Horror movie historians and fans look at the '80s as the decade of the slasher, a subgenre wherein a crazed madperson goes after an unassuming group of coeds. Not all horror films from the '80s were slashers, but many of them were influenced by the slasher aesthetic: gory death scenes, the lone (usually female) survivor, and insane practical effects.
When it comes to haunted house movies from the decade, a clear connection exists between the creepy ghosts who torment and the slashers who chase after their victims. Beyond the well-known '80s haunted house flicks like Poltergeist and The Changeling exist quite a few other contributions to this vital subgenre.
Ghost Story (1981)
John Irvin's supernatural film is based on the Peter Straub novel of the same name. Ghost Story focuses on four New England men who share a terrible 50-year-old secret that continues to haunt them and their descendants.
When the son of one of the men dies in a freak accident, an evolving series of strange accidents both in and around their homes leads them to believe they are being targeted by a spirit – one whose death they are responsible for. Fred Astaire and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. are among the cast of this creepy flick.
The Entity (1983)
The Entity takes home invasions into otherworldly territory. In this slasher-esque ghost story, Barbara Hershey plays a single mother who is repeatedly attacked by an invisible entity that has taken control of her home.
Based on the story of a woman who alleged she was assaulted by a ghost multiple times, the film follows Hershey's character as she struggles to find a paranormal psychologist who believes her. As the violent, demonic phantom keeps up its antics, the woman finally finds a doctor willing to help her.
House (1986)
Steve Miner's comedic horror feature stars William Katt as Roger Cobb, a writer who moves into a new home after separating from his wife. Cobb, a horror writer, decides to dedicate his next book to his experiences during the Vietnam War in hopes of working through his trauma.
Cobb's writing sessions are interrupted by phantasms, moving objects, and terrible nightmares about his time overseas. Eventually, ghouls and monsters appear from the deep recesses of the house, intent upon destroying the war-weary writer.
The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)
Despite being low-budget and kitschy, The House Where Evil Dwells remains a testament to the bizarre intersection between haunted house tale and campy '80s exploitation film replete with tons of sex. Kevin Connor's film centers around an American family that takes an extended vacation in Japan, residing in a home occupied by ghosts.
The spirit of a 19th-century samurai named Shigeto makes the adjustment difficult for the Fletchers, who just want to relax and see the sights. Instead, the warrior intends on making the Americans reenact a brutal incident that occurred in the house decades before.
The Mysterious Castle In The Carpathians (1981)
This singular Czechoslovak movie is a steampunk fantasy romp whose events transpire in a creepy castle deep within the Carpathian Mountains. Set in 1897, the film follows Professor Orfanik, a mad inventor who keeps visitors away by stirring up all sorts of supernatural events in his domicile.
Orfanik even preserves the body of his favorite opera singer in his castle's crypt. When he isn't dabbling with the spirit world, Orfanik and his assistant develop all kinds of technological masterpieces, including televisions and radios.
Superstition (1982)
When it was released, Superstition was deemed a second-rate Poltergeist or Amityville Horror by critics. Considered a "video nasty," the graphic violence depicted in the James W. Robinson film kept it from being released until 1985.
The movie's events revolve around an abandoned house occupied by the hungry spirit of a witch who was murdered during an inquisition in 1692. In the present, a local detective and a parishioner join forces to defeat the powerful sorceress as bodies pile up around her.
The Woman In Black (1989)
The Woman in Black is a gothic, moody British made-for-TV movie set in 1925 England. A solicitor named Arthur Kidd arrives in the seaside town of Crythin Gifford, tasked with managing the estate of an old, friendless widow.
Townsfolk are put off by Kidd's inquiries about the woman, Alice Drablow, who does not have a good reputation around town. As Kidd starts seeing a female figure donning black clothes everywhere he goes, eerie events and hauntings at the estate lead the young man to believe Drablow's unsettled spirit remains on the earthly plane.
Pulse (1988)
Instead of a ghost, the force haunting houses in Pulse is an intelligent burst of electricity. This paranormal voltage sets its sight on the domicile of a remarried man and his son in a Los Angeles residential neighborhood.
The goal of the title sentient entity is to destroy every home by taking control of its power grid and pulling the plug. Pulse's premise may be a bit ridiculous, but it's '80s vibes, satirical suburban malaise, familiar faces, and possessed appliances make for an interesting watch.
Sweet Home (1989)
Released in conjunction with a video game of the same name, Sweet Home is a Japanese haunted house treat. In the movie, a documentary film crew visits the house of a beloved Japanese painter whose works they hope to preserve and highlight.
As they scan the corridors of the painter's old mansion, the filmmakers realize they are not alone. The spirit of the painter's wife makes herself known to the crew, who possesses and haunts them for a very specific and compelling reason: she needs their help.
The House By The Cemetery (1981)
The House by the Cemetery is the work of Italian horror master Lucio Fulci, considered the king of gore. Fulci pushes body horror and gross-out sequences to their limits with this film about a family who moves into an old mansion inhabited by tormented spirits.
As it goes in haunted house movies, the family's new digs are the sight of decades of terror perpetrated by a deranged doctor named Dr. Freudstein. The Victorian surgeon isn't done with his illegal experiments, even if he's technically in the grave.