10 Messed Up '80s Horror Movies That Must Be Seen To Be Believed

3. C.H.U.D.

While it's not as over the top violent as some of these other movies, the plot of C.H.U.D. alone is one that has to be seen to be believed. The title stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, and it's about exactly what you'd imagine based on that name. Under the streets of New York City, homeless people who live in the sewers are going missing, and from early on it's implied they're being eaten by monsters.

These monsters used to be human, but they appear to have been mutated by toxic waste. Given that they've been picking off nearly all the homeless, the creatures are now beginning to kill people on the surface, and in the opening scene, a woman is pulled in through a manhole while walking her dog. The movie barely even waits a full minute before having someone get sucked underneath and murdered, including an innocent animal.

It turns out it's not just a monster invasion: it's a massive government conspiracy. C.H.U.D. actually stands for Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been hiding hazardous chemicals below the streets of New York City, so the homeless people haven't been picked off by the monsters. They've become the monsters. In retrospect, scenes like this one where the creatures are getting their heads cut off become a whole lot less enjoyable.