The Good, The Bad, and the Outrageous: 1980s Horror Cinema

The 1980s proved a watershed period for horror cinema, seeing taboos broken, technology flourish, and storytelling go off in wild directions. Scenarios became more outrageous, more over-the-top, and were often leavened with a liberal dose of black humor that upped the fun factor exponentially. Additionally, during the Reagan/Thatcher era, film seemed to become that much more transgressive and satirical, perhaps in reaction to the stifling, backward-looking conservatism of the times. The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous: 1980s Horror Cinema highlights a mix of '80s heavy hitters like An American Werewolf in London, The Thing, and A Nightmare on Elm Street; lesser-known but creditable efforts such as Alligator, Dead & Buried, and Motel Hell; and unique obscurities like The Children, Boardinghouse, and Tales of the Third Dimension that comprise the most impressive and engaging the '80s had to offer.