Horror Movies I Grew Up With: The 1980s

Exploring a Memorable Decade for the Genre

By Chris Sabga

Oh yes, that's George Clooney!

I was in a film class a few years ago when the professor started running down the 1980s as a bad decade for movies. Needless to say, her words left me in a state of deep shock. How could this be? The '80s were great. Okay, they weren't the '70s, where so many classic films and directors emerged; and they weren't the '90s, which was the period of the indie renaissance. But I'll forever defend the '80s as an underrated decade for movies. Perhaps no genre was better represented in those years than horror. Here are some of my favorite fright flicks from childhood:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (series – 1984-1994): A demented boogeyman goes around killing teenagers, but only in their dreams. Was I afraid to go to sleep afterward? Not at all! Freddy Krueger was cool. He had claws on his hands! I always wanted a Freddy costume for Halloween, but my parents said no. (They were probably right.) Ironically, the series became more kid-friendly as it progressed: Freddy was funnier by the third film. But I first discovered Freddy when he was still "scary." I saw the first two movies when I was only in the second grade. A friend recommended them to me. (What the hell were two 7 or 8-year-olds doing staying up late to watch stuff like this?) The series had its ups and downs, but I made sure to see all of them. My favorite: "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare." Poor Carlos!

The Fly (1986): My sister still can't bear to watch Jeff Goldblum in anything. His transformation in "The Fly" from man to mutation after an experiment gone awry is just that good, disturbing, and chilling. With great acting by Goldblum and Geena Davis, and even better makeup and effects, "The Fly" is one of the greatest remakes of all time – and one of the most memorable horror movies of the '80s.

Phantasm II (1988): The "Tall Man" from the first film is back. I jumped into this series with this sequel, and truth be told, it's still the only one I've seen. When you're a kid, you're able to fill in the blanks and be more open-minded. I didn't feel like I'd missed anything. Watching it seemed like being in a waking nightmare – a delirious fever dream. It ranks among the coolest horror experiences of the '80s. It definitely left an impression on me.

The Lost Boys (1987): Today's teenage vampires – such as the ones in the "Twilight" saga – are moody little pretty boys who sparkle. I weep for the current youth of America. "The Lost Boys" was one of the first modern teen vampire films – if not the first – and it's still one of the best. These vampires were cool, dangerous, even a little bit scary. They didn't shine in the yellow sunlight – they shed red blood when it was pitch black, and they loved it. "Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." That was the advertising tagline for "The Lost Boys" and it's one of the most memorable of all time – and the movie itself lives up to it in every way.

Howling V: The Rebirth (1989): Don't expect Oscar-caliber acting, Oscar-caliber directing, or Oscar-caliber anything from this "Rebirth" to the "Howling" film franchise. Truthfully, I can't remember if I've ever seen any of the others, or whether this ties into those, but I doubt it matters much. The premise: A group of people are stuck together in an old castle, and one of them is the wolf. As the death toll deepens, so does the mystery. "Howling V" seems to be a loose take on the Agatha Christie novel "Ten Little Indians." A classic framework like that is almost impossible to screw up. Some stories just work no matter what, as this "adaptation" of sorts proves even with the barest of budgets.

Return to Horror High (1987): The dilapidated venue I saw this in – a rundown mall movie theater that had seen much better days – probably made this seem scarier than it actually was. I haven't revisited it since childhood, so I can't tell you how it holds up now. Somehow, I doubt it will have the same effect on me. I'd love to be able to claim that I noticed future megastar George Clooney and predicted great things for him based on his role here, but that would be a lie. I was only 8 years old at the time, and really, George probably wasn't exactly given Oscar-worthy material to work with. For years, I didn't even know if there was an original "Horror High" movie. (There was, but the two – oddly enough – appear to be completely unrelated.) I'll watch this again one day – if I dare.

Fright Night Part II (1988): I suspect this film has very few defenders, which is a shame, because it's actually the rare of example of a sequel that lives up to the original – and surpasses it, if you ask me. (I know I'm in the minority with that viewpoint.) The head vampire in "Part II" – the sister of Chris Sarandon's character from the first – is certainly much easier on the eyes. Ditto for the main character's girlfriend. It also features some pretty solid acting – especially from William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall – and a good script with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

Some honorable mentions:

The Serpent and The Rainbow: The Haitian voodoo setting is deeply unsettling.

Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night II: I vividly remember a chalkboard and letters of the alphabet coming alive – creepy!

The Monster Squad: Technically, I didn't grow up with this – I only saw it for the first time a few years ago, and it's more of a comedy anyway – but it's great fun with some hilarious lines. "Give me the amulet, you bitch!" makes me laugh every time.

Gremlins and Ghostbusters: What list of '80s "horror" movies would be complete without them? You've seen them already, of course. If not, what are you waiting for?

Ben Affleck is the New Batman: The History of the Dark Knight

The Caped Crusader Through the Ages

By Chris Sabga

It's official: Ben Affleck is the new Batman! Based on the nuclear reaction, you'd think the world has gone up in flames. Gotham City may have though.

Affleck is a great director and a decent actor, but I'm having a very hard time picturing him as Batman. After all, his last foray as a superhero – in 2003's "Daredevil" – wasn't exactly a success. Daredevil is an incredible character – a blind man who uses his disabilities to his advantage – but the film was as mediocre and mundane as they come. Affleck certainly doesn't deserve all of the blame for that, but nothing about his performance as Daredevil convinced me that he could tackle the role of the even more iconic Batman.

Bruce Wayne, yes. Batman, no.

Affleck certainly has the looks and charm to portray the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, but the daring, deadly Dark Knight is another story entirely. In that regard, Affleck seems like another George Clooney (1997's "Batman & Robin").

Clooney has repeatedly poked fun at himself for one of the biggest disasters of his career. It's clear that Affleck either didn't seek his advice or chose to ignore it. I can only hope this isn't just a "paycheck role" for Affleck. That would be doing the character and franchise a great disservice.

Reportedly, Affleck's Batman will be an older, wiser, grizzled veteran to Henry Cavill's Superman. There's only one problem with that: Despite an eleven-year age difference, Affleck doesn't look any older than Cavill. Of course, that's nothing a little makeup and hair-dye can't take care of.

Truthfully, I like Ben Affleck, and I'm rooting for him to surprise us all. In order for that to happen though, he is going to have to learn from history. Seven other men put on the cape and cowl before him for live action adaptations of "Batman."

Lewis G. Wilson: Batman (1943 – Serial)

Robert Lowery: Batman and Robin (1949 – Serial)

Raise your hand if you thought Adam West was the first actor to portray Batman on-screen. I certainly did. But two others came before him: Lewis G. Wilson was the first Caped Crusader in 1943, and Robert Lowery followed in his footsteps six years later in 1949. Both serials are readily available on DVD, and episodes can also be found on YouTube.

Adam West: Batman (1966-1968 – TV Series), Batman (1966 – Movie)

Fun, outrageous, and completely campy – Adam West's Batman was a cartoon come-to-life. Generations of Bat-fans grew up on West's version, and it remains just as beloved today as it was when it first aired all the way back in 1966. For over 30 years, West's zany take on Batman was the most famous televised version of the character. But the door was definitely open for a more serious interpretation of the Caped Crusader. That finally happened in 1989.

Michael Keaton: Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992)

At the time, people must have had serious doubts about Keaton's ability to become Batman. On paper, it seems like something that shouldn't have worked at all. By all appearances, Keaton wasn't suave enough to be Bruce or tough enough to be Batman – and yet, somehow, he pulled it off spectacularly. Perhaps the same will be true of Affleck? It helps, of course, that everything else was so perfectly realized. Gotham City came alive – transformed into a dark, atmospheric, stunning metropolis for this movie. Jack Nicholson was brilliant and manic as The Joker; funny, serious, and downright creepy – often all three at the same time. And all of Batman's amazing "toys" – such as the Batmobile – completed the effect. But none of that would have mattered if Keaton himself wasn't equipped for the task. The sequel, "Batman Returns," wasn't nearly as good, but Keaton remains one of the best to ever wear the cape and cowl.   

Val Kilmer: Batman Forever (1995)



If Adam West's Batman had a baby with Keaton's and then they performed an abortion, you might get something like "Batman Forever." Val Kilmer was hardly an extraordinary Bruce Wayne or a great Batman, the villains are barely memorable (Jim Carrey's version of The Riddler has nothing on Frank Gorshin), and the movie is so garish and off-the-rails. Despite all of that, I have a soft spot for it anyway. It's a mess, but an endearing one – to me at least. The same, however, cannot be said for the film that put the Batman franchise on ice for almost a decade.

George Clooney: Batman & Robin (1997)



Where to begin with this wretched train-wreck of a movie? Clooney is an adequate Wayne but can't pull off Batman at all. I fear the same fate will befall Ben Affleck. But at least Affleck won't have to contend with Bat-nipples. Clooney's suit was designed with this "effect" presumably to enhance his "sex appeal," but all it did was make him look like a cloaked clown. Arnold Schwarzenegger is absolutely abysmal as Mr. Freeze – the less said, the better. Neither of their careers took a hit, but Batman retreated to the Batcave until 2005.

Christian Bale: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)



Just as a darker tone was necessary for 1989's "Batman," the same was true when Christopher Nolan was tasked with rebooting the franchise for 2005's "Batman Begins." Over the course of three movies, Nolan and star Christian Bale never wavered from bringing a grittier, more true-to-life Batman to the screen. Instead of a campy Sunday morning strip like the Adam West TV version or a live action comic book like Keaton's 1989 film, this was a far more plausible, down to earth, serious take on Batman. Gotham City finally looked like a real city that real people could live in.

After three exhausting mega-blockbusters, Christian Bale has understandably decided to move on. That brings us back to the current situation – to Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck: Batman vs. Superman – AKA Man of Steel 2 (2015)



Affleck does have a few major elements working in his favor:

Unlike the other seven Batmen who have preceded him, he does not have to carry an entire TV show or film all by himself – "Superman" Henry Cavill will be sharing the load.

Superman and Batman appearing together in the same movie is a massive event. That "gimmick" alone will alleviate some of the pressure from Affleck – much like Mark Ruffalo had an easier time stepping in for Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in "The Avengers" because he had to share the screen with so many others.

Because the movie will not be focused solely on Batman, the man behind the mask isn't quite as important as it normally would be. That doesn't mean Carrot Top could suddenly play Batman and all would be well, but even if Affleck is ill-suited to the role, he is by no means a bad actor.

Still, I'm skeptical and wary. I can't help but think that there were better options available.

Even Affleck's best friend, Matt Damon, would have been preferable – not ideal either, necessarily, but I can sort of picture it.

Since the character is supposed to skew a bit older, my dream pick: Daniel Day-Lewis. There was probably no chance in hell of that happening, but you know you want to see it!

Out of the plausible candidates available, it's hard to really say. Mel Gibson is probably too old now – and he's box office poison for obvious reasons – but he wouldn't be bad, talent-wise. If his Bat-suit had nipples, would they be sugar tits?

Casting a virtual unknown or respected foreign actor – similar to Henry Cavill in "Man of Steel" – might have been the best bet. But since I'd personally want an American actor to play Batman again (I realize neither Gibson or Day-Lewis fit the bill in that regard, but they can pull off the accent convincingly), I'm forced to admit that there aren't too many viable candidates for the role.

If I'm backed against a corner and have to pick someone right now, I'll go with Liev Schreiber.

He's dapper enough to pull off Bruce Wayne and more than tough enough to stalk the streets as Batman.

The 85th Annual Academy Awards: Results and Reactions

The Winners and Surprises

By Chris Sabga

A month ago, I posted the nominees and my predictions, which you can read again by clicking here.

Seth MacFarlane ("Ted," "Family Guy") was the best Oscar host in years. He was charming, funny, and just inappropriate enough give the ceremony a much-needed edge without ever going overboard. The skits involving him and William Shatner as Captain Kirk made for the most hilarious and memorable Oscar opener in a long time.

The heavy amount of music during the ceremony likely pleased some and irritated others. I personally thought there was too much of it – but to be fair, the host did let us know it was going to be a musical evening. Adele and Streisand both performed beautifully.

The tie for Sound Editing was a shocker and made me wonder if something like that could ever happen in the Actor, Actress, or Best Picture categories this year. It has actually happened fives times before, with the most famous example being for two 1968 movies: Katharine Hepburn won Best Actress for "The Lion in Winter" while Barbra Streisand also won for "Funny Girl."

In a night with no truly great speeches, Quentin Tarantino came close with his bizarre but endearing acceptance of the Best Original Screenplay award. Daniel Day-Lewis might have been even weirder, comically playing on his stiff reputation as an intense method actor. It was hard to tell when he was joking – if he was – and when he wasn't. Ben Affleck ended the night on the perfect note with his touching, sincere, and very classy speech for "Argo."

The full results, and my thoughts, are below. The winners are listed in BOLD.

And the Oscars go to...

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Amour: Margaret Ménégoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Michael Katz

Argo: Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney

Beasts of the Southern Wild: Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald

Django Unchained: Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone

Les Misérables: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh

Life of Pi: Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark

Lincoln: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy

Silver Linings Playbook: Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon

Zero Dark Thirty: Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison

Thoughts: My heart was with "Silver Linings Playbook" but there's no denying that "Argo" was an intense, effective thriller that also skillfully blended in bits of comedy. Its most impressive feat was looking like a true period piece, right down to its old-school WB logo at the beginning.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln

Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables

Joaquin Phoenix for The Master

Denzel Washington for Flight

Thoughts: There was never any doubt that this was Daniel Day-Lewis's award to win. His transformation as the 16th President was staggering. This victory also puts Day-Lewis in the history books as the first person ever to win three Best Actor Oscars. Still, part of me was rooting for Bradley Cooper anyway. In any other year, I think it would have been his. Regardless, Cooper has proven to any doubters he may have had (I was never among them) that he's a genuine talent with incredible range.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva for Amour

Quvenzhané Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild

Naomi Watts for The Impossible

Thoughts: At the last minute, I became convinced that "Amour's" Emmanuelle Riva was a lock. Obviously, I was wrong. Lawrence was incredible in "Silver Linings Playbook" and was very much worthy of winning the statuette.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin for Argo

Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook

Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master

Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln

Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

Thoughts: Friends of mine and other media outlets called this one, but it was still a complete shock to me. I was convinced that the race was between De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones. Maybe they split the vote?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams for The Master

Sally Field for Lincoln

Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables

Helen Hunt for The Sessions

Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook

Thoughts: Along with Daniel Day-Lewis, this was probably the least shocking winner. Hathaway was considered all but a given, and to no one's surprise, she won here for her role as Fantine.  

Best Achievement in Directing

Michael Haneke for Amour

Ang Lee for Life of Pi

David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

Steven Spielberg for Lincoln

Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild

Thoughts: Another upset, at least to me, but Lee is a director of great skill. His previous win (for "Brokeback Mountain") and nomination (for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") is a testament to that.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Amour: Michael Haneke

Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino

Flight: John Gatins

Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola

Zero Dark Thirty: Mark Boal

Thoughts: For some reason, this one surprised me. But maybe it shouldn't have. Tarantino has a writing "voice" that's uniquely his, and he was rewarded this year. Part of me was rooting for "Moonrise Kingdom," but with this being its only nomination, it was sadly under-represented at this year's Oscars.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Argo: Chris Terrio

Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin

Life of Pi: David Magee

Lincoln: Tony Kushner

Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell

Thoughts: Another surprise. "Lincoln" and "Silver Linings" were the front-runners in my mind. But there's no doubting what a thrilling ride "Argo" was. Besides, it probably has the most memorable line of any of the movies nominated: "Argo F*** Yourself."

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Brave: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman

Frankenweenie: Tim Burton

ParaNorman: Sam Fell, Chris Butler

The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Peter Lord

Wreck-It Ralph: Rich Moore

Thoughts: I assumed all along that "Brave" would win, and it did. I personally loved "Wreck-It Ralph" though. It was a fantastic love letter to video games. (I was also thrilled to see "Paperman" win in the Best Animated Shorts category. It was shown before "Ralph," and truth be told, it was the better of the two.)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Amour (Austria)

War Witch (Canada)

No (Chile)

A Royal Affair (Denmark)

Kon-Tiki (Norway)

Thoughts: This may have been even more obvious than Day-Lewis's victory. Of course the only foreign film also nominated for Best Picture was going to win in this category.

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Here are the rest of the categories and winners:

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Anna Karenina: Seamus McGarvey

Django Unchained: Robert Richardson

Life of Pi: Claudio Miranda

Lincoln: Janusz Kaminski

Skyfall: Roger Deakins

Best Achievement in Editing

Argo: William Goldenberg

Life of Pi: Tim Squyres

Lincoln: Michael Kahn

Silver Linings Playbook: Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers

Zero Dark Thirty: William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

Best Achievement in Production Design

Anna Karenina: Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, Simon Bright

Les Misérables: Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson

Life of Pi: David Gropman, Anna Pinnock

Lincoln: Rick Carter, Jim Erickson

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Anna Karenina: Jacqueline Durran

Les Misérables: Paco Delgado

Lincoln: Joanna Johnston

Mirror Mirror: Eiko Ishioka

Snow White and the Huntsman: Colleen Atwood

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Hitchcock: Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, Martin Samuel

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Peter King, Rick Findlater, Tami Lane

Les Misérables: Lisa Westcott, Julie Dartnell

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Anna Karenina: Dario Marianelli

Argo: Alexandre Desplat

Life of Pi: Mychael Danna

Lincoln: John Williams

Skyfall: Thomas Newman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Chasing Ice: J. Ralph ("Before My Time")

Les Misérables: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer ("Suddenly")

Life of Pi: Mychael Danna, Bombay Jayshree ("Pi's Lullaby")

Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth ("Skyfall")

Ted: Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane ("Everybody Needs a Best Friend")

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Argo: John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, José Antonio García

Les Misérables: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Simon Hayes

Life of Pi: Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Drew Kunin

Lincoln: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Ron Judkins

Skyfall: Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, Stuart Wilson

Best Achievement in Sound Editing (TIE)

Argo: Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn

Django Unchained: Wylie Stateman

Life of Pi: Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton

Skyfall: Per Hallberg, Karen M. Baker

Zero Dark Thirty: Paul N.J. Ottosson

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

The Avengers: Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, Daniel Sudick

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White

Life of Pi: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald Elliott

Prometheus: Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, Martin Hill

Snow White and the Huntsman: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Phil Brennan, Neil Corbould, Michael Dawson

Best Documentary, Features

5 Broken Cameras: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi

The Gatekeepers: Dror Moreh, Philippa Kowarsky, Estelle Fialon

How to Survive a Plague: David France, Howard Gertler

The Invisible War: Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering

Searching for Sugar Man: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

Inocente: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix

Kings Point: Sari Gilman, Jedd Wider

Mondays at Racine: Cynthia Wade, Robin Honan

Open Heart: Kief Davidson, Cori Shepherd Stern

Redemption: Jon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill

Best Short Film, Animated

Adam and Dog: Minkyu Lee

Fresh Guacamole: PES

Head Over Heels: Timothy Reckart, Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly

Paperman: John Kahrs

The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare: David Silverman

Best Short Film, Live Action

Asad: Bryan Buckley, Mino Jarjoura

Buzkashi Boys: Sam French, Ariel Nasr

Curfew: Shawn Christensen

Death of a Shadow: Tom Van Avermaet, Ellen De Waele

Henry: Yan England