Board 8 > Board 8 Watches and Ranks 80s Horror - Pt. 2: 80s Revenge

(+) Yeah! (+)

The Fog feels like a big exclusion but I probably would've cut it too

Cujo and Children of the Corn I mightve forced in there somewhere though

Next film should be Videodrome.

https://tenor.com/view/latios-licks-pikachu-gif-6431863923421164287

Biggest snub, Vampire's Kiss comes to mind

Guessing Videodrome now that the floodgates are open.

Evillordexdeath posted...

https://tenor.com/view/latios-licks-pikachu-gif-6431863923421164287

Cute

Johnbobb posted...

The Fog feels like a big exclusion but I probably would've cut it too

The Fog is great but there's already enough Carpenter.

My vote for biggest snub, excluding directors we already covered and since we already talked about Near Dark at the start of this ranking, would go to The Return of the Living Dead.

Eating Raoul or A Chinese Ghost Story could have also been fun.

I didn't include Return of the Living Dead since it was done in a previous ranking!

Voted Children of the Corn, just a smidge ahead of Scanners. The only potential snub I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is Society. It would probably end up in the high 20s but it's pretty wild.

Society's great! I'd probably struggle with writing it's inclusion blurb though.

Snake5555555555 posted...

I didn't include Return of the Living Dead since it was done in a previous ranking!

Ah, cool. Great movie. Terrible first day at a new job.

Watch your tongue boy if you like this job!

Never been interested in Hellraiser and the first thing that comes to mind about the movie is Roger Ebert giving it 0.5/4 stars. He gave the same rating to the sequel and inducted it into his Most Hated Films list...which also includes stuff like The Usual Suspects and Stargate alongside more "conventionally" bad movies like Battlefield Earth, Catwoman, and North. Whatever I guess?

It was jarring to see Hellraiser ahead of Gremlins given that movie is generally given far more recognition plus Siskel & Ebert recommended it even at the time, but again I definitely get it. I'm a big fan of Gremlins myself but I'm also just generally into those Spielberg kind of movies. Albeit my favorite movie of his is actually Schindler's List.

The Blob was my biggest snub.

Inviso posted...

The Blob was my biggest snub.

It's a sure thing for 50s horror though

Biggest snub is Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom.

I'm not even kidding.

VEGAS ODDSBOARD:
+650 Possession (1981)
+750 Videodrome (1983)
+750 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
+900 Evil Dead II (1987)
+900 Beetlejuice (1988)
+1200 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
+1200 The Fly (1986)
+1200 Predator (1987)
+2000 The Shining (1980)
+2000 The Thing (1982)

Current Leaderboard:
1) Bitto $5000 (Hellraiser 900, Poltergeist 2000,Creepshow 650, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
2) Johnbobb $4650 (Hellraiser 900, Re-Animator 600, The Changeling 2000, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650)
3) Inviso $3850 (Re-Animator 600, Gremlins 850, Creepshow 650, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
4) Lightning $3300 (Christine 800 The Changeling 200, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
5) Exdeath $3000 (Re-Animator 600, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
6) Seginus $2550 (Fright Night 700, Phenomena 1000, An American Werewolf in London 200, Sleepaway Camp 650)
7) jcgamer $1200 (An American Werewolf in London 200, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600)
8) fortybelow $1050 (Gremlins 850, Poltergeist 200)
9) Karo $650 (Sleepaway Camp 650)
9) rockus $650 (Creepshow 650)

The House Won On:

• +1000 Pet Sematary (1989)
• +1000 Prince of Darkness (1987)
• +2000 Childs Play (1988)
• +2000 The Lost Boys (1987)
• +1250 The Dead Zone (1983)

Other: Near Dark.

Also, when you said you were the highest ranker Snake I thought about changing to Hellraiser but didnt, oops.

Reminder that I'm still betting Possession

LinkMarioSamus posted...

Never been interested in Hellraiser and the first thing that comes to mind about the movie is Roger Ebert giving it 0.5/4 stars.

I always found Ebert's take on Hellraiser very strange. Hellraiser 2 is probably one of his worst reviews because of the extremely condescending tone he takes toward people who liked the movie. I find it rather odd that he bemoans how the movie is "made for people with no attention span" when he gave a 3/4 to a certain other movie on the list that feels like it deserves that criticism quite a lot more

LightningStrikes posted...

Other: Near Dark.

Also, when you said you were the highest ranker Snake I thought about changing to Hellraiser but didnt, oops.

Hint was more effective than I expected!

10. Evil Dead II (1987 / 176 points)
Directed by: Sam Raimi / Written by: Sam Raimi, Scott Spiegel
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/297a4cde.jpg
Why Its Significant - The smoldering question no one was asking - why wasnt Evil Dead 1 on the list instead of 2? Its because anyone who knows this film knows the obvious answer - Evil Dead II is the first film, only better in every regard. Instead of being a mostly serious, straight-forward horror movie, Evil Dead 2 remakes the first film with a coat of slapstick comedy, forming the splatstick horror Evil Dead would come to be defined by and most associated with going forward. Series protagonist Ash is fully-formed here with several iconic quotes and of course the chainsaw arm coming from this film! Evil Dead 2 had many films aping its style, such as Peter Jacksons Dead Alive, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Bubba Ho-Tep, Demon Wind, Cabin Fever, and who knows how many countless other b-movies out there, and even helped inspire DOOM. Evil Dead 2 was followed by three sequels & a TV series and a massive multi-media franchise.

The Rankers
Lightning - 3
Mythiot - 5
Rockus - 5
Bitto - 6
Seginustemple - 8
Fortybelowsummer - 9
Inviso - 12
Karo - 17
Plasmabeam - 17
Snake - 19
Jcgamer107 - 22
Johnbobb - 23
Evilordexdeath - 30

Lightning - Groovy.

The Evil Dead was a small gory horror movie that was made on a shoestring budget by people with no care or knowledge of typical genre conventions, leading to an instant classic with a distinct style and a bit of camp to it. Years later this led to a sequel, Evil Dead II, which amps up the horror while also introducing a lot more camp humour and slapstick. Most importantly, director Sam Raimi goes absolutely wild here with his directing, the camera flies around, there are incredible transitions, there are moments where the screen almost seems to warp and tear, or when the whole frame turns around. It is a truly dynamic movie and it makes it feel like a huge horror blockbuster despite being a low budget movie mostly confined to a cabin.

The word for Evil Dead II is maximalist. Everything is turned all the way up. Bruce Campbell is incredibly heightened and hes great here. The gore is strong, the horror is strong, and the humour is very big. In a sense this film feels like a ghost house ride that lasts for two hours but never gets boring, and never feels cheap like some of todays jump scare heavy horrors. It also builds on the mythology set up by the first film, going from a straightforward demonic possession tale with a bit of zombie imagery into a full blown fantasy with different worlds, magic, and even time travel. It is the kind of film where there are simply so many different aspects to it that just writing about it makes it sound like its not even real. If there had been any restraint imposed on it it just would not have been the same.

My only real issue with the film is the first five minutes, which sort of recap the first film with only two of the characters. This doesnt quite work and feels a little jarring. The film is also clearly intended to follow the first film and often references it with shots like Ash peering out through the trapdoor. You get past this part very quickly however, and after that its an absolutely wild rollercoaster of a horror film.

5/5

Rockus - Not quite a remake and not quite a sequel, Bruce Campbell called it a requel, but Evil Dead 2 appears to be when the Evil Dead franchise became fully formed with its brazen dark comedic voice. Sam Raimi and crew took the no budget inventive mentality from the first film and only got even more creative and more ambitious with it. Bruce Campbell gives an iconic performance that should have made him a full blown star as he fully commits to every bit and gag without hesitation. A true classic and I think the best film of both Raimi and Campbells careers.

Bitto - Rating: B

This is just a fun movie to watch. I especially like the filming in the movie. I haven't really seen...hammy filmmaking, but I guess this would be it. There's just some wild shots, some for artistic purposes and some for comedic purposes, but it definitely leaves an impression. The most iconic and emblematic scene has to be the badass scene of Ash getting a chainsaw for a hand...and then saying "Groovy." Speaking of Ash, he's just a fun character to watch throughout. I really like the scenes where he's in the process of getting possessed. The other characters are fine too; though, I really did not expect the thieving locals to be longtime characters in the film. They're fine. The ending is fucking wild. It really feels like they made that the ending just so people can go "I watched a movie with a crazy ending" to their friends.

Seginustemple - Notoriously as much of a remake as a sequel, because it's pretty nonsensical if this is all following after the first. Although it is kind of funny that it would imply his type is just blondes named Linda, and he brings a second Linda back to the cabin. I like the original for what it is, but II outdoes it in so many ways it's easy to write it off as a false start. Bruce Campbell goes full live-action cartoon mode in the best way, the lore has fun time-travel shenanigans, deadites have more attitude, the evil point-of-view chases are thrilling. The early one running through the entire cabin is ridiculously cool. I have to be in a silly mood for the all the splatstick to land, but it's the some of the best there is.

Fortybelowsummer - Its a no-brainer to have this one on the list rather than the original low-budget-but still pretty-great Evil Dead. While the first movie is more pure horror, this one really ramps up the quirky silliness that the series became known for. Bruce Campbell is actually one of the best physical performers Ive ever seen. Hes super fun to watch battling his own severed hand or disembodied girlfriend head or various other deadites with his iconic chainsaw and boomstick. The decision to go the funnier route but retain the geysers of blood and strewn body parts is brilliant. Its hilarious and gross and I love it because theres nothing else like it.

Inviso - For the first third of the movie, I was questioning why the fuck this movie has such a great reputation, because I found it kinda boring. I think part of the problem for me is that, while there are funny moments, and wacky hijinks, and just general slapstick for that whole portion of the movie, none of it feels earned. It feels like a segment in a horror anthology movie that got stretched out just a little too long. Part of that is how detached from everything Bruce Campbell is, which doesnt work for me when hes operating as a one-man show. Its just thirty minutes of a guy doing zany slapstick shit without any real reason. Hes in a cabin in the woods because thats the setting, and bad things are happening because he listened to a recording, but that plot feels like it has NOTHING to do with him, or the girlfriend he kills VERY early into the movie.

With all that being said, youd expect the movie to be much lower, right? Well lets just say that once the other characters show up at about that 30-35 minute mark, the movie starts to settle into something resembling an actual MOVIE instead of just a prolonged sketch show segment. Annie arriving gives the audience and emotional investment in the plot, because she actually has a justification for why shes at the cabin, and she has her fears and worries and just generally feels like an actual CHARACTER. Not the most complex of one, but you really need someone like Annie, who is largely the straight woman of the film, to stand in contrast to other over-the-top characters (like Ash).

But yeah, having other characters in the film allows for greater range of scenes, and interplay between characters with regards to the demons attacking them. Jake being cowardly in contrast to Ash works much better than Ash having to play cowardly and heroic all to his lonesome. And Jake actually gets some funny moments, namely when Annie accidentally stabs him and then keeps slamming the door on his still-conscious body while trying to secure the cabin. All of that for him to get sucked into the basement to an insane torrent of blood water. And of course, once the other characters show up, Ash works better as the leader of a group of survivors, and he generally gets to be a badass in the face of demonic possession and whatnot.

Ive also gotta comment on the ending, because it is amazing. The movie foreshadows The man who fell from the sky early on, and then while sealing away the ancient evil, Annie opens a portal to another realm. Ash gets sucked back in time with his car, boomstick, and chainsaw, and suddenly he becomes the slayer of monsters in medieval times, and becomes worshipped by the knights that have arrived to see his victory. Its great to see them all in awe of him, while he clearly wants NOTHING to do with this location, and its just another heaping helping of shit on his life. Its a great capper to the movie, and its a set-up to a sequel that would still work even if Army of Darkness never got made. Thats funny to me.

Karo - Some idiots fuck around with the necronomicon and that goes about as well as it usually goes, as an unspecified evil is set loose to wreck havoc upon the world with bad special effects.

It feels somewhat different in its handling of horror elements with a certain kind of comedy that is rarely seen in the genre. Sometimes it works very well, such as the antics of Ash vs his evil hand, but more often it doesn't, especially towards the end. It needed a lot more of this kind of humorous levity and a lot less of just shit faced ghouls going rawrrr for what it was trying for to truly work.

The premise started to get real old by the time the movie was over, as silliness has a tendency to do. It tries to be unique at least, but ends up being just... too much everything and I don't really have any desire to watch more of the franchise.

Plasmabeam - Infinitely better than the original, but not my thing.

Snake - I really hate how low I have to rank this since Evil Dead II is a treat. The over-the-top violence and slapstick humor is incredibly well-done here. Bruce Campbell of course shines as Ash, delivering a performance that is both charismatic and hilarious. His witty one-liners and over-the-top reactions as he battles his dismembered hand or the possessed Henrietta are iconic for a reason. I guess one point that knocks it down for me is the simplistic plot if I had to force myself to say a negative but really its not something I even think about when Im watching here!

Jcgamer107 - 4/10

Johnbobb - The order I've watched the Evil Dead franchise: Army of Darkness -> Evil Dead Rise -> Evil Dead II
I watched Army of Darkness as part of the 90s horror list, and ended up placing it 35th/40. I feel like these movies are kind of "you had to be there" kind of thing. Like seeing Ash Williams put the chainsaw onto his stump arm is more of a "hey he did the thing" moment for me rather than a "woah that's so cool!" moment as I expect it would've been seeing it for the first time in the 80s. It's funny sometimes; not like hilarious but it got the occasional chuckle. I definitely liked ED2 more than Army of Darkness but that wasn't really a high bar. Overall, just okay.

Evilordexdeath - I'm watching these movies in chronological order and writing these blurbs immediately after I finish, so the last two films I saw prior to this one were Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and The Fly. In both of those writeups I talk about how I feel more frightened by more grounded and realistic horror movies. Evil Dead II is well known for being pretty much the polar opposite of something like that so I wasn't expecting to like it very much, but god *damn* did I hate this movie more than almost any other I've seen in my life. I wanted to turn it off after 10 minutes because I felt like everything else would be minor variations on the exact same shit and at the end I felt completely justified in that assumption. Scary thing pop up, everyone scream, Ash smash with axe, blood splatter, rinse and repeat for God was it only 84 minutes? This felt like a 4 hour film.

I haven't seen too many legendarily bad movies like Disaster Movie or what have you. I would say the worst movie I've ever seen is Movie 43, which from what little I sat through was basically just people vomiting, pissing, menstruating etc. on each other for two hours or something with no attempt at wit, structure, overarching narrative or any of the components that go into a watchable film. This reminded me very much of that except as a horror movie, with its main advantage being that Movie 43 is also a profoundly lazy film and this at least has some definite effort put into the direction, set building, special effects, even shot composition and there is some sense of imagination in the different creatures and setpieces and all that. But the sense of complete meaninglessness and repetition, the deep exhaustion at how dull it all was, and the overwhelming desire to turn the movie off 10 minutes in were all the same. I know this won't be last in the rankings - in fact I expect it to be in the top 10 in one or two lists, and I can see how it could be fun to get drunk and watch this with your boyfriend or something, but personally, I was immediately convinced I had found my #30.

Damn it, should've stuck with that

Fuck yeah, I would've been so disappointed to see that one land ahead of my beloved art films

Snake5555555555 posted...

Its because anyone who knows this film knows the obvious answer - Evil Dead II is the first film, only better in every regard

No, I cannot agree with that at all. The first one is a genuinely scary 'Cabin in the Woods' movie, not a huge fan of the hit & miss slapstick & other gags in the sequel. Gimme the original any day.

Snake5555555555 posted...

Watch your tongue boy if you like this job!

Like this JOB!?

Evillordexdeath posted...

Fuck yeah, I would've been so disappointed to see that one land ahead of my beloved art films

You're really not refuting my argument about artsy movies when you make a write-up about Evil Dead II that equivocates it to Movie 43 (which, cards on the table, I also think is one of the worst movies I've ever watched, and one of the bottom three movies I've paid money to see in theaters) >_>

I mean, my write-up covers it: the movie is admittedly really dumb for the first thirty minutes, but the back half is extremely solid once other characters get introduced to play off of Ash. Your write-up treats the movie like it was the first thirty minutes for the duration of the movie.

By the way, next ranking, the first #1 of the project drops!

haha, tbf I was probably a little more impassioned when I wrote that writeup and have cooled my hatred for the film a little bit over the last few weeks. I did cover some of the ways it's much better than Movie 43, but I still think comparing them in that they both just repeat one brainless shtick the whole runtime is valid... at least from what I saw of 43 which I admittedly dipped out on in like 10 minutes. Maybe I was just so tapped out from the opening that I didn't notice but personally I really don't feel like adding the other characters changed much for Evil Dead II, it was still pretty much just nonstop horror setpieces I found entirely meaningless and tiresome. Maybe you can say the female lead is a little less empty and reactionary than Ash but I still thought her character was completely shallow. I get why people appreciate the ending and how it was set up earlier, but for me it just kinda meant the film was ending with the promise that the same repetitive shenanigans would continue even after the credits rolled so it just pissed me off even more.

Ok this one is Possession

Please...let it be Possession.

Hmm I think I'll get in on Possession too

Alas I am going to have to guess Possession with a heavy heart.

Surprised to see Evil Dead II out so low, and that I was the top rater for it. The only thing Ill say is, its not really a remake at all, they get to the last shot of the first film in like five minutes haha. It is kind of like a quasi-recap made out of all new material. I think the reason it is that way was rights issues.

Also, now we are in a new topic I really have to recommend to everybody the podcast The Evolution of Horror. Its a genuinely fantastic podcast where the host goes through different subgenres of horror (Slashers, Ghosts, etc.) one film at a time, and has some very qualified guests from film journalists to filmmakers to talk about the film. It is easily one of the best podcasts Ive listened to.

Possession hopefully.

I can see any of Possession/Henry/Videodrome/The Fly being a potential #1, I'm sure The Shining and The Thing have #1s but I also think they're a lock for 2nd and 1st respectively, I wouldn't be too surprised if Le Prdateur or Beetlejuice made it, but Nightmare I kinda doubt was anyone's first place pick.

Just saved the podcast to Spotify!

And yeah you're right about the remake thing, and Sam Raimi did originally have a totally different vision for the film. It's more like a re-do than anything.

Snake it feels like a podcast tailor made for you. Theyve covered nearly every film on the list, its actually how I became aware of Possession in the first place!

Looking over the episodes and it really does seem that way! I absolutely love horror history & analysis.

Evil Dead II took me a while to come around on, when I first saw it I was disappointed that it eschewed the grisly, threatening vibe of the first movie and took a more cheesy parodical direction instead. On top of which, it mucks up the continuity. I really had to mentally decouple it from the original to get into it.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the next one is Beetlejuice and we're gonna have one sad Tim Burton fan

That sounds like an incredible podcast. I'll listen and would be open to any other similar podcasts of genres in entertainment.

Possession makes sense. I can see it as a #1 with enough haters to skew it towards the lower end.

GUESS THE POSSESS

PAYOUT!!! Exdeath called Evil Dead in the previous topic and gets the $900

VEGAS ODDSBOARD:
+600 Possession (1981)
+700 Videodrome (1983)
+700 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
+850 Beetlejuice (1988)
+1100 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
+1100 The Fly (1986)
+1100 Predator (1987)
+2000 The Shining (1980)
+2000 The Thing (1982)

Current Leaderboard:
1) Bitto $5000 (Hellraiser 900, Poltergeist 2000,Creepshow 650, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
2) Johnbobb $4650 (Hellraiser 900, Re-Animator 600, The Changeling 2000, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650)
3) Exdeath $3900 (Evil Dead II 900, Re-Animator 600, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
4) Inviso $3850 (Re-Animator 600, Gremlins 850, Creepshow 650, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
5) Lightning $3300 (Christine 800 The Changeling 200, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
6) Seginus $2550 (Fright Night 700, Phenomena 1000, An American Werewolf in London 200, Sleepaway Camp 650)
7) jcgamer $1200 (An American Werewolf in London 200, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600)
8) fortybelow $1050 (Gremlins 850, Poltergeist 200)
9) Karo $650 (Sleepaway Camp 650)
9) rockus $650 (Creepshow 650)

The House Won On:

• +1000 Pet Sematary (1989)
• +1000 Prince of Darkness (1987)
• +2000 Childs Play (1988)
• +2000 The Lost Boys (1987)
• +1250 The Dead Zone (1983)

9. Predator (1987 / 162 points)
Directed by: John McTiernan / Jim Thomas, John Thomas
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d2b4ee6b.jpg
Why Its Significant - Predator was a unique cross-breed that melded the prevalent genres of action, sci-fi, and horror into one unforgettable film. Predator flipped the script on slashers spectacularly, instead of featuring vulnerable teenagers, the victims here were a group of elite soldiers, hyper-masculine, presumed apex predators themselves. The Predator itself was an instant horror icon, with heat vision, cloaking ability, and advanced weaponry introducing a terrifying level of intelligence and tactical cunning rather than just the blunt deaths delivered by its peers. It can be called ironic that Predator influenced as many action films as it did since it spends the majority of the runtime deconstructing that notion, but some of the biggest films in the genre like Die Hard (also directed by McTiernan) and The Matrix owe credit to Predator. Predator also influenced a wave of action-horror hybrids, most evidently seen in films like From Dusk Till Dawn, Dog Soldiers, Underworld, Ghosts of Mars and The Purge and I would also count the Resident Evil series in the conversation too. Predator was followed by 4 main installments and a giant franchise with too many things to name, eventually even becoming well-intertwined with the Alien franchise.

The Rankers
Inviso - 1
Seginustemple - 2
Lightning - 5
Snake - 5
Bitto - 7
Plasma - 7
Evilordexdeath - 11
Mythiot - 15
Johnbobb - 18
Rockus - 18
Karo- 21
Forty - 22
Jcgamer107 - 30

Inviso - This movie is a masterclass in how to set a tone via show, dont tell. I love the fact that the starting plot of the movie is your standard tough guy military black ops squad getting sent on a mission to rescue hostages (which is really a cover for taking down a rebel base with munitions and narcotics and all that good stuff.) And they do a near perfect job of it, literally sneaking into the perimeter of the base, taking out the guards, and then Arnold sends a truck rigged with explosives right into their front door, before the squad just blows EVERYTHING up. Its just a wave of bullets and explosions that likely gave Michael Bay an erection the first time he saw it. And thats the first half hour, JUST establishing the characters as being badasses (complete with Jesse Ventura getting shot and shrugging it off with the line I aint got time to bleed.) in comparison to a full compound of rebel fighters.

Throughout this sequence, weve gotten hints at the ACTUAL plot though. The squad finds the skinned bodies of a trio of soldiers that Arnold knew, and we get regular cutaways to heat vision, implying something is going on. Then the fun begins, because all these tough guys find themselves faced with an enemy theyre unprepared for, and they start getting picked off, one-by-one. I love how all of the squad feel unique, rather than just being a bunch of interchangeable manly men. So when they react, it gives a variety of reactions to the Predators arrival, rather than just a bunch of standard, cookie-cutter responses. Hell, theres even a point where they try to make a stand, because theyre soldiers goddammit. It all fails, but it manages to build the Predator up as a deadlier foe by showing how even this group of trained badasses cant compete with it.

And in the end, everything winds up coming back to Arnold. Hes the last survivor (aside from rebel prisoner Anna), and he winds up finding a flaw in the Predators hunting style). He exploits this, and we have a great final showdown. Its especially good because Arnold legitimately gets his ass kicked in a fist fight for a bit, rather than puffing up his ego by making him unbeatable. He uses his intellect and ingenuity to win, but still, its a lopsided fight in the Predators favor until the very end. And even then, I love how the Predator goes full YOU DIDNT WIN! mode, by setting off a mini nuke rather than let his body fall to some human prey. Its just a perfect characterization of monster and victims across the board.

As an addendum, Ive gotta give commendations to the other characters. Billy is my favorite member of the squad because hes a stoic badass (but even he winds up cracking up at one of Hawkins pussy jokes), and Mac is so professional that his agony over Blains death feels like it hits harder than it should for the guy whose whole portrayal prior to death was being a beacon of machismo. RIP Carl Weathers, but I love how hes painted as the government stooge, but he turns it around and shows loyalty to the squad when they might need his help. It couldve been so easy to have him at the end with Arnold, but instead he sacrifices himself keeping an eye out for Mac. Its all just really solid storytelling overall, and Im glad to rank it as high as I have.

Seginustemple - I've seen this at least 20 times and it never gets old, it's the movie that made me fall in love with movies as a kid. The intoxicating jungle setting, bombastic orchestral score, layered creature design, the larger-than-life characters, it all makes for a perfect pulp sci-fi/war/horror combo. I still remember on that first viewing I missed the first minute or so with the spaceship, so the alien was a complete surprise. It's a great example of a tight three-act structure, in which each act flips the previous on its head in a satisfying way. It's part "Most Dangerous Game", part "Aguirre, The Wrath of God", it functions as allegory for the Vietnam war, while more directly alluding to ongoing CIA ops in Central America at the time. Ultimately I take it as a cautionary tale about the later stage of a culture that glorifies combat and fetishizes violence. Where the Xenomorph invokes the unknowable other, the Predator is more like a cynical projection of what we could become, a creature no more enlightened from traveling the stars than from splitting the atom.

Lightning - If it bleeds, we can kill it.

In 1987 director John McTiernan directed Predator and Die Hard back to back, not only directing two of the most iconic action films ever made right next to each other but also giving us two great nerd darlings. What Predator is though is a little bit more subversive than your typical action film, twisting the usual tropes and of course introducing some alien horror into the mix.

This starts as a very conventional action film with big burly tough guys going into the jungle and wreaking absolute havoc with some very huge guns. There are even some classic Arnold one liners (Stick around!) in that initial action scene. But this scene reveals a darker government conspiracy at play, which then leads into an alien Predator hunting the leads. In other words, these apex predators themselves become the prey when faced with a greater threat. In the end, Dutch is only able to defeat the Predator by outsmarting it and using his brain rather than his brawn. In that sense this movie is setting up an archetypical 80s style action movie and turning it on its head.

Of course even with that impressive trick, the movie just works as an action horror. The Predator design is great, and the scenes involving it are all incredibly tense. The jungle setting gives the whole thing a hot, forbidding atmosphere. In the mostly dialogue-free last act Arnold gives one of his best ever performances. And of course there are some great supporting performances too, including from the late great Carl Weathers. There is some really good worldbuilding about the Predator and his previous visits to the area. I do find the happy freeze frames in the credits a little odd, but that just gives it one more memorable thing to it. This would have been a competent action film if played straight, but every other aspect takes it to the next level.

5/5

Snake - I dont use the term perfect movie to describe just any ol flick - Predator IS a perfect movie. Its perfect because Predator wears many different hats at once and excels at showing them all off with style and aplomb - its at once a masterpiece of 80s action cinema, a perfect blend of thrilling sci-fi, gory horror, and balls-to-the-wall machismo with who else but just the most iconic action star of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger, taking center stage. Arnold is in top form as Dutch here, musclebound as you would expect, but what really sets Dutch apart is his ultimate reliance on wits and tactics to take on the Predator as the threat becomes more tangible and deadly. The rest of the cast round out a crew of perfectly serviceable action archetypes - the rival CIA agent, the geeky tech guy, stoic badass, gun-crazy dude - but it's the performances, the way they play off each other, and their grizzly deaths that make the team have a more tangible sense of realness and weight to them compared to similar action films.

Of course this film is nothing without its true starring character, the titular Predator. The film builds up suspense expertly, showing us only from the Predators perspective for a long time, leaving the audience in total suspense on what this supposed ultimate killing machine striking such fear into hardened soldiers actually looks like. The film creates an atmosphere of constant dread and paranoia. The lush jungle feels like a living entity, teeming with danger both natural and man-made, sometimes made by the group themselves. The Predator's POV scenes, complete with thermal vision, add another layer of tension as you see the heroes unwittingly walk into the sights of their unseen enemy. And the actual reveal - is both horrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. Predator has always been one of my favorite horror / sci-fi monster designs of all time. Predator is also relatively unique since its antagonist isnt mindless, but works on a code of honor, giving up its weapons to fist-fight Dutch. Its the kind of thing that nearly threatens to be goofy, but instead it works so well because of the stakes, tension, performances, and everything else that had led up to that morning thus far. It makes perfect sense in-universe and is a stunning conclusion to one of my favorite films of all time.

Predator stands as a testament to how action films can be more than just explosions and one-liners, and how horror films can be way more than mindless deaths or based around one type of victim. Predator subverts traditional elements to create a suspenseful and thought-provoking experience, by presenting a vulnerable hero against an unknown enemy, and offering a unique commentary on similar stories in a way no film has done better since.

Bitto - Rating: B

I unfortunately watched this in a way that was not ideal. Way too much light glared on my screen, which sucked for this movie especially. But I still really liked what I saw. Great premise, great pacing, and great execution. My only real issues are that I feel like the Predator's powers don't always feel consistent and that this is just kind of a movie that doesn't appeal to me. I generally just don't like movies where the military play a major role.

Plasma - Another great sci-fi horror entry on this list. Obviously the monster is cool and memorable, but the characters themselves shine here as well.

Evilordexdeath - Le Prdateur - Apparently some American companies think all Canadians speak French. There are only a few times Ive encountered the consequences of this: as a kid I once visited a McDonalds with a sort of video arcade where they had Gamecubes that were set to reset every 5 minutes and arcade cabinets that were in French, and a while back during a family visit we were scrolling idly through Netflix as one does and all the movie posters were in English except one that read, in big bold letters Le Prdateur. Now I cant think about Predator or see its poster without saying Le Prdateur out loud. I've always thought of Le Prdateur as more of an action movie than a horror, but it does have some things in common with a slasher. It's fun. It definitely doesn't measure up to something like the first two Alien or Terminator movies, which it's hard not to compare it with, but Arnold is always cute and Le Prdateur is a cool antagonist. I like how he has rules for who he can and can't kill. This is a very manly film full of big bare-chested men and thats something I always appreciate.

Johnbobb - I feel like half of watching Predator in modern times is just recognizing the memes. Predator definitely walks that line of maybe not really being a horror movie while still being a horror icon, and the best thing about the movie is the titular Predator. Everything about its design, movement, lethality makes it clear why it became such a legendary movie monster. That clicking growl is just so good. The movie itself is alright. I couldn't help but be pretty bored for about half of its runtime, but then that last half hour hits and it's just a thrillride, which makes it super hard to rank as a whole.

Rockus - Predator is part monster movie, part 80s roided action flick. A great choice to use the first act as a way of establishing what a cool and unstoppable force Arnolds group of mercenary commandos happens to be. That way when the predator shows up and starts picking them apart one by one its even more threatening. One of the main things the movie has going for it is the cast of supporting characters and the big personalities they bring to the table. That way when they start dropping one by one slasher style its genuinely disappointing to see them go.

Karo - This special strike team is dispatched into the jungle to try to rescue some hostages, which they do by charging straight into the rebel camp wielding grenade launchers and mininguns, with enough buildings exploding to make Michael Bay hard. If these people are the 'very best' I'd hate to see the worst.

After confirming that yes, the hostages are indeed all now dead, they head back only to find our they are being hunted by an alien for sport. It's gonna be one of those days.

It takes forever for the Predator to actually do anything, and when he finally does everything just degrades into one of those monsters killing everyone kind of movies where characters are bumped off one by one. It eventually culminates on a 1v1 duel between the Predator and Ahnold, where being covered in mud somehow defeats advanced alien technology because of course it does.

It has a good soundtrack, but that is really the only positive thing I can say. It is a heavily commercialized sci-fi action movie (not a horror one) that minus a few quotes, I will have completely forgotten in a couple of weeks.

Forty - Theres bound to be some debate on whether Predator is horror. My two cents is that its just Action/Si-Fi, but at the end of the day its a suspenseful movie with a monster that kills people one by one and flays them so you wont hear me complain that its on the list. Anyway, its muscles vs. monster in this peak of 80s badassery. It starts out with a standard rebel camp raid, all big guns, explosions, and one-liners and then evolves into something way more sinister than a bunch of guerillas. The slow reveal of the predator is great, from the initial infra-red first-person view to the final one ugly mother fucker form. He has a truly frightening presence and theres a reason hes one of the most iconic movie monsters. If this were Action/Sci-Fi, Predator would most definitely be in the top 5 but as a horror film I feel like I have to (begrudgingly) place it fairly low.

Jcgamer107 - 2/10

Wow, that was NOT the drop I was expecting next. I can't believe someone would have Le Prdateur in 30th place... I thought that was definitely gonna be a Henry or Possession ranking.

At this point I think I'm gonna guess Nightmare on Elm Street next for Vegas, Possession and Henry are just unstoppable it would seem.

Outlier
Fortybelowsummer - 188
Jcgamer107 - 174
Evilordexdeath - 170
Inviso - 156
Karo - 145
Johnbobb - 136
Snake - 130
Seginustemple - 120
Mythiot - 116
Bitto - 110
Plasmabeam - 108
Lightning - 104
Rockus - 96

HUGE leaps for jc & exdeath catching up to Forty's once daunting lead but is it enough?

Holy hell Possession is not good guys, lol

Glad to drag Predator down, what an incredibly boring movie. An "action-horror" movie that doesn't have any action or scares, was just waiting for it to end almost as soon as it started. How they thought this was a suitable rival for 'Alien', aside from box offices numbers, I don't know.