9. The Fly 2 (1989)
Making a sequel to a Cronenberg movie was never going to be an easy task. Instead of trying to make something as good as the Cronenberg one, the makers of The Fly 2 went down the so bad it’s good route.
The story follows on from the Cronenberg movie by focusing on the baby that was conceived in that movie. The child has accelerated growth like his father and is brought up in the lab that financed the teleportation experiments of the first movie after his mother dies in childbirth.
This movie is bad because it was always going to be compared to the brilliant movie that came before it but is so good because of the awesome special FX and brilliant ending.
10. Hell of the Living Dead (1980)
Inspired by George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, this movie is about a reporter and her cameraman boyfriend who team up with a commando unit to fight flesh-eating zombies in New Guinea.
It’s bad not only because of the terrible acting but because it was shot in only five weeks, it uses stock footage to pad it out and make it look like it was set in New Guinea.
It is so embarrassingly obvious when this footage is shown and there is a lot of it used throughout. It’s good because it is hilariously bad and even has an inventive mix of flesh-eating zombies and terrorists. It also has lots of 80s exploitation gore and a soundtrack by Goblin, which they took straight from Dawn of the Dead.
11. Slashdance (1989)
Slashdance is about a Hollywood cop who goes undercover as a dancer to find a serial killer who has been murdering women auditioning for a musical. Slashdance wasn’t the only movie in the 80s to mix horror and dance.
There were actually a few others including Murderrock and Stripped to Kill. It’s likely that this weird horror subgenre happened because movies like Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Footlose were all pulling in the crowds, and there must have been horror writer’s who were like lets give dance horror a go! None of them are particularly good but Slashdance is easily the worst.
It has terrible attempts at humour that comes across as offensive, really bad acting, no excitement in the death scenes and even the dancing is bad.
That being said, if the 1980s hold a special place in your heart, Slashdance is for you. The hair, the fashion, the music, the painfully 80s opening credits and ridiculous plot twists make it so bad it’s good.
12. Death Bed: The Bed that Eats (1977)
Another so bad it’s good horror with a very self-explanatory title. The movie is about a demon-possessed bed that likes to eat people. Once it has eaten someone it then makes itself and cleans up all the mess.
The bed can also use its sheets to grab people if they try to escape during the eating process. The movie is bad due to typical b-movie lack of character development, the weird telepathic element that isn’t quite explained and the epic struggle scene.
It’s good because it’s a bed that eats people; with awesome sound FX while doing so. Also because of the way the bed actually eats people by making this weird yellow foam.
13. Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
Most of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels could have made it into this list but this one takes itself a bit more seriously than the others so it stands out. It follows Alice from the previous movie and now she’s pregnant and getting on with her life.
Freddy has managed to come back after being defeated by Alice in the fourth movie and wants revenge. The movie has a very weird storyline, as to be expected when it’s the fifth movie in a franchise but some particularly memorable good but bad death scenes.
Freddy turning into the motorbike that Dan is riding and injects him with wires, fills him with fuel and electrocutes him is one of the best and creepiest deaths in the whole franchise.
14. Killer Workout aka Aerobicide (1987)
Killer workout opens with a woman being set on fire in a tanning machine. Two years later, the victim’s twin sister has opened a health spa. Suddenly people start being murdered after their workouts.
The movie is bad because there isn’t a great deal of suspense, the death scenes are rather unimaginative and the acting is sub par as expected from an 80s b-movie. Killer workout is good mainly for the workout scenes. There is so much spandex and upbeat music you can’t help but get drawn in.
The slasher element tends to play second fiddle to all the jumping and stretching in leotards but that’s not really a problem in this movie. It’s 80s kitsch to the max and is highly enjoyable to watch. The twist at the end is better than expected.
15. Chopping Mall (1986)
This movie is about a group of teenagers who decide to spend the night in a mall so they can hook up with each other. The mall has just had three robots installed that look after security and say “have a nice day” a lot. In true 80s movie style, there is a big lightning storm that strikes the building where the main computer controls the robots.
The machines become murderous and start stalking the teenagers inside the mall. The movie is bad because the title is a bit misleading. It’s also much less gory that you’d expect from the poster.
The original title was going to be Killbots, which suits it better. The movie also follows the formulaic horror ‘rules’, talked about in the Scream movies. It is an enjoyable watch though and is good because of the head exploding, the strong female lead character, the ending and general pace of the movie.
16. Return of the Living Dead Part 2 (1988)
This sequel begins with some kids digging up the barrels that created the zombies in the first movie. It doesn’t take long before there are zombies everywhere. This movie is bad because it’s a standard mindless 80s zombie movie.
This movie is so bad it’s good on the strength of the acting alone. It’s one of those movies that you watch and can’t figure out whether it’s good actors who are acting badly for brilliant comedic effect or whether it’s bad actors doing their best – but being so terrible you laugh at them.
Either way, the whole movie is hilarious because of this. This ending is brilliant if you like 80s lightning FX effects and mass zombie deaths, and to be honest, who doesn’t?
17. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
This 80s b-movie has a big cult following thanks to its fun title and ridiculous premise. It’s about a small town that gets invaded by aliens who are dressed as clowns. When a few people realise that the aliens are killing everyone and try to warn the townsfolk, no one takes them seriously.
This movie is bad for all the usual b-movie reasons, the acting, the FX and the storyline. It’s good because of fairy floss cocoons, the humour, murdering alien clowns, inventive deaths and the pie ending.