'Wanna see something really scary?'

Halloween is nearly upon us, though it doesn't feel nearly the same this year without the daylight savings time kicking in. Trick or treating in the daylight? I think not.

Since the 80s nation is too old to go find the old "Baseball Fury" costumes from "The Warriors" that we wore every year as kids, it seems like a good year to stay home and watch a retro-horror flick.

Here's last year's list of the best horror movies of the 80s -- again. (No sense researching it all over again after all.)

The list was generated by reader suggestions, reviews of the movies and a little personal opinion here and there. It's not as long as our previous lists of best comedies, worst songs, best videos and worst films. But it'll still give you a great guide to picking movies to watch between now and Halloween.

Excerpts from critic reviews are only included in the top 5 for this list. Critics are traditionally harsh on horror movies and their comments weren't pretty beyond the very best of the movies. I picked the "taglines" for the rest of the flicks.

Enjoy the list and remember: "You can't choose between life and death when we're dealing with what is in between."

Top 20 Horror Films of the 80s:

20. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986): Dennis Hooper, Caroline Williams. "After a decade of silence... The buzzz is back!"

19. C.H.U.D. (1984): Daniel Stern, John Heard. "You Won't Want To Know What It Means."

18. The Changeling (1980): George C. Scott, Jean Marsh. "Whatever you do...DON'T GO INTO THE ATTIC."

17. Hellraiser (1987): Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins. "Demon to some. Angel to others."

16. The Evil Dead (1981): Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss. "The Ultimate Experience In Grueling Terror."

15. Fright Night (1985): Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale. "If you love being scared, it'll be the night of your life."

14. House on Sorority Row (1983): Kate McNeil, Eileen Davidson. "Sisters in life.  Sisters in death."

13. Re-Animator (1985): Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott. "Herbert West Has A Very Good Head On His Shoulders... And Another One In A Dish On His Desk."

12. The Lost Boys (1987): Jason Patric, Corey Haim. "Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire."

11. Dressed to Kill (1980): Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson. "Every Nightmare Has A Beginning ... This One Never Ends."

10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Johnny Depp, Robert Englund. "A scream that wakes you up, might be your own."

9. The Believers (1987): Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver. "They exist. Fear them."

8. Return of the Living Dead (1985): Clu Gulager, James Karen. "They're back ... They're Hungry ... And they're NOT vegetarian."

7. Prince of Darkness (1987): Donald Pleasance, Jameson Parker. "It is evil. It is real. It is awakening."

6. Christine (1983): Keith Gordon, John Stockwell. "Hell hath no Fury...like Christine."

The top 5...

5. The Shining (1980): Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall. One critic said: "It is not just a great horror film; it is a psychological profile of how people wrestle with their unsavory pasts."

4. Night of the Creeps (1986): Jason Lively, Steve Marshall. One critic said: "Rarely is a horror comedy as much fun to watch as this movie is."

3. American Werewolf in London (1981): David Naughton, Jenny Agutter. One critic said: "It may be one of the best endings to any movie, ever."

2. The Thing (1982): Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley. One critic said: "If you don't repeatedly drop your jaw and gape at the screen in disbelief, you might need to lay off the PCP."

1. Poltergeist (1982): Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams. One critic said: "This is the movie The Amityville Horror dreamed of being."

So there's the list. Feel free to share your darts and laurels.

Speaking of horror flicks...

Our Stuck in the 80s special Halloween podcast from last year is still online, featuring music and scenes from our favorite movies, along with the stories that made the day special for us back in the 80s. Click here to listen or click here to subscribe to the series for free on iTunes.

Comments

[Marissa]

From this list, "Fright Night" (LOVE the idea of Chris Sarandon being a neck nibbler) and "American Werewolf in London" are my favorites. "Poltergeist" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" I just can't watch alone and they make me want to sleep with the lights on.
After watching "Lost Boys", I wasn't able to eat Chinese food for years.
I've listened to the Halloween podcast. Steve, punching someone because you're scared is not acceptable lol

[Spears]

I'm serious about the punching thing -- for some reason, it's my natural reaction. No wonder people keep their distance from me.

And all this time, I thought it was the overwhelming fragrance of that salami-scented body spray I use.

[Marissa]

ha! you said salami

[Al]

I guess because of my taking film classes snobbery, The Shining is heads and tails better than Poltergeist.

Shining screws with your mind, especially the ambiguous ending.
Was it a dream? Or a figment of his demented mind? Did Jack even exist? Or was the photo just coincidence?

I suggest you find the clip in Family Guy when Stewie goes into the TV. It's a great homage to Poltergeist, I enjoyed it better than the actual movie.

I can't find it on Youtube, sorry.

[Spears]

I had that clip on the blog about a week or two ago, when Poltergeist was back in theaters for the night. Great stuff.

[Douglas Arthur]

good list for the most part, but there are a few that probably could have been left off. (Night of the Creeps??, The Believers? (Incidentally I liked that movie very much, but I wouldn't put it up in the pantheon of Scariest 80's movies))

The order of it certainly could have been a bit better. Poltergeist probably should be dropped about 20 places, and maybe move up Evil Dead, Hellraiser, and Re-Animator into the top 5. The Shining is good but a bit over-rated. The TV version with Tim Daley is actually better.

I'm still in shock that Prince of Darkness made the list. Good, but again, not that overtly scary.

Ah,hell, one of these days, i'll just have to have my own blog, but I am too lazy. You've done your job though Steve-o and created a water-cooler discussion with out the water cooler!

Duty now,

[Marissa]

Perhaps the list in an order of how hard Steve punched someone while watching the movie.
:)

[Johnny B. Goode]

No "Killer Klowns from Outer Space"? How disappointing. I'm pretty sure that was the best movie to come out that particular week in 1988. And no movie that includes Dean Wormer from "Animal House" can be all bad.

[Jeff in Cuba]

It may not be a traditional horror flick, but the 80's movie that creeped me out like no other was "Miracle Mile". It is such a cold, dark apocolyptic vision. The WWIII of "Red Dawn" brings out the best in people, while the "MM" version brings out the very worst. Even "good guy" Anthony Edwards (at the peak of his lovable nerd charm) can't escape the sucking, swirling eddy of despair.

My perspective is probably strongly influenced by my date, who thought it was "romantic". "But everbody died," I pointed out. "Yes," she replied, "but romantically."

In retrospect, a harrowing preview of a social apocolypse that played out about a year later.

[Eric S]

Interesting list. I would have had Elm Street higher. Surprised that none of the Friday the 13th movies made the list. When I was a kid, those movies gave me nightmares. Loved what Kubrick did with The Shining even though King hated what he did. I never looked at twins the same way after that flick.

I enjoyed Hellraiser. Barker's books are better than his movies though. Candyman was the best movie made from one of his books, but that was made in the 90s.

I personally never thought Werewolf was that scary. More jokey than scary to me. The Howling should have made the list. I think you are reaching a bit with Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

Watching Dexter tonight and a couple of the people in this list were in the credits. Keith Gordon directed the ep and JoBeth Williams plays Rita's mother. I recognize the quote from the critic on Poltergeist. Roger Ebert said that.

[Confusius]

American Werewolf in London (1981): David Naughton, Jenny Agutter. One critic said: "It may be one of the best endings to any movie, ever." Think he's telling porkies?

[Glenn S.]

American Werewolf in London is such a disorienting mix of comedy, drama, horror and gore that it takes a couple of viewings to fully appreciate. I think the ending is great. It's very abrupt (as if the filmmaker is saying, "Well, that's it. Really nothing more to say, is there?") and (SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT) I love the unexpected version of Blue Moon played over the end credits.

Note to Douglas Arthur: I do hope you start that blog someday. Always enjoy reading your comments.

[malibu]

The movie version of "The Shining" is a disgrace compared to the book. If you REALLY want to be scared, read it. You won't be able to stay in a hotel for awhile afterwards, though, especially room 217.

[Al]

Nice call, Jeff in Cuba.

I forgot to mention Miracle Mile.

I think my brain deleted the film from my memory because of the hopelessness displayed in it.

Saw MM originally on TV years ago when I was a kid, and it's almost as powerful for me now, especially the ending. I was in a daze when it ended. Very freaky. Unlike Michael Myers or Freddy or any other bogeyman, nuclear apocalypse could still happen. I guess that's why it was so chilling.

I know Steve will disagree, but MM should win the most depressing end to any 80's movie.

[Jeff in Cuba]

"Miracle Mile" really caught me off-guard. My didn't-know-it-yet crazy girlfriend took me to this tiny theater in the basement of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, so I was prepared for some sort of introspective, independent chick flick. Big miscalculation.

Anyway, the memory of it (and her) still haunts me!

[Al]

Jeff, that sounds like my love life right now.....zing!

[Douglas Arthur]

Another movie that might fit the bill here is the first Terminator. I know it gets lumped into the Sci-Fi genre, but it really is a horror movie if you think about it. Ahnuld plays a relentless killing machine, not unlike Jason or Michael Myers. Just when you think he is dead, he comes back for more. The moody score by Brad Fiedel really sets a creepy mood filled with a palpable sense of dread. So on that note, I think that pops it up into the top 5 easy.

duty now

[Douglas Arthur]

that should read "creepy tone". Didn't mean to be redundant!

[Marissa]

4. Night of the Creeps (1986): Jason Lively, Steve Marshall. One critic said: "Rarely is a horror comedy as much fun to watch as this movie is."

I think that movie was based on my experience with "Speed Dating."

[malibu]

I agree with Terminator, and where is Aliens? That is also action packed, but a horror flick nonetheless.