Ten More Underrated ’80s Horror Flicks
Back in 2012, we released a Top Ten List featuring Ten downright ridiculous, yet still criminally underrated Horror movies from the 1980’s. Since the list barely scraped the bottom of the barrel (yes, that barrel’s bottom is caked with nasty flicks), we’ve come back for more because what’s a Horror Movie anything without a sequel, right?
Just because the 80’s are largely considered the most diverse decade of horror decadence, and just because we feel no reason to let you fine folks seek these films out by yourselves, here is yet another handy guide to Ten More Underrated Horror flicks from those ten years of the terrifyingly tacky. Enjoy!
Death Ship (1980)
Why You Need to See This:
Well, it is about a haunted, scary ship and movies like that don’t come around too often. Seeing the boat come to life and, literally, chuck a guy across the open seas with a piece of cable. It’s pretty cool. Spooky belowdecks with moving 1930’s geegaws, creepy German ghosts, and an angry vessel makes this silly film pretty fun.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
We all know Adolf Hitler was a narcissistic shit head, so when the electronics aboard the ship come on in a flurry of screeching and blaring noises accompanied by a film reel of Der Fuhrer literally attacking the hapless survivors… well, that’s just some kind of wacky.
Final Notes:
As scary boat flicks go, this is definitely one of them. And as ghostly German scary boat flicks go… well, you need to see it.
The Prowler (1981)
Why You Need to See This:
Oh boy, where to begin with this one. First off, this film is filled with many deaths brought on by sharp, cutting implements including a bayonet through the skull, a pitchfork to the guts, and a military dagger to the jugular. Then, the gun. It blows a dude’s head literally (seriously, literally) clean off. Sure, it’s a killer dressed as a WWII soldier, but that almost makes it better.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
The aforementioned bayonet to the head is an absolute masterpiece in overkill. You’d think it was going to be pretty epic, and in a way it is, but it is also way, way cheesy.
Final Notes:
This was internationally released as Rosemary’s Killer, which makes a lot of sense considering the main heroine was named Rosemary. Why it was changed besides that, we have no idea.
Basket Case (1982)
Why You Need to See This:
Because it’s a movie about a dude and his removed, once-conjoined twin who lives in a basket. That’s right, he’s named Belial and he’s a big pile of deformed human living with his brother but inside a wicker basket. I can not stress this enough. Also, he wants to kill everyone, especially the doctor who dared separate them.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
Okay, bare with me here. Duane (the brother not in the basket) befriends a nurse in order to get closer to the doctor. Well, when you’re a psychopathic homunculus living in a basket and your attempts at rape (yep) fall short, naturally you kill the nurse. Because horror.
Final Notes:
Rex Reed said, “This is the sickest movie ever made!” and there is very, very good reason for that.
Mortuary (1983)
Why You Need to See This:
Does everyone know what a trocar is? No? Ok, picture a surgical instrument; long, metallic tube through which other things (scissors, clamps) can be guided during a procedure. Okay, now take that tool and make it an embalming instrument and you have one of the most creative weapons used by any killer in any slasher movie. This alone is worth the price of admission.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
At the titular mortuary, we discover Hank and his circus-freak of a son, Paul. He is twisted and really bizarre. Let’s just say when he gets his hands on Christie… well, maybe you should just go check it out for yourself.
Final Notes:
Were you excited about this movie because Michael Berryman is in it? Ya know, that tall, creepy bald dude from The Hills Have Eyes? Yeah, well too bad. He’s only in the trailer.
Razorback (1984)
Why You Need to See This:
Because horror movies featuring animals are amazing, and ones with giant, pissed off pigs are even better. This movie takes place in the wilds of the Australian Outback so you know the locals are lunatics (we love picking on Aussies) and the huge-tusked hogs are completely out of control.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
As ridiculous scenes go, you’d be hard pressed to find more of them in the kills and maulings in this movie. Most of them are caused by the boar’s and their wicked tusks, which isn’t to say that kind of thing can’t happen in real life. But in this flick, the maddened pigs go out of their way to gore groins, throats and generally shred as many people as they can.
Final Notes:
Plot-wise, this movie is wafer thin. It’s filmed like an 80’s music video, and not in a good- Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran kind of way. Fortunately, the ending is pretty easy to predict so it makes enjoying the Razorback’s death that much more rewarding.
The Mutilator (1985)
Why You Need to See This:
Well first off, the tagline on the poster really should be enough to sell you, “By sword, by pick, by axe, bye bye.” That’s just plain amazing. It’s a silly revenge story about a father still pissed that his son accidentally shot his mom while cleaning guns. Ya know, typical stuff. Dad is mad and dad gets revenge.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
Ridiculous, yes. Awesome, also yes. At one point in the movie, the killings take off on a run, and what better place to start that with a disemboweling by an outboard motor. It’s gruesome, it’s gory, and it’s just enough to make you laugh out loud.
Final Notes:
A motor, a pitchfork, a fishing gaff, and an axe. If this movie has one thing going for it (and many will say it does not), it sure has a slew of creative kills with fun weapons!
Slaughter High (1986)
Why You Need to See This:
Not necessarily required viewing, even for the die-hard slasher fans, but Slaughter High has its place. It is, as are most of the 80’s horror genre such as this, a revenge film. It’s also not too different from the other dozen high school flicks featuring killers from the past. But it’s fun and the deaths are pretty original as is the Jester’s mask. And remember, you can’t spell Slaughter without Laughter!
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
Because science geek Marty gets terribly scarred by a jar full of oddly-placed acid, many of his kills (spoilers: he’s the Jester, but trust me, it is really obvious from go so I’m not spoiling much) are done using acid. One of which, in particular, features good old Ted and the loss of his stomach. Enjoy!
Final Notes:
If you like tales of bullied nerds getting their comeuppance then this movie is exactly that. If you prefer you slasher flicks full of silly weapons, ex-students still as horny as ever, and a lot of screaming… well, then this movie is also for you.
Nekromantik (1987)
Why You Need to See This:
Well, ‘need’ might be a strong word. Hell, ‘want’ kinda makes you look like a weirdo, but the fact is this movie exists and seeing it once is probably enough. If you break down the title and catch even a passing glimpse of the movie poster, you’ll get the idea of just what this movie is about. If you guessed sex with corpses (not all of which are whole), then you’d be exactly right. Prepare your stomach for this one.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
Our main couple is Rob and Betty. Rob is obsessed with dead bodies. Like, we’re talking obsessed in Frankenstein terms here, though instead of wanting them to return to life, he wants to have sex with them. Gross. Anyway, his girlfriend is just as perverted as he is, if not worse, and one day when Rob brings home a nice fresh body, they fashion a pipe with a condom so she can… look, use your imagination because it’s probably just as nasty.
Final Notes:
Though there is more to this film then just necrophilia, it’s not much. And what it is is bizarre, nightmarish absurdity that borders on criminally insane. I would highly suggest if and when you watch it, don’t get out the popcorn.
Zombi 3 (1988)
Why You Need to See This:
Because it’s Lucio Fulci and he is considered by many to be one of the originators of Giallo Italian horror. In this movie, we follow the accidental release and spread of Death One, a serum designed to reanimate dead tissue. Instead, as you might have guessed, it turns people and everything else into zombies. Sure, reanimated as they are, they’re mean! Mean zombi!
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
It is a toss-up. First of all, there is a death and devour scene in which a couple, with no physical signs of being invalids or dead from the waist down, are attacked and eaten by a severed zombie head inside a refrigerator. Yep. This is followed closely by a newborn zombie baby attacking and killing another, fully-able woman. These ‘zombi’ have more than just dead powers… they have Super dead powers!
Final Notes:
Though this is a direct sequel to Fulci’s Zombi 2 (which was, in turn, a sequel to Romero’s Night of the Living Dead), it is sometimes just considered a stand-alone while three more completely unrelated titles serve as supposed sequels. It’s a little hard to follow, but since Fulci did the ones with Zombi in the name, well, I guess stick with those.
Psycho Cop (1989)
Why You Need to See This:
Well, because it’s kind of a generic version of the far superior Maniac Cop released the previous year. Also because it tries really, really hard to confuse you and throw you off the trail of who the cop really is. Is he Joe Vickers? Is he Gary Henley? Is he Ted Warnicky? Is he Robert Zdar? No. He is not Robert Zdar. I’m still not sure of the rest.
Extra Ridiculous Scene:
Though never touted as some kind of mystically-powered inhuman monster (ya know, other than the brutal killings), the Cop is evidently immune to the damage made by bullets and in the climactic scene can only be felled by… wait for it… a sharp stick. Yeah, you heard it: wood. Wow.
Final Notes:
Robert Shafer as the titular Cop is abhorrent. He sounds like he took acting lessons from someone with the chops of Gary Busey through the school of Pee Wee Herman. Grating doesn’t even begin to describe him. Oh, and the directing is shoddy and amateurish at best, which really is giving it far too much credit. But all that being said it is kind of fun.
