The Best Horror Movies of the 80s
By itsonlyamovie
Whilst compiling our list of the best horror movies of the 80s, it shows our preferred years to be before the VRA, is that a coincidence, or is it fair to say that the introduction of the Video Recordings Act in 1984 put the brakes on a defining era in horror movie history. Reluctant to touch anything too ‘violent’ or ‘gory’ for fear of prosecution!
Yes, we’ve had some top horror flicks in the post-certification era with Evil Dead II, Hellraiser, Lost Boys, but they lacked something that the pre-cert era had, and the cover art was a bit more reserved!
Our Favourite Horror Movies of the 80s
Cannibal Holocaust (x)
Probably my favourite horror film from the Official Video Nasties list, the best of the banned Cannibal films, and the most convincing. Add to this a brilliant score by Riz Ortolani and we have a classic!. The film was an early pioneer of the ‘found footage’ genre, and it was done with such unflinching realism, that it landed director Ruggero Deodato in court.
The Burning (x)
The Burning was another classic from the DPP 39 list. Filmed a year after Friday the 13th, and its clear to see the similarities. Set in a campsite location, teenage campers and stalked by a revengeful ‘Cropsy’. One by one they get cut down in this decent slasher film, with effects by Tom Savini. A personal favourite, and one of the best horror movies of the 80s.
The Evil Dead **
An early horror film memory, and one we watched together as kids. It wasn’t long after Evil Dead had been removed from the video shops in the 80s, and was brought home and hidden! It didn’t take us long to come across it tho, and it was loaded into the top-loader as quick as you could say “Book of the Dead!”.
Another film which takes you through many emotions. It has laughs, frights and plasticine… what more could a kid want from a horror film! The thought of you and your friends opening The Book of the Dead and unleashing evil, and seeing your friends become Demonic. Great horror film for the time, an absolute classic.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Jesus, what a movie this was on its release, and it still stands the test of time. One of the best horror movies of the 1980s. Released after the video nasty scare, so never made it to any official nasties list, this is a Wes Craven classic. This was a film we all watched together for the first time as kids! It was around 1985, and it was during one of many sleepovers between the families, Mike (10), Paul (9), Stu (7) and Daz (7).
Another original horror, really well made with great special effects, especially for the time. Simply one of the best horror films ever made, and one which scare the s*** out of us as kids!
The Prowler
An under-rated slasher movie from 1981, A killer dressed in WW2 gear stalks a group of college students holding a Graduation dance. The uncut version is a hidden gem for horror movie fans, this one is up there with the more famous slasher films of the time and well worthy of a place in the list. One of the Section 3 Video Nasties.
The Full Top 20 Horror Movies of the 80s
- Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
- The Changeling (1980)
- The Shining (1980)
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- The Burning (1981)
- The Evil Dead (1981)
- The Prowler (Rosemary’s Killer – 1981)
- Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Tenebrae (1982)
- The Thing (1982)
- Videodrome (1983)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
- Fright Night (1985)
- House (1985)
- Aliens (1986)
- Creepshow 2 (1987)
- Evil Dead II (1987)
- The Gate (1987)
- Hellraiser (1987)
Check out the bio’s of our top horror films, including 70s classics!
Were the 80s the best for horrors?
You bet it was, even with all the uncertainty surrounding the video industry at the time, horror movies in the 80s were the best, the early eighties especially. We could have added loads more films to the Best Horrors of the 80s list – check out the full pick of horrors released between 1980-1982.
Key to Symbols
(x) DPP 39 List or Banned. Films which were prosecuted under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act (OPA).
** Seized under Section 2, but prosecution failed. Dropped to Section 3.
*** Section 3 Nasties. Titles on the Section 3 list could not be prosecuted for obscenity but were liable to seizure and confiscation under a ‘less obscene’ charges.
(s) Seized by police, but not classed as a Video Nasty.
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