Decades of Dread is heading into one of the most popular decades, the 1980s! Admittedly, as much as folks love 80s horror, it’s probably one of my least favorite decades to watch. There is just too much shlocky stuff for me and I don’t enjoy that overall. As with the 1970s post, a few of the films here may be familiar, however, I hopefully will give you some new ideas for the #100HorrorMoviesIn92Days Challenge!
- Re-Animator (1985)- “A dedicated student at a medical college and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue when an odd new student arrives on campus.” I would have been completely amiss to not include Re-Animator on this list. It is one of the greatest horror movies of all time and Jeffrey Combs is pure gold in it! Give it a watch and make a Miskatonic Reviver to go with it!
- Pumpkinhead (1988)- “After a tragic accident, a man conjures up a towering, vengeful demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy a group of unsuspecting teenagers.” This is one of my all-time favorite creature feature type movies! It’s a great mix of folk horror and slasher. As we did with The Re-Animator, we created a recipe inspired by it over on Geeks Who Eat!
- Motel Hell (1980)- “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.” Do you love shlocky cannibalism movies? Motel Hell is for you! It’s totally one you won’t forget! After all, “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincents Fritters!”
- Fade to Black (1980)- “Eric Binford watches a lot of movies. He is the truest definition of a film geek. One day, his sanity takes a turn for the worse and he begins acting out his favorite scenes from the movies. In doing so, he manages to involve his enemies and the scenes usually result in death.” This film is an interesting take on the typically overplayed media makes people do bad things trope. It also features a truly fantastic performance by Dennis Christopher.
- Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)- “The U.S. government, eager to protect the nation’s avocado supplies, recruits feminist professor Margo Hunt to make contact with the Piranha Women, an all-female tribe who believe men are only good as a source of food. Accompanying Dr. Hunt on her trip are Jim, a guide of questionable competence, and Bunny, a student of unquestionable incompetence.” This film is super ridiculous but such a fun movie! It definitely makes me crave guacamole! Be sure to listen to the Final Girls Feast episode on it as well!
I hope you find some new gems on this list! Are you looking for other movies from the 1980s? Check out Letterboxd’s list! I’m sure you’re not surprised, but I have also put together a Letterboxd List of 1980s horror. What are some of your favorites from this decade? Let me know in the comments below! This weekend I’ll be posting about my favorites from the 1980s so be sure to check back because I’m sure they won’t be what you expect! In the meantime, feel free to check out some of my other horror movie lists or reviews!