The 80s were an interesting time for horror, as we truly had a little bit of everything (then again, perhaps that's the case for most decades.) Of course, leading the pack was the slasher film genre. Slashers were big business throughout the 80s, thanks to franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
We also got nasty movies, like The Fly, The Evil Dead, and The Thing. And of course, we had ghosts, as seen in The Shining and Poltergeist. But enough about the classics. Everyone has seen those movies. Let's move on to something else. These are 10 forgotten 80s movies that were excellent.
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
In 1981, John Landis of Animal House and The Blues Brothers fame went totally against type and gave us An American Werewolf in London. This movie has enjoyed a cult classic status in recent years, but in regards to mainstream sentiment, it is completely forgotten.
This movie is not only terrifying but also surprisingly hilarious and goofy. But mostly terrifying. The werewolf sequences are positively nightmarish and John Chambers' grotesque makeup work earned him the very first Best Makeup Academy Award!
Re-Animator (1985)
Surprisingly enough, Re-Animator is perhaps the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptation. It's based on his novelette, Herbert West-Reanimator, which is perhaps his most famous non-Cthulhu Mythos story. It concerns a kooky scientist named Herbert West who begins to experiment with a mysterious serum that brings dead people back to life.
It was quite a controversial film in its day, as it was originally given an X rating by the MPAA due to its persistent and impressively disturbing gore. Gorehounds could certainly do a lot worse.
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)
Horror movies come in all shapes and sizes. When we traditionally think of 80s horror, we usually think of silent masked killers and gooey gore. But sometimes horror movies look inwards, and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is perhaps one of the rawest horror films of the 1980s.
This movie stars Michael Rooker as disturbed serial killer Henry, who is loosely based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Despite a positive critical reception (thanks mainly to Rooker's performance), the movie was highly controversial and never broke into the mainstream.
Night Of The Creeps (1986)
And on the other end of the spectrum, we have Night of the Creeps, which didn't take itself or its subject matter very seriously. This movie sort of encapsulated everything that made 80s horror so wacky and fun, as it mixed elements of zombie, alien invasion, and slasher films -- all of which were very popular throughout the decade.
It was intentionally designed as a corny B-movie and it contains all the glorious cheesiness you would expect from a movie of its kind. Unfortunately, the movie never really caught on and quickly faded into obscurity after its 1986 release.
Videodrome (1983)
Videodrome is perhaps the weirdest movie on this list, as it is intentionally and proudly uninviting. At its core, Videodrome is about the CEO of a television studio who discovers a bizarre and mysterious broadcast that causes him to lose touch with reality. It's surreal, weird, trippy ... choose your synonym.
Unfortunately, its bleak and obtuse nature caused it to bomb at the box office. But if you're a fan of David Cronenberg or body horror in general, you owe it to yourself to check out Videodrome.
Day Of The Dead (1985)
Everyone re Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. But no one ever re Day of the Dead. And even those who do it probably didn't like it very much. And if this is the case for you, you should go back and watch it again, because it really is brilliant.
Unfortunately, Day of the Dead was just too dark, depressing, and violent for most people, especially those who were coming off the "fun" of Dawn of the Dead. But it is this unrelenting bleakness that makes Day such a masterpiece. Divorce it from Dawn and try it again. You'll thank us later.
Near Dark (1987)
Back in 1987, no one knew who Kathryn Bigelow was. Unfortunately, this resulted in her Western vampire film, Near Dark, coming and going without much fuss or bother. This movie contains a few Aliens alum, including Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein. So if you want to feel nostalgic, you could do a lot worse than Near Dark.
But it also works incredibly well on its own thanks to the unique blending of genres, which include vampire horror, Western, biker, and, surprisingly, poignant family drama. In fact, we'd say it's one of the better vampire films out there.
The Changeling (1980)
We don't know why, but when it comes to haunted house movies, no one seems to The Changeling. Critics have always adored it and it is widely considered among film buffs to be one of the greatest haunted house movies of all time. Even Martin Scorsese has gotten in on the love, calling it one of his 11 favorite horror films. Yet no one ever seems to talk about it.
Maybe it was overshadowed by The Shining, another "haunted house" movie that came out in 1980. Either way, The Changeling deserves way more respect, adoration, and popularity!
Basket Case (1982)
Now if you want to talk forgotten movies, let's talk about Basket Case! Basket Case is a long-forgotten, Lynch-ian film from 1982 that stars Kevin Van Hentenryck as Duane Bradley.
Duane is a man who carries around his deformed twin brother in a wicker basket. The two brothers are actually coned twins who were surgically removed from each other at an early age and they now seek vengeance against the doctors who performed the procedure. It's entirely gonzo, bizarre, and seedy, but that's just how we like our horror movies!
Scanners (1981)
Scanners is another film from David Cronenberg that doesn't get a lot of love -- at least not within the mainstream. The movie received relatively poor reviews upon release, as many critics considered it to be little more than a special effects/gore showcase.
Fortunately, the movie has since undergone a bit of a critical reevaluation and one scene, in particular, has gained popularity through YouTube and gifs. You probably know the one. It's mindblowing.
