I grew up in the 1980s, which meant one thing: horror movies were everywhere, and they were terrifying. The video store shelves were lined with lurid cover art designed to traumatize children, and somehow that made them irresistible. I watched them from behind couch cushions, at sleepovers where nobody would admit they were scared, and on late nights when I absolutely should have been asleep.
Decades later the fear is gone, replaced by something closer to love. These films — the slashers, the creature features, the supernatural chillers — represent one of the most creative and chaotic periods in the history of horror cinema. Filmmakers were taking risks, budgets were low, and imagination had to fill the gaps. The results were often extraordinary.
My Horrific Decade exists to shine a light on that era, with a particular focus on the films that time has been unkind to. The classics get plenty of attention. But for every Halloween there are a dozen films that deserve a second look — movies that scared the life out of an eight year old and still hold up today if you give them a chance.
So welcome. Leave the lights on if you need to. No judgment here.