Favorite Cheesy 80's Horror Movie

[Agnostic Pagan]

My mom had a strange fixation for horror films, and I saw far too many as a teenager. I no longer have a taste for the 'graphic' horror such as Saw and the like, but bring on the cheese.

Gremlins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087363/) is considered the classic, but my personal favorite is still Critters (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090887/).

What's yours?

[tdn]

Flowers in the Attic, natch. IMHO far far better than the book. And Christy Swanson was quite the babe.

[Lute Skywatcher]

I mentioned This House Possessed in the 70s Horror thread.

[Gordon Urquhart]

I love, love, love Fright Night (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089175/) (1985), with the late Roddy McDowall. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, but it certainly has its effective scary moments.

[Agnostic Pagan]

I love, love, love Fright Night (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089175/) (1985), with the late Roddy McDowall. It doesn't take itself seriously at all, but it certainly has its effective scary moments. Yeah, this movie is definitely a classic as well. Ed was my favorite character, Charley's friend who joins the dark side.
I looked up the actor who played him, Stephen Geoffreys, wondering what happened to him. His career definitely made a few interesting turns (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0313267/). Yikes.

[AuntiePam]

I still have a lingering fondness for Razorback (http://imdb.com/title/tt0087981/) and The Boogens -- best movie use for a yappy little dog. :)

(I tried to link to The Boogens but couldn't make it work.)

[GargoyleWB]

Night of the Creeps...brain slugs that turn you into zombies :)
The Stuff...space yogurt that turns you into a zombie :)
Return of the Living Dead...chemicals that turn you into zombies :)

...and Killer Clowns from Outer Space. No zombies in that one though.

[Logan 5]

Christine

golden oldies rock tunes still give me the creeps! :p

[Gordon Urquhart]

Originally Posted by Agnostic Pagan:
Ed was my favorite character, Charley's friend who joins the dark side.
I looked up the actor who played him, Stephen Geoffreys, wondering what happened to him. His career definitely made a few interesting turns. Yikes.

Yeah ... I'd heard about his filmography on a movie-related site a few months ago. I was going to include in my post how almost all of the principles in the cast of Fright Night have stayed pretty busy up to the present ... some have made more movies (and in more genres) than others.

Gargoyle WB's post reminded me about Night of the Comet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087799/) -- that was a lot of zombie fun, and featured 80s-hottie-in-the-Kristy-Swanson-class Catherine Mary Stewart (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829252/).

[Lute Skywatcher]

...and Killer Clowns from Outer Space. No zombies in that one though.Some inflating boobs though.

[moonstarssun]

Yeah, this movie is definitely a classic as well. Ed was my favorite character, Charley's friend who joins the dark side.
I looked up the actor who played him, Stephen Geoffreys, wondering what happened to him. His career definitely made a few interesting turns (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0313267/). Yikes.

Oh dear.

I was going to nominame Fright Night too, but now all I can think about is Cock Pit.

[xizor]

I second Return of The Living Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089907/)

[Push You Down]

Return of the Living Dead is genius.

Second runner up is Shocker.

[Snowboarder Bo]

Fright Night
Nightmare On Elm Street

and my favorite from the 80s.....

Bad Taste (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092610/)

Also, many people don't know it, but the same guys who wrote, directed, and created the special effects for Killer Klowns From Outer Space (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095444/) also did the excellent puppet work in the funniest movie of 2004 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372588/). Chiodo Bros. totally rock!

[astorian]

...and Killer Clowns from Outer Space. No zombies in that one though.

Did anybody else watch "Independence Day," and think "They Stole That Scene From Killer Klowns" when the alien used Brent Spiner's dead body as a ventriloquist's dummy?

John Vernon did it better than Spiner, though.

[Sublight]

I nominate an underappreciated work of cheesy genius: Of Unknown Origin (1983) (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0086036/maindetails) I suppose the pitch nowadays would be "Robocop meets Mouse Hunt." Peter Weller is a yuppie who discovers a rat problem in their new home. His wife goes away for a week as he tries to make some more repairs to the house and get rid of the rat. However, he steadily goes crazier and crazier trying to kill a rat that seems impervious to all forms of attack, until it finally ends with (spoiler in case anyone wants to watch it)

Weller in hand-to-hand combat with a four-foot long mutant monster rat, which he finally kills after destroying the entire building.

The nonchalant greeting he gives his wife when she comes home at the end is absolutely priceless.

[Dr. Rieux]

Re-Animator

[Marlitharn]

I love House (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091223/), with William Katt playing an author/Vietnam vet who moves into his aunt's house after she offs herself. This movie's got everything. An old lady ghost in the attic telling him he's gonna die, interdimensional portholes in various locales that suck little kids away, greebly mutant zombie things that keep moving after you chop them up and bury them in the backyard, a brief scene with a swordfish that's really upset about being stuffed and mounted on the wall, and Richard Moll sporting the worst case of post-traumatic stress disorder ever. Basically, they crammed every horror-movie archetype possible into this movie, and somehow made it work. It's fun to watch.

[FriarTed]

The BASKET CASE series

BRAIN DAMAGE (The Aylmer!!!!)

THE TOXIC AVENGER

CLASS OF NUKE'EM HIGH

CAT PEOPLE

thank you, the advent of Home Video and USA Network!

[meow meow]

Nightmare On Elm Street



The first one was NOT cheesy! In fact, I think it is one of the scariest movies of all time. It's dated, sure, and the sequels were cheesy, yes. But what a concept!


I nominate Maximun Overdrive. Good and cheesy.

[detop]

I nominate Maximun Overdrive. Good and cheesy.

The good thing about Maximum Overdrive, is that it stopped Stephen King complaining about how filmmakers were ruining his stories :D

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Godzilla : 1985, which is not, & never shall be re-released.

A damn good giant monster flick, if you ask me.

[CalMeacham]

I agree with Friar Ted about Brain Damage, if only for the following immortal dialogue exchange about the monster concerned:


"What did you do with Aylmer?"

"Elmer???!! You fuckin' named him Elmer?"

"Not Elmer -- Aylmer. It means "Beautiful Thing"


Any movie that names its monster "Beautiful Thing" in Anglo-Saxon deserves a look.


but it's not the cheesiest. Easily the cheesiest is the 1988 remake of the 1957 Not of This Earth. starring a now-legal Traci Lords. The original was creepy, and featured wonderfil Paul Blaisdell monsters, like the flying octopus.umbrella/head squeezer. The remake featured lots of topless actresses and didn't take itself at all seriously:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095756/


Didn't see the 1995 remake.

[Trunk]

Some of these choices are cinematic masterpieces, relatively.

One of my faves: Happy Birthday to Me (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082498/).

Most memorable scene. . .when the guy is working on his motorcycle wearing a scarf, and the killer tosses his scarf into the spokes when he revs the engine.

Also, there's a "crushed by dumbbells" scene, IIRC. I probably haven't seen that in 15 years, but I used to love it.

Any love for C.H.U.D.?

[Judith Prietht]

I love House (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091223/), with William Katt playing an author/Vietnam vet who moves into his aunt's house after she offs herself. This movie's got everything. An old lady ghost in the attic telling him he's gonna die, interdimensional portholes in various locales that suck little kids away, greebly mutant zombie things that keep moving after you chop them up and bury them in the backyard, a brief scene with a swordfish that's really upset about being stuffed and mounted on the wall, and Richard Moll sporting the worst case of post-traumatic stress disorder ever. Basically, they crammed every horror-movie archetype possible into this movie, and somehow made it work. It's fun to watch.
Damn! I love House and House II: The Second Story, especially Grampa's dog/caterpillar thing. I wanted one for my very own.

I clearly remember watching April Fool's Day at a sleepover, the way these things are supposed to be watched.

[gigi]

The first one was NOT cheesy! In fact, I think it is one of the scariest movies of all time. It's dated, sure, and the sequels were cheesy, yes. But what a concept!Yep, it was brilliant. I'd put it with The Shining and Alien for best horror films of the 80s.

I'd have to say Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for cheesiest.

[Hypno-Toad]

I love House (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091223/), with William Katt playing an author/Vietnam vet who moves into his aunt's house after she offs herself. This movie's got everything. An old lady ghost in the attic telling him he's gonna die, interdimensional portholes in various locales that suck little kids away, greebly mutant zombie things that keep moving after you chop them up and bury them in the backyard, a brief scene with a swordfish that's really upset about being stuffed and mounted on the wall, and Richard Moll sporting the worst case of post-traumatic stress disorder ever. Basically, they crammed every horror-movie archetype possible into this movie, and somehow made it work. It's fun to watch.


I remember how I laughed when they cut to the song, "You're No Good."

[want2know]

Since, IMHO, anything with Dee Wallace Stone counts as cheesy, I choose the greatest '80s horror film of all:

The Howling

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082533/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9dGhlIGhvd2xpbmd8ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8 bm09MQ__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1

I hadn't truly realized what an unmitigated POS American Werewolf in London was until I saw this gem. 7 feet tall, walking on hind legs with dripping fangs--that's a werewolf!

[Draelin]

I clearly remember watching April Fool's Day at a sleepover, the way these things are supposed to be watched.
I own that on DVD, and fully plan to watch it tomorrow. :D

My favorite is Sleepaway Camp II. The first one's okay, but the second is pure cheesy greatness. Notice how all the characters are named after Brat Packers. And death by handhell drill is always awesome.

[Otto]

I clearly remember watching April Fool's Day at a sleepover, the way these things are supposed to be watched.
Great choice, and makes for a good double feature with Happy Birthday to Me (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082498), featuring a post-Little House Melissa Sue Anderson.

[parsnip]

OP said 80's, but Carrie holds so much horror that was real-- blood, blood, blood everywhere.

William Katt up thread reminded me.

That was my prom year (seriously dating self)

[Hail Ants]

I'd give a vote for Rawhead Rex (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091829/), a so-bad-its-good no-budget horror film with a kinda nasty looking monster...

[bmoak]

I'm kinda surprised no one's mentioned Motel Hell yet.

"It takes all kinds of cirtters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters!"

[usar_jag]

How can cheesy go so far without the mention of Roger Corman's first cheesy movie of the '80s Humanoids from the Deep (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080904/trivia)?

I would have nominated Phantasm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079714/) as the scariest movie of the '80s, but alas, I just realized it came out in 1979.

[Oslo Ostragoth]

A vote for Motel Hell (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081184/).

[Rachael Rage]

The first one was NOT cheesy! In fact, I think it is one of the scariest movies of all time. It's dated, sure, and the sequels were cheesy, yes. But what a concept! I disagree. The TV commercial for A Nightmare on Elm Street terrified me so much I never saw the movie until I was in my twenties. One Halloween we rented it and I laughed my ass off.

The bed. Eats. Johnny Depp. Genius!

[wolf_meister]

Okay my vote goes for Galaxy of Terror (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082431/)
From 1981, this did have a good cast but a low budget. (Heck Roger Corman was the Director which says a lot). I remember reading a review of this on the IMDB which stated "a group of space travelers explore a planet where they encounter cheap sets and lousy special effects".
As I said the cast was pretty good - Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Robert Englund and Sid Haig (you'd know him if you saw him).

Someone mentioned "Night of the Comet". Heck I remember that one and it "starred" 2 of everybody's cult favorites - Geoffrey Lewis and Mary Woronov.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

No love for Tremors (http://imdb.com/title/tt0100814/)? Technically 1990, but possibly Kevin Bacon's finest hour and a half.