Wolfen (1981)

Wolfen (1981)

[5] Albert Finney, Gregory Hines, Edward James Olmos, and Diane Venora star in this thriller about ancient shapeshifters lashing out at New York land developers for encroaching on their sacred ground. The wolf attacks are depicted with steadicam point-of-view shots and colored…
Razorback (1984)

Razorback (1984)

[6] Razorback is a passable midnight horror movie from Russell Mulcahy, who would go on to direct the cult fave Highlander a few years later. Razorback is about a giant boar that terrorizes the Australian outback. After an American reporter disappears, her husband…
The Howling (1981)

The Howling (1981)

[7] Dee Wallace plays a TV reporter who escapes to the country after a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the country turns out to be filled with werewolves! The Howling is a well-made horror flick from director Joe Dante (Gremlins), who likes to mix…
Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

[5] This live-action Disney flick starts off interesting, with a 12-year old boy suddenly finding himself eight years in the future without having aged a day. Turns out he was the target of an alien abduction, and his abductor now needs his…
Near Dark (1987)

Near Dark (1987)

[7] Director Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, The Hurt Locker) serves up a stylish, brooding vampire tale set in the southwest. I dig Bigelow's tone, atmosphere, and terrific casting. Bigelow tapped into the Aliens ensemble to cast Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and Jenette…
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

[7] The sequel is more of the same, but that's not always a bad thing. There's enough talent in front of and behind the cameras in the Lethal Weapon movies to warrant at least one or two entertaining sequels. The plot is…
Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

[6] Part two in the Amityville franchise is actually a prequel exploring the grisly deaths of the previous family who lived in the cursed home. The first half of the movie builds to a pretty shocking climax, where the oldest son (Jack…
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

[8] This is more of a remake than a sequel, but most fans agree that it tops the original. Director Sam Raimi continues his imaginitive use of camera angles and movement, sound effects, and low-budget visual effects, but the winning ingredient is…
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982)

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982)

[8] An orphaned teen (Jimmy McNichol) becomes fearful of his aunt (Susan Tyrrell) after she kills a man in their home. But that just scrapes the surface of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker. Add in that the aunt has incestuous desire for the boy and…
Campus Man (1987)

Campus Man (1987)

[6] An enterprising college business student (John Dye) needs money for tuition fast, so he creates the campus' first all-male sports calendar, highlighting his high-diving roommate (Steven Lyon). The calendar is a success, but a shady investor and a fashion magazine editor threaten to…