A lot of horror fans will say the 1980s was the genre's golden period. Slasher movies bloomed, creature features made a substantial comeback thanks to advancements in practical effects, and gallows humor was common. Filmmakers put their blood, sweat, and tears into movies now considered horror classics, but what of those those titles that came and went without as much fanfare.
Plenty of '80s horror features didn't get the attendance or respect they deserved. In this day and age when fans look back on what may be the genre's most gilded time, they recognize those films deserving of a second look. Luckily, a good lot of them are included with Amazon Prime subscriptions right now.
The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)
East meets West in this horror movie set in Japan. The finished product is bizarre but not unwatchable. It all starts with an American family moving to Japan and into a house with a sordid history; the lingering and ancient spirits there feed on the new residents' emotions and sexualities.
While Kevin Connor's The House Where Evil Dwells is a product of its time, there is without a doubt a unique story here with just enough quirkiness to make it worth a watch.
Screamtime (1983)
Anthology movies never go out of fashion even if they're less popular these days. Screamtime is a charming British offering composed of three segments and a wraparound; the middle story "Dream House" was produced prior to the movie as a supplement to other theatrical features like The Evil Dead.
As with many horror anthologies, the quality ebbs and flows, but Screamtime is overall a good time. They don't get much kookier than a Judy and Punch puppet becoming sentient and homicidal, a murder house trapping its new occupants in a terrifying time loop, and a house guarded by naughty lawn gnomes.
Ninja III: The Domination (1984)
At first glance, Ninja III: The Domination does not look like a horror movie, but as with a lot of low-budget genre features in the '80s, there was bound to be a crossover effect. This movie is a in-name-only sequel where the characters and events are self-contained. However, all three movies share director Sam Firstenberg and legendary martial artist Shō Kosugi.
The film centers on Lucinda Dickey's character, an aerobics instructor, who becomes possessed by a ninja warrior killed by the police. Using the woman's body as a vessel, the ninja then takes revenge in the bloodiest way possible. Ninja III is a martial-arts spectacle in the best way possible.
The Zero Boys (1986)
Young paintballers go out to an empty cabin in the woods to celebrate a victory in Nico Mastorakis' taut thriller The Zero Boys. The characters don't realize they've entered dangerous territory inhabited by sadistic locals. Using their paintball tactics, the protagonists fight back in hopes of escaping.
Much like the underseen 1977 Canadian survival-horror Rituals, the backwoods antagonists remain in the shadows and off screen for most of the film's runtime. They finally appear toward the conclusion, and it's a harrowing confrontation for everyone involved.
Sorority House Massacre (1986)
Sorority House Massacre is one of the few horror movies directed by a woman in the 1980s. It's often ed off as a Halloween copycat, but Carol Frank's tense film adds a dash of A Nightmare on Elm Street to differentiate itself from other slashers coming out around the same time.
A sorority house's newest member, Angela, has a dark past and it's coming back to haunt her. For Angela has a psychic connection with her brother Bobby; he's currently living in a psychiatric hospital because he murdered his entire family except for Angela. Except now Bobby wants to finish what he started, and he's on his way to Angela's sorority house for a fateful reunion.
Nomads (1986)
Before Pierce Brosnan was James Bond and after he was Remington Steele, the actor had a part in the very odd horror movie Nomads. Brosnan plays a French anthropologist who is brought into Dr. Flax's (Lesley-Anne Down) hospital in Los Angeles; he whispers something cryptic to his doctor before dying. From there, Down's character becomes obsessed with the message and how it's changing her from the inside out. Everything happening to her now has to do with spiritual traditions the Frenchman was studying overseas.
Nomads is a peculiar film with a hypnotic quality to its story and visuals. As unintentionally funny as it can be, John McTiernan's movie can also be very unsettling.
Stripped to Kill (1987)
Katt Shea, who directed The Rage: Carrie 2, delivered a moody slasher with just enough style to mask its innate sleaziness. The movie follows a spate of murders surrounding the dancers at a night club and the two detectives assigned to the case. Kay Lenz reluctantly goes undercover as a dancer to get close to the potential victims, as well as rule any of them out as suspects. Little does she know, the killer is someone she'd never expect.
Stripped to Kill, followed by a sequel two years later, is approached more seriously than not. The dancers' choreography is impressive and stylishly shot, and the daring chase scene toward the end will make audiences hold their breath.
The Nest (1988)
Julie Corman, wife of Roger Corman, produced one of the eighties' best pest horrors and not enough people know that. Director Terence H. Winkless was in charge of this nasty bug flick where no one is spared the horrific consequences of messing with nature. An island town is quickly becoming overrun by a special breed of cockroach; one that eats flesh. This prolific and mutant species is set to become the area's newest apex predator.
The Nest is gruesome and, at times, hard to stomach with its visceral visuals. Those who love especially grisly creature features will find joy in the movie's ghastly special effects and cockroach carnage.
Grandmother's House (1989)
Grandmother's House pulls the rug out from the audience's feet at the last second. Before that, it seems like a standard mystery movie revolving around young people. Don't be fooled as this movie gets dark in the third act.
Peter Rader's adolescent horror movie sees two siblings, David and Lynn, moving in with their grandparents after their father dies. Whatever little memory they have of their mother when they were kids is virtually gone. Now, though, David thinks something weird is going on in his grandparents' home — maybe even murder.
Stepfather II (1989)
Terry O'Quinn reprises his iconic role as the titular villain in Stepfather II. The follow-up was panned by critics and did poorly at the box office, but despite its shortcomings, this sequel is more than satisfactory as both a continuation and a slasher movie.
O'Quinn escapes his psychiatric hold after the events of the 1987 movie and hides in plain sight. Now as "Gene," he pretends to be a therapist in a suburb of Los Angeles, and he finds another single mother to marry and then eventually murder when she and her child don't live up to his impossible standards. Meg Foster and Jonathan Brandis have the displeasure of playing Gene's latest victims.
