Watch: The Criterion Channel’s ’80s Horror’ Selection Official Trailer
by Alex Billington
September 23, 2022
Source: Vimeo
“I hear you’re having trouble with a snake?” In just a few weeks it will be October again, which means it’s time for horror season!! Who’s ready to watch horror films every day for 30 days? The Criterion Channel, the streaming service offered by the iconic Criterion Collection, is launching a new series for October – 80s Horror. The collection will feature 30 classic “decade-defining” horror films from some of the best genre filmmakers – including: Dario Argento, Kathryn Bigelow, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, Michael Mann, Ken Russell, Paul Schrader, and more. If you haven’t seen any of these yet, it’s the perfect time to catch up. The Criterion Channel is one of my favorite streaming options (it’s worth it!) because they always have tons of outstanding old films, along with juicy cinema series like this. Never seen Scanners? It’s in here. There’s also Q: The Winged Serpent, Cat People, Prince of Darkness, Near Dark, The Blob remake (which is especially good), Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Wolfen, Dead & Buried, Inferno, and others.
Criterion intro: The 1980s were defined by style and excess, and the era’s horror movies were no exception. Innovations in practical effects made the nightmares more vivid than ever, and thanks to the rise of home video, the call was now coming from inside the house. While established talents such as John Carpenter (Prince of Darkness), Tobe Hooper (The Funhouse), David Cronenberg (Scanners), Michael Mann (The Keep), and Paul Schrader (Cat People) brought terrifying spectacles to the screen, often with the help of Hollywood studios, home video opened up a new market that allowed the independents to take the genre to unexpected and—in the case of the UK’s censorship of infamous “Video Nasties”—controversial new heights. Curated by Clyde Folley, this ghastly tour through the decade of greed features ambitious art-pulp hybrids (White of the Eye), a Hitchcock-inspired trucker movie (Road Games), old-fashioned creature features (Q: The Winged Serpent), a vampiric Nicolas Cage (Vampire’s Kiss), and absolutely unclassifiable cult oddities (Society), bringing together some of the eighties’ most stylish, haunting, and outrageous visions. More info.
Start watching on the Criterion Channel beginning October 1st! If you haven’t already subscribed, there’s a free trial for the streaming service. One of the best!! New additions all the time and excellent series like this.
