These horror moments will always be scary. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for those moments from 1980s horror flicks that stayed with us FOR-EVER.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those moments from 1980s
00:09horror flicks that stayed with us forever.
00:1410.
00:17Cujo Attacks – Cujo
00:27One of the most effective aspects of horror cinema is how it can often take everyday fears,
00:32even those in the back of our collective minds, and bring them to life.
00:36We may not think about confronting an angry, rabid dog 24-7, but 1983's Cujo showcased
00:42just how scary that exact situation could be, under the worst circumstances.
00:52The sequence when Cujo attacks Tad and Donna Trenton, inside of their Ford Pinto, is harrowing
00:57to say the least.
00:58The practical make-up effects on the St. Bernard are tragically gruesome, while the tension
01:03of Donna and Tad's overheated and dehydrated automotive prison is ramped up to an uncomfortable
01:09degree.
01:129.
01:15Cheryl is Possessed – The Evil Dead
01:23It's perhaps easy to forget how Sam Raimi's original 1981 chiller, The Evil Dead, possessed
01:28nearly none of the humour that would go on to define the franchise.
01:32Instead, this is demonic possession horror played completely straight, with all of the
01:37tense trappings that go along with that approach.
01:40The scene when Ash Williams' sister Cheryl is possessed by the deadite curse is made
01:45all the more frightening via the gruesome make-up.
01:51Ellen Sandweiss also fully commits to the performance, attacking the remaining cabin
01:55dwellers until her destruction finally frees her from her curse at the film's climax.
02:048.
02:07No Batteries – Child's Play
02:14The Child's Play franchise is another horror mainstay that's largely been defined by its
02:19black humour.
02:20However, the OG film is actually quite restrained with its possessed doll effects, relying more
02:26upon the question of whether or not young Andy Barclay is imagining Chucky's corporeal
02:30existence.
02:32As a result, when Andy's mother opens up the back of the doll to reveal an absence of batteries,
02:37well, all bets are off.
02:44It's then time for Brad Dourif to do what he does best, spouting off a legion of profanities
02:50as he attempts to kill Andy's mum.
02:53The jump is super effective, the doll effects believable, and Katherine Hicks totally sells
02:58the danger of Charles Lee Ray's new pint-sized body.
03:057.
03:08Jesus Wept – Hellraiser
03:10There's just something about the cinema and writings of Clive Barker that get under our
03:17skin.
03:18Literally, in fact.
03:19At least, when we're discussing 1987's Hellraiser, this adaptation of Barker's novella, The Hellbound
03:26Heart, sees the bloody resurrection of Frank Cotton via his brother's wife, Julia.
03:32Andrew Robinson does double duty, portraying both Larry and Frank, the latter of whom is
03:36wearing his sibling's skin when he is reunited with the Cenobites.
03:46The look on Robinson's face as he realizes his niece Kirstie has trapped him with Pinhead
03:51and crew says it all.
03:53The actor is torn apart by the Cenobites' sadomasochistic power.
04:006.
04:02Clown Trauma – Poltergeist
04:04Every horror fan of a certain age probably remembers where they were when they first
04:09heard those immortal lines from Poltergeist.
04:14They probably also remember how traumatized they were when that creepy clown shows up
04:19too.
04:20The Poltergeist activity is seriously ramping up when this scene occurs, a nighttime attack
04:25that sees a tree crash into the Freeling children's room and Robbie Freeling's toy clown coming
04:30to life.
04:31The look on Robbie's face is one of perplexed fear and confusion as the clown wraps itself
04:37around him.
04:42But this is only the beginning of the torment this family will face at the hands of their
04:47very own Poltergeist.
04:525.
04:56Xenomorph Shooting Gallery – Aliens
05:02The Alien franchise has always done a wonderful, perhaps even definitive job at combining horror
05:07and science fiction.
05:09The first sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece is more action-based, but also possesses more
05:16than its fair share of fearsome moments.
05:18Case in point, the attack on the survivors of a failed space colony search and rescue
05:23by hordes of Xenomorphs while holding up in the remains of Colony LV-426.
05:33The assault is a barrage of bullets and marauding aliens, while the audience is biting their
05:38nails in anticipation.
05:40Will the humans run out of ammo?
05:42Who will survive?
05:464.
05:49The Transformation – An American Werewolf in London
05:57The werewolf transformation sequence that set the standard for all practical special
06:02effects work in its wake.
06:04Rick Baker's work on this film is simply phenomenal, a startling achievement that still
06:09delivers the goods.
06:10So many years removed from its 1981 debut.
06:13The thing about this scene is how painful the whole transformation looks.
06:22There's really no other way to say it, turning into a werewolf looks like torture.
06:28And David Norton sells the experience like it's going to kill him.
06:33Baker's makeup, combined with the cinematography of Robert Painter, captures every wince-inducing
06:38pull and tear, making us totally fear for the next full moon.
06:473.
06:51Jason Jumps – Friday the 13th
06:58Jump scares, by design, are largely cheap and effective.
07:01They work because they catch us unaware, but are they really all that scary?
07:06Well, this one certainly is, a classic that still catches viewers, even seasoned fans
07:12of Friday the 13th.
07:14It's the mellow and serene music from composer Harry Manfredini that really lulls the audience
07:19into a false sense of security.
07:22The water, that morning sun, we're supposed to think that the terror is over.
07:26That is, until the body of young Jason Voorhees erupts out of Crystal Lake, dragging young
07:33Alice Hardy down into its depths.
07:41The movie frames it as a dream, or a premonition, but the after-effects remain with us, probably
07:47for all time.
07:522.
07:55Blood Test – The Thing
08:04John Carpenter's remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World put to best use the special
08:10effects revolution of the 1980s.
08:12Robin Botten's Creature FX would set yet another bar for the industry, from the ultra-memorable
08:18chest defibrillator scene to the fan-favorite blood test sequence.
08:25The feelings of paranoia and mistrust have already been ramped up to a fever pitch at
08:29this point, forcing McCready into lining up the surviving members of Outpost Number 31
08:35for a blood test.
08:37Fictional characters and audience members alike are sweating and biting their nails,
08:41as each blood sample is tested.
08:47Then in an instant, Palmer's blood reacts against a flamethrower, revealing that the
08:51Outpost member has been infected.
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09:131.
09:14Here's Johnny – The Shining
09:22Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining possesses countless iconic
09:27moments, from the introduction of the Grady twins to this classic line delivery.
09:34Jack Nicholson's slow detachment from reality is already troubling enough, driving a further
09:39wedge between him, his wife Wendy, and their son Danny.
09:42It's when Jack is fully possessed by the Overlook Hotel's evil that he enters full horror legend
09:49as he methodically threatens Wendy's life.
09:56The latter's feeble attempts at self-defense are made all the more ineffectual as Jack's
10:00madness takes full hold, leading to this classic horror movie moment.
10:09Which horror movie moment chilled you to the bone?
10:11Let us know in the comments.
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