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Top Ten 80s Horror Movies

With Conan the Barbarian and Fright Night remakes in theaters now, and a slew of reboots in the works, it seems like Hollywood is looking backward instead of forward for film ideas. The ’80s offers a cinematic smorgasbord of nostalgia-laced movies to remake, reboot and re-imagine. And it looks like filmmakers will sink their fangs into any sacrosanct iconic 80s pic to drain it of all life and heart. This has me considering what makes ‘80s pics such tempting cinema for modern filmmakers/studios. Is it just the nostalgia, or is it that some filmmakers in the ‘80s weren’t afraid to take risks? Maybe it’s that sometimes silly innocence that reflects the “let’s break out into dance right now” spirit of the decade. Since there are so many seminal ‘80s films out there, I’m going to start a Top Ten series highlighting the best ’80s movies in each genre, from horror to fantasy/adventure to everything in between. So at the risk of giving exploitative filmmakers any ideas, or leaving out some rabid fan’s favorite pic, here’s my list of the Top Ten ‘80s Movies: Horror (and yes, many of these have already been given soulless remakes):

[h2]6. Fright Night[/h2]

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This is a seminal horror/comedy that has recently been given a soulless remake. The original Fright Night had some great self-referential humor and a likeable every-teen main character who takes on the vampire living next door. For a simple story, Fright Night had some great horror action and compelling special effects and make-up. It also boasts an un-chopped editing/filming style that allows for long, slow takes that draw the viewer in.

Fright Night was writer/director Tom Holland’s homage to the horror genre and those cheesy horror TV hosts like Elvira, so there is a certain amount of camp, but loveable camp. It also stands as a great example of what could be done in the’80s as far as self-reflective cinema.

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