Horror in the 1970s was marked by darker movies, as independent filmmakers such as George Romero, Tobe Hooper, and Wes Craven combined scares and gore with social themes, and serious blockbusters such as The Exorcist and The Omen played to huge mainstream audiences. As a result, there wasn’t much space for the old-fashioned monster movie, which had long existed more in the crowd-pleasing side of the genre.
Luckily, in the 1980s, fun returned to horror. Of course, there were plenty of darker movies too, and many of the most popular in the first half of the decade were formulaic slasher movies. But this was also the decade of the horror comedy–not to mention neon, MTV, and hair metal–and many of ’80s key horror filmmakers embraced a lighter approach to their scary movies. They also brought the movie monster back big time.
Prosthetic and animatronic special effects were at their peak in the ’80s, leading to some hugely impressive creature creations. CGI was not yet at a stage where it could be used for monsters, especially on a lower budget, and the superstar make-up effects artists of the day were given the freedom to wildly indulge their imaginations. Amongst fans, the likes of Rick Baker, Stan Winston, Tom Savini, and Rob Bottin are as famous and revered as any directors, and their creature work in the ’80s is some of the best ever put on film.
Sadly, this is an era of monster movie that is unlikely to return. Even a show like Stranger Things, which homages ’80s horror in so many ways, uses extravagant CG for its creatures. The special effects superstars of today are more likely to be found sitting behind computer screens than getting elbow-deep in fake blood and plastic fangs. So with Halloween approaching, let’s look back at the best movie monsters from the 1980s…
