Older horror movies you should check out!
Silver Bullet (1985)
From IMDB: In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.
One of my favorite werewolf movies, this adaptation of Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf novella starred Gary Busey and Corey Haim as they tried to solve the brutal murders happening in their town. The movie had a great cast of characters (Terry O’Quinn was fantastic as the sheriff), and the wolf, while cheesy by today’s standards, was quite impressive for the mid 90s. This is a must watch if you’re looking for a classic during the Halloween season
Shocker (1989)
From IMDB: After being sent to the electric chair, a serial killer uses electricity to come back from the dead and carry out his vengeance on the football player who turned him in to the police.
This terrifying film follows brutal serial killer Horace Pinker as he’s tracked and ultimately caught by police and sentenced to death by the electric chair. But after his execution, Pinker becomes something even more electrifying! The film stars Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files, Law & Order, Supernatural) as the killer, and he did a believable job portraying the sadistic Pinker. The film was ruthless from the beginning, with strong characters and a plot that was easy to follow (for a horror movie). One of my all time favorites growing up, this is near the top of the list of horror films that should have had a sequel. It also had a badass soundtrack!
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
From IMDB: Bunks and showers are a mad stabber’s beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.
If you are looking for the epitome of cheesy 80s slasher/horror, you can’t miss with this classic. A summer camp filled with some of the most cliche teenagers behaving about as horribly as one could imagine becomes the killing ground for an unknown psychopath who picks them off one at a time. The acting is awful and the dialogue is cringe at times, but that is what makes this film so entertaining! Not to mention, the twist at the end had everyone talking! Oh, and Felissa Rose (Angela) always attends horror conventions and is so cool in person!
The Stepfather (1987)
From IMDB: After murdering his entire family, a man marries a widow with a teenage daughter in another town and prepares to do it all over again.
Not to be mistaken by the blah remake in 2009, the original Stepfather starred Terry O’Quinn (Lost, Young Guns, Silver Bullet) as the perfectly calm psychopath trying to find the perfect, already made family to join up with. But whenever things go wrong, he wipes them out and starts over. The tension throughout the film surrounded whether or not his new family will survive, if they will figure out what he is, and if the relative of the last family he murdered catches up to him. This movie spawned two mediocre sequels, but this one is definitely worth a watch you’re an 80s slasher fan.
The Frighteners (1996)
From IMDB: After a tragic car accident that kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead, and he uses that gift to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead.
One of my favorite guilty pleasure horror flicks form the 90s is this fun film about a guy who earns a living off (and exploits) the fact that he can see ghosts. Michael J. Fox was brilliant as were all the supporting characters. His “ghost family” were hilarious (John Astin as “The Judge” was incredible). but the darker element (“Death” killing random people) was a chilling plot line that connected to Fox’s character, and he has to stop it before more people are murdered. This movie has the perfect mix of horror and comedy.
Dr. Giggles (1992)
FROM IMDB: A madman who believes he’s a doctor comes to the town where his crazy father was killed, and soon begins murdering people and becoming infatuated with a teenage girl who has a heart condition.
This film is simply guilty pleasure horror for me. When there are no supernatural elements, and it’s just an old school serial killer/slasher flick, you will usually pull me in. Larry Drake is phenomenal as the psychotic “Dr. Giggles,” the insane son of a disgraced doctor who goes on a rampage after escaping from the hospital and returning to his hometown. I wouldn’t really call this a comedy-horror film, but it certainly has its humorous moments. The film also includes a young Holly Marie Combs (Charmed).
Maniac Cop (1988)
FROM IMDB: A killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City.
Although best known as Ash, the chainsaw-handed fighter of the Deadites in the Evil Dead franchise, Bruce Campbell also battled a dead cop in the first two films of this campy horror series. Along with horror legend Tom Atkins, this movie centered on the thought-dead Matt Cordell, a former police officer who was framed by crooked politicians before being left for dead in prison. He exacts his revenge on everyone in the city in the most brutal of manners. If you are looking for something with a true 80s horror feel, Maniac Cop is one to check out.
Fright Night (1985)
FROM IMDB: A teenager believes that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire. He turns to an actor in a television horror show for help to deal with the undead.
Vampire movies aren’t always as great as they could be. There have been some real sparkling dumpster fires over the past four decades, but the original Fright Night remains one of the best vampire flicks out there. It’s a really simple concept, too. A teenage horror fanatic thinks a vampire has moved in next door, but nobody believes him. So he enlists a TV “vampire hunter” to help, not knowing this actor is just playing a role. This is pure 80s camp with some great kill scenes and authentic jump scares that will satisfy fans of the genre.
They Live (1988)
FROM IMDB: They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.
A cult classic today, this clever little horror tale stars the late former pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper in by far his greatest acting role. A drifter, Piper’s character comes upon a strange pair of sunglasses that helps him see the world in a way “they” didn’t want anyone to see. The aliens are here, and they have integrated themselves into everyday human life, but they have a sinister plot to take over the world (isn’t that always the way?). One of the most iconic lines in horror cinema came from this film – “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.”
High Spirits (1988)
From IMDB: When a hotelier attempts to fill the chronic vacancies at his castle by launching an advertising campaign that falsely portrays the property as haunted, two actual ghosts show up and end up falling for two guests.
Not exactly horror (it’s actually more of a dark comedy), this fun little romp features a slew of known actors (Peter O’Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D’Angelo, Daryl Hannah, and Liam Neeson) who hang around a haunted castle where the real ghosts take center stage over the fake ones perpetuated by the owners who are trying to keep the place running. It’s a fun movie and one that didn’t seem to get the recognition it deserved when it was released. I can’t recall if I saw this in theaters, but once I had a copy on VHS, I watched it over and over.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
From IMDB: Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.
I don’t remember the first time I saw this movie, but I am pretty sure it was my introduction to werewolf horror. Over the last four decades since this movie’s release, there have been few werewolf films that live up to this classic monster tale. I’ll mention a couple of those better ones later on, but this tale of a couple of Americans backpacking through London takes an unexpected turn when they are forced out of a bar in the middle of the night while being given an ominous warning:. “Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors.” What comes next is a series of gruesome werewolf attacks, which for 1981, looked pretty impressive on screen. Although the 1997 sequel An American Werewolf in Paris is watchable, it doesn’t hold a candle to this classic.
Jason X (2001)
From IMDB: Jason Voorhees is cryogenically frozen at the beginning of the 21st century, and is discovered in the 25th century and taken to space. He gets thawed, and begins stalking and killing the crew of the spaceship that’s transporting him.
Filmed in 1999, the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th series didn’t get its official release until two years later (although it was leaked online briefly). “Jason in Space” has been brutalized by critics over the years (even worse than earlier installments), but I actually enjoyed it! You can’t go into a Jason Voorhees flick expecting an award winning masterpiece. You go in for some fun and nostalgia of seeing one of the most iconic horror characters of all time. Jason fighting the android was a fun time, and even watching him fly around through space was pretty cool. Plus, this is the final appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason, as the Freddy vs. Jason film foolishly recast the role.
Phantoms (1998)
From IMDB: In the peaceful town of Snowfield, Colorado something evil has wiped out the community. And now, its up to a group of people to stop it, or at least get out of Snowfield alive.
“Affleck was the BOMB in Phantoms!” – Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
And yes, he certainly was. Based on the Dean Koontz novel and starring a surprisingly high number of known actors (Affleck, Peter O’Toole, Liev Schreiber, and Rose McGowan), this thriller about a town obliterated by an ancient evil has everything you need from a dark, chilling horror movie. I always enjoy a plot in which the main characters are trapped somewhere with no way of escaping except to fight back.
Strangeland (1998)
FROM IMDB: A detective pursues a sadist specializing in body modification rituals who lures teenagers through the internet.
I grew up listening to 80s hair metal, but one band that pre-dated the 80’s rock craze was Twisted Sister, with lead singer Dee Snider. When I first saw that Snider was making a horror movie that also starred Robert Englund, I was psyched! And the movie did not disappoint. The Captain Howdy character was twisted (no pun intended … or maybe it was), and the house of horrors he had created is the stuff of nightmares. This was also a very important PSA from the early days of the internet – not everyone is who they say they are online. I was really hoping for a sequel to this one. The cast also included Amy Smart (Varsity Blues, The Butterfly Effect), Elizabeth Pena (Lone Star), and Linda Cardellini (Scooby Doo, Dead to Me).
Amityville: Dollhouse (1996)
FROM IMDB: A children’s doll house, which is a miniature of the infamous haunted Long Island house, is given to a young girl where the demonic evil soon comes out to cause more terror.
Okay, so this isn’t a hidden gem in the way that it’s an awesome movie. It’s a hidden gem in that it’s one of the most godawful films ever made! It’s one of those horror movies that’s so bad that you have to watch it just for that reason. Seriously, the laughs you’ll get from this film are worth the time you spend watching it. Apparently this dollhouse is a cursed replica of the original Amityville house, but there is no explanation as to why it’s sitting in some random shed and why it is cursed. There have been some lousy sequels in the horror genre, but this little doozy is near the top as one that is so bad it’s almost good.
House (1985)
FROM IMDB: A troubled writer moves into a haunted house after inheriting it from his aunt.
William Katt (The Greatest American Hero), George Wendt (Cheers), and Richard Moll (Night Court) star in this haunted house thriller about a writer trying to find his missing son and knowing that his dead aunt’s old house is the key to finding him. This is somewhat of a comedy/horror, and there are just enough laughs and scares for everyone. The ghouls are magnificently ghastly, and the story is compelling. I always love when I see this movie available to stream. Plus, seeing Norm and Bull outside their sitcoms is pretty cool!
April Fools Day (1986)
FROM IMDB: Nine college students staying at a friend’s remote island mansion begin to fall victim to an unseen murderer over the April Fool’s Day weekend, but nothing is as it seems.
From the shrieks to the scary music, to the jump scares, this film screams 1980s horror! So, a bunch of college kids go out for one big blow off weekend at a friend’s place on the islands when people suddenly go missing. We’ve got young people having fun, a location that they can’t escape from, a bizarre personality change from the main character, and a twist at the end that was NOT what you’d expect from an 80s slasher film. You might recognize some of the actors including Thomas F. Wilson (Biff from Back to the Future) and Deborah Foreman (Valley Girl). This one is permanently planted on my annual October Halloween movie watching list.
The Relic (1997)
FROM IMDB: A homicide detective and an anthropologist try to destroy a South American lizard-like god, who’s on a people eating rampage in a Chicago museum.
A monster that feeds (and mutates) off human brains and South American leaves is about to take over a city if it escapes the museum to which it is encompassed. I liked the aura of this film, and the fact that it takes place in an enclosed (albeit large) space makes for a better film than if the being was running amok over an entire city. The characters are pretty solid (Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, and Linda Hunt lead the cast), and the scares are plentiful. If you are a fan of monster movies, do yourself a favor and give this one a try.
DeepStar Six (1989)
FROM IMDB: A team of navy personnel stationed at a temporary base at the bottom of the ocean and tasked with setting up nuclear missiles discovers a huge underwater cavern which houses a giant prehistoric creature.
From director Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13th), this little cult classic has always been one of my favorites. The crew of an experimental underwater nuclear base crosses paths with a sub-aquatic monster that begins targeting them for extinction after a mishandled test of their equipment. The film is pretty intense, and some of the deaths are quite gruesome. You really started wondering how they were going to kill the thing and if anyone would survive. The film stars some recognizable faces such as Miguel Ferrer, Taurean Blacque, and Cindy Pickett. Fans of Jaws or other aquatic monsters should give this one a go. It is highly entertaining!
Eric Woods, Author 