10 Best So-Bad-They’re-Good Horror Movies of the ’80s, Ranked

The horror genre is home to some of the most iconic so-bad-they’re-good movies ever made. These unique cinematic duds pack all the laughs and none of the scares, striking a perfect balance between camp and humor and making them impossible not to enjoy. While countless laughably bad horror flicks have been scattered throughout the decade, at no time were they more frequent than in the 1980s.

Make no mistake, the ’80s was an exciting time for horror cinema, honored by marvels like The Shining, Aliens, and The Thing. However, it was also a decade marked by many bizarre and outlandish horror movies that weren’t particularly scary or well-made but still entertained viewers. Whether praised for their awful performances, campy effects, or cheesy premises, these memorable so-bad-they’re-good horror movies were some of the most enjoyable flicks the ’80s had to offer. They may not be best remembered for their excellent qualities, but they surely make audiences laugh.

10 ‘Spookies’ (1988)

Directed by Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran

After his beloved bride Isabelle (Maria Pechukas) falls into a decades-long coma, the sinister warlock Kreon (Felix Ward) uses human sacrifices to increase his dark powers and awaken her from her eternal slumber. When a group of unsuspecting young adults accidentally stumble upon his eerie, secluded mansion in the woods, Kreon uses the opportunity to unleash all sorts of unusual and terrifying monsters to attack and pick off the group one by one.

Spookies
is a fun story with some decent make-up designs and remarkable creatures that still look impressive today.

While it won’t leave a shiver down one’s spine like some other more memorable haunted house movies, there is still much to enjoy and appreciate about Spookies. Behind the laughable performances and, at times, dodgy practical effects, it’s a fun story with some decent make-up designs and remarkable creatures that still look impressive today. Spookies is a wonderfully cheesy ghost story that many horror enthusiasts can get behind, and they certainly won’t be disappointed with how hilarious and enjoyable it can get at times.

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9 ‘Return of the Killer Tomatoes’ (1988)

Directed by John De Bello

John De Bello‘s 1978 spoof horror comedy Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was a triumph of so-it’s-good horror entertainment that helped popularize the “Killer Food” subgenre. In 1988, he followed it up with a more bonkers sequel, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, starring John Aston and Academy Award winner George Clooney. It follows a wacky mad scientist who unleashes a new breed of murderous tomatoes that can transform into humans.

Return of the Killer Tomatoes
is a glorious parody of the monster attack genre, poking fun at the ridiculousness of the concept and running with the joke.

With its highly absurd premise, enjoyable characters, and hilariously bizarre visuals, is it any wonder why Return of the Killer Tomatoes is still memorable after all these years? It’s a glorious parody of the monster attack genre, poking fun at the ridiculousness of the concept and running with the joke. It’s also fun to see established actors like Aston and Clooney having an absolute ball with the plot, gracing every moment of screen time with their hilarious, over-the-top performances.

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8 ‘Slumber Party Massacre II’ (1987)

Directed by Deborah Brock

A few years after her near brush with death at the end of Slumber Party Massacre, survivor Courtney Bates (Crystal Bernard) is finally released from a mental hospital, free to move past her traumas while accompanying a few friends to a relaxing weekend getaway. However, as bizarre occurrences plague her dreams, Courtney soon realizes she’s being stalked by a rock ‘n’ roll-playing, drill-guitar-wielding murderer (Atanas Ilitch).

Slumber Party Massacre II
aims to be a fun, mindless slasher flick that anyone can enjoy.

There’s an unintentional brilliance to the Slumber Party Massacre franchise. While certainly not best remembered for being exceptional, these slashers are remarkably terrible but hard not to love. Arguably, the most memorable was Slumber Party Massacre II, which didn’t hold back on the absurdity and relished in how nonsensical it could be. Though it clearly takes a few ideas from Wes Craven‘s A Nightmare on Elm Street, it doesn’t try to replicate that film’s success or scare factor, instead opting to be a fun, mindless slasher flick that anyone can enjoy.

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7 ‘Chopping Mall’ (1986)

Directed by Jim Wynorski

A hilarious killer robot movie, Chopping Mall follows a small group of partiers as they stay behind to hang out after hours in a technologically advanced shopping center. However, when a freak electrical storm accidentally fries its central systems, it causes the mall’s state-of-the-art security robots to become haywire and go on a murderous rampage.

If there is one horror movie that screams 1980s cheese, it would be Chopping Mall. With its campy plot, phony dialog, and memorably over-the-top and gory kills, it’s an enjoyable laugh fest that’ll leave viewers entertained from start to finish. Chopping Mall will make audiences nostalgic for this memorable decade and never leave them bored for a dull moment, as it’s hard not to feel excited every time the film’s memorable killer machines appear on the screen.

6 ‘Maximum Overdrive’ (1986)

Directed by Stephen King

Directed by a legend of the horror genre, Stephen King‘s Maximum Overdrive is an amusing B-movie thriller full of action, comedy, and wonderfully over-the-top death scenes. When a mysterious comet passes by Earth’s atmosphere, machines worldwide begin to take on sentient life and rebel against humanity. As chaos ensues outside, a colorful group of frightened survivors hold out in a rundown gas station as an army of murderous trucks circles around them.

Though it lacks the depth and sheer terror of some of King’s other superior stories, Maximum Overdrive is still a very entertaining popcorn flick. It’s a campy, corny, tremendous mess of a film that encompasses the best cheesy qualities typically associated with a B-movie. Once audiences look past the overacting and nonsensical plot, they’ll find a deliciously wacky story that was never meant to be taken seriously and continues to make fans laugh even all these years later.

5 ‘Basket Case’ (1982)

Directed by Frank Henenlotter

Frank Henenlotter, the King of schlocky ’80s horror comedies, directed the darkly comedic body horror classic Basket Case, starring Kevin VanHentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, and Beverly Bonner. Set in New York City, it follows a troubled young man named Duane Bradley, who, along with his severely deformed formerly conjoined twin brother Belial, enacts a sinister plot to track down and eliminate the doctors responsible for traumatically separating the two as children.

There is much to appreciate about this absolute marvel of so-bad-it’s-good cinematic entertainment. Basket Case is a terrible horror film that’s still hard not to appreciate. The abysmal dialog, mediocre performances, and infamously bad special effects have led to the film’s significant cult following over the years. It spawned two equally enjoyable sequels that somehow managed to outshine this film’s absurdity.

4 ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (1986)

Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz

The Toxic Avenger is a semi-obscure superhero horror comedy by the creators of the independent production company Troma Entertainment. Set in the fictional town of Tromaville, it follows a down-on-his-luck custodian (Mark Torgl) who is cruelly exposed to barrels of toxic waste by ruthless bullies, transforming into an unstoppable and powerful mutated superbeing. Now dubbing himself The Toxic Avenger (Mitch Cohen), he dedicates his life to protecting the innocent and ridding the streets of villainy.

At its heart, The Toxic Avenger is a charming superhero tale of good vs. evil. With a likable main protagonist, a unique premise, and a decent amount of action and gore, it delivers a fun and exciting story that leaves a lasting impression. Over the years, it’s become a slow-growing cult phenomenon, spawning several sequels and even a remake starring Peter Dinklage.

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3 ‘Redneck Zombies’ (1989)

Directed by Pericles Lewnes

Released direct-to-video in 1987 by Troma Entertainment, Redneck Zombies is an extremely gory and outlandish zombie comedy that certainly delivers on its bizarre premise. Set in a rural farming community in the US, it follows a vacationing group of city folk as they try to survive a deadly outbreak after toxic waste is accidentally exposed to the local population, turning them into flesh-craving, murderous cannabis.

Redneck Zombies
is a cheaply made, larger-than-life, bloody gore fest that relishes its gratuitous violence.

Made on a shoestring budget and filmed in thirty-two days, Redneck Zombies has everything one could expect from a low-quality, amateur B-movie. It’s a cheaply made, larger-than-life, bloody gore fest that relishes its gratuitous violence. While some audiences might take issues with its title and the apparent negative portrayals of country folk, the film isn’t flat-out mean-spirited, instead poking fun at the ridiculousness of these stereotypes and how fake they are. It may not be to everyone’s liking, but Redneck Zombies is a prime example of a so-bad-it’s-good horror movie.

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2 ‘Hobgoblins’ (1988)

Directed by Rick Sloane

A blatant ripoff of Joe Dante‘s Gremlins, Hobgoblins is a 1988 sci-fi horror comedy that packs all the cheesy laughs and none of the scares. Starring Tom Bartlett, Paige Sullivan, and Steven Boggs, it follows a security guard and his friends as they race against time to stop a sinister magical alien race known as the Hobgoblins from causing mischief and mayhem.

What’s not to find enjoyable about this absolute disaster of a horror movie? Hobgoblins is remarkably terrible, checking off every major qualification to be a so-bad-it’s-good movie and even discovering a few new ones. With a nonsensical plot, laughable performances, and abysmal creature designs, Hobgoblins may have failed spectacularly to be a compelling horror movie, but boy, it gets more entertaining with every rewatch.

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1 ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2’ (1987)

Directed by Lee Harry

Of all the so-bad-they’re-good horror movies to come out of the 1980s, none can top the unintentionally genius comedic masterpiece that is Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II. Starring Eric Freeman as the memorable over-the-top and murderous Ricky Chapman, the younger brother of the previous film’s killer, Billy Chapman (Robert Brian Wilson), it follows his deranged character on a rage-fueled mission to continue his older brother’s violent rampage.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II is an absolute cult classic. It’s best remembered by fans who laugh and can’t get enough of how monumentally terrible it is. Whether it’s the mediocre performance or the absurd kills, there’s always some aspect of the film to laugh about. However, the real reason it has endured all these years is all thanks to Eric Freeman and his bug-eyed expressions as he delivers his famous line, “Garbage Day!” which has since become a legendary meme within the annals of the internet.

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