Diego's Horror Corner: 80's

I'm pleased to present the long-awaited 1980's addition to Diego's Horror Corner by Diego Bergia


There's something special about the 80's, I spent the ages of 3 to to 12 in them. I was in the prime of my youth renting dusty VHS boxes filled with saturated red gore and gratuitous nudity shots. It was such a rush running back to a friends house to watch them cause my parents wouldn't let me get near anything rated R. The horror films early on in this decade were the 1970's continued, and you'll see nothing on my list is past 1984. There were lots of good one past that point, but to be honest near the end they got too campy.

MANIAC (1980)
In this urban slasher, Frank Zito is a serial killer stalks pretty women in grimey New York City. He uses their scalps to dress up female mannequins he keeps in his apartment, something about an abusive mother I think. This movie is pretty much perfect. Frank Zito is so effing amazing.

THE SHINING (1980)
I often wish David Lynch would make a horror movie, or Alejandro Jodorowski, Lars Van Trier just did. These guys have insane visions and I'd consider them artists before filmmakers. Anyway, if Stanley Kubrick never made The Shining, he'd be on that list too. Except he did make it. [note from Jill: agreed 100%]


SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983)
If somebody hasn't already spoiled the ending for you yet, go out and rent it without telling anyone. It is the best summer camp slasher movie ever made, filled with great kills and amazing non-politically correct humour that disappeared in movies with the end of the 80's.

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 4 - THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)
Friday the 13th movies are like comfort food to me, like chicken soup and grilled cheese. I feel so cozy and safe watching them. This is the ultimate Friday movie to me because of a few things: Crispin Glover (The Man), Corey Feldman (right before Goonies) and Tom Savini (make-up and fx master). This is also near the end of the "strings" era, when the musical score was still awesome.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
In my group of friends, you're either a Freddy man or a Jason man. I'm a Jason man, but there's no right answer. This first Nightmare movie is amazing and scary, nowhere near where the franchise went after a sequel or two. I would even go as far as saying that on it's own, it might be better than any Friday movie. The thing is, Friday movies are solid 1 through 6. Nightmare I'll only give you 1 though 3. That's basically why I'm a Jason man.


HONORABLE MENTIONS:
THE THING, FRIDAY 1, POLTERGEIST, THE BURNING, DAY OF THE DEAD, DEMONS, THE HITCHER.