Best Horror Film of 1987 (part 9 of a series)

The Stepfather is definitely a satire of "All-American Dad is secret psycho who will kill everything that doesn't come up to scratch" in a very Serial Mom way but played straighter. As I say, the first one is more serious but at the time I still thought it was v. darkly funny. The character himself is a wonderful movie psycho.

I'll probably be voting for Opera, tho, for being Argento's last great movie, and knowing that Evil Dead II will run the table here. Also want to put in a good word for both Prince of Darkness and Street Trash.

Wow, my horror viewing really dropped off starting this year. (lol college, although it did result in a great, drunken night out seeing "Nightmare 3: Dream Warriors" at the local movie cinema.)

Evil Dead 2 is so much the obvious answer, but I have to say, that shared dream in Prince of Darkness that SPOILER ALERT turns out to be a transmission from the future scared the ever loving hell out of me. Out of all the things on this list, it's probably the only one that actually scared me.

My horror viewing really took off this year iirc. Probably due to reading Starburst (who turned me onto Opera, Prince of Darkness, and probably Near Dark as well with their raving) and also being able to - somehow - get away with renting 18 certificate films on video.

Is Howling III the one set in a circus? I liked that one.

3 way race between Hellraiser, Prince of Darkness and Evil Dead 2 for me. Evil Dead 2 is the best of the 3, but it's really a slapstick comedy. In terms of actually creeping me out, Prince of Darkness is easily in the lead.

Lots of fun favorites this year. '87 was right around the time that my family got HBO and Cinemax (lots of these were late-night pay cable staples), and shortly before I unearthed a trove of Cinefantastique issues, which (being a pre-teen at the time) got me into horror junk in a big way.

Pretentious as it may be, I think Hellraiser might take it (although I'm pretty sure I tend to mash the first one and the better parts of the second into a single movie in my head).

Evil Dead 2 from great heights.

Angel Heart was an enjoyable film but the 'twist' was predictable (tho it's not like they tried to conceal it).

Love the third NOES

oh and fuck the first Hellraiser is classic

"Monster Squad" was, back when I was 13, like the Pu Pu Platter of horror movies; Dracula! Wolf Man! Frankenstein! Et al. , all in the same movie! But it felt pretty forgettable when I saw it not long ago. File with "The Lost Boys" and "NOES3" under foibles of youth, though even young me recognized "Jaws: The Revenge" as a piece of shit (read the novelization, though).

"Prince of Darkness" is such a moody misfire, with the former attributes ultimately trumping the latter. It's also Carpenter on the cusp of losing his mojo, though of course "They Live" is awesome and "In the Mouth of Madness" underrated. "The Hidden" is indeed a great film, er, hidden in a low-budget b-movie. "Evil Dead 2" is of course a masterpiece, but "Near Dark" is such an incredible, forward-looking film.

I need to see "Angel Heart" again. My memory of that makes it seem like it would actually go over pretty well were it released now and not then, though of course it would now be far less controversial. Lisa Bonet who?

Opera is great no doubt but I saw Evil Dead 2 at the dollar theater when it was new and basically had the best fucking afternoon of the eighties.

saw near dark in the theatre, was awesome, still is

oh and fuck the first Hellraiser is classic

i c what u did there

I have some sort of cliver barker allergy, generally don't like his books or movies of his books

well he kind of sucks at everything except short stories

DEAD BY DAWN

Hellraiser is not really that good, but it is deeply disturbing on more than a few levels.

Out of all the films I've seen in my life, Necromantik is the film I most regret viewing

xpost like the one that inspired Candyman, for instance

jesus christ, why would anyone watch Necromantik

I feel dirty just from reading the description

yeah lol college one of my housemates rented it cuz it was advertised as the "most shocking horror film ever made" or something like that. I was fond of OTT gore at the time (kinda still am) but that movie is just.. ugh no. Seriously had nightmares afterward. I felt guilty for supporting the filmmakers in any way.

kinda like how I felt after Ichi teh Killer (tho I admittedly like that one)

Speaking of OTT gore, isn't that the gist of "Street Trash?"

Ha, just suddenly remembered "American Gothic" as some movie I stayed up late to watch on cable. "The family that slays together stays together."

Speaking of OTT gore, isn't that the gist of "Street Trash?"

Yes. Blue-green gore.

Ha, that and "Evil Dead 2."

the salad days of blue green gore

tons of great flicks this year, though dominated by evil dead 2 and hellraiser. and maybe angel heart, which tho terribly overwrought and not much of a horror flick is still a hell of a lot of fun.

prince of darkness, opera, street trash & bad taste are almost at that level, but not quite.

loved near dark at the time, but was somewhat disappointed on a recent rewatch. great style and characters, but the ending is such a massive miscalculation.

none of these deserve a win, but i'll go with lost boys

Speaking of OTT gore, isn't that the gist of "Street Trash?"

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, August 5, 2010 9:17 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Street Trash has something to it though-- a kind of visceral, apocalyptic nastiness.

Near Dark

I will defend The Lost Boys as the perfect slumber-party movie--great cast, pace, humor, setting... much more fun than Twilight. The cult for Angel Heart seemed to include me, various friends, and no critics, so I've always been loyal to that movie to the point of not really wanting to watch it again and find out I was wrong. The Stepfather is good, especially on sexually repressed hysteria. Gotta see many of these others.

voted evil dead 2 cuz i would really be lying if i pretended it isn't (or at least hasn't been for most of my life) my fave film by a few miles up there but this was a really strong year, esp in comparison to the last few years before it, strongest since early 80s probably. seems like a longer list too though i could be wrong there. any idea for reasons behind the resurgence? the early 80s boom seems due to fallout from halloween, what prompted this year - the first elm street? the rise of vcrs?

most horrifying in the sense that just seeing it on the list made me shudder - nekromantik

Evil Dead 2, of course. Though I do love Bad Taste.

And Nekromantik is kind of hilarious.

Oh man, and Street Trash was this year, too! MELLLLT.

none of these deserve a win

I agree. So I'm voting for Creepshow 2, because "The Raft" scared the crap out of me when I watched it, which is more than I can say for any of the other movies on this list.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

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Creepshow 2 (better than the first!), Lost Boys, Near Dark, The Monster Squad, The Hidden, NOES3, & Hellraiser all get a nod, & Redneck Zombies is easily my favorite Troma feature, but tbh none of those hold a candle to the elephant in the room.

Creepshow 2 (better than the first!)

Crazy talk.

I voted for Angel Heart. I saw it again relatively recently and it still holds up.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Woah that's a pretty huge margin.

huh to that lost boys showing, lotta rob lowe posters in ilxors closets

Nekromantik 2

lol

Dream Warriors shoulda done better but I ain't gonna lie I voted for the winner

god i loved nekromantik 2. more than the first one. but der todesking was his masterpiece.

wait, no, i take it back. i like both nekromantiks about the same if i think about it. the first one is great as well. and funny! all his movies are pretty funny.

lots of great movies here! love a lot of them. one year on the vineyard i tried to start a new christmas tradition where we all - maria's mom and family were there and other family - watch Opera every year together on christmas eve. it didn't go over so well.

i mean, there are almost 20 movies up there that i adore.

Just realized that this sadly wasn't in the poll:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZvcHTTGw5Y

(One of the earliest of Roland Emmerich's shitty movies, apparently!)

has anybody SEEN The Video Dead? the ridiculous cover always made me want to see it.

it's ok. has some cool ideas (like the Garbage Man and copper bells that sound when zombies are near) but doesn't always know what to do with them.

copper bells that sound when zombies are near

lol

I guess my general apathy toward vampire pics is to blame for me not having seen Near Dark until now. I've been curious abt it for a little while now, since Bigelow reaped all those accolades (deservedly imo) for The Hurt Locker & talk on the recent Paxton vs. Pullman poll served as a recent reminder. Awesome!

yeah, it's amazing. scenes at night of the two kids together are so sensual & sexy, so focused on every small detail of physical experience that they become almost psychedelic. bigelow cares at least as much about letting you feel what's going on in any given scene as she does about simply depicting the action/telling the story. ending always comes as a disappointment, though.

http://calitreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/near-dark-e1277857445719.jpg

road-rash paxton is such a badass makeup job!

one year on the vineyard i tried to start a new christmas tradition where we all - maria's mom and family were there and other family - watch Opera every year together on christmas eve. it didn't go over so well.

ha! I actually tried to do something similar with another 1987 classic - evil dead 2. watched it post-thanksgiving dinner with the fam one year. tried again next year and that didn't go over so well either.

anyway, watched prince of darkness last night and was really surprised by how much I dug it. it oozes atmosphere (v. literally at times w/the satan goo) and I LOVED the nerdy ensemble cast. well, except for the conventionally handsome mustache guy (the weak link imo).

donald pleasance is a lot of fun here too. really chews on ever line of dialogue he's given. and alice cooper!

plot is actually pretty compelling and the religion vs. science stuff is kinda fun if not particularly deep.

wouldn't pick it over evil dead 2 or anything but was pleasantly surprised given its iffy rep.

watched street trash a few months ago too. loved all the gooey explosions. really did not love the mega long rape sequence set to benny hill music for laffs.

I will defend The Lost Boys as the perfect slumber-party movie

I literally had to go to sleep in the middle of Lost Boys, but was alone

Creepshow 2 (better than the first!)

Crazy talk.

http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2012/07/summer-of-87-creepshow-2/

saw Blood Rage (not on this list, but from this year).

decent moments, zero payoff.

great gore though.

not a great sign when an 80 minute movie starts to feel 'long' tho

premise for what makes the killer 'snap' is....a stretch

watching Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2.

Impressed that Mary Lou was able to dance with her boyfriend, sit down at the table, ask her boyfriend to get a drink, signal to another boy that she wanted to fuck him in private quarters, slink away with him, actually start fucking him, get caught, have her new guy threaten her boyfriend, slink away again and get back to the dance all during a singular playing of "Tutti Frutti"

Lisa Schrage is hot! by that I mean she's literally immolating right now

i would never trust someone who looks like Michael Ironside to be principal

Beth Gondek rocking the Edward Scissorhands hairstyle before it was en vogue

i loooove prom night 2 with my whole heart