Recommendations for horror movies from late 70s to early 80s (have already seen a lot of them)

Pluto TV is free and I am pretty sure has had Happy Birthday to Me in the regular rotation and often on demand. There are commercials.

1978: Magic starring Anthony Hopkins

1975: Shivers

1979: The Brood

1976: Burnt Offerings

Thank you already to these recommendations. R1, I'll have to get onto that, I've been curious about that one ever since I saw the poster somewhere as a kid of the guy with the shish kebab going into his mouth.

Oh, and Burnt Offerings is available on streaming here, will have to check it out.

Oh, I've seen Murderock (1984) too. Who can forget that song? Hahaha.

Tourist Trap (1979)

The Unseen (1981)

Strange Behavior aka Dead Kids (1981)

All three are slasher-adjacent but much more weird and horrific in their own ways

The Hearse (1980) is a slow ghost story but has that early 80s vibe you describe in a lot of ways.

The House on Sorority Row (1982) is a decent slasher in the vein of Black Christmas though I find the ending disappointing

Try Night Warning (aka Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker) from 1981.

It's a slasher with a homoerotic subtext.

Plus you get to see Jimmy McNichol's bare ass.

Superstition 1982.

Maybe you've seen it already as it is pretty infamous within tje community but I wouldwould check out Cruising from 1980bwith Pacino. Technically it's seen more a police thriller but plenty consider it horror as well and it is chockful of the urban late 70s/ early 80's aesthetic.

Girls Nite Out is an obscure but entertaining slasher from ‘81 or ‘82.

1985:

The Funhouse (1981)

The Dorm That Dripped Blood (aka Pranks, aka Death Dorm) from 1982.

1976: The House with Laughing Windows; Who Can Kill a Child?

1977: Martin

1978: The Fury; Invasion of the Body Snatchers; Piranha

1980: Alligator

1981: Dark Night of the Scarecrow; The Howling; Just Before Dawn; My Bloody Valentine; Wolfen

1982: Alone in the Dark

1983: Curtains; The 4th Man

1984: The Company of Wolves; Razorback; Sole Survivor

Absurd (1981)

Not everyone likes Joe D'Amato, but I think his films are great fun.

(And here's the entire film on YouTube.)

I’ve mentioned David Cronenberg’s Scanners (1981) before. It’s excellent. The showdown in the film’s conclusion is terrific.

What about Nightmares ( stage fright) ?

OP- Great taste- these 3 are my absolute favorites-

My Bloody Valentine- GET THE DIRECTORS CUT (extended cut) ,Happy Birthday to Me- probably the classiest slasher of its time- and The Prowler- AWESOME SAVINI GORE

Also agree about Tourist Trap- its really, really good.

You may also like "Maniac" and "The Burning"- I believe both are 1981- both slashers.

R20 here, sorry- I meant "Madman" (1982) and The Burning-

Maniac is not a favorite of mine but also a slasher from 1980.

R5 that’s a gay movie that’s not scary

[quote]Plus you get to see Jimmy McNichol's bare ass.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. I am totally here for bare male ass, which I've noticed is pretty common in these films; at least more than I was expecting.

[quote]Who Can Kill a Child?

Oh, yeah, I definitely need to see this one. I saw it discussed on that Mark Gatiss documentary and thought it looked good. I wonder if this is where Stephen King got the idea for Children of the Corn?

[quote]What about Nightmares ( stage fright) ?

Is this the Michele Soavi one, with the owl mask? I really want to see that one!

I've noticed Demons from 1985 is fully online in English, so am excited to see that one too.

Lots of great recommendations here, guys. I thought I might've been nearing the end of my viewing experience, but turns out still have heaps to go, which is exciting!

[quote] Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. I am totally here for bare male ass

Slaughter High from 1986 has some male frontal, if I recall correctly. It was filmed in ‘84 but sat on the shelf for awhile so kind of fits your criteria. Probably the oldest cast of “high schoolers” I’ve ever seen in a slasher haha

Hahaha R24, that always makes me laugh. The woman who played Wendy in Prom Night looked about 37 hehe (I did love her though).

The Redeemer aka Class Reunion Massacre is another obscure early slasher from 1978. It’s extremely low budget but has enough weird touches to make it watchable. There’s a strange wraparound segment with a silent little boy that seems almost tacked on to give it an Omen/occult vibe. The victims are killed based on biblical sins (pride, gluttony, homosexuality - take that, David Fincher.) There’s a clown doll and some creepy masks. Jeanetta Arnette from TV’s Head of the Class is featured

Chopping Mall.

The Manitou. Came before Alien. Alien was a rip-off of The Manitou, IMO.

I don't even remember what it was about but I remember that Xtro really scared me/creeped me out when I was a kid.

The Thing 1982 Kurt Russell, Director John Carpenter

1979: Prophecy, directed by John Frankenheimer.

R27, I did see Chopping Mall recently, funnily enough. I wasn't sure what to think of it. It was campy and silly like I can enjoy but I just couldn't understand why those kids were all fucking next to each other haha. And the main girl looked like an 80s Jen from Dawson's Creek! It was diverting though.

Thanks as always for the recommendations, guys. I think it's going to be interesting in particular watching those movies that came out prior to Friday the 13th to see how horror was doing just before the boom really took hold.

Did anyone say Trilogy of Terror yet?

Wow that scared me as a kid. (just the third part. The first two stories are dull.)

Not heard of that one, R33, will have to check it out, thanks!

here it is on youtube r34/op

skip to 45 minutes or so. That's where it gets really good.

Evil Dead II is a classic, if you haven't seen it already. Late 80s though if that matters.

If you liked Slaughter High, how about Student Bodies?

I saw the RiffTrax version of Tourist Trap. Looked pretty dire to me,.

For something different, how about the sadly lesser-known A Chinese Ghost Story? Not actually scary but a fun mix of ghost story, romance, wuxia and comedy. Available on YouTube but not sure how good the subs are.

Cheers for that R35. Will definitely check it out.

And thanks for the recommendations too, R36. I have seen Evil Dead 2, that is one of the few series on here that I saw when I was a lot younger; kinda classics for me and my friends in the late 90s. Though I did only see Army of Darkness for the first time a week or so ago. Will add your other recommendations to the list.

Just finished watching 1985's Demons, which was enjoyable Euroridiculous, just the way I like my movies haha. I cracked up at the end when that kid actor turned up in the car, the one who was Bob in The House by the Cemetery and the kid brother in Manhattan Baby ("Lousy Lesbian!"). Everytime he turns up, he's given a different hilariously weird dubbing actor.

For a taste of what I mean, here is Bob in The House by the Cemetery:

Blood Rage is a great slasher that takes place on Thanksgiving. Louise Lasser is great in it. It was released in 1987 but it was filmed in 1983.

Ooh yes, R39, I have heard people talk about that one, will definitely have to go on the list too.

"He Knows You're Alone" (1980)

The film's opening sequence is a classic. It features a character being murdered in a movie theater auditorium while watching a slasher film, and it was repeated in Wes Craven's "Scream 2".

"He Knows You're Alone" is also known for being the feature film debut of Tom Hanks.

^you only get a brief look in that trailer, but is the killer played by the same guy who was the killer in The Slumber Party Massacre? He looked similar.

Poltergeist (1982)

Looker

The Mephisto Waltz 1971 I really dig the devil shit.

Demon Seed 1977 is excellent!

I like My Bloody Valentine. It fits right in with 70s horror like Black Christmas and Halloween.

R46 Ahead of it's time - Julie Christie raped by a computer!

They don't make them like that anymore.

I know they are early 70s but The Wicker Man (1973) and Don't Look Now (1973) are must sees.

Another worthy if you can find it is Full Circle aka The Haunting of Julia (1977) with Mia Farrow.

Motel Hell (1980) for something really campy.

Toolbox murders Blood Beat Bloody Birthday New Years evil Bad Ronald Eaten Alive The Mutilator Shivers Graduation Day 10 to midnight Dressed to kill Road games Driller Killer April Fools Day Are you in the house alone?

Let me try this again: Toolbox murders (1978), Blood Beat (1983), Bloody Birthday (1981), New Years evil (1980), Bad Ronald (1974). Eaten Alive (1976), The Mutilator (1984), Shivers (1975), Graduation Day (1981), 10 to midnight (1983). Dressed to kill (1980), Road games (1980), Driller Killer (1979), Are you in the house alone? (1978), April Fools Day (1986),

R48 Cool, I'l have to check those out. I've only watched The Wicker Man out of your suggestions. The trailers for Demon Seed and The Mephisto Waltz look so cheesy, but the films were not at all. I've seen them both a second time a few years ago, and I think they both held up remarkably well. To me, they were still believable enough to scare me all over again! Demon Seed is quite trippy at times. Cheers!

I remember reading THE ENTITY as a teenager before it was turned into a film. I don’t know why it’s never rebroadcast. It is excellent as was the book from what I can recall.

He Knows You're Alone 1980 is one of my favorite slasher films. The killer in the movie, Tom Rolfing, was gay and sadly died of AIDS 10 years after the movie came out.

Alien ripped off The Manitou?

Those movies are nothing alike.

I recently watched The Fury, which I vaguely remembered seeing as a kid. Kind of a mixed bag, but some of it is quite good. Worth seeing. Features studly, cookie-sniffing Andrew Stevens, who apparently is not gay and was once married to DL fave Kate Jackson

I came here to recommend Blood Rage but someone beat me to it. That movie is off the chain insane, and Louise Lasser’s performance is Oscar-worthy.

"Maniac" (1980)

"Maniac" is a dark and gritty movie, and I felt the need to shower after seeing it. There are lots of realistic and bloody murders. The scariest scene in the movie is when the killer is stalking a nurse inside a deserted subway station.

Re-Animator, which was one of the first movies I saw that was equally frightening and hilarious, like Evil Dead 2. There's also some of that bare male ass you're looking for, a preview of which is in the trailer.

Sorry, I just realized neither Re-Animator (1985) nor Evil Dead 2 (1987) make your ealy 80s cut-off, but the recommendation still stands if you haven't seen it.

Christine (based on the Stephen King novel) is quite good.

It was directed by John Carpenter who also co-composed the moody electronic soundtrack.

[quote]Sorry, I just realized neither Re-Animator (1985) nor Evil Dead 2 (1987) make your ealy 80s cut-off, but the recommendation still stands if you haven't seen it.

Oh that's totally ok, I just chose that period particularly because I like the aesthetic, and I'm not so keen on the mid-80s aesthetic, but if there are good movies from that time I will absolutely still watch 'em, and have! Thanks for the recs. I have seen Evil Dead 2, but not Re-Animator.

I've heard Christine is good (I hated the novel, but may check out the movie still as it's John Carpenter and with the aesthetic I like). Will definitely put Maniac on the list too.

1977: The Sentinel

It's a big-budget mess of a horror film starring Chris Sarandon and Christina Raines and a huge supporting cast including Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, John Carradine, Sylvia Miles, Tom Berenger, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, a masturbating Beverly D'Angelo, and more.

The portrayal of real people with severe physical deformities as denizens of hell was controversial, as was the graphic (for the time) gore.

What's more shocking than the visuals is the horrendously bad acting from some big stars. Definitely worth watching, if only for the WTF factor.

[quote]if only for the WTF factor

That's all I need, my man! I mean, I watched The Pit.

R23 No, this is Stage Fright :

Re-Animator is a good one! I will always adore Jeffrey Combs just for this performance. He's also good in From Beyond and winking at his own image in The Frighteners.

Watching R58’s trailer of Maniac reminded me of Visiting Hours. I saw the film in the theatre 40 years ago. It has some big names (Lee Grant, William Shatner, etc), but I thought, at the time, how it was just brutally violent. I don’t think I’ve seen it since.

Silent Scream is a pretty good slasher/old dark house thriller from 1980

I'm watching Demon Seed with Julie Christie tonight. It's on Tubi and the Roku channel. I don't know how I missed seeing this movie.

Oh great, I have heard of Visiting Hours and R67 posts the full movie - I'll watch that one sometime in the next couple of nights. Thanks!

Is it enjoyable R69? Handy that it's on Tubi!

Thanks R65, I got it mixed up with the Michele Soavi one.

I watched Burnt Offerings recently and really enjoyed it. Didn't hurt that the actor who played the husband was sexy as fuck. And Christine was another one i'd never watched before. You can tell that some scenes got cut out but it's certainly not the worst adaptation of a Stephen King novel.

The Carrie rip-off Jennifer is a hoot.

...and it has a disco scene to boot. : )

Demon Seed was so campy. Julie Christie is the queen of the campy horror movie with Demon Seed and Don't Look Up. Both are such bizarre and campy movies.

R73: YES! Love a disco scene in a horror film (see: Prom Night).

Dang, Jennifer isn't streaming. I can't even find a torrent. But this thread reminded me that I haven't really explored my new Roku, maybe I'll watch Demon Seed this weekend.

Scrolling through the Tubi horror listings now. A lot of schlock (I confess I'm curious about Vampire Hookers) but a decent amount of good stuff. Movies from OP's time frame include the original Black Christmas and When A Stranger Calls, Phantasm, Children of the Corn, The Stepford Wives, The Stuff, The Gate, From Beyond, Motel Hell, The Burning, Deadly Blessing...mind you I'm not claiming any or all of those are GOOD movies.

The Burning was more disturbing than any Friday the 13th film and I enjoyed it more, despite the creep factor that is Harvey Weinstein having co-wrote it.

I remember enjoying The Stepford Wives. Wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[quote]The Manitou. Came before Alien. Alien was a rip-off of The Manitou, IMO.

Alien borrowed from It! The Terror from Outer Space.

Anyway, I don't think I saw the following mentioned above:

Videodrome (my favorite Cronenberg film)

The Medusa Touch (part horror, part disaster film, with Richard Burton & Lee Remick)

Ms 45

Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing

The Entity with Barbara Hershey

Larry Cohen's It's Alive and Q-The Winged Serpent

DePalma's Body Double

The Company of Wolves (part fantasy, part horror)

I like the Dracula that starred Jack Palance, directed by Dan Curtis who did the above-mentioned Trilogy of Terror

This last one technically isn't horror, but it's directed by John Carpenter before Halloween, and you can see the early elements of his style: Someone Is Watching Me starring Lauren Hutton (and Adrienne Barbeau, AKA Mrs. Carpenter, as a lesbian neighbor)

I'll second Motel Hell. The trailer is misleading though, making it look more serious - it's actually more of a horror/comedy.

Pieces - at least for the now infamous Linda Day George scene

For some more Argento, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, and Deep Red

I Spit On Your Grave, the original not the remake

If John Waters had made a horror movie earlier in his career, it would probably look like Criminally Insane (aka Crazy Fat Ethel).

If you're open to ultra low budget Horror Sleaze, it's worth a look.

But if you're not into it, you might hate it. (I love it.)

also known as Muriel's Story

R79, omg Pieces was a trip, I wasn't sure what I thought of that at first, but I can't stop thinking about it, think it's pretty hilarious and a great one to watch with friends. Doesn't hurt that Kendall gets out of bed, swinging his dong around. On the Dead Meat channel, they showed part of an interview with the director who said the actor had been in bed with the actress for so long, that when he got up the first few times, he was clearly excited.

Love Argento, and have seen everything from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, up to and including The Stendhal Syndrome, plus I've seen Sleepless. Great recommendations there.

I have seen some of I Spit on Your Grave, mostly to see if I could take it, because sexual assault in movies makes me nauseous a lot of the time. I think it benefited by not being tittilating like a lot of movies end up making it.

I love John waters, r80, so will check that out too.

I want to keep thanking all of you because you are really coming through with the goods. Once I start getting a moment to watch these (I'm on holidays from tomorrow, yay!) I'll put down my reviews here as well. Love to hear more from you all too.

What great suggestions !

I have a completely off topic request : has anyone found five easy pieces streaming or elsewhere ?

Mother's Day (1980)

This is some sick shit! You'll LOVE it!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Do yourself a favor and watch this classic! You will have nightmares for weeks!

JAWS (1975) and JAWS 2 (1978)

Killer Whale! It is horrifically melodramatic, unintentionally comedic and cheesy AF!

But JAWS is a must see!

Motel Hell (1980).

One of my all-time favorites.

Well, I cracked early and ended up watching Visiting Hours (1982) tonight. It was so interesting after all these more "teen" slashers to watch one that felt a bit more adult. I liked it, and I don't usually like movies where you see and get to know too much about the killer. But I thought it was interesting and I couldn't tell exactly where the story was going, which was good. I really did get surprised, and jump, at the bit where the nurse had gone back to her house to check on the children. Enjoyed the use of blue and that really black night that people have forgotten how to do these days.

Fun fact: The slasher film Maniac at r58 was the inspiration for the song "Maniac" from the movie Flashdance.

Wikipedia:

The general concept for what became the Flashdance hit came to songwriter Dennis Matkosky while watching a news report about a serial killer. He jokingly thought, "With my luck, this guy lives next door to me," and immediately jotted down the lyrics that came to mind: "He's a maniac. He just moved in next door. He'll kill your cat and nail it to the floor." He took the idea to his friend Michael Sembello, whose eyes widened with interest when he heard the title.

Sembello recalled their usual process for situations where they needed more lyrics: "Whenever we get an idea, we start researching, but we didn't have Google." Matkosky found the 1980 slasher film Maniac and rented it to see if they could come up with more to put in the song. It did provide the additional lyrics they wanted, but the demo they recorded wound up on a tape sent to Phil Ramone, who was looking for songs to use in Flashdance. Ramone asked for some of the lyrics to be changed to fit the movie, and had Sembello re-record the song.

And the rest is history!

Ha! That's a great story, R89! Thanks for sharing!

I have a fondness for Inferno (1980).

Like most of Dario Argento's films, it's a beautiful mess, but the kills are stunning.

And it has deaths by both cats AND rats!

: )

Inferno really ramps up the feeling of being in a dream/nightmare from Suspiria. I love both films, but I often enjoy the imagery in Inferno even more.

R83, there's a useful website called Just Watch that can help find (legal) streaming movies. Looks like Five Easy Pieces isn't available for free but can be rented from Amazon and YouTube.

While I'm sharing, anyone into podcasts? I recently started listening to Evolution of Horror and I'm really enjoying it so far. It breaks horror into subgenres and dives into key films, decade by decade. More in-depth and focused than a lot of movie podcasts, but still personal and a bit chatty. Listening to the ghost series now and will be checking out The Stone Tape and Ghostwatch. Looks like both are currently on YouTube.

Yes R94! I listen to that one on and off and think it's really excellently done, even though one of the regular guests on there annoys me, haha. I just avoid her episodes. Definitely worth recommending.

I love podcasts, but it takes me ages to find ones I click with. Another horror one I love, which is more comedic is Werewolf Ambulance. They're just very funny friends. If you ever fancy checking them out, their episodes on Verotika, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama, The Pit, and Pieces are good starts. I was struggling not to laugh in public listening to those.

I am so eager to start getting through these recommended movies, and did start with Visiting Hours last night, but I also have a stack of horror DVDs here loaned to me by a friend and I need to return them (he loaned me around 30, and I'm only half way through them at the moment). But in keeping with the topic, I'll start with the ones more in this area, and tonight I began with 1982's Poltergeist.

I have a little history with this film. My friends and I tried to watch it as teens in the early 00s. And we turned it off just after the little girl was found to be inside the television. I remember it was a unanimous group decision: this movie isn't scary, and is silly.

So I am glad to have the chance now to see it all. And my overall opinion is, it really has Spielberg's fingers all over it, and I'm not sure he is the best person to tell a scary story. I know Tobe Hooper directed it, but feels SO Spielberg, and I see that he co-wrote the screenplay.

Apart from the CGI, it did look good. I like going back into these times where the actors look like real people (I mean they obviously choose attractive people, especially in US films, but they still look real, and I can tell them apart unlike a lot of actors these days). There were some moments I really liked too, like when the mother tells the daughter not to watch the TV snow because it will hurt her eyes, and switches the TV to a show about soldiers being massacred without her caring a bit.

In fact, the mother is the biggest head scratcher in this movie. Was that generation particularly known for their laissez-faire parenting? She thinks it's hilarious when her daughter is sexually harassed by the workers, her son's story about being beat up by three boys at school doesn't seem to phase her, and initially she's not even that distressed over her daughter being missing, it seems. My parents are a tad younger than these people, and while they were still of the "go outside and don't come back until dinner, and oh, your arm is hanging off? You can still go to school" variety, I can't believe they wouldn't care about those things, and certainly wouldn't let a poltergeist pull me around the room. Her smoking a joint acting was so incorrect too, and I don't even do that myself, haha.

I liked the clairvoyant, Zelda Rubinstein. She was great, and I laughed so hard when she tells the mother: "You're right. You go!"

I don't know much about Craig T. Nelson, but I believe he is a big shit these days. I didn't think much of him in this film until he started yelling about handing out a spanking. Then, I was like: "Ooh, [italic]daddy[/italic]! Yes, I [italic]have[/italic] been naughty."

Overall, I just found it kinda silly, which is a lot for me to say considering the ridiculous films in this genre that I have enjoyed. It was a little bit like Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg stops it from being effectively creepy somehow.

But I am glad I have seen it now, and I can understand that others would really like it.

^Oh and just to add, I thought the film was too long and that last 20 minutes was unnecessary.

And was the daughter meant to be pregnant and we just were never told? We see her eating pickles, which is movie code for pregnancy, and at the end she's reminiscing about times spent in a motel. It would kinda fit, because she is 16 and her mother was 32, so it's history repeating.

PROPHECY (1979).

Now on Hulu.

Thanks R98.

Even though it's outside the years I put, my friend I mentioned above did loan me Child's Play 2, so I watched that one tonight as well. Was sad to hear what happened to Andy and his mother after the end of the first one. That kid is very cute, I actually got distressed during the first one where he starts sobbing that Chucky is going to get him. What did they do to him to get him to cry like that? In the second one he clearly smokes a cigarette. His parents were clearly ok with their child going the extra mile for a movie.

X-Ray aka Hospital Massacre (1981)

Low-budget, sleazy...and it's got Barbi Benton.

Check out this guy's review of it. He covers it really well.

R 93:

Thank you ! I only fell in love more and more with Jack after this film.

OP, did you recommend Werewolf Ambulance in a previous horror thread? Pretty sure I heard about it here. I've been listening to it on and off for a few months. Not quite one of my favorites but they are very funny sometimes.

[quote]one of the regular guests on there annoys me, haha. I just avoid her episodes.

Oh god, the psychiatrist with the affected voice? She's listened to way too much Karina Longworth. I fast forward through her stuff.

I saw Poltergeist when I was way too young and it terrified me lol. Rewatched it a few years ago and thought it held up but I don't remember it in detail now.

I saw Dark Night of the Scarecrow listed on either Tubi or Roku channel last night while I was browsing. I highly recommend this movie if you haven't already seen it. They used to make really good and scary TV movies back in the 70-80s. Marlon Brando's sister is in it.

Don’t forget golden globe winner PIA ZADORA in BUTTERFLY

I was in college when I saw this Peter Fonda flick, “Race with the Devil” (1975). So scary!

Not sure if anyone upthread has mentioned the two campy but scary classics which are now part of our lexicon: They Live (1988) and Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988).

Two Australian horrors that really are obscure:

Thirst (1979) and Snapshot (1979). Both star Chantal Contouri who was a glamorous Australian actress from that time.

[quote]Oh god, the psychiatrist with the affected voice? She's listened to way too much Karina Longworth. I fast forward through her stuff.

Ahahahaha! I know exactly who you mean! Actually, you are right, she's another one. I was thinking of Anna Bogutskaya who also has an affected voice and sounds like she's going to start lecturing you on not viewing the movies the "proper" way (ie her way). During Midsommar she got very patronising with the host, because she loved the film, and while he did too, if he interpreted something in any way differently from her she adopted this annoying tone, like she was about to say he'd done something "problematic" by thinking differently.

[quote]OP, did you recommend Werewolf Ambulance in a previous horror thread?

I did! I'm glad others have found them. Yeah, when they're very funny they're laugh out loud funny. I kinda find they're the kind of people I'd like to actually meet up with for a drink and discuss horror with. I disagree with much of what they say (I liked the new Suspiria ok, and I thought Us - which they both gave a 10! - was a terrible film), but they can be so funny. Katie's delight at the Lindsay Lohan vehicle "I Know Who Killed Me" was pretty hilarious too, and actually got me to watch that strange, strange film. I've upped my horror education a lot due to those two. Allen loves a lot of those 70s/80s Italian films too, as do I, and they discuss those quite a bit as well.

I love this scene in Dead Kids/Strange Behavior (1981)

Thanks for sharing that R108 that is just the type of thing I enjoy in these movies from that time period, haha!

I actually thought for a minute one of the girls dancing might have been Debi Mazar, but I'm probably mistaken.

This was a fun and very random musical interlude in Body Double (1984). The power drill killer in this film is terrifying.

This was a fun and very random musical interlude in Body Double (1984). The power drill killer in this film is terrifying.

If you enjoyed Alice, Sweet Alice you will enjoy Bloody Birthday (1981) Julie Brown is in this too!

OP you will love New Years Evil. I love this thread. Thanks for posting!

^Excellent, thanks R112.

God, I love these dance breaks. If I ever get the chance to make my own homage to these type of films there will DEFINITELY be a random dance break in the middle.

As usual thank you to everyone leaving suggestions - sorry if I missed saying thanks earlier for some reason. There's a lot of great stuff on here!

R113, I'm so glad you're enjoying it, thank YOU for posting. I'll definitely check that one out. New Years isn't often a holiday you get horrors set in, from what I understand. I suppose Terror Train could be sort of considered one, but something called New Year's Evil has got to be the kind of thing I'm looking for :).

Marathon Man (1976), with Laurence Olivier & Dustin Hoffman.

Laurence Olivier was in a horror? Wow, you learn something new every day!

And, R117, he was the (Nazi) villain in the film.

Anyone got thoughts, good or bad, on Society? It's a bit of a later 80s one, but it is available on Amazon Prime currently. Worth it?

Society is great. Watch it!

You want some fun? I recommend these blaxploitation winners:

Blacula

Scream, Blacula, Scream

JD's Revenge

Abby (sort of a Carrie/Exorcist hybrid)

GANJA AND HESS (which is actually kind of a masterpiece...seriously)

Oh!!! That reminds me of a British horror movie I saw as a child called Scream and Scream Again (1970, Vincent Price...of course). I was very young and cried in the theater watching it. I don't remember the story but I do remember there is a running subplot about a man held captive in a hospital bed and every time we see him they have amputated another part of his body until he's just a torso. Each time he reacts with horror when he sees he's missing another limb. It scared the living crap out of me.

God, R122 that sounds so grim! But I'll have to look it up, of course ;). Sounds freaky.

[quote]I recommend these blaxploitation winners

The closest I've gotten to Blaxploitation is Live and Let Die, it's a big gap in my knowledge and am definitely interested in filling in some of that knowledge.

r19/r65 - turns out that movie Nightmares is on Amazon Prime and it's short, so I put it on tonight. I didn't realise it was an Australian production (I'm Australian myself). Had never heard of it, which, I mean it's not a big movie and so that's no surprise I guess, but the Australian film industry isn't that big, so it's still kinda odd I hadn't. What was interesting about it is that Australian films always tend to have a really strong sense of place but this one really didn't. Beyond a poster of Midnight Oil, you wouldn't necessarily know this was from Australia, apart from the accent (that old timey accent I haven't heard since I was very little, it's kinda nostalgic).

Gosh it was lurid and melodramatic, haha! I wish so much I had been watching it with friends - that would've been very funny. The aesthetic was very much what I like, it was just the whole thing was so ridiculous hehe. I like how she never carried a weapon around with her, just relied on there being a handy mirror she could smash, which would always give her a shard that was perfect for her. Also, if she was triggered by sex so much, why was she following people around to find them doing it? Just leave 'em alone and then you don't have to kill, Helen!

A young Gary Sweet was in this! His arse looked great in those tight jeans. Pity he didn't get it out.

Thanks for the heads up, despite what I sound like above, I did enjoy watching it. It was so ridiculous, but not boring.

R124 are you the same person who started the Freddy/Jason thread?

Dressed to Kill by de palma Tenabrae by Argento Shock by Mario Bava

Great thread.

Something I haven’t seen but would love to see Salem’s lot mini series from 1979 directed by tobe hooper and Ghost Story (1981) starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and John Houseman. I read both of the novels they were based on and they are both great. Horror in small town america like twin peaks,

Has anyone mentioned Patrick yet (the 1978 original)?

Thanks, R126. I've seen, and loved, Tenebrae, but when it comes to de Palma, Carrie is the only one I've seen and I've heard people say a lot of good things about films like Dressed to Kill. I have to get onto that and others of his soon.

I wanna see that Salem's Lot miniseries too, R127.

Oh, and yeah R125, if you mean the Friday the 13th vs A Nightmare on Elm Street thread, that was me too.

R9 - it's on Amazon Prime, I know what I'm watching tomorrow night! ;)

[quote] I was thinking of Anna Bogutskaya who also has an affected voice and sounds like she's going to start lecturing you on not viewing the movies the "proper" way (ie her way)

LOL I'll watch out for her. Pretty sure I haven't come across any of her episodes yet. I need to see more folk horror movies before I tackle that series. I've never even seen Wicker Man. I know, I know.

Seguing from podcasts back to the topic...I watched the psychosexual thriller Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981), aka Night Warning, because I saw Horror Queers did an episode on it. Hoo boy, R9 did not do this movie justice. It could have been designed by a Datalounge committee. Let's count the ways:

Stars Kristy McNichol's brother, Jimmy...

...as a sexually ambiguous teen...

....who shows his ass.

It has a song by Joyce Bulifant.

It features future Designing Women alum Julia Duffy.

Has a surprisingly significant and positive gay subplot. Very ahead of its time.

The highlight is a fascinating, fearless camp performance from Susan Tyrrell, who, when not trying to seduce her nephew(!), stomps around muttering like a blowsy, lemon-sucking Michelle Pfeiffer.

Seriously, this movie is highly entertaining.

For more campy Susan Tyrrell try From A Whisper To A Scream aka The Offspring (1987.) It's a really grimy anthology movie. Susan is only in the wraparound segments with Vincent Price but she chews a whole movie's worth of scenery.

And if you branch beyond horror 1984's Angel is a camp classic with a great Tyrrell performance (what's going on with her eyebrows!). Honors student by day, Hollywood hooker by night. It's on Amazon Prime but maybe not free - I just watched it a week or so ago with a Shudder subscription.

R131- I watched that one earlier in the week too- It was very good.

Angel-1984- I knew what R132 was going to say before they did!

As a little boy I was OBSESSED with the Angel video tape at the video store- (This was probably around 1985 and I was 8)

Dad! Let's rent this!!! He would smirk and be like NO.

I loved Tyrrell in Angel. It was the most lurid film ever- but far better and funnier than you would expect-

[quote]For more campy Susan Tyrrell

Oh I need to see EVERYTHING she's ever done now. Apparently she was in Cry-Baby but I don't remember her.

R131, oh that one is definitely next on my list. It's available on the streaming services we have here, looking forward to it!

[quote]LOL I'll watch out for her. Pretty sure I haven't come across any of her episodes yet. I need to see more folk horror movies before I tackle that series. I've never even seen Wicker Man.

Haha, if she'd pompously said: "What Ari Aster is doing here..." one more time..!

I've never seen Wicker Man either!

I left off the Butcher..,.DL count the fact that the director had been married to Elizabeth Montgomery and had directed a lot of TV shows including I Love Lucy, The Patty Duke Show, and Alice.

R113, there's a really great copy of New Year's Evil uploaded to YouTube currently, so I ended up getting a chance to watch it and I really enjoyed it, thank you! I think I've said before that I don't always enjoy a story where you follow the killer around as much, but in this case it was pretty interesting. And because I watch these kinds of movies straight, the twist of who the killer was didn't even occur to me, which was fun. And also a bit naïve, because I was thinking that one other character had to be involved, and if you think that, the revelation of the killer shouldn't be a surprise, but there you are. I also enjoyed it took place all at nighttime (so into the way night was filmed back then), and there were little things that I liked, like the killer failing at one point, the fact the cops were smart, not bumbling.

I liked that the smallest of characters were built up enough too, like the poor lady he picked up in the bar. I felt bad for her.

I was wondering; the way all those punks of the time were smearing their faces with makeup and giving themselves big hair etc. in what I am guessing was meant to be an ironic way, well, is that how later in the 80s heaps of makeup and big hair became a thing generally? Like it started in these outlying groups and then became mainstream? I never thought of that before, but it did occur to me tonight.

Thanks again, R113!

R124 I watched Nightmares again just a few weeks ago. My third viewing.

I saw it when it was (barely) released in cinemas back in 1981, again on DVD and then I purchased the Blu Ray.

I've also found the film a complete hoot. Such a shame Gary Sweet didn't let everything hang out in it.

My favourite scene is some 'actor' pestering Briony Behets for 'a date'. She gets fed up and just says 'Oh fuck off' - very Australian.

Totally political incorrect stuff that would never be made today. It was also funny that most of the people killed in the film were nude when they met their ends. Such a sleazy funny film.

Blood Beach (1980)

"Something or someone is attacking people one by one on the beach. Some of them are mutilated, but most of them are sucked into the sand, disappearing without a trace. What is the creature responsible? Where does it live, and where did it come from? And is there any chance of it reproducing? Meanwhile, David Huffman and Mariana Hill are once-almost-married old friends, reunited over the death of her mother on the beach, and searching for clues in the abandoned buildings where they used to play when they were young."

This Czech site has the goods.Free downloads if you don't mind a wait.It's half the speed they say anyway.No porn though.Thousands of Horror Movies.Also,European Arthouse,Classics,TCM rips,Gay Cinema,Indies,Documentaries,TV Shows and Movies.Loads of weird antivax/conspirary/Lady Di stuff too if that's your thing.A quite extraordinary range.Be warned some are dubbed versions.Difficult to navigate at first.My tip.Set search to Video and the time to 70m + and it filters out the dross.Put in your title/keyword and fly.

R138, there was a line that tickled me, where that same guy was telling her: "I'm really good in bed" and she told him to "go to bed and be good to yourself" or something.

[quote]Such a shame Gary Sweet didn't let everything hang out in it.

100%. He was a bit of a sex symbol in the early 90s when I started jerking it, and I definitely spilled a bit to the thought of him then. Would've been nice to see more in this film. Everyone else got naked, after all, it would've only been fair ;)

Just about to head to bed after another movie marathon tonight. I watched that Final Girls movie from 2015 which I found pretty enjoyable, but then I was on Tubi and I came across Madman from 1982. It was about camp counselors and I figured it would be pretty low budget and may as well watch it. Honestly, my expectations were really low and so I ended up enjoying this more than perhaps I would've. It's very low budget and it needed a bit more oomph in it, but it was entertaining enough. It's the kind of movie that goes on at 3am during a movie marathon with friends, around the time you're all knackered from all the sugar, some of you falling asleep etc. There were some bits I did like in it, like the torch picking up the killer's face before disappearing when the torch goes back again. Or when the bus lights picked out him in front of the bus, then he jammed his face up against the glass, that actually gave me mild goosebumps haha. Another movie all set during the night too.

I just get so tickled at the 'romantic' music over a love scene, like in this film. And one woman hid from the killer in the fridge! Haha! There were also more counselors than kids at this camp, and everyone looked so old. I wasn't expecting Betsy to die, so that did surprise me somewhat. I knew her face so well, but couldn't work it out until afterwards when I realised she was the woman in Dawn of the Dead.

OP, I';m going to suggest some late 80's stuff: The Hidden 1987 (yes the trailer is cheesy). Starring Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri:

And super cheesy fun, 1988's Night of the Demons:

While it's not a great movie, this made an impression on me because it's prescient, 1981's Looker:

Go for it, R142/R143. I was thinking today, maybe I should've made the boundary 1970-1990 really. The period I chose is the one I love the most aesthetically as I was saying, but I really am happy with recommendations from any of the 20 years.

Salems Lot can be rented on Amazon or YouTube. It was so scary when it appeared on tv in 1979! I recently rewatched it and it holds up to the test of time. And David Soul, in his tight jeans, is still hot.

At grammatical error: its not it's. Sorry DL Grammar Nazis!

I have a soft spot for The Video Dead.

The special effects are kind of cheesy, but real fun too. And the whole thing captures that '80s teen vibe.

(You can also watch the whole movie for free on YouTube.)

Even though it was released in 1990, it clearly was made in the 80's. The ludicrous but totally fun Frankenhooker:

Jersey Boy likes to party!

R144, I’m a fellow Looker fan. They used to run it endlessly on HBO and we’d watch it every time. It doesn’t make a lot of sense but the setup is compelling and the performances are good. That scene of the woman falling on the car in slow motion still amazes me. I love the synth score and wish some label would release a soundtrack.

I watched Witchboard on Tubi last night and it was so much better than what I was expecting. Tawny Kitten was so good in it. It's a shame that she died last year.

"Don't Go in the House" (1979)

The plot follows a disturbed man who, after suffering an abusive childhood in which his mother punished him with burning, becomes a pyromaniac and serial killer who kidnaps and burns alive any women who resemble her.

Quentin Tarantino has said that this is one of the movies that inspired him to become a filmmaker.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (either 1988 or 89). You can't rip your eyes off the screen and you ask yourself: WTF did I just watch?

More great recommendations, thanks so much, guys!

I just found The House on Sorority Row on Tubi and watched it then. It's Kristen from Days of Our Lives! Haha. I enjoyed this one. There is something I like about a female led cast like this. It's nice to see women portrayed in a way outside the usual clichés of horror, and this portrayal is usually better when the setting is a female centric one. I mean, the movie clearly was trying to appeal towards the guys who would come and watch it too, I don't deny that, but it was nice to see a group of women just behaving the way they did, without it all being about the men, if you get me. Plus, I could tell them apart, which is always good, hehe.

That pool was manky! The number of actors and actresses that had to be in that pool too, they definitely earned their paychecks!

HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1980).

This was hilarious.

Now free on Vudu.

The Manitou (1978).

I saw all of these in its original release at a theater. I was age 15 at the time. GREAT STUFF!

R155 the Sorority Row remake isn't too bad. It's alot more cliche but still fun.

I didn't know there was a remake, R155! Will have to check it out.

I noticed that Tubi also had The Mutilator on it, and I had heard of this movie before - it seems to be on a lot of lists and stuff, so decided to watch it tonight before bed.

What a bizarre little film though. I don't really know what to make of it. There isn't really much I liked about it if I'm honest. I think, because I kept seeing the name around, I had higher expectations than I should've?

I watched Demon Seed. Is it just me or is "based on a novel by Dean Koontz" a bad sign? Going to change gears and start on Archive 81.

I enjoyed Demon Wind.

Sort of a mash up of Evil Dead, The Fog, Night of the Living Dead, and From Beyond.

These came out in the later half of the 80’s but are great OP: Trick or Treat (starring Marc price), 976-Evil, Mirror Mirror, Necromancer, Slumber Party Massacre 2, Frankenhooker , April Fools Day, The Blob

More mid to late 80’s: The Stepfather, Pin, Phenomena, Killer Workout, waxwork, phantasm, Ghoulies, House, Dolls, The Fly. Also this movie came out in 2018 but Mandy takes place in 1983 and it is fantastic and really captures the feel of the late 70’s/early 80’s

For horror anthology movies I suggest: Twilight Zone the movie from 1983, Cats Eye, Body Bags. For anthology tv shows I suggest: Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Amazing Stories, Twilight Zone the series from 1985. Freddie’s Nightmares. I really wish USA Up All Night was available on steaming and DVD.

Dont go in the house (1979) a deranged man who’s abusive mother used to burn him goes around town burning women alive. Even at discos!

Demon Wind looks terrifun and it's on Tubi. Challenge accepted.

The Evilmwith Richard Crenna and Victor Buono. Great, atmospheric old school horror.

The Evil

House of the Devil is from 2009 but set in the early ‘80s, it was really scary!

Everyone is really coming through with the goods here. So much to watch, it's great! Thanks as always, I may go for Girls Nite Out and The Stepfather tonight, as I know they are both available to me. But seriously, they way things are at the moment, I could have a movie marathon every night til July, haha. Thank you so much!

Just watched The Stepfather and I [italic]really[/italic] enjoyed this one. Thank you for the recommendation. Although it was 1987 it really reminded me of those thrillers from the early 90s, just not quite as lurid. In fact, the daughter in this was the girl from When a Stranger Calls Back, wasn't she? Also thought Terry O'Quinn did a fantastic job of playing his character as someone you could see charming people as well as being an absolute psycho. And we got to see his bum 30 seconds into the movie, which I'm always a fan of. I know, not a fun scene, as he was washing up after a murder, but still. It was a cute one, too. What else has he been in? I'm sure I recognised him from somewhere.

More seriously though, it was just a very enjoyable film. Due to my familiarity with some of those 90s thrillers, I could guess the beats the movie would hit at certain points, but this didn't stop the enjoyment. This movie was remade with Greg Kinnear too, wasn't it?

So thanks for the recommendation, R163, I appreciate it. You done good!

^And as soon as I left the room, I realised he was Locke on Lost, haha.

[quote]And we got to see his bum 30 seconds into the movie

You can see full frontal reflected in the mirror in that scene - Locke's cock!

Fuck R173, I totally missed that because I was focused on his arse, haha. I'm so grateful to the person who runs that site, by the way ;)

So second cab off the rank tonight was Girls Nite Out. Probably the "sluttiest" slasher I've seen yet, though in reality it was pretty tame. No bums this time, and there was ample opportunity too. Not even any boobs. I think my tolerance for obnoxious young people is increasing though, they didn't really bother me in this film and they sure were obnoxious! Were we meant to be liking Teddy at all? The movie sort of portrayed it as though: "hey, Teddy's just being Teddy, and isn't his relationship with Dawn sweet?" which I just found funny.

I really liked the idea of putting knives into the bear's claw. And I enjoyed the scene of the two girls smoking pot and talking about how to find the first clue, that was endearing.

The copy I saw was pretty low quality and the movie itself is pretty low budget, but I actually was interested the whole movie, and enjoyed it for what it was. I'm not sure if I can have many more fraternity/sorority type horror movies left, I feel like I've seen so many of them.

Only 10.30, so still time for another one, but not sure what I should watch. Another "slutty teen slasher" would be some nice junk food style viewing. I really need to turn my brain off after today.

[quote]Is it just me or is "based on a novel by Dean Koontz" a bad sign?

You know what? For someone as well known as Koontz is, I honestly could not tell you the title of a single of his novels. It's kinda weird.

I read maybe a dozen Koontz books back in the 80s. They would always start out interesting but then veer off into dumb ideas. One notable exception is his novelization of the movie The Funhouse which actually expands on the story and develops some interesting background for the characters. I read the book years before I saw the movie and was disappointed that so much of the story in the book wasn't included on-screen.

The titles of his books were all super generic which is why you don't remember them, r175. Phantoms, Whispers, Shadows. Watchers, Midnight, Strangers. They've made some movies out of some of them but they're as forgettable as the books.

Speaking of movie novelizations that are better than the film they're based on: The Boogens. The movie is a cheesy but mildly entertaining creature feature set in a snowy mining town. The book has the same premise but plays out differently than the movie. Maybe it worked better imagining the creatures since the movie version looked so cheap and rubbery. Stars Rebecca Balding from Silent Scream and Anne-Marie Martin aka Eddie Benton from Prom Night.

Thanks R176, for the recommendation and comments. So is Koontz's "The Funhouse" the one directed by Tobe Hooper? I've not seen that one yet.

So, R108, for my third and final movie tonight, I chose Dead Kids, based on the dance scene you posted. After watching, that is still my favourite part of that movie and I love the song too. My thoughts on the actual film as a whole? Well, I think it's an interesting idea, I think the tone of the film just turned me off a bit. Now, to begin with, I often fall asleep during films, and I didn't with this one, which is a positive. But that town and those people in it felt kinda icky even before the bad stuff was happening, in a way that I guess I felt I didn't want to be there. The main two guys (students) in the film were both jerks. I said in Girl's Nite Out that I didn't care about that in that movie, but I kinda did here. Perhaps they are just portraying typical jerkish boys, but it was kinda offputting or something? While at the same time finding those actors very cute too. I guess I felt like I was spending the movie hanging out with the arseholes of the community ("me and my friends can do whatever we want, no matter how awful, because my dad is the cop" sentiments).

But man oh man, the theme of tonight was "main actor gets his rear out in his first scene" clearly, 'cause it happens again here, and I enjoyed that very much. But initially I was like: "Oh, they're a gay couple", it wasn't until he called him "dad" that I realised and then I was like: "oh yeah, that makes sense". Anyway, nice arse, Dan Shor!

The most horrific bit to me was the pissing blood. The thought of that freaks me out, and it happened to me a couple of times when I had kidney stones.

The weird thing was that a couple of scenes felt really familiar to me: the butt scene and the frisbee kids finding the girl in the car. Yet I know I haven't seen this film before. Weird.

I seem to recall that the movie of Phantoms was pretty good, to be fair. But I haven't seen it since it came out. I read a couple of his books in high school and even at that age I didn't think they were up to much.

I couldn't sleep so I got halfway through Archive 81. I'm liking it well enough but not loving it. It's a moody slow burn and I suspect it's going to be one of these Netflix shows that's longer than it needs to be. And it's got way too much of characters acting like protagonists instead of people, if you know what I mean. Still, I'm intrigued. Anyone listen to the podcast it's based on?

I was also exploring AMC+ and it's got that new folk horror documentary, as well as some key movies of the subgenre like Witchfinder General and Wicker Man. I think a folk horror binge is in my future.

All of which is drifting away from the OP but hey, this is the active horror thread.

R173 I have seen The Stepfather a number of times and always love it, but I never before saw O'Quinn's cock! How the fuck did I miss that? LOL

I expect to be admonished for this at the next "meeting," I just hope that I'm not forced to turn in my gay card.

By the way, The Stepfather remake is well worth the view. Between Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh, Jon Tenney and Marcus Harris, you will find something pretty to look at. There's something for everyone!

[quote] So is Koontz's "The Funhouse" the one directed by Tobe Hooper?

Yes that’s the one. It’s still entertaining I just felt like it could have been better. No male nudity though how I wished we’d gotten a look at Cooper Huckabee’s bare backside! Not usually an arm fan but damn!

[quote]I think a folk horror binge is in my future. All of which is drifting away from the OP but hey, this is the active horror thread.

OP here and that's no problem at all. Also, I think a folk horror binge sounds great, I'll have to get onto that myself sometime. I'm not sure I've ever seen a folk horror movie actually.

[quote]I expect to be admonished for this at the next "meeting," I just hope that I'm not forced to turn in my gay card.

Haha, don't worry, mate. I'll be right alongside you for the spankings. And I can totally see how you could watch that movie a number of times, it is really very good. I am going to have to check out the remake too, sometime.

[quote]how I wished we’d gotten a look at Cooper Huckabee’s bare backside!

I'm starting to feel really ripped off if I don't see at least one bare arse per horror movie now. The expectations have been set! Hahaha.

Don't Go in the House (1979) Pretty disturbing

Deadly Blessing, with a young Sharon Stone

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

^That's been recommended to me a few times, which signals to me that I need to watch it soon! Thanks!

Whoops. R187 was referring to "Don't Go in the House" but also "The Town that Dreaded Sundown" has been similarly recommended to me.

The Nesting (Gloria Grahame's last film)

The Evictors (1979)

Hey, I missed Bradley Cooper's dick in Nightmare Alley and that was on the big screen. It happens.

Thank god for sites like AZ nude men and AusCAPS, huh?

This thread jogged my memory about, "Phantom of the Paradise", which I saw when I was 9. I only remembered 3 scenes, so when I started watching this, I was befuddled that I didn't remember 98% of the movie because it's so over the top. I like the movie it-'s so campy, but I HATE the music. I also developed a bit of a crush on Paul Williams, the ugly little troll that he was, but I was an odd kid- I also had crushes on Elton John and Gene Wilder.

I also forced my parents to take me to see Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Tommy, both not suitable for kids, but my Dad was a cinephile and a genre guy, so it was hard for him to say no.

Wow talk about timely! This just popped up on my Facebook feed. Didn't know there was such a different TV version of The Funhouse. Maybe some of the stuff from the book is in this alternate cut

I find the differences between cuts so interesting in movies. Sometimes they are cut for TV like they are almost a different film. There's a site out there you can look at the differences, Movie Censorship or something? Thanks for sharing R176/R194. I'm definitely going to try and find this movie sometime too.

Watched so many of these recommendations already. Helps that I am on holiday and can stay up late. Tonight I have the nephews so no horror on the TV - unless I want to be a very bad uncle! (Although I swear I was exposed to horror about the age of 5 myself)

Don’t go in the house is great. I love this thread. I’m a horror junky but thug thread has inspired me to scour through the movies I haven’t seen on Prime, Shudder, Tubi and Plex. Thanks again OP! I love discovering “new” old treasures.

This* not thug lik

Speaking of Tobe Hooper, Lifeforce is a lot of fun what with the alien sex vampire apocalypse and such. I'm sure most boys loved it because the gorgeous vampire queen was often naked, but this gayling was so disappointed we didn't see more of her male lackeys.

[quote]I'm not sure I've ever seen a folk horror movie actually.

I'm not totally clear on the boundaries myself but looking forward to learning. I think there's been a bit of a boom lately with The Witch, Midsommar, The Ritual, The Apostle, Kill List,, etc.

No, thank you R196 for getting involved and helping me to up my knowledge of horror. You know, most of the films listed in my original post I only saw for the first time in the last three or so months? I've really had a baptism of fire, haha. I've always enjoyed horror growing up, but I didn't spend much time looking back to the movies from before the time that horror got to me (ie with The Blair Witch Project). It's been so enjoyable going through so many, the good, the bad, the bizarre, haha.

And thanks for the recommendation R198... I've vaguely heard of that will have to check it out. And your disappointment there is one I share in many horrors, hehe.

[quote]I love discovering “new” old treasures.

Perfectly put. I never know, when going to watch these recommended movies, how I'm going to react to them. It's interesting seeing what works for you but really doesn't for another and vice versa.

Alright, fellas. Nephews put to bed, and after many recommendations for this one movie, I just watched Don't Go in the House on YouTube. Thank you, that was a creepy little tale, and I enjoyed it. It felt like watching a movie version of a real life true crime story, like the ones that I used to read in my book of true crime as a kid - you know, the typical story of a guy who picks up women and kills them. I have a question though; was the woman in the corner store one of the victims? I assume so, or the three bodies upstairs don't make sense, but it wasn't clear because she was clearly disturbed by him and left the store, so I couldn't imagine how he got her to his house like the other women.

The effects on those dead bodies upstairs were so good, they were nightmarish looking, and that feeling only increased once they stood up and started moving. I'm not sure I've ever seen something along those lines that's as effectively creepy before, so I applaud the production for that.

A disco dance club like that looks kinda fun! I loved a lot of the look of this film too, those long silences and that thick blackness of night, where all you see is what the director wants you too and everything else is pitch - I love that, always have. I just had a look and apparently this is on the list of video nasties. It's always interesting when I realise I've watched one of those.

Thanks for that one, was definitely worth it.

Wasn't going to watch another one tonight, but I saw someone in the comments under the last video mention Maniac, which I had heard of, and thought I should watch that too.

I don't think I've seen a film as nasty as this one since, I dunno, The New York Ripper? But that was at least offset by the Donald Duck voice and other campy bits too. I was excited in the beginning to see Tom Savini was involved as his work is very good. I also find him attractive, so was nice to see him in the movie too. I think I'll have nightmares over the killers face as he strangles that girl. Also the scene where he is peaking through the car window was creepy too. As someone who's had plenty of back seat moments, the thought of looking up and seeing a face peering in gives me the shivers.

I really don't understand what Caroline Munro was doing letting him into her apartment and her life, based on the fact that she took a picture of him and he turned up on her doorstep later. Shouldn't that have been a red flag? Also, the photo shoot scene had some hilarious (to me) music over it, that "Going to a showdown" song or what have you. I can't remember the exact lyrics but it was something like: "Make sure you wear a nice dress because you might die. You'll be a nicely dressed corpse". Something like that.

It feels odd to say I 'enjoyed' the film, because it was pretty nasty, but let's just say I was glad to have seen that one too, and I didn't hate it. I haven't had to look away from the screen for some time with these movies though. It also made me think, in my 20s torture porn was a big thing in movies, and I never liked it. I saw a few films, but was never keen on them. But now here I am watching the early 80s version of those films in a way, the ones that shocked and revolted people at the time, and I can handle these ones ok. It's interesting.

[quote]I haven't had to look away from the screen for some time with these movies though.

To clarify, what I meant to say here was, I had to look away from Maniac on a couple of occasions, which hasn't happened for a long time.

I don't know if any of you subscribe to Shudder, but they have a trove of Giallo films, as well as a lot of lesser known films and current international horror films.

I've not subscribed to Shudder yet, but I really think I should. I think I can get a 7-day trial period somehow. I do love gialli.

Here are the films available on Shudder now:

Ahh brilliant, R205, thank you!

Speaking of comet movies, how could I forget Night of the Comet! I'm inexplicably fond of this movie. It's honestly not great but there's something about it, maybe the fact that it's not totally predictable or the teen characters who aren't complete cliches. Maybe it's the always welcome presence of Mary Woronov.

I'm glad you don't mind general horror talk, OP, because I'm enjoying a DL perspective on these movies. I look at Dreadit from time to time but most of the conversation is so shallow and repetitive. ("I liked John Carpenter's The Thing, what are your thoughts?")

Thanks R207! Another one to add to the list! And I'm so glad you're enjoying the thread!

Mary Woronov is a treasure, r207! Eating Raoul was on TCM recently. Love that one and she’s great in it. It’s not horror though it has a macabre sense of black humor and it hits those early 80s notes perfectly.

Another Paul Bartel cult film to seek out is 1972’s Private Parts (nothing to do with Howard Stern.) It’s campy and weird but will satisfy your horror itch. Plus Bartel is gay so there’s always some male nudity in his films

I hadn't heard of Paul Bartel, looked up a pic, and it's the guy from the beginning of Chopping Mall, being a sarky bitch with the woman, who on looking her up, was Mary Woronov. I wish I'd been more aware of this kind of thing to appreciate that more when I saw the movie.

What works for some but not others would include The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976] I found it 'incredibly dull' as the TV Guide review said. It feels like a made4tv movie.

R210, I recommend checking out Eating Raoul when you get a chance. It’s a quick, funny 90 minutes and there’s lots of recognizable faces in the cast. Bartel and Woronov are basically playing the same characters in the Chopping Mall scene. Obviously you don’t need to see both to appreciate the cameo but it’s a nice insider reference. They did a number of movies together over the years, though not always playing a couple.

Okay, back to horror…

The novel was good with an icky premise.the movie was....okay. 1981's Dead and Buried.

Thanks R212, will definitely check that one out too.

And thanks R213 as well! Same. Sometimes I can deal with icky premises well and other times not, it often surprises me which ones work and which don't.

[quote]Mary Woronov is a treasure

So say we all! Love her work with Bartel. I've been meaning to see Private Parts for years but somehow never got around to it. Also never saw the TV version of The Secret Cinema which I believe Woronov was in.

Topic: Terrorvision!

This is what I love about these threads - we're talking about horror here but you're also educating on other parts of film culture too, which is great. Until recently, I've never been a great film watcher, I was always more of a reader. I'm enjoying this journey very much.

Ooh, now Terrorvision I have heard of but not seen, will definitely have to as well. So much to see, I love knowing it'll take ages to run out of things to watch.

While this was made in 1989 and it's not technically horror, it's a very stylish movie with elements of horror: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.

^Ah yes, I saw that when I was quite young, R217. I just remember it being very weird, and I probably was too young to have seen it, haha.

One of the things I love about a lot of these movies is their soundtracks. Sometimes it's the best thing in the movie, haha! But in this time period a lot of it is new wavey/funk/punk/early synthesiser stuff that tickles me, even if it's cheesy and silly. I'd kinda love to make my own horror film one day and score it like some of these movies were.

The very excellent and under appreciated vampire film, 1987 Near Dark. Too bad it was overshadowed by Lost Boys.

I remember watching The Lost Boys on recommendation from someone and a friend and I both had different expectations of the film, but ended up thinking the film was really good. So if Near Dark is really good, then I will definitely look into it. I see it has some of the Aliens cast in it.

Eating Raoul is available on HBO max. I watched it the other night it was a hoot. Reminded me of a John Waters film. Cutie Robert Beltran plays the titular Raoul. He is also in Night of the Comet as well- another fantastic fun film. I enjoyed the original Maniac from 1980 and heard good things about the 2012 remake with Elijah Wood. I don’t usually care for remakes but heard this was a good film- stylishly shot in downtown LA (and taking place in the present) rather than NYC with a synth soundtrack giving it a more neo noir feel than 70’s grindhouse. I liked how they tried to make it it’s own film. Beware though if you thought the 1980 film was gruesome than you may not be able to stomach the 2012 version. The stylish cinematography and synth score was visually & audibly stunning (like the movie Drive) however it took away from the creepiness of the original. Present day Downtown LA is still terrifying and Elijah wood does a great job in the role though. If you want to watch it it’s still available for a few more days on the free streaming app Plex. Plex is like a Tubi but they do offer different movies and shows. I finally watched Gregg Araki’s Kaboom on Plex the other day and surprisingly enjoyed it. I never cared for Doom Generation but always had a soft spot for Nowhere. kaboom is like an updated millennial Nowhere. It was a nice throwback. Say what you will about Arakua but his films such fun visually. He really excels at nailing down the 90’s with his colors and sets and his shoegaze soundtracks really elevate his films. I wish he would make more films like Mysterious Skin though.

I had no idea Maniac had been remade, that's so interesting! Honestly, the original film was nasty enough that I don't think I can watch a remake that doesn't have that distance to it that something filmed in 1980 does, if that makes any sense. It's very interesting which movies they do consider remaking from that time. Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street seem obvious, but I wouldn't have necessarily expected either Maniac or My Blood Valentine to be done (I've only seen the remake of the latter, I need to find a copy of the original).

("BloodY" obvious, not "Blood" haha).

Speaking of Maniac, had this song playing this morning, haha!

Cape Fear (1991) and The Fly (1986) were two of the best examples of movie remakes in horror or really any genre. Much better than the 1958 version of the Fly and the 1962 version of Cape Fear- although the original Cape Fear was a great film and Robert Mitchum was excellent, Scorsese’s version really took it to the next level. Cronenbergs the Fly remains one of my all time favorite films. Devastating, terrifying and beautiful. My parents took me to see it at the movies when I was 4 years old and I was traumatized as any child would be but had I not been exposed to such movies so early I probably would not have ended up growing up to love and appreciate films and horror

If you enjoy campy musical interludes in your horror than you will love Slumber Party Massacre 2!

Homebodies

Haha, R226, I'm currently looking for a decent version of Slumber Party Massacre 2, the one I have found so far is like one giant pixel, haha. But excited to hear there is a campy musical interlude! When I make my own horror movie I will definitely have to include one myself ;)

Oh that's so good to know, R225, because my mate who loaned me all those DVDs loaned me Cape Fear.

[quote]had I not been exposed to such movies so early I probably would not have ended up growing up to love and appreciate films and horror

I think this is so true. People clutch their pearls over kids seeing things, but I put it down to my father being quite liberal with what I could watch that got me my interest in these types of films which has brought a lot of pleasure.

Thank you kindly R227!

Death Valley (1982) can be fun if you catch it in the right mood. It's got the kid from A Christmas Story, the mom from Child's Play and famed oatmeal pitchman Wilford Brimley. I'm a sucker for movies set in the desert. Did anyone recommend The Hitcher from 1986 yet? Another great desert thriller

Oh and another great desert horror-thriller is 1989's Far From Home. It was one of Drew Barrymore's first "adult" movies where she was working to shed her child actor image so she's in a bikini and clingy t-shirts for much of the movie. The supporting cast is amazing - Susan Tyrrell! Jennifer Tilly! Plus Richard "Hold me David, I'm scared" Masur, Matt "Max Headroom" Frewer, Andras "Nightmare on Elm Street 4" Jones, and Anthony "Kevin Spacey raped me" Rapp as a straight teen in love with Drew. It's unjustly obscure but you can rent it on Amazon, Vudu and Youtube.

Here's one of Susan Tyrell's bravura moments

It's Alive

High Desert Kill was enjoyable. I don’t think a lot of people have seen it. It’s on Daily Motion.

OP sorry if I'm too lazy to look but has anyone mentioned Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) truly unsettling.

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) aka Communion with an early appearance by Brooke Shields

Early Cronenberg is pretty raw: Shivers, Rabid, and The Brood- all before 1980.

Ish, r233.

Basket Case (1982) from the director of Bad and Frankenhooker. Clever. atmospheric low budget horror set in NYC

I think Basket Case is on Tubi too. I know the hosts on Werewolf Ambulance liked that one.

I don't think I've ever seen any Cronenberg, I always get a bit freaked out by the idea of his movies, but I should make an effort to see at least one of them.

Similarly, everyone says Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a really disturbing watch. I do wonder if I could bring myself to watch it. We shall see.

Looks like there is a subgenre of horror in the desert movies, thanks for the recs! Will definitely check those out too.

R238 1977s The Hills Have Eyes is the granddaddy of desert horror and the remake I'm told is scary as well.

10 to midnight is great. It’s based oh the Ed Kemper murders

Oh thanks R240, that definitely looks like something I should like.

Yeah, R239, that's the only desert movie I think I've seen (is Duel a desert one too? It's more a road one I suppose, but it's set through mostly a desert isn't it? It's been ages since I've seen it). I remember being quite young at the time and sort of morbidly fascinated by the idea of it, and having to steel myself to watch it.

I really want to see Just Before Dawn, I think it's the only real camping horror movie left for me to see, but I cannot find it anywhere.

I finished Archive 81. It was stupendously okay. And yes, overlong. Benson & Moorhead directed two episodes, which solidified my sense that while they are good directors, it's their screenwriting that makes them notable.

For a palate cleanser I watched Demon Wind. It has all your favorite 80s stars, like Fake James Spader, Ted McGinley Lite, I Can't Believe It's Not Jami Gertz, and Gay Kevin Bacon. There's lots of coarse acting but not much story, just a series of bizarre events as demons beset a cabin in the woods. At one point a turkey explodes, which seems like a metaphor for the whole movie. All this and male arse in the first ten minutes, what's not to love?

The one about the...tomatoes

Is It's Alive worth watching?

[quote]I don't think I've ever seen any Cronenberg,

He's directed some great ones! Shivers, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly. This reminds me I never did see Rabid.

I went to Cronenberg's IMDB, and was surprised to find what he directed- he's incredibly versatile.

And I went to Tubi to see if they have Scanners and was surprised to find there are two sequels! Not directed by Cronenberg of course. I am morbidly curious.

Just Before Dawn is on Amazon Prime

Just Before Dawn is on Amazon prime

Oh! I have Amazon Prime, will have to check it out, that's very cool to hear.

Re: Cronenberg, I think of those listed Videodrome is the one I have always been curious about seeing.

Shivers is aka They Came from Within. Under any title recommended. Also recommended Larry Cohen's Manhattan set horror film God Told Me To (1976) which features a brief appearance by Andy Kaufman.

Apparently Dead Kids was filmed across the Tasman in New Zealand! I wouldn't have picked that, it looked so dusty.

[quote] Also recommended Larry Cohen's Manhattan set horror film God Told Me To (1976) which features a brief appearance by Andy Kaufman.

I am finding it really interesting watching some of these films set in New York around the 70s/80s, and the characters that were around then. It was actually one of the most interesting things I find in the non-horror Desperately Seeking Susan, which I only saw recently. Maniac was interesting for that reason too. Is Cruising set in New York?

R253 Cruising is indeed set in NY. You might want to check out Smithereens (1982) filmed in NY by Susan Seidelman director of Desperately Seeking Susan (1985).

[quote]You might want to check out Smithereens

I will do for sure! Ta!

[quote]Just Before Dawn is on Amazon prime

Just checked and unfortunately not here in Australia. I really wish streaming services were consistent across the world (probably impossible, I know, but still), because I'm always hearing people saying things are available on Netflix etc, and they aren't here. Australia seems to have a lot less available from what I'm hearing from others. Stan (or own homegrown streaming service) is much better than the others, but this wasn't on there either.

Mostly I'm having to wait until some kindly person uploads a decent copy to YouTube to see these movies, or occasionally find them on Tubi.

Oh well, one day it will turn up, I'm sure. On the other hand I think I've just found a decent copy of The Initiation and Night of the Demons.

The Witch Who Came from the Sea

Burnt Offerings

The Fury

When a Stranger Calls

Wolfen

Cat People (1982)

Eyes of Fire

Cat People is hilarious.

The Believers-more satanic thriller than slasher horror

The Omen I & II-ditto

For the dark thriller borderline horror with a touch of camp 70s-80s

Angel

Crimes of Passion

Anything by Di Palma

I have heard of the 1940s Cat People before, but was there are remake in the 80s too? Is that the movie that David Bowie did the song for?

[quote]For the dark thriller borderline horror with a touch of camp 70s-80s

Definitely sounds up my alley!

I just watched The Initiation (1984) then. Interesting little movie, I have this weird fascination with these fraternity/sorority horrors, I think because we don't have them in my country, and I kinda don't understand the system (was anyone in this thread part of one?), but they seem perfect for a popcorn horror movie setting. Add that to the mall (so 80s!) and a not very PC portrayal of mental illness and it's just very of its time.

I'll be honest, at the end of the day I just found this enjoyable and easy to watch, which is all we can ask for, huh? Some things really stand out as not being able to be done now - you can see the movie wants to make that last scene with Ralph the part that shows us: "actually he isn't such a bad guy", and in the context of the movie that's completely right, but from an outside perspective, cheering up a girl who has just admitted she was molested as a child by sleeping with her is pretty inadvisable. But it's portrayed so sweetly here. Things like that are quite interesting in sort of a "social history" sort of way, ie what people used to think vs now.

I liked the setting of that Brutalist mall, and particularly the scene where each floor's lights go off one by one. Clu Gulager gets around a lot in these movies, doesn't he?

I hope to find some more of these fraternity/sorority ones, but I imagine I must be running out now.

[Quote] I have heard of the 1940s Cat People before, but was there are remake in the 80s too? Is that the movie that David Bowie did the song for?

Yes and yes.

Grand, thanks R261.

Haha, ok so I just watched Night of the Demons (1988). That movie tickled me so much, it's so ridiculous but I was laughing the whole time, and I get the feeling that was the intention. And Linnea Quigley is just a delight. I love how everyone delivers their lines in such a B-movie type way.

The young brother reminded me of someone, I feel like I've seen him in things before. I totally expected there to be an American Gods type moment, after Linnea Quigley shoved the lipstick inside her breast (!!). I expected that douche who went to have sex with her to be sucked right up her cunt.

Sometimes a bit of ridiculousness is required, I feel. Reminds me a bit of the good time I had watching Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama.

OP, I'm glad you liked "Maniac". I recommended it at r58, and you're right, it is one NASTY piece of work.

Thanks R263, you are so right. And the subway scene was really creepy too, I agree! I also felt like I needed a shower afterwards. But I'm glad to know about that movie now.

R262. Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, If any movie was going to be forgotten from the 80s, that one would have been my guess. But it holds up well today. Linnea was only paid $500 to film the follow-up Nightmare Sisters and got no residuals. But somebody told me that her lines at horror conventions are always the longest, like 5-10 times longer than actors who starred in hit shows of the day, and she loves to connect with her fans.

Just Before Dawn (Free download)

R39 and R57, for my third movie tonight, I went with Blood Rage. My god, I felt so sad for Louise Lasser's character, that just... ugh. It is an insane movie that both manages to do campy bits and truly disturbing bits. I found it a really interesting watch. I just felt so bad for the mum, the wrongly accused brother, the woman with the baby...

Happily, we get a bit of male bum, sorta, to soften things a bit. I noticed that guy's at the football game; he was pretty much eating his shorts, and then we get some side view on the diving board too. I thought we were going to have to do without when I saw Mark Soper very obviousy wearing speedos in his shower scene.

So interesting that it was filmed in 83, because it definitely has more of that kind of look than mid-late 80s.

Damn, I know I'm an oversensestive sap sometimes, but the mother in this...

Thanks for the recs both of you!

Hey, free download, thanks R266!

Yeah, R265, I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching that film. Linnea Quigley is so funny in it: "Jump back! Prom Queen's on the loose!" and everyone looks like they're having a ball. The actress playing Babs seems to be doing a Mae West vocal impression which tickles me.

I love hearing that about Quigley, it's so great how she just seems to have fun with it all. Have you seen her "exorcise" videos where she teaches aerobics to zombies? Hahahaha.

Amelia Kincaid (the dancing goth girl in Night of the Demons) is the niece of Rue McClanahan

Amelia Kincaid (the dancing goth girl in Night of the Demons) is the niece of Rue McClanahan

Sorry about the double posts!

Glad you liked, "Night of the Demons"- it's such a fun romp.

I saw this as a kid (I was 7), and only remember 2 scenes- one that was truly horrifying, and the the last scene, where upon reflection, ludicrous because.... well of the fashion of times (don't want to give the ending away).. 1972's Raw Meat:

And while I never saw this when it was released, I love it because it's soooo over the top, and the clothes are amazing: 1974's Sugar Hill.

Since this thread's parameters have extended beyond the early 80s, I'll recommend two films from director Fred Dekker: NIGHT OF THE CREEPS and THE MONSTER SQUAD.

NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1986) is a tribute to 50s sci-fi & teen horror. Parasitic slugs from outer space take over their hosts, turning them into killer zombies and wreaking havoc on a university dance.

THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987) salutes the classic Universal Monsters. Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolf-Man, Gill-Man, and Frankenstein's Monster all appear in this tale of a group of kids trying to prevent the monsters from obtaining an ancient amulet which holds the balance between Good & Evil.

Both films have become cult classics and are a whole lot of fun.

The Fan (1982) aka Slasher the musical with Lauren Bacall. After the success of Friday the 13th Paramount pictures added more gore to The Fan.

Lady in White. It's 1988. You'll have to be flexible. Great movie.

I never watched Pumpkinhead (1988) because I thought it sounded too cheezy. Turns out it's really good! Lance Henriksen is great as a farmer who seeks supernatural revenge on the careless city folk who accidentally killed his son. It's directed by F/X wizard Stan Winston, who does a great job. There's some great cinematography too, with the creepy murderwoods looking almost glamorous. Seriously I had to take some screenshots.

My only complaint is that the titular creature looks too xenomorphic for my taste. It's not meant to actually be a pumpkin creature but I would have liked it better if it looked more plantlike and less alien.

Trick or Treat (1986) is a lot of fun and def poking fun at the hysteria of satanic panic. It stars Mark Price (family ties Skippy) with a hot young Doug Savant (Matt from Melrose place) as the bully.

I really enjoyed Harper's Island.

It's a mini-series that came out in 2009 (years before the Slasher TV series and American Horror Story.)

Imagine Revenge meets Friday the 13th. It's a true slasher (and pretty scary for a network TV show.)

Highly recommended.

[quote]Trick or Treat (1986) is a lot of fun and def poking fun at the hysteria of satanic panic.

Oh now that sounds like it could be interesting - I've always been interested in mass hysteria, and poking fun at the satanic panic of the 80s sounds fun.

I've never even heard of Harper's Island before, it would be fun to see something like this in mini-series form.

My list of things to watch is getting very long thanks to you guys, this is great! Definitely want to see Pumpkinhead sometime. I can remember seeing that at the video store in the 90s as a kid, and having that whole "frightened yet intrigued" feeling that I bet a lot of us here know.

As before, thank you to everyone who's written so far again!

Seconding r274. The Fan is a hoot and also features some of that grimy early 80s NYC scenery spoken of above.

[quote]also features some of that grimy early 80s NYC scenery spoken of above.

Plus Lauren Bacall? Oh this movie is moving right up the list!

House

The Gate

[Quote] NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1986) is a tribute to 50s sci-fi & teen horror. Parasitic slugs from outer space take over their hosts, turning them into killer zombies and wreaking havoc on a university dance.

The voicemail scene always gets me 🥺

[quote]It has all your favorite 80s stars, like Fake James Spader, Ted McGinley Lite, I Can't Believe It's Not Jami Gertz, and Gay Kevin Bacon.

This cracked me up, hahaha!

[quote]For a palate cleanser I watched Demon Wind...All this and male arse in the first ten minutes, what's not to love?

Surprisingly the naked male arse wasn't from Playgirl model Bobby Johnston (Ted McGinley Lite?)

R285 - Damn, he's hot!

The butt belonged to Non-Union Steven Weber, who was paired up with Rebecca De Maybe She Can Pass For De Mornay.

Harper's Island looks good!

Delirium: a Photo of Gioia was developed to be directed by Dario Argento, then picked up by Demons director Lamberto Bava. It's a strange hybrid of night soap opera, sci-fi, and horror.

Not very scary, but with plenty of camp and weirdness. Starring some buxom Italian woman, and former Dario ingenue Daria Nicolodi as her assistant Evelyn. Also DL fave Sabrina appears, and Capucine (in a stand-out performance) is the buxom woman's lesbian rival.

Sisters (1972) De Palma's homage to Rear Window and Psycho. Filmed on Staten Island with a terrific performance by Margot Kidder and a score by Bernard Herrmann. One of De Palma's best.

Oh, I definitely want to see Sisters, R289, ever since I went to this awesome restaurant on Glebe Point Rd in Sydney that had posters of 60s/70s films all over the wall and one of them was "Hermanas". (Incidentally, I would love to create a wall like that in say, an office space in my house or something).

R288, Delirium sounds right up my alley, with all those elements.

Speaking of Lamberto Bava, is Demons 2 worth seeing? I saw the first one a couple of weeks ago, and I have found a copy of the second one.

I got through a good portion of The Dorm That Dripped Blood, but the copy on YouTube ended up going silent for long periods. Originally it just seemed like scenes without dialogue, but then it shifted to dialogue scenes too, so I gave up. I will say that I never knew Daphne Zuniga was a bit of a scream queen initially. When I was a kid she was on Melrose Place, so that's all I knew of her being.

I had a quick look in to the 2009 version of Night of the Demons, after enjoying the original, but quickly shut it off again.

I then watched the first half an hour of the most 80s movie I think I have ever seen, called Party Line. I'll probably continue with that tomorrow, just too tired right now.

I love Sisters.

Listened to the intro episode of Evolution of Horror's series on folk horror and I'm now more confused about what is and isn't folk horror. It references The Wicker Man and The Blair Witch Project, but also Onibaba and Get Out. Maybe it's a you know it when you see it kind of thing. Anyway I'm planning to watch a few of the classics today and/or tomorrow so perhaps all will be revealed.

Yeah, folk horror seems to encompass more than I would personally think too. Will you come back and let us know what you think after viewing some of the classics? I'd be interested!

Mausoleum

This site has a lot of stuff about 70s and 80s horror

[quote]It references The Wicker Man and The Blair Witch Project, but also Onibaba and Get Out.

I haven't seen ONIBABA but I have a hard time seeing GET OUT as "folk horror". If you consider anything having to do with a cult to be "folk horror" then ROSEMARY'S BABY would qualify -- which seems about as far from being "folk" as horror can be.

Thanks R295! Kindertrauma is a good name for it too, haha.

But was anyone else like me as a little kid? Seeing things that scared me but just having to keep thinking about them and going over them and trying to see them again? Like I was trying to conquer a fear or something, while at the same time, that feeling of fear while being safe in my home being a nice feeling too?

r297, I wrote upthread about my Dad allowing me to see stuff that would be considered inappropriate now because he was a genre buff. My first movie in a movie theater was, "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (it's amazing BTW), and we would watch Creature Features every weekend (cozy in winter!). His love for genre has transferred over to what I do today, working in film, and mostly in horror. The magic has never gone away for me.

However Jaws- that ruined any body of water for years, never saw it again.

Here's the 1971 Abominable Dr. Phibes:

Ghost Story

[quote]I haven't seen ONIBABA but I have a hard time seeing GET OUT as "folk horror". If you consider anything having to do with a cult to be "folk horror" then ROSEMARY'S BABY would qualify -- which seems about as far from being "folk" as horror can be.

Onibaba is an excellent film - I recommend it but be warned it is bleak - though I am used to thinking of it as a historical drama. If it is based on some old folk tale I guess that can make it folk horror, if it's horror at all. My rough and ready understanding is that folk horror should have at least one of: based on folklore; "pagan" religion; rural or isolated setting. Haven't listened to the Get Out episode so no idea how they make that fit.

I also learned that DL non-icon Mark Gatiss deserves some credit (or blame!) for spreading the idea of folk horror, as he used the term in his "History of Horror" TV series in 2010. (The series is on YouTube if anyone wants to check it out.) He named an "unholy trinity" of foundational folk horror films: Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973). All three are on Shudder/AMC+ so I watched one last night and I'm going to watch another shortly. Thoughts to come.

Shudder is currently having a mini-festival of folk horror. In addition to the "Unholy Trinity" of WITCHFINDER GENERAL, THE WICKER MAN, and BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW, they are featuring titles such as EYES OF FIRE, BLACK SABBATH, and VIY. They are also showing the new documentary WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, which is worth a look if you are interested in a fairly comprehensive look at the subgenre (although, personally, I think the inclusion of some films is debatable). Generally the first hour of the documentary is the best with its focus on British Folk Horror. The second hour is mainly about American and the third looks at more International titles.

First up I watched The Blood on Satan's Claw. Fascinating film but frustrating at times because the beginning is very choppy and the ending is weak. But there's lots of good moments and images, especially in the middle section once the insistent score settles down. The story is solid: a farmer unearths a bizarre carcass that we infer is some kind of demon that's only mostly dead. Anyone who touches the creature falls under its sway, and soon a secret cult is spreading through the village, causing chaos and trying to resurrect the demon. Linda Hayden is memorable as the high priestess and not just because she bares her muffin. She has a lot of presence yet seems placid and innocent, like a secretly satanic Marcia Brady.

Then I found out why people still remember The Wicker Man (1973.) I was vaguely expecting something in the vein of Hammer horror, but this movie is a lot more idiosyncratic to say the least. It's folksy, it's slow paced, it's whimsical, it's musical, it's really really horny. It often teeters on the edge of silliness but doesn't tip over. Weird movie but it works and I found the ending completely effective. I'm just sad I've seen the Nicolas Cage version and knew the story already.

The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) if you liked Race with the Devil.

R303/R304 - thanks so much for both of those reviews. I will have to see them. I've never seen The Wicker Man, though I know what happens in the end. I'm saving it and really hope I enjoy it. Blood on Satan's Claw has the girl who was in Doctor Who in it, doesn't it? I saw Mark Gatiss talk about it on his History of Horror series (great series, well worth watching, in addition to his Eurohorror special too) and it looked quite disturbing.

I finished the rest of Party Line tonight, just because once I've started something I have to finish it. This, as I said, is probably the most 80s movie I've seen, haha. Right down to the saxophone playing over the credits. I have to say, I felt it dragged quite a bit for a short movie, and for a supposedly sexy movie was quite chaste. I kept thinking how it is kind of a precursor to those early 90s sexual thrillers.

It wasn't really a horror anyway. I found the most interesting thing is the concept of a "party line". We've never had them here, I don't think. They seem like they might be solely an American thing, and I'm not 100% sure what they are. A community of people all get to use the same line, basically? I remember as a kid reading a Point Thriller about a party line, and I think one makes an appearance in Cujo too, but I could never quite envisage what the point of them was.

I think in the early days of telephone service, party lines were a way of reaching a greater number of customers and keeping service affordable. Rich people could afford private lines but for most people it was much more affordable to share with neighbors. Stephen King has referenced them in many of his stories and you'll hear them mentioned in old movies and radio shows. I'm not sure why an 80s movie would use them as a plot device as they must have been mostly obsolete by then. (Haven't seen that movie.)

Thanks R308. Even weirder, in the film it's an "adult" party line, so people ring it and hear each other trying to get off with each other. The movie is like 1988 too, so from the sounds of it the whole concept must've been pretty obsolete by then as you say.

I'd hate to think my neighbours could just pick the phone up and listen in on my conversations.

No longer being on holidays and with a few other commitments during the week now, being unable to stay up until 1 in the morning, my horror binge will have to wind back a touch outside of the weekends, however I did manage to knock off Bloody Birthday this evening.

It was a good one! I know I enjoyed it because I was tense through the whole thing - mostly because I wanted someone to punch those fucking cunt children in their smug, smarmy faces. I can't believe the little bitch cunt slut got away in the end (hehe, you can see, I tend to get really involved when watching movies, to the delight of my friends who find it hilarious). I was thinking just then, my preferred ending (and a big SPOILER here for those intending to watch it but not seen it yet) would've been:

The girl and her mother get away, and we see the girl again attempting to kill someone. Without her two partners in crime though (especially Curtis who was the brainiest of the lot) she makes some fatal error and ends up killing herself instead. That would've pleased me more.

So yeah, well worth it, I think. Julie Brown was in it, and I'd never seen her in role like this before (I have seen her play the straight man in comedic sketches, like with Tracey Ullman but not a serious show all up). And she got her tits out!

Speaking of which, we got man ass, yay! I didn't think we were going to, and then it happened. Brief, but it was there.

I loved when the teacher told the children the bell was a signal for her, not them. Our teachers used to say that when we were kids too, and we couldn't understand why in American it seemed like kids just ran out as soon as the bell rang, even if the teacher was in the middle of talking. Of course, that ended up just being television's way of showing it, but when young we thought that literally was the way it was done, and I think our teachers hated that the shows did that, considering how it made us think.

I noticed Tourist Trap is on Tubi too, so that may be my next one.

Thanks to R50/R51 and R112 for recommending this one. And yes, definitely enjoyed both this and Alice, Sweet Alice. While I enjoy watching everything from excellent to terrible, it was nice after a few less than good movies to come back with an enjoyable one like Bloody Birthday.

[quote]a secretly satanic Marcia Brady

That's no secret.

[quote]she bares her muffin.

I've seen more full bush on women since I started this thread and started watching these movies than ever in my life, haha.

Just should mention too, that I finished the last half an hour of The Dorm That Dripped Blood too, because, as I say, I like to finish things. But the sound kept cutting in and out and there was no better version. It was also so frigging dark, I had trouble seeing what was going on. I thought the main girl was kinda likeable but again, I couldn't get involved in the story as the copy I watched was so bad. Anyway, I guess I've seen it and roughly understand the story, at least.

Polanski's The Tenant (1976) creepy and underrated. It's part of his 'apartment trilogy' along with Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby

[quote]Here's one of Susan Tyrell's bravura moments

Did Susan Tyrell ever come close to playing a straight role in her life? I find her to be a good actress, yet it's always the same manic performance, screaming out her lines.

Instead of finishing the unholy trinity I decided to go for a contemporary folk horror with The Hallow (2015). I heard it was about evil fairies and as a Datalounger I felt compelled to watch. Seriously I always like depictions of the fay that go past the Tinkerbell stuff and show them as dangerous and alien. This is about a family in the Irish countryside that comes into contact with....something....in the woods and soon finds themselves under siege. It was pretty good, though it had a big subplot I thought was unnecessary. Still, some fun scares and creature design.

[quote]Blood on Satan's Claw has the girl who was in Doctor Who in it, doesn't it?

That's no way to talk about Anthony Ainley.

Oh, you meant Wendy Padbury? She played Zoe, companion to the second Doctor. Had to look that up. Apparently The Time Lords wiped her memory. Lucky that nothing bad happens to her in Satan's Claw. ; )

Forgot to mention this movie had a lot of people with great names, like director Piers Haggard and costume designer Dulcie Midwinter. If Dulcie Midwinter wasn't a witch, she should have been.

[quote]I've seen more full bush on women since I started this thread and started watching these movies than ever in my life

Then you're ready for The Bush Man, I mean The Wicker Man.

Bloody Birthday sounds fun, might put that near the top of my list.

Does anyone know of a good movie based on La Llorona? The recent New Line one was pretty weak I thought. And the one out of Guatemala was good but not the traditional story.

[quote]that go past the Tinkerbell stuff and show them as dangerous and alien.

Which is much more in common with how they really are thought of in folklore.

Exactly, R318. Odd how they devolved from ancient gods to Disney supporting characters.

[quote]Does anyone know of a good movie based on La Llorona?

I've never seen it but 1963's La Maldición de la Llorona (The Curse of the Crying Woman) seems well-regarded. Looks very 1960's Hammer-ish, which isn't really my favorite genre, but there's some creepy imagery in the trailer.

The Changeling is my absolute favorite horror movie. It's such a great old-fashioned ghost story. The bathtub scene as a teenager scared the hell out of me. I remember watching it on TV with my cousin and brother in a rented cottage in the woods of Massachusetts.

[quote]Lucky that nothing bad happens to her in Satan's Claw. ; )

You can't fool me, mister. I saw Mr Gatiss' documentary ;)

[quote]The Changeling is my absolute favorite horror movie.

I need to watch this again. I saw it many years ago and don't think I appreciated it enough at the time. It was before I got into "retro" horror films, you know?

r315: Susan Tyrrell was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in John Huston's "Fat City" (1972).

This movie isn't technically scary (it's a romantic comedy with horror elements but it is so much fun- I remember seeing the first time in 1987 in Berkeley, with a very small audience, and was really blown away by the creativity and effects on what was clearly a low budget- the sequels are nuts as well.

Starring the late Leslie Cheung, one of the first prominent Chinese actors to later play a homosexual in, "Farewell My Concubine" and "Happy Together", who later committed suicide (it was rumored that he was gay, but he claimed he was bisexual).

A Chinese Ghost Story:

Thanks, R320, hopefully I can track that down.

Nice to see another fan of A Chinese Ghost Story. Love that trilogy. The third one is pointless but hey, Tony Leung. There was a new version of this story a few years ago but I haven't seen it.

Yes r325 the audience burst Into veers and applause after that scene. He was phenomenal.

Hell High.

The first five minutes and the last ten minutes are the best. (And you see most of those good parts in the trailer.)

So maybe just watch the trailer when you need a little pick-me-up.

Oh cool, R327. I was about to say: "Oh I think I've seen that" but realised that I've seen Hell NIGHT, not Hell HIGH.

And thanks for the recommendations for A Chinese Ghost Story too, people.

Got home from work today and popped on Tourist Trap. What a bizarre little film! And a brunette Tanya Roberts. I've never seen her do much more than scream "James! Oh JAMES!" before.

Tanya deserved an award for keeping that tube top up the whole movie

Look, fair play to her on that, I agree R3330. I mean I'm as gay as they come and I still found myself starting at her tits for a good portion of the movie.

Oops! One too many threes there. R330.

LOL, r331. Well in your defense the only male eye candy died in the first reel so Tanya's tits were all we were left with.

True, true! When I saw it was rated PG too, I was prepared for no male nudity, but still, a shame!

Alison's Birthday (1981) a little seen Australian horror film.

^Ooh great, thanks R335. I've barely seen any Australian horror films (or Australian films in general), and I'm Australian!

Though one of my favourite movies of all time is Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The Cars That Ate Paris is a strange and stylish 70s Australian Horror. From director Peter Weir, the year before he made Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's thematically somewhere in between Hanging Rock and Mad Max.

Ooh thanks R337. The title is familiar (and I love it!) but have never seen it. Will put it on the list.

Second movie for tonight was Grizzly. I totally admit, I decided to watch it because I saw there was an episode of Werewolf Ambulance on it and I was looking for a laugh. The thing is, yeah I know it's one of those Jaws rip-offs (full disclosure: I've never seen Jaws), but I quite enjoyed it, especially once it got going.

The soundtrack was kinda funny though; I kept thinking I was going to be watching some 1950s romantic comedy, haha.

I felt quite sad for the bear, they're amazing creatures, despite the fact he was killing everyone in sight.

And as for Christopher George, I was quite surprised. I've seen him in Pieces and City of the Living Dead before and not thought anything about him really. But watching this film, made just a few years earlier, he made my penis tingle a bit. I liked the chest hair. I imagine a few years earlier again and he'd be very attractive to me. Amazing what a few years can do!

Ok, so I'd love some serious thoughts on this:

[quote]I Spit On Your Grave, the original not the remake

Worth it or no? I am not really a fan of the rape/revenge genre. I am open to watching stuff if you convince me it's worth it, however. Sexual assault films are a bit like torture porn to me, in the sense that it is watching a character suffering over a long time (rather than the quick kills of most slashers). And is the revenge part worth sitting through that? I find that kind of revenge thing easier in a film like Carrie. This one is really well known though, perhaps I should though? I can't promise I will, but I am very interested to hear the thoughts/advice of you all here.

"Road Games" is a 1981 Australian thriller film starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film follows a truck driver travelling across Australia who, along with the help of a hitchhiker, seeks to track down a serial killer who is butchering women and dumping their dismembered bodies along desolate highways.

Alison's Birthday is included on the recent folk horror box set that Severin Films released called All The Haunts Be Ours. I saw it years ago and remember enjoying it. It's on Tubi so check it out.

Christopher George is kind of a hot daddy in those 80s horror movies. I remember noticing him filling out his sweatpants nicely in Graduation Day. I can't recall if that one has been mentioned on this thread already but it's a pretty good slasher from the early 80s. Features an early appearance by Vanna White!

If you're going down the Jaws-inspired creature feature route, you must check out Kingdom of the Spiders. Genuinely creepy even if you're not an arachnophobe. Don't be put off by William Shatner. He's actually not too bad in it.

You boys are class! Thanks R340 and R341!

Road Games is one I keep seeing around, so will have to check it out. I think I remember JLC talking about how she was hired and ended up replacing another actress so the crew were initially pretty cold towards her but eventually warmed up.

[quote]Christopher George is kind of a hot daddy in those 80s horror movies. I remember noticing him filling out his sweatpants nicely in Graduation Day.

Then I definitely have to check out Graduation Day! ;)

I watched a bit of alleged comedy Saturday The 14th on Tubi but found it pretty unfunny. The only thing that made me smile was the running gag of the TV only picking up reruns of The Twilight Zone.

On the plus side I was quite entertained by the Evolution of Horror episode on Xtro and Lifeforce. Usually he discusses films he's already familiar with and has some distance from, but both of these were recent views for him and he was almost giddy about how bonkers those movies are. And I learned that Xtro has an alternate ending so I might rewatch that sometime if I can find the version I haven't seen.

[quote]he was almost giddy about how bonkers those movies are.

Oh that's so cool! I haven't heard those episodes, but hearing someone get like that is so relatable. It's like when I watched Sleepaway Camp and was on the edge of my seat in joy thinking: "HOW is this so good, when it's also so bonkers!" Or movies like "Pieces" or "The Pit" which are even more bonkers.

Isn't Xtro the one with a creature in it that a few years back people were online pretending it was a real cryptid sighting? I must see this movie. Lifeforce has also been recommended to me before.

I thought Xtro was an Alien ripoff?

The mention of Xtro reminded me of a very meh horror movie from a pretty good novel, 1982's "The Beast Within" (with the exception of one particular gruesome scene):

Sleepaway Camp! Saw that for the first time last Halloween and thought it really held up. Maybe because it's kinda nutty..

I really liked it R346. It shouldn't work in some ways, but it does! The campy bits are delightful. Also, if you want to look at it along the line of themes like sexual predation and the way adults frequently let down the kids they are meant to be supporting, then there's that slant too.

Tonight I watched Christine (1983). I never really was sure if I would watch this one or not, because I remember reading the book and not liking it very much. The switch from first to third and back to first person was jarring, and I didn't love the main characters. Plus I think a lot of it was that I read it at the end of a large lump of King I was reading at the time and I remember being annoyed that I could pretty much guess the whole plot because it followed all the expected King points.

So, I was a bit trepidatious pressing play. I will say first up: where we meant to [italic]like[/italic] Dennis? 'Cause he was a jerk, I thought. But I couldn't feel that sorry for Arnie, as much as I wanted to, because he was [italic]also[/italic] a jerk. I had a similar reaction to these characters as I did to the boys in Dead Kids. Thinking it over, when a movie is full of obnoxious teens just for killing, like the Friday the 13th series, then it doesn't bother me. But movies like Christine and Dead Kids want us to cheer on the main characters, which is hard when they are misogynist arseholes. I went to school with some right douchebags but never heard talking about the girls on this level (it's actually really interesting to see what a scriptwriter/director feels made for a sympathetic lead in the 80s). I guess maybe a big shift happened between 1983 and 1999?

But please don't let this sound to you like I didn't like this movie, because... surprise! I actually REALLY enjoyed it. And for a movie much longer than most I've been watching lately, it didn't drag to me at all, I felt it went by pretty quickly, actually. I mean, I needed to pee pretty early into it and I waited out the whole movie, despite watching it at home, which says something. John Carpenter's direction is beautiful in this film, and Christine is amazing, especially those scenes of her reconstructing herself.

Arnie's mother was the woman who played Rosemary in the 80s version of Sparkling Cyanide that I grew up with. She was so dowdy here and so glamorous there. No male nudity sadly, but we do see a lump in Arnie's trousers which in all honesty did surprise me somewhat. The best part of the film was when Dennis wasn't in it, as Christine drives around killing people.

So yeah, am glad I watched this one. Additionally to this little project I have going on, I would definitely like to see more of Carpenter's films from his heyday. So far I've seen Halloweens 1-3, The Thing, The Fog and now Christine. I guess that means Escape from New York is next on the list!

[Quote] Arnie's mother was the woman who played Rosemary in the 80s version of Sparkling Cyanide that I grew up with.

She will always be Samantha Sanders from 90210 to me.

^Oh I never realised she was in that too (but then again, I only ever saw a couple of episodes of 90210, it was considered too 'grown up' for me to watch when it was first on television and then I never had any interest later on).

[quote]I thought Xtro was an Alien ripoff?

How dare you. Don't make me impregnate you.

Did someone mention Ghost Story with the old cast of farts including Fred Astaire. Now THAT movie is creepy.

One thing I didn't mention in my review of Christine above that I liked was that having done so much horror watching recently, I keep seeing the same actors show up in small roles. Both the lanky guy from Friday the 13th Part 2 and the gay-seeming guy from Final Exam showed up in small roles in this. It's fun to pick people out like that.

Terror Train, with Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis and a young, hot Hart Bochner

Good choice, R354. I did see it a few months ago. I don't think I liked it as much as Prom Night (for some reason those two are locked together in my mind) from memory, but it was delightfully batshit at the same time. These movies really seemed to kick off the "prank gone wrong" style slasher.

Hart Bochner was definitely hot in that. Also played an absolute arsehole, but you know... still hot!

I've seen it posited elsewhere... was there a gay subtext with him and his best mate (Jamie's boyfriend)? I can't remember exactly, but there was a bit where he was saying to his buddy about how maybe they don't need girls, or something? When I watched it, I immediately thought that, but wasn't sure if that was just me looking at it through gay eyes.

R352 And yet get to see Craig Wasson's cock.

1981: Funhouse. I saw that on Showtime that same year while I babysat.

Funhouse is definitely on my list, R357. I wish the streaming services weren't so shit out here in Australia, it seems to be hard to find a lot of stuff I want to, unless some kind person uploads a good copy to YouTube. However, I am mulling over signing up for Shudder. I'm trying to save as much money as possible at the moment (saving for a house deposit), but may stretch to a subscription if it isn't too exxy.

Incidentally, I watched the first episode of Stranger Things tonight. Actually a rewatch as I watched this first episode a year or so ago and it just wasn't working for me at the time so I never continued. After watching so many 70s/80s horror movies now, I thought I'd give it another try as I feel I'd have a better idea of what the show is going for. Will at least watch the first season and see how we go.

[quote]was there a gay subtext with him and his best mate

It's not just you, I definitely thought he was in love with his bestie. Or at least wanted to ride the midnight meat train.

Thanks R359, yeah I thought it was pretty clear to me too, but one of those moments that maybe not everyone would pick up on too. His friend should've been so lucky to get a 1980 vintage Hart Bochner riding him!

Hart Bochner was so hot back then! Kinda surprised he didn't have a bigger career.

Watched a couple of zombie movies this weekend. First up was mild horror-comedy Go Goa Gone, about three friends whose vacation is ruined by a zombie outbreak. It was a decent timepass but nothing special. I mostly chose it because it has an actor I like a lot, Saif Ali Khan, but he was on autopilot. To be fair the script did him no favors. Also, a Bollywood horror movie without dancing monsters? Disappointed!

Next was Pontypool. I'm wary of saying too much but it was very interesting and I recommend it. It's set at a small radio station that starts receiving reports of strange events that sound like mass hysteria. The staff have to decide whether they should broadcast these increasingly strange reports and, eventually, whether they should stay on the air or get the hell out. It's all very economical and tense and has you questioning everything. Some of the turns in the last act are clumsy but somehow they still worked for me because by that point I wasn't sure any of it was real. Not a scary film but one that makes you think.

Thanks R361, I've heard of Pontypool before and I don't mind a zombie film, so should check it out. It sounds like it has more in line with something like from one of the "Of the Dead" films or "Later" films, which I prefer.

[quote]Also, a Bollywood horror movie without dancing monsters?

That IS surprising!

I was severely disappointed by Pontypool. Nothing really happens.

Shame, R363! Hate it when you're looking forward to a movie and it disappoints.

I have to say, I have watched two episodes of Stranger Things, and yes that's not a lot, but I am having similar disappointment in that it's just not really what I want to be watching, yet I feel I should love it!

Five Easy Pieces (Free download)

Grazie, R365!

Spellbinder is late 80s (1988) and definitely looks it but it's a good thriller. Sadly no male nudity but Tim Daly and Rick Rossovich look exceptionally hot (there *might* be a bare Rossovich hip at one point but I might just be remembering his nude scenes from other films.) Audra "Mrs. Roper" Lindley has a fun part.

Great, thanks R367! I do love a good thriller!

Tonight I watched The Driller Killer (1979) as it was on Tubi and was recommended above too. Hrm. Weird little film. I felt a bit in parts like I was watching a student art film, which perhaps I was. Other times it almost felt like a documentary on starving artists in New York, 1979. Sometimes I was wondering to myself: "Is this what A Certain Sacrifice was trying to be?"

A couple of shots I liked, like the scene of the mugging witnessed by the main character. I liked the ending too, that is a bit creepy and left you hanging. The movie was also quite sad too, and also cynical. Especially that dedication at the end, referring to New York City as the city of hope. And please forgive me if you are a fan of this movie, but I also found it kinda torturous at times.

It definitely provides an antidote for romanticising the struggling art scene in New York in those years, which I am guilty of.

I just saw a clip from The Slumber Party Massacre, a movie I've seen before, and now I'm wondering if either one or both of the actors playing the peeping Tom boys might be gay. The dark haired one at least, seemed a bit frosh to me.

You know, it just occurred to me that the sheer amount of movies I've seen in this genre set around sorority girls, yet I don't think I've come across a "frat house massacre" or anything like that. Maybe that can be one DL can create together? Set it in the 80s, cast cute guys to play the actors and have copious butt shots!

^ Trying to think of a good name. ALPHA DIE OMEGA? BLOOD RUSH? THE HAUNTED HAZING? FRAT-RICIDE? THE TEXAS CIRCLE JERK MASSACRE?

R369 Try Ms. 45 (1981) from the director of Driller Killer but a much better film.

There's been a couple efforts to rectify that in recent years, r371. Frat House Massacre and Dude Bro Party Massacre III. They're extremely low budget but they do serve up some beefcake and homoeroticism (and Frat House Massacre has a disco dance number!)

Oh wow, R374, thanks! I should've done a google search on "Frat House Massacre" before asserting there wasn't one, though I know you all know what I meant. And it has a disco dance number! Will have to check this one out sometime for sure. Let me guess though, a prank goes wrong in the beginning, and revenge is taken afterwards?

Thanks R373, I'd be interested in seeing that!

Haha R372, a good title is paramount!

(Incidentally, I've been balancing out watching all this horror with also watching other movies/tv shows that I never have but feel I should've; last night I watched Beaches for the first time, and then the first two episodes of The Golden Girls! Hahaha. Should be allowed to reapply for my gay card any day now!)

I re-watched [bold]Razorback[/bold] (1984) last night. Had forgotten how good it was. Truly an underrated gem.

[bold]Razorback[/bold] might seem like just an Australian knockoff of [bold]Jaws[/bold] -- swapping a Big Boar in the Outback for the Great White -- but it's much more than that. The story, for one, is actually intelligent and develops nicely, with the razorback being only one of the villains of the piece and only appearing sporadically. For another, it is one of the most stunning-looking horror films you are likely to see. (Check out some of the screenshots at the linked review.) And, finally, it stars Gregory Harrison in his 80s prime. (Yum)

It's available on a newly-remastered Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment -- and it looks gorgeous. Probably better than it did in theaters. The Blu-ray is ALL REGION and contains a lot of extras, too, including a commentary with director Russell Mulcahy [it was his first film], the VHS cut of the film, several featurettes, and an audio interview with Gregory Harrison. Well worth checking out.

Aayyy! Cheers, R376! Another one to add to the list!

I recently checked out the Synapse 4K restoration of 1977's Suspiria.

Synapse already made a really good version in 1080p, but the 4K version contains a massive amount of previously unseen details. There is a scene when Suzy is walking through the airport, to the left is a bookstore and you can actually make out some of the titles of the books on the shelves. The film's radical color scheme pops like never before, but at the same time, it seems far less boosted and more organic.

I hope the follow-up film Inferno will also get an equally good 4K scan soon.

Fuck, R378, I want that! That sounds amazing, and Suspiria is definitely a movie that needs that kind of treatment. And yeah, I hope Inferno gets it too, another gorgeous looking film.

The Children, it's 80s horror at it's best. It's on YouTube also and look up Captain USA groovy movie channel on there, lots of 80s B movie horror.

Oh brilliant, thanks for the recommendation R380. Love these channels that put up a number of movies for us to see!

Sometimes I wish Tubi had a random movie button, because I spend too much time scrolling around.

Anyway I watched Twilight Zone: The Movie. It was a slightly surreal experience because I know I saw this movie when I was a kid but almost none of it was familiar. It's about 50% good; the Spielberg segment is okay but schmaltzy and the John Landis segment is hamfisted. But Joe Dante's rework of a "It's a Good Life" is solid - a little messy but some very creepy stuff - and George Miller's "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is almost perfect, uniting great directing and a great performance from John Lithgow. For some reason, the mouthy little girl saying "No smoking!" was one of the things I remembered.

Also watched a bit of the Shudder documentary on folk horror, but it's three hours long and I was tired. Seems good though.

Ok, so I really am not a fan of the American Horror Story series, but what do you guys think of the 1984 season? I saw that it was about camp counsellors, it's the kind of thing that COULD be good if done right, but I am so aware that this is Ryan Murphy we're talking about here. Still, interested to know. It's obviously not made back then but is about this time period, so...

It's okay. Per usual the first half is good, the latter half devolves into silliness. Billie Lourd is a hoot in it, but I can't stand Leslie Grossman- I want to smack her smug face around.

Thanks, R384! Interesting about Leslie Grossman; I only know her as Mary Cherry and I liked her then, but I have heard many others say the same as you re: her on AHS.

And yes, haha, it doesn't surprise me at all that the series goes off into silliness half way through. Standard! ;)

At least watch it for the "Perfect" homage with all the gay guys!

Hehe, R386, when you say "Perfect" do you mean the Princess Superstar vs Mason song/remix?

Oh you must be a youngin" r387. Witness this spectacle and be AWED:

Oh my god, hahah! Thanks R388! You know, after seeing that I finally realised where that aerobics scene in the "Call on Me" video came from!

[quote]Aren't you're sorry that you weren't born earlier?

Sometimes I really wish I was! I feel like I have a nostalgia of sorts for all this stuff I never lived through, haha.

Alright, you maniacs, last night I settled down to watch Demon Seed with Julie Christie! What a weird little film! And yet, ultimately very watchable.

And people wonder why I don't want Alexa in my house, haha!

(I also attempted a bit of AHS: 1984 but got through about 20 seconds before I shut it off. May try again later.)

Instead of AHS, check out the FEAR STREET trilogy on Netflix.

Part 1, 1994. Part 2, 1978. Part 3, 1666.

I thought Part 2 was the best, but all 3 parts were fun.

I caught some of Jim Bob's program with the Boulet Brothers showing, 1988 "Black Roses". It's so bad, it's hilarious:

Fear Street Part Two is the best. I was dying at how the actors weren't even trying to attempt an accent in part 3.

Cheers, guys. So Fear Street is based on books by R.L. Stine, yeah? I've never read them, but I did used to read Point Horrors when I was a kid - I think I may have been a bit younger than the target audience though, so hilariously I didn't always understand what was happening. My older cousin used to loan them to me, though: The Boyfriend, Funhouse, The Lifeguard, Party Line, The Snow, April Fools, The Accident... memories!

I really would love to see a new take on the 1980s camp counsellor trope. The first little bit of AHS: 1984 seemed a bit too smug though, but that's probably not far of me to judge over such a short time. Maybe now the legal issues with F13 are solved we will see something new soon?

[quote]so bad, it's hilarious:

Right up my alley!

^Not FAIR of me, sorry.

So, totally breaking my own parameters for the thread haha, but I did just watch the first part of the Fear Street trilogy. The credits are still rolling and "More Human Than Human" is playing. Which leads me to say: the soundtrack for this film was fucking ace! These were the songs teenage me was taping off the radio back in the 90s.

So, I liked this! Definitely liked it enough to want to watch the second one. Actually am very much looking forward to that one. Set in the 70s, set at camp, slutty camp counsellors... what's not to love?

This series, based on the first one so far, seems to me that, like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, it would be a great one to introduce tweens to horror. I do sorta think that once you reach 13-14 you should start seeking out the ones considered "too old" for you, though. That's part of the fun of being a teen!

I won't critique the film too much, because I think regardless of whether it's my favourite storyline, my least favourite storyline, or somewhere in the middle, I gotta say, I like THIS kind of horror. I feel it was made by people with a love for the genre and a love for those books as kids, I am sure. Some of the horror out now is a little bit too up its own butt, you know? And I don't wanna "yuck anyone's yum", if people like those movies that's great, but I feel that while movies like this or Final Girls are made by people who love the genre and everything about it, some of those other movies are made by people who want to show how much "above" horror they are, if you get me.

Speaking of butts, we got a male butt in this one! Though, I'll feel really awkward if that actor isn't of age. I assume he is because no guy at my high school had that much hair on his torso, haha.

I will say though, you gotta just go along for the ride; in real life teens can be obnoxious and awful in some ways, but I don't buy them making fun of a massacre - mainly because in 1996 there was a massacre near where I lived and no one joked or made fun or anything like that, it was pretty distressing for even the biggest douche in the school, you know? Also, it does one of my least favourite horror tropes which is: "we're in peril! let's have sex!" although it wasn't quite like that and seemed a bit tongue in cheek about it at least.

I also thought the movie could've been slightly shorter, but other than that, it was a romp! And the actors were likeable, which was great. It was fun to watch them, and get to know them, and I love that they all had different looks. Sometimes these movies cast 3 or 4 women or men that all look the same, haha!

So thanks for the recommendation, fellas. Will definitely watch 1978 sometime soon. 1666 sounds less interesting to me, but we'll see. I am a bit of a completionist.

"Cherry Bomb" playing over the credits currently. Couldn't help myself, watched the second part straight after, haha. You guys are right, that is definitely a better episode than the first. Though I will take back something I said above about behaviour of teens not being relatable, because seeing two films now and getting a taste for the feel the series is going for, I just don't think that matters as much.

But I really enjoyed this, it was great to see a camp slasher again and one that took itself seriously too was a nice change. I keep going between thinking of these as films for teens to realising that in some ways they are doing MORE than other horrors have done. Like they killed actual kids in this film! I don't think I've seen that in any of the classic camp slashers, with the exception of Sleepaway Camp.

I'm not sure if I'm right here but was everyone who died a Shadyville person? That adds a bit to the sadness of it too.

There were moments I thought I could see the influence of older horrors on this too. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but the guy playing Tommy reminded me in a lot of ways of the muscle doofus in The Burning. Different characters, but very similar looks.

So, let's talk bums! One brief thrusting bum, and one lingering shot on the guy from Insatiable. That was beaut! Almost too distracting in a way, my mind went off on a tangent for a moment, when I should've been concentrating on the film, haha. Not really my fault that the little man popped his head up, eagerly wanting to know: "Do you have somewhere for me to go? Huh? Huh?!" ;)

I was really pleased to watch both these one after another, and to see that the end of the first film wasn't just some cheap jump scare, or ending on a twist for the hell of it, but that it would continue on into this film. That was really cool. I was expecting the films to be more standalone, so it was a pleasant surprise. I guess this means I definitely have to watch 1666 now!

[Quote] I'm not sure if I'm right here but was everyone who died a Shadyville person?

Yes.

Got back on the terror train with Society (1989.) It's not good but it's so damn weird that it might be worth checking out. It stars the delightfully-named Billy Warlock, who really brings the 1980s glamour with his Richard Marx hair and John Stamos acting. Young Goodman Billy stumbles around vaguely investigating a vague conspiracy. Not much happens until the climax, where no expense was spared in grossing out the audience. I guess it's a horror-comedy but there are few chuckles. And before the climax the most horrific image is a denim cocktail dress. Definitely an odd one.

Society keeps showing up on the streaming platforms I have. I really need to make some time for it!

Bad Ronald!

Tonight I decided to watch Jaws, because (a) I've never seen it, and (b) it was available on Amazon Prime. Please don't be offended if this is a movie you love, but I just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why, but it just wasn't that good, to me. I kinda wanted the shark to eat everyone in the film and then swim off into the sunset. Lots of people behaving like shits. I hate politicians.

Some bits were good, like, I laughed when the mother was like: "let him play in the boat", and then she sees the picture of the shark attacking a boat in the book, and immediately starts screaming at the boy to get out of the boat like her husband was. And I actually jumped and shrieked a little bit when the fisherman's face appeared in the hole in his boat. And one thing I'll say about Spielberg films is that he always gives even the smallest character in his movies an individual personality and a moment to do their thing. I like that.

But also, there was no real tension, I felt. It all just... happened. Also Quint was SO annoying. I really don't like those characters who speak in quotes like he was written. I know those characters are always meant to seem "cool" to the audience, but I always just think: "Why the hell don't you talk properly like everyone else?" I understand his story in the boat is meant to be an important moment in the film, but I found it interminable and that's when I realised there was still half an hour to go. The movie was too long, I felt.

Interestingly, once they got out on the water, it felt like a different type of film, in tone. But I enjoyed that bit less than the first half. The characters didn't even seem consistent to how they were on land, especially Hooper. The cage attack was cool I suppose. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm being as harsh on a classic, just wasn't my thing, I guess. I spent more time thinking about how Roy Scheider looked so much like an older version of an early boyfriend of mine, and thinking: "Wow, so that must be what Matt looks like now".

Just wanted to add that after Jaws I watched the third installment in the Fear Street trilogy. I wasn't sure I was going to like it as much because the 1660s don't appeal to me as the 1970s or the 1990s do, but actually, I really enjoyed this one too. I think particularly because the 1666 part was fairly short, and tight, and then we got back to the 90s for a pretty exciting ending! And there was a happy ending too, which I really enjoyed.

Thanks to everyone who recommended it here for me, I had a great time with it! No bums in this third installment (not sure I'm as keen on 1666 bums, but) however I guess we got an erection, of sorts? I thought it was fun to have all the 1660s characters be played by actors we'd already seen. And I didn't actually see the twist coming about who was causing all the problems in Shadyside.

All up I found it a series that was just fun, despite any flaws you may see. Would recommend too.

R402 if you hated Jaws i can only imagine what you would think about The Meg 😄 Although The Shallows wasn't too bad.

Haha R404! You know those two movies are available on Prime too, I think! But yeah, probably will give them a miss... unless they're so horribly bad that they're entertaining!

(Will just say, I just watched the first two eps of AHS:1984. My gosh, the first episode was actually promising and I was enjoying it. And then the second episode happened and weird shit started going down... the wedding flashback seemed dumb, the kid getting blackmailed as an attempt to get him to go back into gay port seemed dumb, there was a shower scene and NO male ass in sight... and there is a ghost wandering around, plus two serial killers? This is what I found annoying when I tried to watch the first season, an overstuffing of the show and conversations with ghosts/kilelrs so that it can't possibly build up any tension. And as it seems to be happening again, I think I'll give the rest a miss. Ryan Murphy just isn't for me.)

^"porn" not "port", apologies!

I seem to be on a zombie kick at the moment.

You rarely have the chance to call a zombie movie "cute" but that's the perfect description for Little Monsters. Lupita Nyong'o is an unflappable teacher who must protect her students when their field trip is interrupted by a slight zombie outbreak. Nyong'o and Josh Gad are the film's big names but the real star is Aussie actor Alexander England, whose journey from manchild to protector is the main arc. It's all very funny and, well, cute.

Also watched about half of Alison's Birthday but found it slow going and fell asleep.

Hmmm....seems like it got its idea from, "Cooties"

Ooh Cooties looks fun. I'll add it to the list.

I've also been watching "Woodlands Dark..." in chunks and my To Watch List is getting impossibly long.

Cooties definitely looks fun! Thanks for sharing R408, will put it on my list as well.

R407, I periodically get on a zombie kick too, and appreciate your recommendation. Lupita Nyong'o was one of the only things I liked about Us, so this could be fun.

I'm kinda weird with zombie stuff though. I love zombie movies like "Dawn of the Dead", "Day of the Dead", "Zombi 2", but I have no interest in "The Walking Dead" or "World War Z". I can never tell if I will like them or not until after watching them.

I can't believe The Walking Dead is still on.

I know, right R411? It must be getting up to close on 15 years now or something. I've never seen it but it always seems to be around.

[quote]At least watch it for the "Perfect" homage with all the gay guys!

So, I said above that I gave up on AHS: 1984 after the second episode, but I will say, I did enjoy the first episode ok, and very much this homage above. It made me laugh and was delightful. Also R384 said Billie Lourde was a hoot and I agree. I really like that actress and not sure I've seen her in anything else, but will keep my eye out.

I then went and watched the original clip from Perfect, or at least one that was set to a song (couldn't find the actual movie clip anywhere). My god, that was so much fun, but were those actual real aerobics classes in the 80s? Looked like something you might call Sexercise or something. I couldn't stop staring at Travolta's bulge and honestly, I find him creepy most of the time. Love me some JLC of course. I've seen now Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween (2018), Prom Night, The Fog and Terror Train, so I think with the exception of "Road Games" and "Halloween Kills" I've seen all her horror movies, but please let me know if I'm missing any.

Oh and I forgot, I've seen "Halloween H20" as well.

r413, you need to seek out Ryan Murphy's Scream Queens TV series. It was a pretty fun play on slashers with multiple twists. Think Mean Girls meets House on Sorority Row. Jamie Lee Curtis played the school dean and Billie Lourd was one of the main girls. I can't remember if it was on Fox or FX. No real nudity though the male cast members stripped down quite frequently and Nick Jonas has the hots for his fraternity brother. It's played more for laughs but there's good gore and stalking scenes.

Glen Powell and Niecy Nash were great in Scream Queens.

A non 70's-80's super fun zombie film you may enjoy (in the vein of, "Shaun of the Dead"- here's, "Juan of the Dead":

r413, Try "Virus", a scifi/horror mix. Has some really great visuals, but it needed better editing:

Zombies aren't my fave either but we've been at peak zombie for a while so things filter through.

I'm surprised nobody has adapted Ex-Heroes for film or TV. Zombies+superheroes sounds perfect for today's market.

r419, I'd rather see DCeased on the small screen:

R415, thanks for the recommendation. I may (cautiously, as it's Murphy) check it out, but it certainly sounds fun!

And thanks R418, I'd never heard of that one!

I think we're getting some form of Marvel Zombies, maybe DCeased will be next?

Thanks for the Juan of the Dead recommendation too, R417. I'm away this weekend but will have to get back into my horror watching next week. Still SO much to watch, and this is just ONE genre!

Finished Alison's Birthday (1981). Despite a banger of an opening, with a seance gone wrong, I thought it was weak tea overall. Kind of a Rosemary's Baby Lite with titular Alison the target of a cult that wants to make her the vessel for their goddess. It's not a bad movie but it's not especially memorable either. There were some good moments but also a few things that are unfortunately laughable, like the main cultists having a mini Stonehenge in their back yard.

I got the idea from that folk horror documentary that Australian folk horror is usually about colonialism (on some level) and this sort of fits that idea because the evil cult is imported from the UK; but on the other hand it's all very generic with nothing that feels distinctly Australian. Change the accents and it could be an ABC Movie of The Week. For contrast, Picnic at Hanging Rock is about the land itself, and Wake In Fright is an indictment of Australian culture. (Though I need to rewatch the latter at some point because I don't remember it being a horror movie at all.)

[quote]Picnic at Hanging Rock is about the land itself,

Exactly. It's one of those films I can watch and watch again and marvel at how it integrates the themes with the story so well. It's the only Australian film I know of that portrays so well that unnerving "we descendants of colonialism really don't understand this land" part of who we are.

If you want a great comedic zombie movie - Slow Walkers never fails to crack me up

Is that the one with Nicholas Hoult, rescue-chick?

no, but that one - Warm Bodies is poignant and sweet if that's your thing. I enjoyed it

also I am a dumbass. the movie I recommended I gave my nickname title, it's actually called Cockneys vs Zombies

Ahahaha! Thanks rescue-chick! Will put it on the list then!

Warm Bodies is ok. The best thing about it is the soundtrack. I thought Teresa Palmer would have a bigger career but Lights Out was crap.

I am now watching it on peacock r430 😊

After a slow couple of weeks, horror movie wise, I sat down tonight and watched Demons 2. While I wouldn't say this was as good as the first, I will say that I was in my happy place. That is, dodgy European horror. Character motivations that don't make sense, plot holes etc. and yet it is pretty enjoyable to me. Plus lots of good looking young "German" men. The most Italian looking Germans I have seen, haha.

I loved it that the pimp from the first movie was back as the exercise instructor in this. That guy tickles me, I enjoyed seeing him on screen in both movies. Also, the birthday girl, Sally, I recognised as the costume person in Opera. That's what's fun, after watching a number of these weird Eurohorror films you see the same faces again and again. Actors who would be almost unknown to most people become like old friends when you are familiar with the genre.

The part with the gym goers did make me think: has there ever been a horror movie set at a gym, and if not, why not? I can see one very tongue in cheek and campy. You could set it in the 80s with those 80s gym fashions, or today with everyone in their ActiveWear. It's an idea, anyway.

I could've sworn the young girl was a young Asia Argento, but her name didn't appear in the credits anywhere I could see. She may have been too young for Asia then come to think of it, but who knows?

Didn't one of the Final Destinations have an elaborate death scene in a gym? Ah Google says FD3:

R443, yes, that is a very young Asia in Demons 2. She also appeared a couple of years later in a movie her father produced The Church, which was made in a very loose way as a kind of prequel to Demons. After seeing what happens to her character in The Church, I'm not surprised Asia grew up to have problems.

There's an odd one I like from the 90's. Maybe this thread needs a new decade. It's called Haunted with Aidan Quinn. If you like a weird old-fashioned ghostie, it does the trick . Parts of it are ridiculous but it only adds to the fun.

[quote]has there ever been a horror movie set at a gym

I've never seen either but there are two from the late 1980s: Killer Workout aka Aerobicide (!) and Death Spa

Aerobicide is an awesome name.

I vaguely recall a barbell kill in some early 80s slasher. I think it was Happy Birthday To Me.

Sally in Demons 2, is such a little fucking spoiled bitch. I was glad when she was demonized.

Hahaha, R439. So true! When she started screaming at her friends I thought they should've pissed off and left her to herself.

[quote]Killer Workout aka Aerobicide (!)

This sounds awesome and is on YouTube! Will have to watch it for sure.

Back on the horror train with Mimic (1997). I saw this years ago and was unimpressed, but it's a lot better than I remembered. I think I must have seen it with a chip on my shoulder, during the time I was sick of horror movies. There is some silliness and questionable science in the script and Mira Sorvino is just okay here, but it's very well made - it's del Toro after all - and delivers plenty of ookiness and no-brainer fun. Not for entomophobes, it's about giant mutated cockroaches in the sewers and subways of NYC. No naked ass but Jeremy Northam and Josh Brolin were hunky.

By the way, if for some reason you don't want to watch a three hour documentary - but why not? - I came across a 17 minute video essay on folk horror. It mostly avoids spoilers though it arguably shows a little too much from a few movies, and gives away everything about The Wicker Man. But that one is 50 years old so fair enough.

Off-era, I just finished, "Titane" . It is provocative, and I'm not sure if I like it or not.

R443- I feel the guy who played the fireman deserved an Academy Award nomination-

Both Alexia and the Fireman were excellent. I always respect actors who go unconscious or die with their eyes open and keep them open.

Oh, yeah, I read the whole plot of Titane rather than watch it, but was curious what it was like. It didn't sound like my type of movie, but always interested in the point of view of others!

And thanks for the documentary link, R442. Will watch that sometime for sure!

Oh, I remember Mimic, R441, though I haven't seen it. I do know what you mean - your mood going in to these movies really can affect your viewing experience.

I don't know what to say - I just watched that Killer Workout/Aerobicide movie we spoke about above.

What a trip this movie was. It made NO sense. It didn't even seem like they were trying to have a cohesive plot, yet they were taking themselves seriously at the same time, it seemed. The dialogue was hilarious. I actually recommend you all get together with friends and have a laugh at this one. It is NOT good, but it is so bizarre in places you won't be able to laugh. I mean spoilers going forward here, but at the same time, can you really spoil something like this?

It was so 80s! The long, LONG scenes of people doing aerobics. The knock off 80s tunes (one song says: "You gotta workout. You gotta workout. Have a workout." Another says: "Aerobicide! Working out until you die!") The movie starts off with a tanning bed accident. The gym is called "Rhonda's workout" - which is written across nearly everyone's shirts. Turns out Rhonda was the woman in the tanning bed at the beginning. She is burned all over, but covers her scalp with a wig that looks nothing like the hair she has in the rest of the film. When the policeman works out it's her (how? Never explained) he tells her: "It must drive you crazy seeing all these beautiful young women around you. To know that if anyone made love to you he would THROW UP!" Then she rips her shirt open to show her burnt up tits and yells: "Is this what you want to see?!" and the policeman is like: "That was unnecessary."

I can't stop laughing. I don't think I'd watch it again (it really comes across like a porn film with the porn scenes cut out) but I want other people to experience the stupidity of this film first hand.

^you won't be able NOT to laugh, I meant.

70’s: Shivers, Bad Ronald, summer of fear, Alien, scanners

Mid to late 80’s: The Fly. Trick or treat (with Marc price) Necromancer, the Blob, Jacobs Ladder, 976-evil, Mirror Mirror, Hellraiser, Pin, Ghoulies, stage fright (with the owl head), The Hitcher, Phenomena, Aliens, Dolls, def by temptation , curtains, April fools day

Early 90’s: Frankenhooker, candyman, Wes cravens new nightmare, dead ringers, cape fear, unmasked part 25, body bags

Recent movie taking place in 1983- Mandy! Must watch play Misty for me

Thanks, R449! Lots of recommendations there!

R447 I haven't seen Killer Workout, but i did listen to a podcast talking about it and i could not stop laughing. They kept wondering if it was a porno pretending to be a movie 😄

Nothing Underneath, a late-entry Giallo about a man connected to his twin sister by psychic phenomena, who is a model in Milan.

The brother, a ranger from Yellowstone is quite hot in this movie. Supermodel Renée Simonsen plays the main love interest. Donald Pleasence plays almost a variation of the same character in Halloween, except with an Italian accent that comes and goes.

Some nice cinematography and 80s fashions, and a bit of suspense. The tone is a little bit dour considering it is a movie about models. Pino Donaggio's score is really similar to the one he did for Body Double. While this movie does not have the pizazz of Body Double, it is almost as lurid.

Yentl

[quote]They kept wondering if it was a porno pretending to be a movie

This is EXACTLY what it's like!

Is Titane French Extremity? I haven't explored any of that yet. I might be too wimpy...last night I watched a kid's movie.

The Watcher in the Woods (1980) is from that time Disney was trying to traumatize children. The time of The Black Hole, Return to Oz and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Watcher is actually pretty mild though, at least watching as an adult. It has a nice eerie atmosphere and a stern Bette Davis but no big scares. (The original ending was deemed too scary and reshot.) It's about a family that moves to a secluded old house where strange things start happening. The daughter investigates the story of a local girl who disappeared 30 years ago. Is it her ghost haunting the woods?

The movie has a surprise up its sleeve but not enough foreshadowing or lightness of touch to make the ending satisfying. It just feels arbitrary. I don't remember much of the book this is based on but I seem to recall liking the book, and not being dissatisfied with the ending. I was thinking this movie should be remade, and then I discovered that there was in fact a recent remake, with Anjelica Huston in the Bette Davis role. There's also a BBC podcast adaptation that I'm going to listen to at some point.

Oh thanks for the review, R455, I have always wanted to see that one!

I think I'm too wimpy for French extremity too. I have listened to some podcasts discussing movies like Martyrs so I know what happens in them, but the way they sound makes me think: "no thanks".

Titane is definitely Cronenbergian body horror, with a lot of nudity.

Thanks, R457! I don't watch a ton of body horror because it's one subgenre that can get to me. But I do love Cronenberg, go figure.

Hope my thoughts weren't too negative, R456. If and when you do watch it, afterwards you can see some of the cut material on YouTube. I just watched the "alternate" endings, one of which I assume was the original ending, and I thought it was much better than the theatrical. I believe these are also on the DVD but I watched the movie through, um, other means.

[quote]Hope my thoughts weren't too negative

Not at all! I enjoy hearing people's honest opinions on what they're watching, and to have a bit of a laugh along the way.

Although it's outside what we're talking about here, I did want to just mention that I did end up finishing American Horror Story: 1984. I've never really watched more than a few episodes of any series before, and at the end of the day it just wasn't my thing, but after starting this series, I thought I'd like to try and finish it.

It really is a silly show, isn't it? I certainly don't want to "yuck anyone's yum" and I know a lot of people like it, but when we got to the part where Richard Ramirez kills Kajagoogoo, well I mean yeah I'm laughing as I type that because it IS funny, but it's so ridiculous too, and I think it's just not really what I am hoping for in something like this. So really, it's not that it sucked, it was more that my expectations were different, which is all on me. It did do some things I really didn't like, like all the ghosts wandering around. That was a big reason why I stopped watching the first season after only 3 episodes, and why I thought Hotel sounded so dumb when I was watching Trixie Mattel's recaps. Ghosts don't really scare me though. Real life people who could stalk and murder you do, but there wasn't much atmosphere built up.

Things I liked though: I preferred a lot of the earlier episodes where it was more Friday the 13th based. In later episodes I did like the friendship between Brooke and Donna, and I thought Brooke had some fun late 80s outfits. Billie Lourd was fun to watch. It did make me laugh in places, and that damn Mike & the Mechanics song at the end may have had me blinking rapidly for a brief moment. John Carrol Lynch is enjoyable. I actually wanted him to have a happy ending.

The biggest surprise for me was the dearth of naked male arse, which I was expecting a lot of, considering it was a Ryan Murphy show. But no, very little of it. The lifeguard got his out at least (touch of hair - yum), but yeah, I guess my expectations from Murphy/Falchuk were higher there, haha.

^Oh, and I should add. I would TOTALLY go to a Midnight Manerobics class, haha!

Haaa I knew you would love that scene! I worked on that scene (behind the camera)- it was SO FUN to watch. The professional dancers had a hard time not looking like they knew the routine, but who cares?

No way, R462! That is so cool! The aerobics scenes were my favourite part of the whole show (that, and the opening credits). That must've been so fun. And really interesting too, because I wouldn't have thought "try to look like you don't know the routine" would be a direction, but of course that makes sense.

I was going to ask what you did exactly, but I understand that may identify you which you might not want, so let me just say that whatever you did - my compliments!

r453- I'm in the Glam Squad.

^Well you definitely did an ace job, my friend!

Oh, getting back to Killer Workout just for a minute, I totally forgot to say above that the killer often kills using a... giant safety pin! Hahahaha.

And of particular interest, one of the songs on the soundtrack that I was making fun of was sung by none other than Madonna back-up singer, Donna De Lory!

I just watched Pieces (from 1982) tonight on Tubi. It was entertaining trash, with some wonderfully bad acting by Linda Day George. ("Bastard! Bastard! BASTARD!!!") Plus, there is visible peen (and a nice-looking one, too!) from the young male lead, Ian Sera!!

Oh hurrah R467, I'm so glad you've seen Pieces! That movie is a TRIP, and one that you think: "I cannot be the only one to have seen this! I must share it with others!" (I feel the same about The Pit from 1981, if you're ever in the mood too). Yeah, Kendall gets his dong AND his arse out in this one. According to the director, he had been in bed with the female actress so long that the first few times they shot that scene he had a stiffy when he got out of bed.

Film sets really were run differently back in the day, huh?

What about the woman who gets pulled out of the pool with a net? Why is everyone in that school so horny in such a strange way ("The best feeling ever is smoking pot while fucking on a water bed!")? What is with the acting choices of the gardener? Why is that kung fu teacher scene in it at all? What on earth is that ending scene?! And why, with all its faults, is it still so strangely enjoyable?

I'm glad I finally watched it, too, R468! Pieces really IS a trip! And I have no idea what that ending scene was about! Was the headmaster gay, too, and wanted one last grope? Just mind-blowing. The gardener's acting choices were insane as well. I suppose he was trying to act as guilty as possible so viewers wouldn't know who the real killer was, but his raised-eyebrow glowering is hilarious. This is definitely a movie that other Dataloungers need to see. They will love it.

By the way, I watched this back-to-back with The Children (also on Tubi). That was a crazy-assed movie as well!

LA Stories/R462: Is the Manarobics scene from AHS 1984 or the film Killer Body/Arobicide? I want to see that scene, but wasn't sure which tv show/movie you and the other poster were referring to. Thanks!

R470, the Manerobics scene was in AHS:1984. There are two scenes all up, in fact. There is the opening, introductory scene, and then the Montana's Midnight Manerobics scene. I'm not sure if LA Stories worked on both, or just the second one, hopefully he'll drop by again and let us know :)

R469, apparently the guy who played the gardener also played Bluto in the Popeye movie.. which I can totally see! Hahaha!

Will have to check out The Children for sure!

I finally got a chance to see Just Before Dawn tonight - found a copy of it online. Interesting little film, slow, low budget. I will admit I had higher expectations of it due to what I'd heard, but still, I am glad I saw it. No male nudity in this one sadly, though pants are so tight you can tell which of the male cast are Jewish! Wasn't expecting to see George Kennedy of all people turn up in this one, though he wasn't in it that much. I think the drunk guy from the beginning may have been the bloke in Sleepaway Camp, too. Had a bit of a feel of The Final Terror about it. Some weird choices, some confusing bits, some lovely creepy early 80s synth soundtrack and some eerie scenes.

Bump as it's Halloween season.

Since I began this thread, the only movie I can think of that I still have yet to see and can't find is The Prowler.

I need to watch Halloween Resurrection soon too, because it's the only one left (along with Halloween Ends) after which I will have seen the whole franchise.

I watched a really odd little one a couple of weeks ago called American Mary. Made me feel very weird and disoriented.

Thanks for all of the contributions. I have a lot to watch to get ready for Halloween.

Also, I've found this thread now crashes on any iOS device but an actual laptop or desktop computer can handle it.

Bump for upcoming Halloween season.