80's Horror Movies For Adults
(1980-1989)
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If you're looking for something serious and frightening, then a horror comedy just won't hit the spot, and if you don't like movies with too much blood, guts, sex and gore (a formula more geared towards a younger audience) ... then most 80's slashers also won't do the trick! So if you're the person who wants to watch a good 80's horror movie, but you're not a fan of horror comedy or slashers (with 25 year old "teens" being hacked up one by one), then you've come to the right place!
TOO SCARY 2 WATCH now presents a list of what we believe are the best 80's horror movies for grown ups (arranged by year), which may be worth checking out, if you wanna catch an 80's horror flick, but you're not interested in something young oriented or funny! The list may continue to change and be updated over the next few months or so, as we find movie's that may have been overlooked.
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Disclaimer
Not all of the movies on the list, in our opinion, are good movies, but were chosen to be included for a variety of different reasons.
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Harvard scientist Eddie Jessup's (William Hurt) mind-altering experiments on himself, involving a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber, get out of control when his handiwork shuttles him back and forth on the evolutionary spectrum -- from human to ape-man. Equal parts sci-fi actioner, 1960s psychedelic trip and farce, the film was based on a Paddy Chayefsky novel and received Oscar nominations for music and sound. Blair Brown co-stars.
Director: Ken Russell
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When composer John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter in a car wreck, he seeks solace by renting a secluded estate outside Seattle. But the mansion is haunted by the presence of a child who died there more than 80 years ago. Now, Russell must find out who that child was -- and why there seems to be a cover-up about his existence. Peter Medak directs this chilling horror classic that inspired visual elements in other films.
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While an old, weather-beaten fisherman tells a ghost story to fascinated children huddled by a campfire, a piece of driftwood in a child's hands begins to glow, and an eerie fog envelops the seaside community of Antonio Bay. From its midst emerges demonic victims of a century-old shipwreck seeking revenge on the small town. Director John Carpenter's follow-up to his breakout film, Halloween, stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh.
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On the wagon and out of lucrative work thanks to his alcoholism and family troubles, aspiring novelist Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a position as the off-season custodian at an elegant but eerie hotel so he can write undisturbed. But shortly after Jack, his wife (Shelley Duvall) and his young son (Danny Lloyd) settle in, the ominous hotel begins to wield its sinister power in this chilling horror classic helmed by Stanley Kubrick.
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For years, the coastal town of Potters Bluff has harbored a dark secret. It seems that a number of strangers who have crossed through Potters Bluff have been brutally murdered, only to turn up in town as locals after being killed. Sure that there must be some explanation, the sheriff and the town mortician try to uncover the mystery and find something more shocking than they could have imagined. James Farentino and Melody Anderson star.
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After a traumatic experience at work, TV reporter Karen White (Dee Wallace) checks into a plush California resort called The Colony to rest. Yet, on her first night there, the howling outside her window leads her to discover that she's in a colony of werewolves. Now she must expose the secret -- if she can survive! Rife with in-jokes, horror film references and genuine scares, this John Sayles-penned howl fest is a werewolf classic.
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Satan's son has grown up in this second sequel to the 1976 horror hit. Now in his 30s, Damien Thorn is leader of the world's largest corporation. But his plans for world domination hit a snag when he spots an omen of his archrival's second coming.
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Satan's son has grown up in this second sequel to the 1976 horror hit. Now in his 30s, Damien Thorn is leader of the world's largest corporation. But his plans for world domination hit a snag when he spots an omen of his archrival's second coming.
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A brash Manhattan industrialist, his coke-bingeing wife and a slum wino have something grisly in common: They're the latest victims in a series of seemingly motiveless murders, and all of them appear to have been killed by animals. Albert Finney stars in this shivery tale about brutal murders pointing to a previously unknown breed of canine creatures. Michael Wadleigh directs an innovative take on the werewolf legend full of mood and menace.
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This chilling sequel (more of a prequel, really) to The Amityville Horror relates the events that led up to arrival of the Lutz family at 112 Ocean Avenue, as detailed in the first film. Soon after the Montelli family moves into the Amityville house, they notice strange occurrences, and before long the eldest son (Jack Magner) becomes possessed and kills the entire family. James Olson plays a priest determined to perform an exorcism on the boy.
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Soon after newlywed Caroline MacCleary (Bibi Besch) gets raped just outside Nioba, Miss., by a hairy, manlike creature, she gives birth to a baby boy (Paul Clemens). But her son, whom she names Michael, begins to suffer from a mysterious malady when he turns 17. Looking for answers, the MacClearys return to Nioba, where they find the name of Caroline's attacker -- and a community desperately attempting to conceal a dark secret.
R-Rated
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Dr. Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) and Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) stumble onto a gruesome murder scheme when Ellie's novelty-salesman father, Harry, is killed while in possession of a strange mask made by the Silver Shamrock mask company. The company's owner, Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy), wants to return Halloween to its darker roots using his masks -- and his unspeakable scheme would unleash death and destruction across the country.
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
R-Rated
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Life is pleasant for the close-knit Freeling family (headed by Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams) until a host of otherworldy forces invades their peaceful suburban home, transforming their house into a swirling supernatural sideshow that's centered around their angelic young daughter (Heather O'Rourke). This must-see horror classic earned two Oscar nods for its special effects and another for its haunting score.
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Scientists working in Antarctica are forced to abandon their research after a helicopter crashes near their camp, bringing a lone dog into their midst. But the plot thickens when the otherworldly canine changes form in the middle of the night. As it turns out, the dog is a shape-shifting alien that can attack animals -- and unsuspecting humans. Kurt Russell stars in this creepy John Carpenter-directed remake of the 1950s classic.
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After hitting a German shepherd with her car, young actress Julie (Kristy McNichol) adopts it and nurses it back to health. When she discovers that her pet has been trained to viciously attack black people, she convinces dog trainer Keys (Paul Winfield) to try to cure the animal. Samuel Fuller directs this controversial, chilling drama based on Romain Gary's 1970 memoir, Chien Blanc. Burl Ives co-stars.
Director: Samuel Fuller
Based on horrormeister Stephen King's best-selling novel, Cujo chronicles a tale of man's best friend turned satanic killer. Slobbery St. Bernard Cujo is much loved by owners Donna Trenton (Dee Wallace) and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro), but when a rabid bat bites Cujo, he morphs from happy pup into crazed canine. In the nail-biting climax, Donna and Tad barricade themselves in their car, with 200-pound Cujo skulking nearby.
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When an invisible attacker beats and rapes Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey), the mother of three seeks comfort from her friends and family, who dismiss her story as insane. But a psychiatrist (Ron Silver) and a team of paranormal experts come to believe Carla and devise a plan to trap the mysterious Entity. The thriller blends chilling horror with kinky exploitation, as exemplified in the scene in which Carla's breasts are fondled by unseen hands.
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Fetching Miriam (Catherine Deneuve) -- a 2,000-year-old vampire -- gave John (David Bowie) the gift of eternal life hundreds of years ago, choosing him as her lover and companion. But now Miriam wants to put the bite on Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), a specialist in premature aging. Because John has begun aging so rapidly, Sarah is a much more appetizing alternative, prompting Miriam to make the choice of a lifetime.
Director: Tony Scott
R-Rated
97 mins
Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) comes home in the terrifying sequel to one of Alfred Hitchcock's most suspenseful movies. After years of rehab in a mental institution, Norman returns to the family home, but is he really free of the henpecking from his "mother"? Vera Miles reprises her role from the original movie, still haunted by Norman's brutal murder of her sister years before. Meg Tilly and Dennis Franz co-star. Richard Franklin directs.
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A young couple (Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton) find themselves stranded in the rural town of Gatlin, Neb., and fall into the sinister hands of a mysterious religious sect of children who murder all of the town's adults at the command of their leader. The children perform bloody sacrifices to their cornfield-dwelling deity (known only as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows"). Their two new visitors are next in line for crucifixion!
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Beneath the streets of New York City are hundreds of miles of tunnels unfit for anything human, but now, something horrible is loose in the sewers of Manhattan. The city's homeless population is mutating. These "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers" -- aka C.H.U.D. -- are hideous, hungry and headed for the streets. Photojournalist George Cooper (John Heard) and his girlfriend, a cop and a crazy bum try to save everyone.
Stephen King's spine-tingling tome is the inspiration for this 1980s thriller starring Drew Barrymore as Charlie, an 8-year-old girl with a dubious gift: the ability to ignite fires with just a glance. But her gift quickly proves to be a curse after a mysterious government agency sets out to capture the girl so they can study her -- and then destroy her. Can Charlie and her loving father (David Keith) outrun them long enough to save their lives?
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American and British astronauts on a joint mission exploring an alien spacecraft discover that the vessel contains several seemingly human bodies. But after they're brought back to Earth, they come alive and start turning Londoners into zombies.
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While testing his teleportation device, scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) accidentally merges his cells with those of a housefly. As his reporter girlfriend (Geena Davis) bears witness, Seth slowly -- and quite disgustingly -- morphs into an insect. David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of the Vincent Price original achieves an unlikely concoction of horror, romance and pathos, thanks largely to Goldblum's strangely touching performance.
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One of the most notorious films of the 1980s still terrifies. Serial killer Henry serves as mentor to dim-witted fellow killer Otis and as the object of his sister's affections. Trouble is, Henry's heart is too hard for friendship to penetrate. Disturbing, chilling and full of knockout power, this cult classic includes a half-hour interview with writer-director John McNaughton.
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Never pick up strangers: That's a lesson Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) will wish he'd learned. While driving from Chicago to San Diego, he picks up hitchhiker John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) but regrets it when he begins to suspect Ryder may be a serial killer. Before Halsey can say, "Get out of my car," Ryder kills again -- and frames him for the murders. With the odds against him, Jim's only ally is truck-stop waitress Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
Scares abound in this spooky pair of sequels as evil supernatural forces continue to haunt Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) and her family. In Poltergeist II, the Freelings move in with a relative but soon discover they're again dwelling on unholy ground. Poltergeist III finds 12-year-old Carol Anne living with her aunt and uncle in Chicago, where a school shrink probing the girl's psyche inadvertently resurrects the malevolent Rev. Kane.
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Something wicked this way comes. … It's an installment in the Witchboard franchise of films. This time out, a trio of friends fool around with a Ouija board; inadvertently, they contact the spirit of a young boy (an evil one, of course), who proceeds to co-opt their bodies. Guess they should've stuck with Monopoly! Stars Tawny
Kitaen, Todd Allen, Rose Marie and Stephen Nichols.
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Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), a down-and-out 1950s Brooklyn gumshoe, is hired by shady Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to locate a pop singer who reneged on a debt. Each time Harry makes contact with someone who might know the singer's whereabouts, though, he or she is killed in a horrible, ritualistic fashion. Harry's journey soon leads him to the sweltering, voodoo-filled swamps of Louisiana in search of a Satanic cult. Lisa Bonet co-stars.
R-Rated
113 mins
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When actress Katie McGovern (Mary Steenburgen) is summoned to an isolated estate to rehearse a role for her next film, she finds herself in a strange situation. The film's aging producer never fully explains the extent of her role, and when the man's behavior becomes increasingly suspicious, Katie suspects there's something sinister afoot. With no one around to help her, she must call upon every ounce of her wit and talent to survive.
R-Rated
100 mins
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A string of cold-blooded murders puzzles diligent Los Angeles detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri), who can't figure out why regular people keep turning into merciless killers. When mysterious FBI agent Lloyd arrives (Kyle MacLachlan), Beck learns his problem is from another world. Soon, Beck is the human caught in the middle of an extraterrestrial showdown that's playing out on the streets of Los Angeles. Jack Sholder directs this sci-fi cult classic.
R-Rated
96 mins
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aka Stepfather I
In this acclaimed thriller classic, Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) expects only one thing from his family -- perfection -- and when he doesn't get it, he doesn't just get angry, he goes mad: completely, psychopathically, homicidally mad. After brutally dispatching one clan, Jerry sets up shop with a single mom (Shelley Hack) and her brooding teen daughter (Jill Schoelen), who immediately suspects there's something not quite right about her dear old stepdad.
R-Rated
89 mins
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In this remake of the 1958 horror classic, a gelatinous mass invades Earth and starts devouring people in the rural California town of Arborville. As it feasts, the blob grows bigger and bigger -- and threatens to spin out of control. Leading the charge to contain the oozing killer is young Brian (Kevin Dillon), who seeks to impress the lovely Meg (Shawnee Smith). Meanwhile, a government crew arrives on the scene, but its intentions are unclear.
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A chubby toy doll named Chucky becomes an instrument of terror in director Tom Holland's unnerving tale of horror. Before cops gun down a serial killer (Brad Dourif), he invokes a spell that transfers his soul into the body of Chucky -- who ends up as a birthday present for 6-year-old Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent). When a rash of murders ensues, he knows Chucky is the culprit, but neither Andy's mother (Catherine Hicks) nor the police believe him.
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Larry Cohen writes and William Lustig directs this chiller about a psycho in a police uniform who's terrorizing New York City with a series of random slayings. Lt. McCrae (Tom Atkins) believes a real cop is behind the spree and fingers young Officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell). When McCrae becomes the killer's next victim, Forrest and an undercover vice cop (Laurene Landon) strike out on their own to solve the case and clear Forrest's name.
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Anthropologist Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) goes to Haiti in search of a mysterious voodoo powder that turns the living into semi-conscious zombies. But as Alan comes closer to unlocking the mystical drug, natives turn his life into a nightmare. He enlists the help of a doctor (Cathy Tyson), but their smarts are hardly a match for the black magic they're up against. Horror master Wes Craven directs this creepy tale based on a novel by Wade Davis.
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Demi Moore plays Abby, a pregnant woman with a curious new boarder in the apartment over her garage. Turns out he's heaven-sent and is speeding along the Apocalypse by bloodying rivers, egging on plagues and following scripture word for word. As the nosy and nearly-to-term Abby uncovers her tenant's secrets, she finds out her role in bringing about the seventh sign. This drama's popularity stems from Moore's turn, which smoothes over plot holes.
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Complete with a crew of intrepid explorers, the vessel DeepStar Six sets sail on a daunting mission to establish a top-secret nuclear Navy base on the ocean floor in this 1989 thriller starring Greg Evigan, Miguel Ferrer and Nancy Everhard. But as the courageous team works to finish its near-impossible task, they inadvertently disturb a terrifying alien life form that could kill them all at any moment.
R-Rated
105 mins
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Perched on the hull of a wrecked Soviet freighter, a team of deep-sea miners (including Hector Elizondo, Ernie Hudson and Daniel Stern) -- led by head oceanographer Steven Beck (Peter Weller) -- comes face to face with a mutant creature that's the product of a failed genetic experiment. As Beck's crew members begin to disappear one by one, the flesh-eating monster lurks below the surface -- and the divers left alive are scared to death.
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Our Top Ten 80's Horror Films for Adults (Arranged by Year)
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The Mothman
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