The Mike's 31 Favorite 1980s Horror Films: No. 25 - 21

Like the beat, the list goes on.  Number 31 through Number 26 were already revealed, now let's see five more of The Mike's favorite horror film of the 1980s.

Previously on The Mike's 31 Favorite 1980s Horror Films....
#31-#26

25. C.H.U.D.
(1984, Dir. by Douglas Cheek.)

My love for C.H.U.D. is one of my worst kept secrets.  Heck, I'm still boycotting the Criterion Collection after their ridiculously cruel April Fool's Day joke about releasing it.  Yeah, I know that a movie about Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers is an easy target, but there's more to C.H.U.D. than they or anyone else who underestimates this fun little monster movie can see.  I'll stand by it till the end.

24. Hellraiser
(1987, Dir. by Clive Barker.)

The gore in this film really gets to me....but I kind of like it.  And that's the strange hook of Clive Barker's original Hellraiser.  Most everything about it, from the appearance of each character to the ridiculous amounts of blood and torture, is unappealing to the eye...yet kind of haunting at the same time. I dig that, even though I often don't want to.


23. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
(1987, Dir. by Chuck Russell.)

If you had Chuck Russell in the "Who will be the first director to place two films on The Mike's list of '80s horrors?" pool, congratulations!  One of my favorite horror sequels of all-time - not a gigantic compliment, I know - Dream Warriors brings together a horror icon, a surprisingly strong cast, and the music of Dokken to create a deliciously '80s blend of goodness.  And mega bonus points are rewarded for the return of Heather Langenkamp and the mental hospital setting, too.

22. Near Dark
(1987, Dir. by Kathryn Bigelow.)

I don't get Adrian Pasdar, but everything else about Near Dark is pretty awesome.  Lance Henriksen might be at his very best, and Bill Paxton is as good as usual (I'm not sure why, but his offhand remark "We keep odd hours" never ceases to make me laugh).  And Jenny Wright....oooooh, Jenny Wright.  A one of a kind vampire tale.

21. The Gate
(1987, Dir. by Tibor Takacs.)

This one made my Willies list!!!!!!!!  And it's generally awesome, too.  To me, this movie was kind of like the scary version of The Goonies when I was growing up. Instead of finding pirates and treasure, little Stephen Dorff and his metal-lovin' friend found a passageway to Hell and some clay demons.  It's like The Sentinel, but without the creepy old people having sex.  (It's also quite unforgiving for a child based horror, which I respect greatly.)

Five Random Things to Know About These Five Films:
1) As Midnight Warrior Emily C of The Quest To Watch Every Movie Ever would point out, C.H.U.D. proudly stars two future Home Alone cast members, John Heard and Daniel Stern.  Here they work together, and Kevin is nowhere to be found.

2) The working title of Hellraiser? Sadomasochists From Beyond The Grave.  Also, when Pinhead proclaims "We'll tear your soul apart", I get crazy shivers.  I want to channel that someday when I need to scare someone.

3) Ummmm....DOKKEN YOU GUYS!

 2) Joshua Miller, who plays the mini vampire Homer in Near Dark is the son of The Exorcist co-star Jason Miller, who gives one of my favorite performances ever in that film. He's also the half-brother of another horror star - The Lost Boys' Jason Patric.

1) Ummmm, I don't have much to say about The Gate.  Except that, if you haven't seen the remastered DVD, you should.  I had my old full frame DVD for too many years, and when Lions Gate provided a widescreen version...the terror took on new form.  Super highly recommended!

Well....not as super highly recommend as the next 20 films on this list!  Stay tuned for more!