Exploring a Memorable Decade for the Genre
By Chris Sabga
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| 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?
