Horror Films of the 1980s,( VOL. 1 & 2 )

John Kenneth Muir’s exhaustive history of 1980s horror is fascinating trip through the decade that gave us slashers, retro obsessive cinema, and horrifying allegories. Muir views the genre as a response to the social and political climates that shaped them, and horror at its best sheds a light on reality. The real life horrors of the 1980s were manifold: nuclear warfare, the AIDS epidemic and the subsequent sexual panic, out of control consumption, and the oldest fear of all: the monsters within all of us.Muir often returns to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and “Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid” mantra as the defining characteristic of the 1980s. President Reagan made grand promises and waxed eloquently on the majesty of the American experiment, while at the same decimated the working class through tax cuts and Union busting, presided over the selling of arms for hostages, and talked a tad too freely about nuclear holocaust being God’s Will. Wes Craven’s unforgettable creation Freddy Kruger (played with gusto by Robert Englund) attacked teenagers in their dreams, just as Reagan infiltrated the subconscious of America with bright visions of city’s on the hill. The decade’s aversion to reality manifested itself in a shabby pop culture of MTV stars and fake moralistic/successful people on television (Bill Cosby being a prime example). But horror movies at their best shined a light through the facade of a schizoid culture.The ironic element is how tame the 1980s look now in comparison to today. I was born in 1979 so those years were my childhood. Memories of He-Man guys, Diff’rent Strokes, The Muppet Show, Return of the Jedi, Hulk-a-Mania, Late Night With David Letterman, foment waves of nostalgia. Hell, even thoughts of Reagan taking the podium conjure images of continuity and dare I say statesmanship. Elitists wrote screeds against the new gilded age culture that grew trashier with each year, yet at the same time there’s self-assurance to the decade that resonates.Video stores and video arcades were meccas of pop culture bliss outs, a far different experience from doing an Amazon Prime search. One of the decades best genre films from 1984 Night of the Comet celebrated consumerism and apocalyptic culture with a subtle irony, honesty, and a distinct irreverence that leapfrogged over the rest. Nightmares are always around the corner, but why not try to have a good time anyway?Reading over the 300+ reviews, there's sense of diminishing returns as the decade unfolds. The early years were riding the wave of the explosive 1970s. The horror genre reached an apogee during the early years of the decade, an indicator of a changing culture. Slashers became the most popular subgenre, one where the tropes became a kabuki play. May autuers emerged, the trend setters of the 1970s like Wes Craven, John Carpenter, and Tobe Hooper continued to raise the standards of the genre. New comers Sam Raimi, Tom Holland, and James Cameron expanded the possibilities of horror. One hit wonders are legion.Muir applies the closest analysis to even to the most oppressive of clunkers, usually finding some element to praise. Even for the mediocre movies, and most of these are average, John gives you a reason to check them out. Some of these films are widely available and are regularly aired on cable television or are available to stream. But many of them are not. There are many hidden diamonds in this book that deserve a wider audience: Obscurities such as Alone in the Dark, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, The Entity, and many others.Horror fans will have much to savor with these volumes. For those looking for an iconoclastic look at the 1980s without the tired genre of Reagan hagiography, Horror Films of the 1980s will illuminate how movies are not only entertaining and an invaluable source of escapism, but an educational journey into the subconscious.

John Kenneth Muir's second entry into the horror genre hits the mark again. "Horror Films of the 1980s" provides a fantastic reference guide for the horror films made in the decade of excess.At over 800 pages long, the book provides an introduction to the films of the decade and how social and political events influenced them. (Muir is obviously no fan of Reagan and on one page he has a photo of the former president along side a photo of Freddy Krueger making a not so subtle comparison of the two). The next chapter is "The History of the Dead Teenager Decade." in which he explains common devices and elements which make up the bulk of films of the era. Muir then goes into the films themselves......breaking them down by year. He provides critical reviews, cast and crew lists, a brief synopsis of the plot and then a personal commentary of his own views of each film. Some films also have a "close-up" section where additional information about cast/crew/film is given. From here, Muir gives a chapter on "The Conclusion to Horror Films of the 80s." Also provided are several appendixes including information such as memorable ad lines, Hall of fame, a list of actors appearing in these films and recommended viewing.Overall, a great book. Muir even improves on his "Horror Films of the 1970s" (which I also have) by providing in-depth commentary and info on ALL of the films listed. The 1970s tomb has some films only briefly mentioned with no commentary at all by the author. And thanks to Netflix, I can check out most of the films from both decades for myself. Muir also mentions in his book that he's working on a third edition....Horror Films of the 1990s. I'll be first in line to buy it!

I am a huge horror film fan, and try to read every book I can on the subject. As such, I was thrilled when I received this huge release for my birthday last month. However, I honestly had no idea that it would be as entertaining and insightful as it is. I have now read up through 1988, and must say that I've never in my life read such astute critique of genre films -- generally reviewers either stick to the plot basics or try to impose some sort of critical theory on it ("the male gaze" and all that). Muir on the other hand manages to recognize and explain sub-texts that I never, EVER would have noticed by myself -- then when I think back to the films he's describing, I realize, "My God! He's RIGHT!" Plus his book has encouraged me to buy a whole bunch of horror films I'd never have considered seeing (ex. I'm no vampire film fan so I wouldn't have bothered with "Near Dark" had he not put it on his "Top 15 of the '80s" list. But wow! What a fantastic movie!)My only problem now is that I'm dying to read his '70s book and it's not being re-released for another month!

This book is amazing. It is the kind of tome those of us who are die-hard movie fans dream of putting together and never do. Muir is a great writer and he blends a deep and objective understanding of the many streams of the 1980s horror genre with reviews that examine aspects of films you may not have considered. From detailed analysis of direction, storylines and acting Muir often discusses how films may have served as mirrors or rejections of the perceived cultural norms of the day. His analysis is often incredibly detailed and written in a manner that keeps it very interesting. This book is more expensive than many other publications that review either movies or the horror genre specifically, but I have yet to see anything that dissects that decade and that genre of cinema like this work by Muir. His two-volume set on the 1970s is likewise extremely insightful, but this is my favorite. Highly recommended.

As with the films of the 1970's, this is such a superb reference book (even if it as a little harsh on Dick Maas' De Lift). There were a few omissions, but overall a superb book. Cannot recommend higher.