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Forgotten 80's Horror Films - From Cliches to Cult Classics

In the 1980's, Freddy, Jason and Michael slashed their way through the horror scene to rule supreme. However, we feel it is our civic duty at HorrorBid to introduce our Bidites young and old to some lesser known 80's horror fare they may not be familiar with. The eaest way to do this is by taking some of the best known 80's horror cliches and briefly reviewing the movies that fall under these categories.

"The Prank Gone Horribly Wrong/Victim Gets Revenge" Films:

This plot device was a staple of many 80's horror films. It is an extremely mple concept: a group of teenage bullies (who are really portrayed by 20-30 year olds) torment and humiliate the nerd or unpopular kid. The most famous example of this is "Carrie". However, there are a few lesser known 80's titles that deal with this same issue:

"Slaughter High", from 1986, has become something of a cult clasc but it still remains unknown to a majority of horror fans. Most high school nerds get their revenge by becoming millionaires or CEOs of computer companies. Marty gets his revenge by staging a high school year reunion and then slaughtering his former bullies. In Marty's case, the prank gone horribly wrong horror cliche occurs when one the bullies tormenting Marty rigs a chemistry experiment he is working on to blow up in his face. It works and the resulting chaos that ensues causes Marty to knock over a jar of acid that then explodes in his face, leaving him disfigured for life.

Horror movie bullies are known more for their brawn than their brains and the bunch of bullies in this film certainly attest to that. They may be the stupidest characters in all of horror filmdom. The group receives invitations to their high school reunion. Upon arriving they see that their school is now vacant and about to be demolished. Not thinking it odd in the slightest, the group decides to stay and party. And that is when Marty decides to join in on the fun. If this movie has one thing going for it, it is that the kills are very over the top and nonsencal. Want proof? This school happened to have random bath tubs, beds and tractors at it, providing Marty with ample creative ways to off his tormentors. You probably are familiar with that urban legend about Mikey and the Pop-Rocks, but how the one where Pabst Blue Ribbon causes your stomach to explode?

Lionsgate did release a DVD of this under their "Lost Collection." Sadly, it is very disappointing. It is full screen and is a direct transfer from the old Vestaron VHS. Parts of the movie are so dark you can barely tell what is happening in the scene. The audio is a vast improvement though. Lionsgate remixed it to 5.1. The only extras are the original theatrical trailer and a "trivia track." Unfortunately, the trivia track has relatively nothing to do with the film at all.http://youtu.be/3wFO_0orH0I"The Killer Only Strikes When It Is a Holiday or Festive Event" Films:

While "Black Christmas" was the first to introduce the notion of a holiday-themed killer, Carpenter's "Halloween" was the one to get all the attention. When Sean Cunningham realized the box office success of "Halloween," he scrambled to come up with a milair concept. "Friday the 13th" became an icon of horror in the 80's and producers everywhere took notice. Imitation truly was the ncerest form of flattery. If it was a holiday or a reason to celebrate, it was going to be turned into a horror film.

"New Year's Evil" was released in 1980 and is one of the earliest examples of this style of horror film. Diane Sullivan, or Blaze as she is known to fans, is a punk rock icon who is preparing to host a televised late night countdown celebration to ring in the New Year. During the countdown, Blaze receives a phone call from an odd sounding person identifying himself as Evil (or "EEEEEEEEEVVVVVIIIILL" as he insts on pronouncing it through the film), who tells her than when the clock strikes midnight in each time zone, a woman will be punished and murdered. He also promises Blaze that she will the victim he is going to save for last.

There is a twist as to who the killer is but horror fans will figure it out relatively quickly. The killer carries a radio with him which he uses to record the screams of his victims as they die. He then calls back in to Blaze to play the tapes over the air to her. The kills are your standard "slash and stab" for the most part. While it does have an intriguing premise it is poorly executed as a whole. The incredible cheese factor of this film makes it worth tracking down. The killer is by and large ridiculous looking AND sounding, the fashion is hilarious to look at, the acting is atrocious and the two twists this film contains can be detected within the first five minutes.

Sadly this film has never received a legitimate DVD release. DVD-R copies can be found at horror conventions but the quality is atrocious. VHS copies do turn up from time to time on eBay and Amazon. Last year, the cable horror on demand channel Fearnet had the film for their December viewing schedule.

http://youtu.be/AmyZcWEro2M"The Clasc Good Vs Evil/Priest Fights Inner Demons and Demons" Films:

William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist" was both a box office and critical success. The concept is as old as time: the constant struggle between good versus evil. Horror films like "The Exorcist" usually center on the spiritual war occurring. Usually it involves a priest not only battling his own inner demons but also battling a real demon as well.

Most horror fans are totally unacquainted with "The Unholy" from 1988. Taking place in New Orleans, gruesome murders are occurring to the city's Catholic priests. Father John Michael (the always excellent Ben Cross) is reasgned to a church where the two former priests have both been violently killed. Despite his vocation, Father Michael denies the existence of devils and demons. He slowly begins to change his viewpoint once he realizes that the priests have all been killed while in the act of nning by a demon known as Daedarius, or the Unholy. Daedarius appears in the form of a beautiful woman, and if the priest succumbs to his lust for her, he is killed. The soul is then sent to hell. Father Micheal's faith is put to the test and he is forced to battle his own yearnings and lust. In the end, Daedarius takes on a far uglier form in the final showdown.

Tragically, "The Unholy" is not available on Region 1 DVD. However, it can be obtained through Amazon and periodically Fearnet will have it available to view. If you have a region free DVD player, there are Region 2 copies available but they are on the pricey de. However, it is a movie certainly worthy of a viewing.http://youtu.be/r9096RTUwsA

http://www.horrorbid.com/images/blog/2135.
Horror Domain - Cursed Evil Overlord Wednesday 5/25/2011 at 12:35 AM | 76765
great article I would like to see more like that
DoubleshotJ Wednesday 5/25/2011 at 01:13 AM | 76770
Don't forget the "so bad that it's good" movies. so... pretty much anything from Full Moon Studios. For those that dont know, puppet master would be the prime example of this.
pantera11431 Wednesday 5/25/2011 at 03:46 AM | 76779
I forgot about Slaughter High....Thank BooMan....very cool article!
NightShape Wednesday 5/25/2011 at 05:14 AM | 76787