# Favorite Cheesy 80's Horror Movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603 "2006-03-30T21:26:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/21 "2006-03-31T15:00:38Z")
> [@meow meow](#): > > 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 šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/22 "2006-03-31T15:18:55Z")
_Godzilla : 1985_, which **is not** , & never shall be re-released. A damn good giant monster flick, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/23 "2006-03-31T15:20:49Z")
I agree with **Friar Ted** about **Brain Damage** , if only for the following immortal dialogue exchange about the monster concerned: ā€œWhat did you do with Aylmer?ā€ ā€œElmer???!! You fuckinā€™ named him _Elmer_?ā€ "Not _Elmer_ ā€“ _Aylmer_. It means ā€œBeautiful Thingā€ Any movie that names its monster ā€œBeautiful Thingā€ in Anglo-Saxon deserves a look. but itā€™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 didnā€™t take itself at all seriously: > **[Not of This Earth (1988) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095756/)** > > Not of This Earth: Directed by Jim Wynorski. With Traci Lords, Arthur Roberts, Lenny Juliano, Ace Mask. An alien arrives on Earth looking to take human blood in an attempt to preserve his dying planet. Didnā€™t see the 1995 remake. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/24 "2006-03-31T15:25:17Z")
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, thereā€™s a ā€œcrushed by dumbbellsā€ scene, IIRC. I probably havenā€™t seen that in 15 years, but I used to love it. Any love for C.H.U.D.? ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/25 "2006-03-31T15:32:46Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > I love [House](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091223/), with William Katt playing an author/Vietnam vet who moves into his auntā€™s house after she offs herself. This movieā€™s got _everything_. An old lady ghost in the attic telling him heā€™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 thatā€™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. Itā€™s fun to watch. Damn! I love **House** and **House II: The Second Story** , especially Grampaā€™s dog/caterpillar thing. I wanted one for my very own. I clearly remember watching **April Foolā€™s Day** at a sleepover, the way these things are supposed to be watched. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/26 "2006-03-31T15:54:19Z")
> [@meow meow](#): > > The first one was NOT cheesy! In fact, I think it is one of the scariest movies of all time. Itā€™s dated, sure, and the sequels were cheesy, yes. But what a concept! Yep, it was brilliant. Iā€™d put it with The Shining and Alien for best horror films of the 80s. Iā€™d have to say Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for cheesiest. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/27 "2006-03-31T18:12:32Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > I love [House](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091223/), with William Katt playing an author/Vietnam vet who moves into his auntā€™s house after she offs herself. This movieā€™s got _everything_. An old lady ghost in the attic telling him heā€™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 thatā€™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. Itā€™s fun to watch. I remember how I laughed when they cut to the song, ā€œYouā€™re No Good.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/28 "2006-03-31T20:57:57Z")
Since, IMHO, anything with Dee Wallace Stone counts as cheesy, I choose the greatest '80s horror film of all: **The Howling** > **[The Howling (1981) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082533/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9dGhlIGhvd2xpbmd8ZnQ9MXxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8Y289MXxodG1sPTF8bm09MQ__%3Bfc=1%3Bft=20%3Bfm=1)** > > The Howling: Directed by Joe Dante. With Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone. 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... I hadnā€™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 fangsā€“_thatā€™s_ a werewolf! ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/29 "2006-03-31T21:07:52Z")
> [@Judith Prietht](#): > > I clearly remember watching **April Foolā€™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. šŸ˜ƒ My favorite is _Sleepaway Camp II_. The first oneā€™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. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/30 "2006-03-31T21:16:25Z")
> [@Judith Prietht](#): > > I clearly remember watching **April Foolā€™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. ---
**Author:** ![parsnip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parsnip/32/4564_2.png) [@parsnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parsnip)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/31 "2006-04-01T01:10:09Z")
OP said 80ā€™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) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/32 "2006-04-01T02:55:02Z")
Iā€™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 monsterā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/33 "2006-04-01T03:24:35Z")
Iā€™m kinda surprised no oneā€™s mentioned Motel Hell yet. ā€œIt takes all kinds of cirtters to make Farmer Vincentā€™s fritters!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/34 "2006-04-01T04:20:56Z")
How can cheesy go so far without the mention of Roger Cormanā€™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. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/35 "2006-04-01T04:41:04Z")
A vote for [Motel Hell](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081184/). ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/36 "2006-04-01T05:11:22Z")
> [@meow meow](#): > > The first one was NOT cheesy! In fact, I think it is one of the scariest movies of all time. Itā€™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! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/37 "2006-04-01T05:48:32Z")
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 ā€œa group of space travelers explore a planet where they encounter cheap sets and lousy special effectsā€. As I said the cast was pretty good - Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Zalman King, Robert Englund and Sid Haig (youā€™d know him if you saw him). Someone mentioned ā€œNight of the Cometā€. Heck I remember that one and it ā€œstarredā€ 2 of everybodyā€™s cult favorites - Geoffrey Lewis and Mary Woronov. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603/38 "2006-04-01T15:30:10Z")
No love for [Tremors](http://imdb.com/title/tt0100814/)? Technically 1990, but possibly Kevin Baconā€™s finest hour and a half. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cheesy-80s-horror-movie/350603.md?page=1)