been redone and the later movie is a step-up in terms of effects and story but the original is still eerie and creepy as hell.

23. Re-Animator (1985)

"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."

If you like HP Lovecraft, the you will love this cult classic. It's an enjoyable creepy and gory low budget B movie from the 80s. In other words, it's everything you would expect from 80s horror. Its got funny moments and moments of pure terror as well. Definitely worth checking out!

22. Videodrome (1983)

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

David Cronenberg at his usual bizarre, philosophically strangeness. It's one for the late-late nights with NO kids around and has some deeply unsettling freaky moments.

21. From Beyond (1986)

"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."

Sometime you don't need a horror movie to be anything else than campy, cheesy, creepy, leather-bound sexiness for it to be popular. From beyond is so full of silliness and slime that about one quarter into the movie and you're enjoying every minute of it. Sure it has scares and it has moments of terror but they are outdone by the over-the-top blood and goo of this fright fest.

20. Day of the Dead (1985)

"As the world is overrun by zombies, a small group of scientists and military personnel dwelling in an underground bunker in Florida must determine whether they should educate, eliminate or escape the undead horde."

There can't not be a Romero in this list and George A's Day of the Dead is Zombie apocalypse greatness. It might not live up to the same standards as Dawn or Night of the Living Dead but it is a solid entry and a solid conclusion to the series. Full of zombie mayhem!

19. The Fly (1986)

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

David Cronenberg's The Fly is a movie that you either really enjoy or completely hate. It's definitely a more adult horror movie and it has some truly nauseating, gory scenes. Jeff Goldblum is totally in his element here as the eccentric scientist who is dead set on changing the world. I gotta be honest, this is one movie I can't really sit through watching again. But it's definitely a cult horror classic.

18. Predator (1987)

"A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior."

The silent stalking Predator is the true star of this sci-fi horror movie. The clever use of camera work to center the manhunt from the Predator's perspective is pure genius. The movie has great visual effects, an awesome soundtrack by Alan Silvestri and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was basically personified the bad-ass action hero of the 80s.

17. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

"The monstrous spirit of a slain child murderer seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death."

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you..." This movie gave me (and TBH still gives me) the heebie jeebies. Robert Englund's Freddy Kruger is the creepiest slasher villain of all time and the fact that he invades your dreams with that menacingly burnt face and terrifying claws is just pure terror! Wes Craven's classic might be a bit campy to watch now but back then we all slept with the freaking lights on...if we even slept at all!

16. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

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

Nobody does blood, guts and gore like Sam Raimi. This is one of those horror movies I remember watching with my cousins and thinking back then: 'Man, that video guy sure hates us'. It's the best on the horror/ comedy genre. Your little cousin's gonna cry and his mom's gonna have some harsh words with you but for a gory, brainless splatterfest that will have you chuckling for weeks and re-enacting some of the crazier parts with tomato sauce, it's worth it.

15. Ghostbusters (1984)

"Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service."

Who ya gonna call! Okay, so not really scary but on this list because it totally defined the comedy horror genre of the time and went on to become the cult classic that it is today. Ghostbusters has the witty banter and comedic genius of all of its amazing actors coupled with the wonderful direction of Ivan Reitman and combines it with a dose of spooky, some science fiction and moments of sheer hilarity. This movie is in my top 10 greatest movies from the 80s.

14. Fright Night (1985)

"A teenager discovers that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire, so he turns to an actor in a television horror show for help dealing with the undead."

Charley Brewster has an uncanny love of horror movies and a strange neighbor. This is 80s horror at it's best and one of my favorite vampire movies of all time. The remake sucks (pun intended) but this original is a real classic. It has everything in it from the scares to the thrills and action to the really awesome costumes. Definitely a solid offering and a total cult movie.

13. Friday the 13th (1980)

"A group of camp counselors trying to reopen a summer camp called Crystal Lake, which has a grim past, are stalked by a mysterious killer."

Slasher horror at it's finest. It's cliched and been done over so many times that the original appears campy and aloof. But is it any good to watch? Look, 1978's Halloween set the standard for all slasher horror movies but the original Friday the 13th has a lot going for it and is the ONLY horror movie you should watch at any campout.

12. Gremlins (1984)

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

It's funny how our parents thought Gremlins was a kids movie when they rented it for us on VHS because this is actually a creepy movie. Directed by Spielberg and written by Chris Columbus, Gremlins went on to become a number one hit and an established comedy horror classic. Funny, creepy and even downright shocking, Gremlins doesn't hold back when it comes to mayhem, carnage and killing. Don't feed them after midnight!

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

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

"Welcome to prime time, bitch!" Dream Warriors is my favorite NOES movie. It might not be as scary as the original but it has the best storyline to date with a strong focus on the dream landscape (dreamscape) and less of the cliche slasher tropes. Freddy is still terrifying as ever and the movie has some of the best Freddy kills ever but with almost fantasy story driving the plot.

10. The Terminator (1984)

"A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation."

Okay, so a lot of people might argue that this is less horror, more sci-fi. And yes, you're probably right. But 1984's The Terminator is downright terrifying. Arnie is relentless in his pursuit of Sarah Connor. The complete and total helplessness as the Terminator just keeps coming, no matter how much firepower they throw at it makes for great tension. 

9. The Lost Boys (1987)

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

And my favorite vampire movie from the 80s is this genius film from director Joel Schumacher. It's stylish, has an awesome soundtrack, great acting and feels like a brat-pack 80s movie but with teenage vampires. Fuck off Twilight, this is how vampires rolled back then. A solid classic.

8. Childs Play (1988)

"A single mother gives her son a much sought-after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer."

This was a mega hit back in the day and probably the one horror movie that was always on our sleepover movie marathon list. Chucky is as funny as he is creepy and is one of the most iconic horror villains of all time. The movie has enough scares and gory kills to scar you and put you off playing with dolls for good. I wonder if toy doll sales declined after this movie was made?

7. Hellraiser (1987)

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

Clive Barker's Hellraiser is a terrifyingly spooky film. It's macabre, dark and grim and extremely unsettling. Pinhead and the Cenobites gave me nightmares for a long, long time!

6. Poltergeist (1982)

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

Before the Conjuring, Paranormal Activity, Insidious and all the rest of those hybrids, the real haunted house horror was set in this quiet little house in the 'burbs. It all starts off fine and dandy, chairs being re-arranged, TV screens - all fun and games and then...and then...Yeah the little girl getting sucked into the walls, the bathroom scene, the spooky tree...This movie is full of boo!

5.The Evil Dead (1981)

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

Definitely remember watching this during sleepovers and then flat out refusing to go near any shed or out-house in any backyard. Sam Raimi at his best with lots of blood, gore and demons that will have you scrambling under the covers before anyone dare say 'Necronomicon'

4. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

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

This masterful horror gem from writer & director John Landis is flawlessly perfect and definitely worth being in the top 5 of all horror movies from the 80s period. The werewolf transformation scene is one the best I have ever seen. The movie has great atmosphere, an amazing score, solid acting, comedic moments and brutally graphic violence. A must see classic!

3. The Thing (1982)

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

An absolute classic by movie maestro John Carpenter, The Thing is one my personal favorite horror movies, mainly because of the suspense and tension it creates. The isolated outpost setting in Antarctica, the eerie Ennicio Moriconne score, the brilliant acting and the gory, eye popping effects make for one of the greatest horror movies of all time. 

2. Aliens (1986)

"Fifty-seven years after surviving an apocalyptic attack aboard her space vessel by merciless space creatures, Officer Ripley awakens from hyper-sleep and tries to warn anyone who will listen about the predators."

"Get away from her you bitch!" Ellen Ripley returns to helm this fantastic survival horror masterpiece by director James Cameron. Ridley Scott's 1979's Alien is still my favorite horror movie of all time and ANY Alien sequel would be hard to top that but truth be told, I actually watched 'Aliens' before watching 'Alien' and the former ticks all the right boxes for a blockbuster action survival horror movie. One of the best sequels ever made, it has the same tension, horror and adrenaline pumping action of the first movie but with a LOT more xenomorphs, top-notch acting and of course, Sigourney Weaver battling the Alien Queen.

1. The Shining (1980)

"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."

"Here's Johnny!" When it comes to the greatest horror movie of all time, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining outshines the rest (see what I did there?). It is less about cheap scares and thrills and more about the slow, deep, unsettling atmosphere filled with isolation and quiet dread. The score and soundtrack evokes the creepiness of the Overlook hotel and all its abandoned rooms. By the time the credits roll, you will be disturbed, anxious, maybe even a little nuts.