Best horror film of the 80s

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

so many to chose from, several on the list i haven't seen but from what I have seen,

Hellraiser
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Friday the 13th
The Thing
The Fly
An American Werewolf in London


plus all the Steven King movies

The Shinning
Pet Semetary
Children of the Corn
Cujo
Christine
Creepshow
Silver Bullet
Firestarter

At last a vote for Hellraiser! I'm a big fan, too bad Barker stopped making films.

 

[montreal]

At last a vote for Hellraiser! I'm a big fan, too bad Barker stopped making films.

as a kid of the '80's that movie was a bit scary and I remember when A Nightmare on Elm Street came out it and it had some buzz for being scary as I was 9 at the time so scary movies were cool to me back then. The one that scared me the most was The Fog (1980), of course I was real young when that one came out.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

as a kid of the '80's that movie was a bit scary and I remember when A Nightmare on Elm Street came out it and it had some buzz for being scary as I was 9 at the time so scary movies were cool to me back then. The one that scared me the most was The Fog (1980), of course I was real young when that one came out.

I'm of the same generation and got similar experience, except I wasn't as high profile. The films that really scared the shit out of me as a kid were Death Ship and Cathy's Curse (Une si gentille petite fille, shot in Montreal!). Even to this day, I have a hard time with the atmosphere of these films and they create a real malaise for me. The high profile ones were just fun rides.

 

[montreal]

I'm of the same generation and got similar experience, except I wasn't as high profile. The films that really scared the **** out of me as a kid were Death Ship and Cathy's Curse (Une si gentille petite fille, shot in Montreal!). Even to this day, I have a hard time with the atmosphere of these films and they create a real malaise for me. The high profile ones were just fun rides.

never heard of either but looked them and saw that I can watch Death Ship for free on tubi so I put it my que to watch at some point as it sounds interesting. I'm not into horror movies once I got a little older back then say around my teenage years but will check it out anyway.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

never heard of either but looked them and saw that I can watch Death Ship for free on tubi so I put it my que to watch at some point as it sounds interesting. I'm not into horror movies once I got a little older back then say around my teenage years but will check it out anyway.

They are both pretty bad. There's a thousand better films you can watch before that!!

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I'm of the same generation and got similar experience, except I wasn't as high profile. The films that really scared the **** out of me as a kid were Death Ship and Cathy's Curse (Une si gentille petite fille, shot in Montreal!). Even to this day, I have a hard time with the atmosphere of these films and they create a real malaise for me. The high profile ones were just fun rides.

So this post nearly solved a long time mystery for me, but not quite. Then it occurred to me this might be just the forum to pose this question. I remember a scene from a movie that absolutely terrified me. I only saw it once but it seared itself into my brain. Never knew the movie. I was probably around 10 at the time give or take a year or two. It was late night on cable. My guess is that the movie was made in the 70s or early 80s.

What I remember is this:

1. Glowing green eyes

2. A scene where someone walks down a flight of stairs in a nice house. A statue at the top of the bannister (possibly a Devil, definitely something holding a forked implement) breaks off and falls, stabbing the person at the bottom of the steps.

3. Some sort of possession/telekinetic type movie

Devil/possession stuff really used to get to me as a kid. So I think it had ties to that, though I could be wrong. It’s really weird to me. I remember those small details (assuming I am remembering correct), but not much else. I changed the channel.

I’ve never been able to identify it.

When I saw your post, I thought it might be Cathy’s Curse ... which has glowing eyes ... but watching the preview, it didn’t look right.

Do these vague details ring a bell with anyone?

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

So this post nearly solved a long time mystery for me, but not quite. Then it occurred to me this might be just the forum to pose this question. I remember a scene from a movie that absolutely terrified me. I only saw it once but it seared itself into my brain. Never knew the movie. I was probably around 10 at the time give or take a year or two. It was late night on cable. My guess is that the movie was made in the 70s or early 80s.

What I remember is this:

1. Glowing green eyes

2. A scene where someone walks down a flight of stairs in a nice house. A statue at the top of the bannister (possibly a Devil, definitely something holding a forked implement) breaks off and falls, stabbing the person at the bottom of the steps.

3. Some sort of possession/telekinetic type movie

Devil/possession stuff really used to get to me as a kid. So I think it had ties to that, though I could be wrong. It’s really weird to me. I remember those small details (assuming I am remembering correct), but not much else. I changed the channel.

I’ve never been able to identify it.

When I saw your post, I thought it might be Cathy’s Curse ... which has glowing eyes ... but watching the preview, it didn’t look right.

Do these vague details ring a bell with anyone?

This would need a thread on itself... Remember anything else? I should be able to help, but my memory isn't what it used to be. At first, I thought it was something with Burgess Meredith, Burnt Offerings or The Sentinel, but doesn't seem to fit. And then thought of Mausoleum, where you've got no statue, but a stair scene with glowing green eyes (37:35 - the eyes are glowing a lot more in other scenes, see 52:19). I doubt it would have been playing on TV though, but it was afterall different times...

 

[Mimsy]

I was going to suggest "The Sentinel" for the 70s thread. Problem is, I haven't seen it. I've been reading up on the movie a lot lately after seeing it referenced in a Twitter politics thread of all places. I almost went for a blind buy and then didn't. Impressive cast.

The 80s poll is hard. I'm torn between "The Thing", which I selected, and the first "Evil Dead" (even though II is better), "An American Werewolf in London", and Hellraiser (also a fan of Hellraiser II). I'm likely voting for "An American Werewolf in London", as it scared me mightily at the time. I was thankful for every comic relief scene.

Props for including "The Company of Wolves". I'm soft on it. It'll make my fantasy list for sure.

 

[Fantomas]

Nice to see a nod to The Changeling. A really good flick.

Love, really love both The Shining and The Thing. More than my own children.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

This would need a thread on itself... Remember anything else? I should be able to help, but my memory isn't what it used to be. At first, I thought it was something with Burgess Meredith, Burnt Offerings or The Sentinel, but doesn't seem to fit. And then thought of Mausoleum, where you've got no statue, but a stair scene with glowing green eyes (37:35 - the eyes are glowing a lot more in other scenes, see 52:19). I doubt it would have been playing on TV though, but it was afterall different times...

I’ve come across Mausoleum before in my research. The eyes are definitely there and the mausoleum building kinda feels familiar but I don’t think that’s it. Looks too gory. Or at least far gorier than I remember. The images in my head aren’t gory ... but definitely disturbed me.

As I’m thinking more there might be a stone idol or stature of some sort that’s eyes glow green ... perhaps I’m getting that thing confused with whatever I think was at the top of the stairs.

But that is very distinct in my mind ... the sharp statute/implement falling and stabbing someone in the back.

Of course this whole search is hinging on my pre-teen memory of something I saw once 30 years ago. I could be mixing different things or misremembering.

But my mind still sees glowing green eyes and a statute/idol thing killing someone by falling from the top of a staircase.

 

[The don godfather]

The shining by a landslide. Kubrick pure genius

 

[Stylizer1]

Basket Case was so funny.

 

[montreal]

not to go off topic but has anyone seen the documentary about the Shinning, Room 237 (2012). It's f***ing nuts, I was really high when I saw and I missed the start of it but it blew my mind with how in depth their theories were about the movie. Some cool stuff and some very far out there stuff involving Kubrick.

 

[firewagonHOCKEY]

Any of the EVIL DEAD movies. Love Bruce Campbell.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Really surprised Possession is still at 0. Top-5 material for me here.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Really surprised Possession is still at 0. Top-5 material for me here.

I wonder how widely seen it is. Unforgettable if you have.

 

[Straight Fire]

Pet Sematary (1989) would have been first on the list for me. If it can still be added it should IMO. Scariest of the bunch.

But I put Evil Dead II and The Shining in the top spots. The Thing, Evil Dead I, Halloween, Cannibal Hollocost and Friday the 13th were all in the running though.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Pet Sematary (1989) would have been first on the list for me. If it can still be added it should IMO. Scariest of the bunch.

But I put Evil Dead II and The Shining in the top spots. The Thing, Evil Dead I, Halloween, Cannibal Corpse and Friday the 13th were all in the running though.

Added Pet Semetary. I guess you meant Cannibal Holocaust, also top-5 material from this list for me.

I've got The Shining and Videodrome as easy picks, but after that The Thing, Possession, Cannibal Holocaust (and I'd add Amityville II: The Possession to the mix) can go 3-6 in pretty much any order.

 

[member 157595]

Pet Sematary (1989) would have been first on the list for me. If it can still be added it should IMO. Scariest of the bunch.

But I put Evil Dead II and The Shining in the top spots. The Thing, Evil Dead I, Halloween, Cannibal Corpse and Friday the 13th were all in the running though.

 

[Fantomas]

I saw Xtro as a kid and I'm pretty sure it f***ed me up a bit. Scary and quite disgusting.

Haven't seen it since.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I saw Xtro as a kid and I'm pretty sure it ****ed me up a bit. Scary and quite disgusting.

Haven't seen it since.

Very dark film, and yeah quite disturbing. Too bad the sequel was complete cheese.

 

[Straight Fire]

Added Pet Semetary. I guess you meant Cannibal Holocaust, also top-5 material from this list for me.

I've got The Shining and Videodrome as easy picks, but after that The Thing, Possession, Cannibal Holocaust (and I'd add Amityville II: The Possession to the mix) can go 2-6 in pretty much any order.

Oops, yeah meant Cannibal Hollocaust, thx.

I don't remember Amityville II: The Possession, but I'm sure I've seen it. I'll have to get and dig that up somewhere.

Also, just finished (like 2 days ago) binge watching The Nightmare on Elm Street 1-7 movies. A couple of things on that, is that the first 5 were made one year apart from 1984 to 1989. That has to be a record for fastest first 5 of a franchise. The first 6 were made in 7 years (also possibly a record), and the first 7 in 10 years (maybe a record too).

Beyond that, I found the first 4 enjoyable, with the original being probably the best still (a common trait of franchises). I also forgot Johnny Depp was in the original, which was cool (he acted well as usual). But after that the franchise got annoying to me. It went from being relatively easy to follow with decent scares here and there, to completely convoluted, self-aggrandizing, bad CGI-reliant, poorly constructed plots taking bits and pieces from past episodes, and on on I could go. But, I suffered through anyway. Kind of glad I went through them as I'm not sure I watched every one before (except the final two, which I have seen). Anyway, I digress.

Oh, and btw, I actually liked the Pet Sematary sequals, particularly Pet Sematary II from 1992.

 

[kihei]

It wouldn't change my vote but Cronenberg's Dead Ringers with Jeremy Irons should definitely get an acknowledgement.

 

[Zodiac]

So this post nearly solved a long time mystery for me, but not quite. Then it occurred to me this might be just the forum to pose this question. I remember a scene from a movie that absolutely terrified me. I only saw it once but it seared itself into my brain. Never knew the movie. I was probably around 10 at the time give or take a year or two. It was late night on cable. My guess is that the movie was made in the 70s or early 80s.

What I remember is this:

1. Glowing green eyes

2. A scene where someone walks down a flight of stairs in a nice house. A statue at the top of the bannister (possibly a Devil, definitely something holding a forked implement) breaks off and falls, stabbing the person at the bottom of the steps.

3. Some sort of possession/telekinetic type movie

Devil/possession stuff really used to get to me as a kid. So I think it had ties to that, though I could be wrong. It’s really weird to me. I remember those small details (assuming I am remembering correct), but not much else. I changed the channel.

I’ve never been able to identify it.

When I saw your post, I thought it might be Cathy’s Curse ... which has glowing eyes ... but watching the preview, it didn’t look right.

Do these vague details ring a bell with anyone?

possibly Suspiria?

 

[montreal]

Dead Ringers was decent due to Jeremy Irons being such a great actor imo.