Awesomely Crazy '8. Horror Movies. The 1. Slasher films, inspired by the success of John Carpenter’s 1. The 1980s were a time when horror wasn't afraid to be outrageous and over the top. Here are the craziest, most wickedly fun films from that era. Why Every Horror Film of the 1980s Was Built On Halloween, thrived. In fact, they were all the rage for a while. That led to some very popular works, like the Friday the 1. My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night, and Slumber Party Massacre. The problem with slasher flicks, though, was that a lot of them started to feel more or less the same after a while. There was such a strict formula that it grew difficult to find one with an original angle. In spite of that — or possibly because of it — the ’8. Just think of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Hellraiser, Videodrome, and Blood Beach (in which an unseen creature sucks beach bunnies down into the sand), to name just a few. Believe it or not, those aren’t even the most extreme examples. ![]() This list will look at the most joyfully over- the- top fright films from that era. These are the movies that provide entertainment value simply through their sheer insanity. You literally don’t know what bizarre thing you’re going to see from one minute to the next, and that’s what makes them so much fun to watch. If you’re a true horror buff, these are movies you absolutely can’t afford to miss. Here are 1. 5 Awesomely Crazy ’8. ![]() ![]() Horror Movies Every Horror Buff Needs To See. Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. Sam Raimi’s 1. 98. The Evil Dead put him on the map in the film industry. The low- budget picture was efficient and scary, showing how a little creativity can go a long, long way. The film was so successful that Raimi was able to secure financing for a slightly higher- budgeted sequel, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. Star Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, and after a brief recap of the original, we find him continuing to fight an unstoppable demon in a proverbial cabin in the woods. Whereas the first Evil Dead was straight- up horror, the sequel mixed blood and gore with Three Stooges- inspired slapstick. In one of the most famous scenes, Ash’s hand becomes possessed, breaking plates over his head, bashing him into a kitchen sink, and tossing him around the room in comical fashion. To halt this problem, he does the most common sense thing imaginable: he cuts the hand off with a chainsaw. The relentlessly- paced mixture of extreme gore and dark comedy was shockingly different than anything audiences had ever seen before. ![]() Evil Dead 2 went out unrated because the MPAA thought it was too intense for an R. It still holds a powerful impact today, eliciting laughs and gasps in equal measure thanks to Campbell’s deliriously wacky performance and Raimi’s inventive camerawork. Sleepaway Camp. Sleepaway Campcouldn’t get made today. The 1. 98. 3 shocker is so politically incorrect that no one would have anything to do with it in the current social climate.
![]() For starters, it’s about someone killing children and preteens at a summer camp. They die in some really gruesome ways, too. One character is sexually molested with a hot curling iron, while another gets trapped in a bathroom with a hive full of angry bees that sting him to death. There’s also a scene where the camp cook tries to have his way with a young girl. Like we said, it’s kind of astonishing that somebody actually made this movie. What gives Sleepaway Camp its biggest, craziest kick, though, is the ending. We discover her true gender via a nude scene. This was a jaw- dropper of an ending at the time, and it’s even more of one today. Some viewers feel that the story sends a dangerous message suggesting that transgender people might be mentally unstable or dangerous. But some in the trans community have embraced Angela as a groundbreaking character. Regardless, this is such an insane movie that you’ll want to weigh in for yourself. Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Let’s be honest: clowns are creepy. That’s why they keep popping up in horror fare. This horror- comedy understands that, for many, it’s the aggressive humor that makes them more than a little frightening. In this case, the villains are aliens who come to Earth and take the form of clowns (or klowns). They employ the standard tools of the trade to kill human beings. That includes, but is very much not limited to, wrapping their victims up in cotton candy and staging deadly puppet shows. The juxtaposition of using benign circus- related items for nefarious purposes is enough to get under the skin of any clown- phobic viewer. We’re not saying this is a “good” movie, but its unnerving costume design and intentionally zany streak of mayhem make it hard to look away from. Evilspeak. Technology changed rapidly in the ’8. As intriguing as this advanced tech was, it also clearly harnessed a power that most people couldn’t fully wrap their heads around. Evilspeak combined that uneasiness with the good old- fashioned fear of Satan. The result was a film so effective that it got banned in Britain, had to be cut down to secure an R rating in the United States, and reportedly earned the admiration of Anton Le. Vey, the founder of the Church of Satan. Clint Howard plays Stanley Coopersmith, a military school cadet who uses his computer to translate the entries in a Satanic priest’s ancient diary. The priest, it turns out, has somehow inhabited the computer, and he uses his dark powers to influence Stanley. Before long, the cadet is exacting bloody revenge against the school bullies. Evilspeak starts off a little slow, but once it hits Crazytown, it puts the pedal to the floor with some startlingly grisly killings. Everything builds to a no- holds- barred climax involving severed limbs, levitation, and Satanic pigs. How many horror movies can make that claim? Pumpkinhead. One of the greatest movie monsters of all time came out of the 1. That’s because Pumpkinhead wasn’t exactly a box- office blockbuster. He begs a local witch to help him exact revenge. She does by unleashing a gigantic demon known as Pumpkinhead. Things do not end well for those biking enthusiasts. Given Winston’s involvement, it comes as no surprise that the best thing about Pumpkinhead is the creature itself. While the movie may be low- budget, it’s clear that no expense was spared in making this thing look as convincing and horrifying as possible. The monster is strong, too. In one scene, he picks up a dirtbike and its rider, then throws them both against a tree. Perhaps what makes him scariest, though, is that he represents pure, grief- fueled rage. Pumpkinhead brings a ton of mind- blowing gore scenes to the table, but it’s the human element running underneath it all that makes this so much more than your average monster movie. Without Warning. Without Warning (also known as It Came Without Warning) was a cable staple back in the day. Then it kind of fell off the map, failing to procure a DVD/Blu- ray release until just recently. It’s now thankfully available on both formats thanks to Scream Factory. The movie starts with a group of teens, including a young David Caruso, heading to the lake for some fun and sun. A creepy gas station owner (Jack Palance) warns them to stay away. Of course, they don’t listen, leading to catastrophic results. Pretty standard stuff, right? Not entirely. The menace at the lake isn’t some masked psycho. Instead, it’s an alien creature who throws man- eating discs at them. Imagine Frisbees with sharp teeth and you’ll start to get the idea. The disgusting little suckers lay their claws into people and slurp the blood right out. Parts of Without Warning are admittedly a bit cheesy, but not these sections. Director Greydon Clark makes sure to get tight closeups of their teeth sinking into flesh, complete with colored ooze dripping out as they do. Couple that with an awesomely gonzo performance from Jack Palance in full cranky- old- man mode, and you’ve got yourself an insanely good time. This is old- school ickiness at its finest. Phantasm IIDon Coscarelli’s Phantasm movies are all impressively out- there. The original was a super low- budget effort that managed to do some decent business thanks to its trippy visuals and an undeniably creepy performance from Angus Scrimm as a sinister mortician known as the Tall Man. Because of that success, a major studio — Universal Pictures — distributed the first sequel, Phantasm II. Their marketing department came up with one of the most well- known advertising taglines in horror history: “This summer, the ball is back!”The ball refers to the Tall Man’s special orbs that come equipped with drills, spikes, little bone saws, and other things designed to cut, impale, or slice their victims. He hurls them at anyone who comes snooping around his mausoleum. An old man throwing silver balls at people? Horror concepts don’t come much crazier than that. One poor guy gets nailed in the mouth with a ball, which then proceeds to do to the inside of his body what a garbage disposal does to food. There is an intentionally disjointed, nightmare- like quality to Phantasm II that helps make the strangeness of its premise even more palpable. The Tall Man and his weapons are really original, guaranteeing that you will never know what’s coming around the corner. They Live. John Carpenter has made many amazing horror/thriller movies over the decades: Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, and The Thing to name a few. By far, though, his wildest and most ambitious idea was the one at the center of 1. They Live. Former professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper plays a drifter who stumbles upon a special set of sunglasses. When he puts them on, he is able to see hidden messages such as “OBEY” and “CONFORM” in billboards and other printed material. Even more distressing is that he can see aliens disguised as people. Through investigation, he discovers that they are conducting a large- scale mind control experiment. The story works as a dark satire of mass media, pop culture, and politics. The concept of subliminal messages being embedded into everyday life in order to control the citizenry is biting. That said, perhaps the biggest stroke of genius in They Live is the design. Buy 8. 0s Movie Shirts - 8. Tees. Sometimes we carry a product that is so popular, it sells outsuper- fast. In this case, we offer it for pre- order until we get our next shipment in, so that you can order it in advance to avoid being disappointed should it sell out again. That's why you may be seeing reviews from people who have already received the item, even though it is on pre- order. There are also times where we used to sell a product and that product eventually went out of stock. In order to determine the potential popularity of such a product we sometimes decide to crowdfund it. This is also why you might see reviews for a product that doesnt look like it's currently in stock. Top 1. 0 Best Horror Movies Of 2. Let’s take a look at the biggest and best horror movies of 2. The scary list features the usual mix of sequels (. Based on what I’ve seen, and on anticipation, these are the top 2. Get excited. Let me know your picks, or anything I’ve missed, below (leave a comment for your chance to win one of the movies listed!)2. They’re Watching. Starring: Brigid Brannagh, David Alpay, Dimitri Diatchenko, Kris Lemche. Directors: Jay Lender, Micah Wright. Released: March 2. U. S. Dates) - Seen It- The TV crew of a property makeover show return to Moldova, Eastern Europe to catch up with an American pottery artist who bought a remote rustic house outside a simple village. The superstitious, pitchfork- wielding locals treat the crew with increasing hostility. Soon they will be trying to kill them, but why? To say more would go into spoiler territory. But then it finds its footing and with the premise in focus has a certain originality to it. After a good stretch, things collapse in the last 1. Sy. Fy Channel ashamed. Some have said these fx are deliberate spoof but the rest of the film really isn’t and either way it’s misjudged. Still, there’s enough quality in the second half to make . And it might have the best horror poster of the year. Howl. Starring: Ed Speleers, Sean Pertwee, Holly Weston, Shauna Macdonald. Director: Paul Hyett. Released: TBC 2. 01. Seen It- A long- suffering train guard (Speleers, . Before long the moaning passengers have more than delays to worry about, as they are attacked by werewolves from the forest. As siege horror goes the characters are by the numbers (eg the selfish one locking people out), the supposedly humorous types (football fan, Indian nerd) fall flat, but otherwise the performances are decent. It has strong atmosphere, solid production values and a nice old school vibe. The all- practical creature designs are a mixed bag: close ups of snarling faces and three- jointed legs are very effective but the torsos look kinda rubbery and the performers move a bit like a Comic- Con cosplay. I preferred . With the help of an Australian travel journalist (Taylor Kinney, TV’s . Japan looks good on film, always feeling well suited to the genre, though it’s not used as effectively as, say, . The acting is decent and it definitely has scares. However it’s hard to buy an emotional connection between one actress playing both twins since there’s a particular artificiality about it. The big frustration comes from a protagonist whose actions we are so against: She is warned that the woods will create illusions to trick her into despair but she falls for it every time. It all leads to a downer of a finale, and a kiss- off jump scare that leaves you shaking your head. Southbound. Starring: Kate Beahan, Matt Bettinelli- Olpin, Chad Villella, Kristina Pesic. Directors: Radio Silence, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath. Released: February 5, 2. Seen It- On and off a stretch of desert highway, five sets of sinning characters encounter a reckoning at the hands of demonic- locals and floating soul- reapers. They include three stranded rock chicks who accept a night with an unsettling ’5. The desert setting is used to strong atmospheric effect, with its rundown motels and empty gas stations. The John Carpenter- inspired 8. The first two segments are creepy and intriguing. But the long- winded hospital- torture sequence that follows turns out to be pointless and the idea of characters being killed for their past sins gets repetitive (being unoriginal to begin with – see also this year’s . For an anthology there’s a remarkably consistent look and tone going from one director’s segment to the next – anthologies typically feel like short films thrown together, often with wildly different levels of quality and the sense that the directors are competing with each other (see last year’s . The result is that it all exists within the same universe. The ending ties in quite nicely with an earlier event but still too much is left unexplained, from what the father did to the girl, why innocents are harmed, to the cafe shaking at the start etc, and there could have been much stronger overlap in the connections between the characters, instead of being randoms dropping in and out. A decent time but expected more. Cameras (aka . But far more concerning is their revolting, monosyllabic landlord, who has been spying and perving on them using tiny cameras hidden around the property. And just what is he doing in the locked basement? However seeing him shuffle around and grunting on film isn’t as effective as it could have been – in the final analysis he’s not frightening enough. Instead the movie is overtaken by the subplot of the husband (physically reminiscent of Mark Zuckerberg) cheating on his pregnant wife. That subplot is well acted, nuanced and shot, but it’s not what we came to see and its resolution is abrupt. Combine this with the violence being tame or off- screen and you feel they should have had the balls to go the full horror route. They could have nudged the Slumlord character into being one of the horror greats. The Boy. Starring: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle. Director: William Brent Bell. Released: January 2. Seen It- A young American woman (Lauren Cohan, . After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing events lead her to believe the doll might be alive. She’ll need the help of the local grocery delivery man (Rupert Evans, . It’s an old fashioned film with a particularly slow build up, though off- kilter scenes like the elderly parents adoring the doll, and the nanny growing emotionally closer to it, make it rather watchable. Still, there’s little more than hints and suggestions right until the last 2. By then curiosity over whether it will be a moving doll (Chucky) or a stationary doll (Annabelle) is as peaked as it can be, for which the film deserves credit. But when things go in the direction they do for the last 2. It also obliterates the tension in what had been, until then, an enjoyable and atmospheric piece. Horror Movies 2. 01. Place) > Horror Movies 2. Pages: 1 2. 34. 5.
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