Almanac of Terror 2019: Part 5: Almanac of Terror

By Steve Hutchison

The following recommendation lists are based on 2000 horror movie reviews.

Not unlike sport publications, fantasy leagues and role-playing games, the Almanac of Terror mixes and aggregates different statistics, facts, ratings and opinions. Movies are ranked.

Classification methods include genres, subgenres, ambiances, and antagonists. Our different ratings are stars, story, creativity, action, quality, creepiness, and rewatchability.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Feb 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778871009

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

Book preview

AlmanacOfTerror2019_Cover.jpg

Tales of Terror’s

Almanac of Terror 2019

1930-2019

Author: Steve Hutchison

Publisher: Shade Art & Code

Copyright © 2019 Tales of Terror

All rights reserved

WWW.TERROR.CA

INTRODUCTION

The following recommendation lists are based on 2000 horror movie reviews. They were extracted from a database and formatted for this book. Tales of Terror (www.terror.ca) is an online gamified tool designed for horror fans, students, authors and filmmakers. Gamification is the adaptation and transformation of tangible concepts into empirical games.

Not unlike sport publications, fantasy leagues and role-playing games, the Almanac of Terror mixes and aggregates different statistics, facts, ratings and opinions. Most of the lists included in this book are sorted from best to worst according to their overall score. Some lists are sorted by pertinence.

Our classification method uses genres, subgenres, ambiances and antagonists. Our different ratings are as follows: stars, story, creativity, action, quality, gimmick, and rewatchability. We sometimes use the creepiness factor when populating certain lists.

Enjoy!

Best Horror Movie Each Year Since 1960

Psycho

1960

A woman steals a large sum of money and hides in a motel owned by a strange man.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

6/8

The Curse of the Werewolf

1961

In 18th Century Spain, an adopted boy becomes a werewolf and terrorizes the inhabitants of his town.

Stars

4/8

STORY

3/8

CREATIVITY

5/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

5/8

Tales of Terror

1962

A man presents three stories of shock and horror.

Stars

5/8

STORY

5/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

6/8

The Birds

1963

Birds of all kinds attack the residents of a small town.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

6/8

The Night Walker

1964

A woman is haunted by recurring nightmares after her husband dies in a fire.

Stars

4/8

STORY

3/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

4/8

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors

1965

Five strangers boarding a train have their fortune told by a man offering tarot readings.

Stars

5/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

5/8

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

1966

Shipwrecked on a tropical island, a group of people attempt to escape a giant crab-like creature.

Stars

4/8

STORY

4/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

5/8

QUALITY

6/8

The Fearless Vampire Killers

1967

A professor and his apprentice try to rescue a damsel in distress who has been captured by a vampire.

Stars

6/8

STORY

5/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Rosemary’s Baby

1968

A pregnant woman worries about her physical and mental health.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

1969

A scientist plots to perform brain transplant on a mental patient.

Stars

4/8

STORY

3/8

CREATIVITY

5/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

6/8

Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly

1970

A dysfunctional family kidnaps men and forces them to participate in an elaborate role-playing game.

Stars

5/8

STORY

4/8

CREATIVITY

4/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

6/8

Duel

1971

A commuter is pursued by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.

Stars

7/8

STORY

5/8

CREATIVITY

3/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Tales from the Crypt

1972

Five people meet a crypt guardian who has a story for each of them.

Stars

6/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

5/8

The Exorcist

1973

Different scientists and clerics attempt to heal a young girl believed to be ill or possessed.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

1974

Siblings and their friends, while driving to the desecrated tomb of their grandfather, run out of gas and become the victims of cannibals.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

5/8

QUALITY

5/8

Jaws

1975

A police chief, a scientist and a fisherman set out to stop a great white shark.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

5/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

Carrie

1976

A bullied teenage girl discovers she has telekinetic powers.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

6/8

Suspiria

1977

A woman joins a ballet school where a series of grisly murders soon begins.

Stars

6/8

STORY

3/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

6/8

Halloween

1978

A masked psychopath stalks and kills teenagers.

Stars

7/8

STORY

5/8

CREATIVITY

5/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

5/8

Alien

1979

An ore harvesting crew discovers a dead alien and large unidentified eggs inside an abandoned spaceship.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Shining

1980

Secluded in a remote hotel for the winter, a family is terrorized by ghosts.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Evil Dead

1981

Teenagers partying in a cabin in the woods become possessed by demons.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

5/8

QUALITY

6/8

Creepshow

1982

A monster escapes from a horror comic book and visits a battered boy to inspire him in his vengeance scheme.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

6/8

Psycho II

1983

A murderer released from a psychiatric institution questions his sanity.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Gremlins

1984

A high-maintenance creature gives birth to an army of small devils after being exposed to water.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

8/8

Re-Animator

1985

Two medical students stir up trouble after experimenting with a scientific formula that brings back the dead.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

6/8

The Fly

1986

A scientist in love gradually turns into a fly after experimenting with a teleportation method he discovered.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

Evil Dead II

1987

A man fights demons inhabiting a remote cottage from which he cannot escape.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

7/8

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

1988

Haunted by a specter in her nightmares, a teenager discovers she is propagating her death curse among her friends.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

7/8

Pet Sematary

1989

A family moves into a town house located near a cemetery rumored to bring back the buried to life.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Misery

1990

An injured author is held captive by a deranged fan of his.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

4/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Silence of the Lambs

1991

A FBI recruit interviews an incarcerated cannibal in order to investigate a recent wave of murders.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Dead Alive

1992

A man tries to contain a zombie outbreak originating from his home.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

6/8

QUALITY

7/8

Jurassic Park

1993

The owners of a theme park hosting cloned dinosaurs lose control of their security system.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Interview with the Vampire

1994

Haunted by a tragic past, a vampire delivers his life story to a journalist.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Se7en

1995

Two detectives hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

5/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Scream

1996

High schoolers recognize horror movie patterns in the recent deaths of other students.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Starship Troopers

1997

Recruits of a young generation of space warriors face an increasing alien invasion.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Faculty

1998

Six students find out their teachers are from another planet.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Green Mile

1999

The lives of guards on death row are affected by a prisoner who has a mysterious gift.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

Hollow Man

2000

A scientist turned invisible by a newly discovered potion becomes a threat for his colleagues.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Hannibal

2001

A runaway cannibal is tracked down by the police and a past victim of his.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Dog Soldiers

2002

A routine military exercise in the wilderness turns into a nightmare.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

Final Destination 2

2003

People saved from a high way pile up by a medium are visited by Death.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Saw

2004

Chained to pipes in a disused bathroom, two men are given a puzzle to which they must provide answers.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

House of Wax

2005

A group of teens stranded in a village near a strange wax museum realize their lives are in danger.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Final Destination 3

2006

Teenagers saved from a roller coaster incident by a psychic friend are stalked and killed by Death.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

1408

2007

A man is trapped inside a hotel room and terrorized by ghosts.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Pontypool

2008

A radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus contracted vocally.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

7/8

Drag Me to Hell

2009

A loan officer becomes the recipient of a supernatural curse.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

Saw 3D: The Final Chapter

2010

The members of a dangerous cult turn against each other as they reach the last steps of their master plan.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Innkeepers

2011

Two employees determined to reveal a hotel’s haunted past experience disturbing events.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

6/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

6/8

Prometheus

2012

A group of space archaeologists place their hopes on a star map said to lead to an ancient civilization.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Evil Dead

2013

Tricked into a week-end of rehab in a remote cabin by her friends, a girl in withdrawal believes she is surrounded by demons.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Late Phases

2014

A veteran moves into a retirement community and is attacked by a werewolf.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

The Final Girls

2015

Four friends get pulled into a 1980’s slasher and must avoid getting killed.

Stars

7/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

8/8

11.22.63

2016

A time traveler attempts to prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

7/8

It

2017

A group of bullied kids band together against a shapeshifting demon clown.

Stars

8/8

STORY

6/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Upgrade

2018

A quadriplegic technophobe receives an implant that grants him the strength to avenge his girlfriend’s death.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Pet Sematary

2019

A doctor and his family relocate to a rural town, next to a haunted cemetery.

Stars

7/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

7/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Best Horror Movie By Decade - The 1970’s

Jaws

1975

A police chief, a scientist and a fisherman set out to stop a great white shark.

Like fishing, Jaws takes time, patience, and may or may not be rewarding when all is said and done. In the hands of Steven Spielberg, though, this movie promises to mark a generation of movie-goers. One of the lead is a loud-mouthed shark specialist; another one a sheriff who inspires confidence while taking danger seriously. The third boat occupant; squeamish, upholds the horror layer.

For a summer blockbuster about a killer shark, Jaws is especially shy on animatronics. The effects are ahead of their time and truly terrifying but are used very sparingly. The movie is shot in deep water and gets around enormous challenges imposed by an unusual script. Legends say the props didn’t take water so well. As a result, we end up with a heavy drama and very little shark mayhem...

The actors give an honest, authentic and subtle performance. Spielberg takes a genre considered learning ground for filmmakers and raised the bar so high that he had to resort to dialog to craft tension when he met a technical wall. There is a shark, but he won’t show up until we’re fully involved in the characters. With its immersing scenery and intrigue, Jaws takes fear back to its origins.

8/8

Alien

1979

An ore harvesting crew discovers a dead alien and large unidentified eggs inside an abandoned spaceship.

From stasis cages and poorly lit tunnels to the deep isolation of space, and considering how small the sets appear to be, Alien is vividly claustrophobic. It succeeds both on the horror and science-fiction levels. It’s disorienting from the start and confinement isn’t even the horror of it all. There is a giant extra-terrestrial aboard the ship and it’s more a monster than a cute humanoid.

The beast is gradually revealed but never fully. Mystery and build-up are some of the many strengths of the well-paced script. There is unifying rigor in the creature and ship design. The rooms aren’t just atmospheric; they are conveniently built, from the storyboard phase, to inspire distress. In a way, after all, this is a slasher taking place in space with, for victims, bored public workers.

The cinematography is a delight; always mastered, always vibrant. The effects are something else. If you needed a reason to fear alien invasion, this is it. They are depicted as smart but too savage, too animalistic to negotiate. Dense in detail and scientific procedural, Alien is high caliber sci-fi that’s virtually flawless on all aspects and speaks to a rather intellectual niche.

8/8

The Exorcist

1973

Different scientists and clerics attempt to heal a young girl believed to be ill or possessed.

The Exorcist is a battle between faith and the devil. It is implied, here, that God exists. The concept is reminiscent of vampire mythos, but is adapted to an urban tale of demonology. One of the singularities of the film is that is contains virtually no humor. It takes its horror very seriously, like few of its cousins. It is sad, terrifying, disgusting, and generally conveys negativity.

Once rid of its convoluted first act, the movie wastes no time getting to the hard stuff. It is heavy on symbolism and hard-felt dialog, and uses the kind of filler that at least contributes to the suspense until the key scenes. In The Exorcist, Linda Blair plays a possessed child who swears, slaps her mother, masturbates with a crucifix, floats over her bed, and regurgitates on priests.

Judicious effects come into play to make this feel real. Some stunts are so violent they seem like they were not meant to be seen. The directing is impeccable. The pacing is effective in gradually dragging the audience in an increasingly troubling plot. It’s a gory, gooey and blasphemous masterpiece, and one of the best slow-burns of recent horror history.

8/8

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

1974

Siblings and their friends, while driving to the desecrated tomb of their grandfather, run out of gas and become the victims of cannibals.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre features a kind of violence that is closer to realistic torture than most horror flicks dare or choose to go. There is nothing supernatural, here, although there is a mysterious aura to the cannibal family our protagonists are targeted by. The cinematography is minimalist, the picture grainy, the set design simply spine-chilling.

Visceral, it pulls no punches and always brings us back to our basic, every day ultimate fears: suffering, mutilation, torture and death, mostly. The film isn’t exactly bloody but it’s crude, gritty and conveys pain through dry audio effects, screams and sudden loud noises. It essentially speaks to the phobias humans have about evil, sociopathy, insanity, sorrow and pain.

Watch a bunch of teens get chased, butchered, and meet Leatherface, an iconic chainsaw-wielding brute masked by dead human skin. Depicted as a dumb teenager watching over his family, he is a walking gimmick. He quickly turns a road thriller into physical and mental torture horror. The antagonists are all played by performers who are so natural, yet creepy, they don’t seem to be acting at all.

7/8

Halloween

1978

A masked psychopath stalks and kills teenagers.

Halloween is the ultimate stalk and kill movie. It has a lot to offer as a slasher that hasn’t been considered pertinent in past horror history. One of the early scenes is mostly composed of a long point of view shot that puts you behind the mask of a psychopathic child. We then cool down with the nice, lengthy character exposition of average high school personas with simple backgrounds.

There are lots of moments filled with nothing but girls walking around in peaceful neighborhoods, chatting. It’s all about friendships, family and suburban life until bodies start piling up. It then becomes your typical campfire tale about a mental institute escapee coming to get you. Drop in hints of possession, some alcohol, nudity, a babysitter and a cool mask and you get a fun, creepy flick.

The sonata is chilling, intense, overused, but establishes a trademark. The monster’s design is great. The script is strong, though simplistic. This kind of horror is accessible, visceral but not necessary gory. If some slashers rely on the red stuff, this one glorifies stalking. Michael Myers is that shy brute that hides in the shadow, watching you, plotting against you...

7/8

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1978

A group of friends suspect that the human race is being replaced by alien duplicates.

Like zombies, body snatchers are here to invade us, but they do it through our social weaknesses and our need for sleep. They are therefore not so much a physical threat, affecting us on the psychological level instead. They walk and talk as we do, or at least try to. You could recognize them if you noticed their moral rigidity and lack of emotion, but it’s subtle and not enough to act upon.

The visual effects are infinitely more elaborate than those of the original film. The performances are more authentic, although the overacting can get annoying and comes across as pretentious. Those quirks fortunately dissipate as the paranoia element intensifies. The odd character exposition proves to have been necessary when it is revealed that personality is what the invader cannot replicate.

There is little room for comedy and scenes are often barely lit because, once aware of the invasion, the main protagonists need to remain unnoticed, avoid eccentricities and sudden noises. The ambiance is deliberately depressing and gets very thick by the third act. 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the best horror films to depict hopelessness in an apocalyptic context.

7/8

Dawn of the Dead

1978

A zombie outbreak forces different professionals to remain barricaded inside an empty shopping mall.

George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, released in 1968, introduced a new creature to horror movie fans. It was neither a demon nor a vampire. It behaved somewhat like the Haitian zombie, but with a trigger event that was viral rather than Vodou. Dawn of the dead celebrates the new decade by upgrading his living dead. They’re more coordinated, funnier, fun...

The ensemble cast is part journalists, part SWAT officers, so we get both warm and cold perspectives on the situation. The make-up is horrendous, the zombie acting fake, but the ambiance is breath taking. Most of this sequel takes place in a large empty mall that they try to infiltrate. As frantic as this film gets during its key scenes, it is generally slow paced. What’s more, it’s now in color!

Black and white made the original creepier, so Romero used color as a tool, here, using it to his advantage, and innovated. This is a comedy, something Night of the Living Dead wasn’t. The characters are contrasted, the gore is bright and purposely fake, and there is credible physical contact during the many action scenes. Many bullets are shot and more zombies die than you can possibly imagine!

7/8

Duel

1971

A commuter is pursued by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.

The plot of this film fits in the palm of your hand. It is simple and straight to the point. It is so quintessential, that you wouldn’t believe, at first glace, it is a feature film. Duel is 90 minutes long, and it’s a roller coaster ride. The antagonist is introduced six minutes in, and that alone is a tour de force. The identity of the bad guy isn’t revealed, and we may never see his face.

In Duel, a business commuter is pursued by a giant truck. Spielberg puts his camera everywhere he can, usually mounting it onto vehicles. It’s not rocket science, but it works. The suspense starts early on and never drops, not even when the protagonist leaves the road, like that moment when the film turns into a short whodunit, with David trying to figure out who his assailant is inside a diner.

The truck driver is such a good stalker that, at some point, we start doubting he’s even human. It doesn’t matter where David hides and how fast he drives, he’s always two steps behind the villain. This is written by Richard Matheson, so expect a strong and captivating screenplay. The movie pretty much writes itself, but there are many surprises along the way.

7/8

Carrie

1976

A bullied teenage girl discovers she has telekinetic powers.

It’s a film about how hard it is to be a reject, the reasons why, and just how much worse it gets when the abuse victim starts developing increasing telekinetic powers. Carrie’s mother, like her school bullies, are depicted as the bad guys, yet the girl’s powers are the ultimate threat. What could perfectly work as a straight coming of age film evolves in something only Stephen King could write.

The bullies are designed to be very oppressive, mean and sadistic; each in their own way. Even the ones who mean to help only do wrong. Although some characters are downplayed, everybody who Carrie comes across, you manage to hate. The film is sensual at times, but it is never anything else than a contrasting excuse for shock, horror, and a succession of awkward, aggressive, sad moments.

Carrie is shot and scripted in a dramatic way. There is a photographic haze between us and the washed out picture. Like many converging elements in the film, this creates quite an ambiance. The third act is absolutely amazing. It gives a purpose to the oddities you’ve been sitting through. Here’s a great adaptation that redefines the roles of protagonists and antagonists in a supernatural setting.

7/8

The Omen

1976

An ambassador suspects his son is the Antichrist.

The Omen features rich tapestries and memorable scenery supported by top notch photography. The performances are of high caliber. The story is concise, burns slowly, the actors are grade A and make good dialog great. This quintessential Antichrist horror drama is written and directed in a way to depict life as we know it but with a prevalent supernatural factor meant to destabilize.

The Omen avoids most pitfalls of horror movie oversimplification. It’s not cheesy nor funny. It doesn’t resort to humor because it doesn’t have cheap effects to hide. Damien, the young antagonist, is telekinetic and can control weather, among other things. Being a child, his evil is virtually unstoppable. Though he isn’t physically threatening, he gets increasingly dangerous if allowed to live.

The Exorcist was scarier but acted on a smaller scale. By making kids bad guys, both films, strongly religious in tone, pose a troubling dilemma for parents rightfully depicted as helpless. The Omen is a serious and sad thriller with elements alluded to in bibles and religions. When it goes out of its way, and it does get eccentric, we get an unlikely hybrid between slasher and disaster horror.

7/8

Best Horror Movie By Decade - The 1980’s

The Shining

1980

Secluded in a remote hotel for the winter, a family is terrorized by ghosts.

The Shining is the ultimate ghost movie. It is not only about the dead coming back, but about vice, mental illness and human evil. It is a slow burn that never gets boring because when nothing happens, photography does. It is among Kubrick’s best work and one of the best horror movies ever made. The hotel is a dense psychedelic labyrinth, and the script follows the same theme and logic.

Fans of thrillers get a thick depiction of family violence caused by alcoholism and supernatural lovers get scary ghosts. When mental illness and seclusion are gradually added to the equation, claustrophobia takes a new meaning. This is a long feature that constantly foreshadows, setting a stressful and uncomfortable tone that is as efficient psychologically as it is viscerally.

The set design is right out of a nightmare. The actors are so vigorous and meticulous it is troubling. Family horror, when approached so brilliantly, becomes something we can all relate to. It is never explicit about taboos, but quickly hints at many twisted concepts that make the movie highly rewatchable. Get ready to be immersed and shook up. Prepare for the horror experience of a life time!

8/8

Gremlins

1984

A high-maintenance creature gives birth to an army of small devils after being exposed to water.

Gremlins is a highly superior cinematographic experience in image and sound. It is meant for children and adults alike, but is rather oriented at the former. It’s a horror movie that avoids violence and death using creative detours, and, simply put, instead plays on the fears of ugliness and propagation. This all happens around Christmas time and the odd resulting ambiance is a delight.

The film is virtually flawless and an obvious fruit of effort. With some of the best animatronics, puppetry and creature design to ever hit the screen, it’s a nicely packaged story supported by lovable characters and spiced up by a dream team of performers who are wisely directed and scripted. Everybody on board seems aware of the fact that they have one of the best gimmicks in film history.

Gremlins is about a cute creature whose allergies trigger self-duplicating terror and destruction. In the context of Christmas, under keen lighting, when wrapped in comedy then glitter, and supported by an immersing score, this otherwise sinister film becomes a fantasy of its own before your entertained eyes. It belongs to all genres, yet none, and is unarguably one of the best pictures ever made.

8/8

Ghostbusters

1984

Three unemployed supernatural investigators start a ghost hunting business.

Here’s a perfect mix of comedy, horror and fantasy that will get straight to your heart and guts. In a way, it is also a light superhero story. Because it is perfectly suitable for a child as much as the general audience, Ghostbusters is eerie, makes you jump, shiver, but features virtually no gore. There are monsters, though, and plenty of them. The effects are amazing and one of a kind.

The score and soundtrack play a big role in delivering a fun supernatural aura that penetrates the screen. While some of the creature effects are a little cheap, most of the ghost effects blend well with the picture. This one isn’t all about visuals. The characters and the story are compelling and the dialog is catchy.

The actors are perfect in their roles and their performances are close to flawless. Ghostbuster isn’t shy on effects, making use of animatronics, rubber suits and an abundance of color keying. Get ready to be entertained all the way through; sucked in a surreal New York that gets increasingly sinister as subplots converge.

8/8

The Fly

1986

A scientist in love gradually turns into a fly after experimenting with a teleportation method he discovered.

The Fly is one of the best body horror movies ever made. As such, it succeeds where most werewolf films failed and features grander effects and make-up. The visuals are astonishingly elaborate and get increasingly disgusting as the story unfolds. The transformation sequence spans over several scenes and the tragedy is deeply felt because the two leads convey a wide range of emotions over time.

Dialog is meticulously calculated. There is an aura of remorse and regrets that the catchy gimmick foreshadows. 1986’s The Fly remakes a 1958 film by the same title that can use the update. The plot is roughly the same, but this one is much scarier and more intense. It is a perfect mix of psychological and physical horror; terrifying, gory, and often both at the same time for maximum shock value.

It is arguably David Cronenberg’s best directorial and screenwriting portfolio piece at this point in his career. Despite its extreme premise, the film is never surreal or complicated. The characters are well-written, natural, compelling. Thriller tropes meet lycanthropy in this instant classic that will surely leave its mark. It is unique and close to perfection on all levels.

8/8

Evil Dead II

1987

A man fights demons inhabiting a remote cottage from which he cannot escape.

Evil Dead 2 both follows and remakes 1981’s The Evil Dead, which was inspired by a no-budget short. The Evil Dead was straight horror and this one invests in slapstick humor. The storyline is an expansion of the previous one, but the twists and turns are fresh. The costumes and make-up are refined and more camera-friendly. The practical effects have been enhanced, too.

Ash, the survivor guy and late bloomer from the original film is still played by Bruce Campbell. He is, more than ever, at the center of the story and into his character. Ash’s story arc is more intricate, yet hilarious. He is now both inexhaustible and pissed. This is his descent into madness. The script doesn’t take intellectual detours and delivers well-paced terror, gore and fun.

Evil Dead 2 is the product of its initial creator, Sam Raimi, so character design, imaginative cinematography, dialog and pacing meet the highest standards. Evil Dead 2 is the quintessential supernatural horror movie and reinforces the cabin in the woods cliche that it popularized and arguably founded. It has everything the fan can possibly wish for, and then some!

8/8

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

1987

Teenagers held in a mental institution become the victims of a mad man who invades nightmares and kills through them.

Fully established now, the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise takes full advantage of the mid-80’s way to do things when it comes to supernatural slashers. This time around, we focus on a group of troubled kids held in a psych ward and not taken seriously when the deadly nightmares kick in. The new setting is a great stepping stone. The fact that the victims are confined adds to the threat.

Until now, in Springwood, personalities weren’t clearly defined and character arcs were privileged over character traits. The different protagonists are now full-on stereotypes. They are sympathetic, nonetheless, and, though their situation is sad, they are an entertaining bunch. Their personas become a critical part of the plot when they learn they can shape their own dreams to survive the night.

The movie is dark, magical, gimmicky. Prosthetic and animatronics play a significant role. Heather Langenkamp’s character returns and Krueger is still played by Robert Englund. The initial mythology lost in the previous entry is shunned and resumes. It’s everything the first sequel should have been. It’s is ambitious, looks great, and pushes fantasy even further than the previous films did.

8/8

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

1988

Haunted by a specter in her nightmares, a teenager discovers she is propagating her death curse among her friends.

This third sequel