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Return of the Living Dead is good 80s horror, but as splatstick falls flat compared to Reanimator. Bloogertag has a point about ignoring Blue Velvet. It's amazing, and it really is a genre effort. Evil Dead is a definite must for any top 10 horror of the 80s list. I think, however, that everybody has neglected a really standout entry. It proved that Stephen King done Stephen King style is better than a high art burlesque of Stephen King. It showed off Tom Savini's monstermaking genius in oft-unprecedented ways and it helped George Romero revitalize the horror anthology and comic style horror. Creepshow belongs on any top 10 horror of the 80s list. Aliens and the Thing are of course necessary. The Thing is the greatest post 1960s remake. The only remakes that touch it are Mad Love (remake of the Hands of Orlac silent) and the 1960s Man Who Knew Too Much. Hellraiser is also kind of a must. It took gore and aberrant sexuality and put them into a mainstream horror franchise like no mainstream horror franchise before. Pinhead is the 80s answer to the gutsy Christopher Lee Dracula. The Hitcher must also be respected. Then, let's not forget the Lost Boys (a mainstream horror comedy that's funny, has good makeup and skews the cultural context), Bad Taste and Videodrome.
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