Top 5 Horror Films of 1985

We continue with our list of the top horror films of 1985.  Before I sat down and wrote this I was thinking what movies I would include and did not think I could fill 5 slots.  I am able to do that but 1985 wasn't a great year for horror.  While there were some standout films there was nothing huge like in the early 80s.  The slasher craze was fizzling out and one horror franchise was taking a dangerous turn that would be a success or total failure.

Return of the Living Dead

This film is really a goofy zombie flick but it is one hell of a fun film.  It has a great cast including James Karen, Clu Gulager, Thom Matthews and Linnea Quigley. With a cast like that how could you not love it ?

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 

This installment of Friday often splits the fans right down the middle.  I have heard people say it was the worst and people say it was the best.  I don't think it is either best or worst but I do love this film.  It's true that Jason really isn't Jason and the cast isn't as likable as other installments but still a good slasher.

Fright Night

I actually did not see Fright Night till probably 2 years ago after I heard what a great film it was.  I have to agree it really is a great film.  A fun cast and Chris Sarandon plays an excellent vampire.

Re-Animator

The first horror convention I ever went to was a Re-Animator reunion and I had never seen the movie before so I really wasn't interested in it.  A few weeks later I purchased the film and gave it a watch and it quickly became one of my frequent watches.  Unlike an zombie flick you have ever seen.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

This is another one that has fans of a franchise split down the middle.  I think this movie was great.  It is not my favorite in the series but it really is a fun movie.  This was before Freddy talked alot, and had funny taglines.  Freddy was just creepy as fuck and loved to terrorize people.  Also look at the artwork for this cover.  What happened to movie poster artwork like this?

Top 5 Horror Sequels

Anyone who knows me and my taste for movies knows I absolutely love a good sequel.  I could make this list probably about 20 movies long but I decided to narrow it down to my top 5.  My choices by no means are predictable and only one is part of a major franchise.  It's not really about how good the movie is, it's the fun factor that matters the most.

There is a new sheriff in town named Sean Braddock (Andrew Robinson) and he is looking for a new start for his family witch some small town living opposed to the big city of New York.  His daughter Jenny (Ami Dolenz) gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and they conjure up the Pumpkinhead demon that is now out for revenge.

The 1994 follow up to Night of the Demons with only one returning cast member Amelia Kinkade to reprise her role of the demon Angela Franklin.  More kids look to have a little Halloween party at Hull House and discover that all the stories are true.  Angela still haunts the house and no one is going to get out alive if she has something to do with it.

This installment of the Puppet Master franchise is the first of many prequel's in the series of movies.  This one follows Andre Toulon (Guy Rolfe) as he and his wife Elsa (Sarah Douglas) run a children's puppet show with their magic puppets.  Only problem is they live in Nazi Germany and he has made an enemy out of Major Kraus (Richard Lynch) who burns down his place and captures Andre Toulon.  Andre takes his revenge and wages war on the Nazi's.

Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen) is back again after her failed stint at Camp Rolling Hills as a counselor.  Now she goes back to the same camp under new ownership as a camper this time.  There are plenty of naughty kids there to keep her occupied for the weekend at least.  Will Angela get away with it again?

Last but certainly not least we have Jason Lives.  Jason comes back for the first time from 6 feet under as he is dug up by Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews).  Jason is back again and he is now a zombie and harder to stop than ever as he strikes terror back in what is now called Camp Forest Green.  Tommy is looking to put an end to his rampage once and for all but it may be too late.

Well there you go my top 5 and like I said before there are so many I could have used in this list but these are my favorites.  It's worth mentioning the two movies that were really close to making this list but didn't are Halloween II and Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3.  Stay twisted everyone!

Friday the 13th Part VI 1986 - REVIEW

A tribute to my favorite slasher of all time, Jason Voorhees. I figured it was fitting since its Friday the 13th. Part 6 is by far my favorite and is also the first Friday the 13th movie that Jason was actually brought back from the dead. The movie is filled with dark humor, a slashing undead madman, and the most surprising of all NO nudity.

On a dark stormy night Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews) and his friend from the institution Hawes (Ron Palillo) are driving down the road headed to the cemetery which holds the grave of Jason Voorhees (CJ Graham). The plan is to dig up the grave so Tommy can see he is really dead, and then destroy him. After digging up the casket to reveal Jason in it, Tommy loses it and stabs him repeatedly with a piece of the cemetery’s gate. This sets up the lightning to hit the piece of gate in Jason bringing him back to life. Jason, after disposing of Hawes turns towards Tommy, who runs to his truck to make the getaway. Tommy drives to the local sheriff’s office to report the incident. The only thing he got was a non-believing Sherriff and a nap in a jail cell courtesy of Sherriff Garris (David Kagen). Jason is on the prowl in Crystal Lake again and the only person who has seen this is in a jail cell.

Tom McLoughlin took the director’s chair for this 6th installment of Friday the 13th and wanted to do something different with the series adding a lot of dark humor and a version of Jason that no one has seen before. Jason is an undead zombie who is now even more unstoppable that ever. The movie was filmed in Covington, Georgia and the scenes in the woods were at Camp Daniel Morgan, right outside of Covington. The acting was what people came to expect out of the Friday movies, a bunch of faces that have not seen a lot of screen time with a mediocre performance. That’s not to say that the movie is bad. The acting added a lot to the humor they were trying to achieve with this segment and it was delivered as intended.

Jason Voorhees is my favorite serial killer. I have seen all of the movies so many times he is almost part of the family. Part 6 was actually the first Friday movie I ever saw, which is part of the reason why it’s my favorite. I did recently have the pleasure of meeting the director Tom McLoughlin and his lovely wife Nancy who was also in the movie as Lizabeth. Along with them I met Thom Matthews and David Kagen as well. Every single one of them is great people and was as nice as could be. Tom and Nancy stood around and just talked for at least 20 minutes. Everyone in the movie seemed to have chemistry and after meeting so many of them I can see why. Happy Friday the 13th Freaks!

Reviewed by J.R. Watkins