posted
This thread is dedicated to those mostly forgotten 80's horror films that probably don't deserve their own thread, but are fun to discuss. A few will truly be hidden gems, however, several will be movies that are just flawed or very bad in my opinion!
Let's start by asking:
1. Have you heard of it? 2. Have you seen it? 3. Are you interested in it now?
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
Here's our first masterpiece.. appropriately titled:
Gotta love the tagline on the poster!
A series of brutal chainsaw murders plague a Boston college. Detectives are on the case, with the help of a local amateur sleuth. Despite their best efforts, the body count continues to pile up though.
"Pieces" stars Christopher George, Linda Day George, and Frank Brana.
It was accompanied by a grisly ad campaign that promised "It's exactly what you think it is!" Infamous when it played theaters and it later became a cult classic due to video store rentals.
[ 23. February 2012, 06:12: Message edited by: Valley ]
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cindymancini
Selling underpants to geeks since 1984...
Member # 679
Never saw or heard of this one Valley...sounds kinda cool...Boston College...I'd watch it! Have you seen this?
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I have indeed heard of "Pieces" because I saw it in a grindhouse back in the day. It was the brainchild of the late, great exploitation genius D-i-c-k Randall, who produced such classic trash as "Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks" and "The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield." I believe that a lot of it was shot in Spain by director Juan Piquer Simon, with some exteriors shot in Boston to make it feel like an American film and not Eurotrash. (Randall was always involved in putting together these multi-national co-productions.)
As sleazy pieces of 80s gutter trash go, this one has it all--gore, nudity, pervasive sleaze (the chainsaw murder in a girls' locker room is particularly obnoxious), Euro-star Edmund Purdum, and Christopher and Lynda Day George, giving one of biggest female hambone performances that you'll ever see, slumming big time. (As I recall, this is the movie where cop Christopher George cooks himself a hot dog by using paperclips and a desk lamp. Don't try this at home, kids.) Compared to other slasher films from the era, I would put this in the same category (though definitely not as well made) as William Lustig's "Maniac"--uber-violent, fairly lacking in any redeeming social value, but pretty darned entertaining with lots of bad dialogue, goofiness, and anachronisms. (There is a flashback set in the 1940s where you see a touchtone telephone. Yeah, right!)
Adding yet another colorful story to this already colorful piece of cinema, the film was released in the U.S. by Edward L. Montoro's Film Ventures International, a notorious distributor of 80s drive-in and grindhouse stuff like "The Fifth Floor," "Grizzly," and "They Call Me Bruce." In the late 80s, Montoro, facing serious personal and financial problems, took $1 million from the FVI coffers and was never seen nor heard from again. Allegedly, he was spotted in Mexico...
"Pieces": a relic of a by-gone era. Am I interested in it now? I guess since I posted this. LOL
[ 22. February 2012, 15:03: Message edited by: Crash ]
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pettyfan
Livin' next door to the Klopeks
Member # 2260
posted
Pieces--heard of it, never seen it, kinda want to now
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
Great responses to "Pieces" .. which I definitely recommend if you've never seen it. Can't quite say the same for this next forgotten flick:
Three college age girls head off to a rock concert, only to end up knocked unconscious when their car crashes on a desolate country road during a thunderstorm. The girls wake to find themselves recovering in the isolated mansion of a spinster and her rather odd invalid mother. To make matters a tad more inconvenient, the mansion has no phone, and of course the storm has washed out all the roads.
This movie is infamous for being banned in the UK.. no clue why though. It has some gore, but nothing compared to a lot of slashers from the 80's.
Oh and Cindy .. each film that I post about on this thread will be a movie that I've watched at some point.. most likely in the 80's as a rental.
[ 23. February 2012, 06:26: Message edited by: Valley ]
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Muffy Tepperman
Leopard-print Leotard Wearer.....
Member # 1551
Ok so i'm going to do my part on these two movies.....
1. nope, never heard of either movies 2. nope, never seen them 3. Maybe sorta interested....I'm a visual person I need screenshots....a trailer? how available are these to watch? are we talking only vhs?
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Believe it or not, but Pieces has been released on a region-free special edition double-disc in 2008 by US company Grindhouse Releasing, which included the co-operation of directer Juan Piquer Simon who passed away last year. Simon would go on to make Slugs a couple of years after Pieces.
Pieces was also released on a UK dvd just a couple of months ago by UK company Arrow Films, with what looks to be the same restored transfer, but with completely different bonus-material than its US counterpart.
By the way.. for those who have seen it or who are planning to see it.. does anyone else think that the actor who plays the role of Willard (Paul Smith) looks almost exactly like Bud Spencer ? Seriously, they could be twin brothers !
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posted
anybody remember the horror movie called the lamp aka the outing, i used to love this movie as a kid.
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
Muffy .. I added a screenshot for each movie based on your suggestion. For the movie "Pieces" it was a difficult task because most of the best scenes include gratuitous nudity or a gory crime scene. Interested now? ha
And Johnny is all over the availability issues if you are interested in it. Overall though, several of these will be out-of-print and vhs might be the only option if you get intrigued by the comments enough.
Glad everyone is having fun and offering input!
So let's discuss the_wizard's request next:
An ancient genie is released from a lamp when thieves ransack an old woman's house. They are killed and the lamp is moved to a museum to be studied. The curator's daughter is soon possessed by the genie and invites her friends to spend the night at the museum, along with some uninvited guests. The genie kills them off in an attempt to fulfill her ultimate wish.
So "The Lamp aka The Outing" teaches us that if a genie grants you three wishes .. just be extremely careful with them please. Fun movie in my opinion.
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pieces i never liked i'm afraid, found it so slow and boring but im surprised it gets good reveiws everywhere.
the lamp i love, has it all B movie fx, adventure, and good horror, great example of 80's B movie horror prob looks dated now but you have to love it.
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posted
great thread valley,pieces is completely bonkers and good fun if not taken seriously,never seen unhinged but read some pretty awful comments about it. really enjoy the lamp,have a u.k vhs(slightly trimmed of gore) of it,a fun low budget horror.
my suggestions are final terror aka campsite massace starring a young daryl hannah,rachel ward and adrian zmed
As warrior mentioned.. this early 80's slasher film actually has a recognizable cast in it with the likes of Rachel Ward (Night School), Darryl Hannah (Splash), Adrian Zmed (Bachelor Party), Mark Metcalf (Animal House), and Joe Pantoliano (The In Crowd).
"The Final Terror" came out in 1983 and is about a group of young forest rangers who go on a weekend camping trip to a nearby forest campsite and end up being stalked by a crazy person in the woods.
[ 23. February 2012, 18:11: Message edited by: Valley ]
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
posted
from what i remember the final terror is way above average backwoods slasher movie with a much better cast than most of its like can normally muster.
not seen for a couple of year and the one person i did not recollect being in the cast was lewis smith who played bobby in the awesome 80s comedy heavenly kid.
it was directed by andrew davis who went on to direct code of silence with chuck norris,above the law and under siege with steven seagal as well as the fugitive and the 2002 arnie starrer colateral damage.
i've only watched this on the original thorn emi uk vhs tape release which suffered the same fate as many other slashers released at the time and that it was slightly trimmed by the bbfc of gory images,i think about 15-20 seconds in total.
they have done a uncut us dvd release but i've read the transfer is of appalling quality,worse than vhs,plus it's now hard to get hold of and sells for silly money.
posted
Warrior .. how did I not remember that Lewis Smith was in "The Final Terror"? I love "The Heavenly Kid"! Great mention
I'm interested in watching it soon!
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Val, you're turning morbid on me.. I kind of like it ha. Gosh, I remember the cover box for Pieces when I was younger, lurking through the horror section at the vid store! Never heard of the others, but as usual, your write ups have me intrigued. They sound fun. Posts: 4807 | Registered: Oct 2002 | Site Updates: 39
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
Billy “Eye” Harper, the lead singer of this awesome hair metal band, goes crazy one night in the studio and begins to kill everyone he can find. The only one left standing at the end of the night is his former girlfriend Lynn Starling. She was able to escape his attacks, but just barely. Thanks to Lynn, Billy gets executed for his crimes and she goes on to become a successful lead singer herself. A few years later, while preparing to embark on a massive tour called 'Rocktober Blood', Billy returns for revenge and to finish the business he started. But is he real, or is Lynn slowly going insane?
The best part of this crazy horror film was the band "Headmistress" which was actually the real-life rock band "Sorcery". Excellent tunes such as "Killer on the Loose", "I'm Back", and "Rainbow Eyes" are on display, but the best tune was at the end of the picture, "Watching You". Although I'm not a metal fan, I've gotta admit Sorcery are a blast in this movie.
The final concert performance is legendary in horror circles.. It actually got the movie banned in Australia! Once again, not quite sure why?
It was cool to see a vintage pinball machine in the beginning and I must say Lynn Starling enjoyed her jacuzzis.
Oh and the MVTV press junket for the tour was so cool.. the fashion at it was 80's awesome.
If you like your music heavy and your hair big .. you totally gotta watch this movie soon! ha
"When you least expect it .. I will attack."
[ 24. February 2012, 19:59: Message edited by: Valley ]
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just watched rocktober blood valley,was a very cheesy but entertaining slasher which has the requisite (for this genre anyway) amount of both gore and nudity.
some of the gore effects were bit on the tacky side,case for example the on stage beheading at the finale concert,looked completely fake but i suppose that just added to its cheesy charms.
the soundtrack was pretty good and made me think of another 80s slasher i have in my collection new years evil.
rocktober blood also reminds me of another early 80s slasher called terror on tour- http://youtu.be/PFxcGu7eqCo - link to entire movie,never seen this one but it's on my to watch list.
so overall i'd say rocktober blood is a fun slasher movie,it's far from being a classic but it's also a long way from being the worst of its type.
[ 25. February 2012, 15:03: Message edited by: the young warrior ]
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he knows your alone - 1980 slasher starring a young tom hanks,slated by some critics as being a blatant halloween rip off, the atmospheric music does have some familiarities to carpenters halloween score , but i feel it's still a good music score in its own right and i must say i enjoyed this one quite a lot.
posted
warrior .. "Rocktober Blood" is definitely very low budget and totally agree about the effects. No way would I consider it a classic.. just a crazy mess with a fun 80's vibe to it.
We've definitely discussed "He Knows You're Alone" a few times over the years because it is infamous for Tom Hanks first role and it is actually good!
So lets go with..
Alex Torme (Mitchell Anderson) is having bad dreams. They usually start off the same: the memory of his parents being shot by a hunter named Perkins at Christmas time, followed by a new memory/nightmare of the same hunter trying to kill him. When Alex wakes up and it's hunting season with everyone around wearing the same wolf mask as the killer. Alex goes to see his brother Jack (Xander Berkeley) to talk it through with him. He obviously wants these nightmare images to just go away. His friend Danny (Thom Babbes) thinks that he just needs to calm down, until Danny ends up seeing the killer outside of Alex’s home too. However, it soon becomes apparent that the distinction between dream world and reality is blurred, and that these night terrors may not all be in Alex’s head. Alex soon befriends a girl by the name of Maggie (Juliette Cummins), and they attempt a relationship, while still trying to figure out Alex’s nightmares.
I've seen "Deadly Dreams" a few times and while it has it's moments.. overall it is very slow paced. It has elements of "A Nightmare On Elm Street" as warrior mentioned.
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actually after posting my comment suggesting he knows your alone i thought to myself about the topic of the thread you had started - (lost) 80s horror and that he knows your alone was may be a bit to well known by most to be included .
where as the lamp,pieces,deadly dreams,rocktober blood,unhinged etc are that touch more obscure,yeh rocktober blood was actually pretty good fun overall,never boring and a million times better than some of the dreck i've seen over the years.
even though i've read quite a few negative reviews about deadly dreams i still want to see it,i think it's the front cover art that has me sold.
[ 01. March 2012, 05:04: Message edited by: the young warrior ]
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
Warrior.. all the movies you've suggested are worthy entries and this thread has absolutely no rules. Obscure for most folks is almost every movie we discuss on the Rewind.
So Ronnie finally watched "Heavenly Bodies" and she mentioned the fantastic performance by Cynthia Dale who is also so memorable from the underrated 80's slasher "My Bloody Valentine". I even discussed on Muffy's HB thread that I kept waiting for "Heavenly Bodies" to turn into a slasher film.
So how about this forgotten one instead:
"Killer Workout aka Aerobicide" takes place at Rhonda's Health Club where aerobics instructor Rhonda's business is thriving as her clients flock to her establishment to keep themselves in incredible shape. However, Rhonda suddenly finds her business under a huge threat when a brutal killer begins systematically murdering members of her aerobics class in a variety of ways.
I totally remember watching this movie in the 80's. My thought is "Death Spa" is the film with this combination of aerobics and horror slasher that most people remember, but for the obscure crowd it is this movie instead.
There is no comparing this film to the entertainment of "Heavenly Bodies", but if you are looking for a cheesy horror to add to your aerobics routine.. I recommend it for just the unique 80's tunes alone.
From what I've heard, except for a couple.. the tunes from this soundtrack are rather difficult to obtain:
Didi Nelson - Love Is a Four Letter Word
Jill COlucci - Woman on Fire
Robert Michaels & Lisa Duran - Knockout
Pebbles Phillips - Animal Workout
Sunny Hilden & Joe Steinman - Rock n' Rock
Donna De Lory - Only You Tonight
The Lost Playboy Club (I only read it for the articles) - Something to Feel
Fans?
[ 01. March 2012, 11:26: Message edited by: Valley ]
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never seen killer workout or aerobicide as it's called here in the u.k,that poster sure grabs your attention,that's one thing in common with all these titles the artwork for most of these 80s horrors definitely catches the eye.
couple more quite obscure horrors
the prey (1980) - http://youtu.be/PWlA5G6f1wU got this on a pretty worn out original thorn emi vhs ,not a bad slasher,the effects were done by john carl buechler (cellar dweller,friday the 13th part 7).
girls night out aka the scaremaker - http://youtu.be/S3ZmAhSlUX0 stars julie montgomery (revenge of the nerds),rutanya alda and a small performance from the great hal holbrook (the fog,magnum force) have this on dvd, again not bad,i like it enough to own it.
twice dead 1988 - fun haunted house horror,i have on dvd in a twin pack with 1978 horror the evil starring richard crenna.
stars todd "watcha talkin bout willis" bridges from different strokes, i could not stop laughing when his character got knocked down by a car,no idea why, i must have a strange sense of humour!
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It was the brainchild of the late, great exploitation genius D-i-c-k Randall, who produced such classic trash as "Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks" and "The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield." I believe that a lot of it was shot in Spain by director Juan Piquer Simon, with some exteriors shot in Boston to make it feel like an American film and not Eurotrash. (Randall was always involved in putting together these multi-national co-productions.)
(click to watch movie)
