By today's standards, a good deal of what we would consider classics would seem corny to this generation. Movies like Hobgoblins and Creature may have been great fun in their day, but don't necessarily hold up to the scrutiny of today's criteria for quality entertainment. Fortunately, for every Troll there was a Scanners. For every Blood Diner, a C.H.U.D. Undoubtedly, a hallmark of 1980's film is the rogues gallery of iconic villains which spawned from the era. Michael Myers may technically be a product of the 70's, but his contemporaries Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees were hatched during the decade of decadence. Freddy/Jason/Michael are the hat trick of horror, well-known by all, and for that reason will be respectfully omitted from this list. One need only scratch the surface to find some other truly creepy fiends that transcended their genres...
10. Antonio Salieri - Amadeus
Amadeus isn't the first film that comes to mind when one thinks creepy. Consider though, for a moment, the movie's antagonist. While F. Murray Abraham's portrayal of Antonio Salieri may not be standard horror fare, he definitely fits this list. Salieri is a composer so devoted to his craft and his god that he vows celibacy in order to fully commit himself to music. After hearing the music of Mozart for the first time, Salieri is convinced that Mozart's talent (admittedly superior to his own) must be God's way of mocking Salieri despite his pious lifestyle. There are few things creepier than a super-religious, super-motivated, super-disturbed individual with a target and a plan. With his faith shaken, Salieri is torn between a jealous hatred and a non-sexual man crush on the petulant Mozart. Unable to cope with his envy and rage, the twisted composer hatches a plot to push his nemesis into desperation and death while stealing Mozart's glory for himself. While Mozart does perish from fever, his work goes unfinished, thus Salieri is not able to take credit for it. Instead, he lives out his days in an insane asylum, dubbing himself the "Patron saint of mediocrity". One can't help but get a chill when the elderly Salieri is being pushed through the asylum in his wheelchair, absolving/blessing his fellow patients of their mediocrity as he hears Mozart's shrill laugh ringing in his head.
George is a life-long fan of genre, wrestling and guitars. He is an actor, writer, CrossFit trainer and former WWE storyline writer. He currently works as talent development for PWX wrestling and resides in the birthplace of the zombie movie, Pittsburgh, PA.
By today's standards, a good deal of what we would consider classics would seem corny to this generation. Movies like Hobgoblins and Creature may have been great fun in their day, but don't necessarily hold up to the scrutiny of today's criteria for quality entertainment. Fortunately, for every Troll there was a Scanners. For every Blood Diner, a C.H.U.D. Undoubtedly, a hallmark of 1980's film is the rogues gallery of iconic villains which spawned from the era. Michael Myers may technically be a product of the 70's, but his contemporaries Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees were hatched during the decade of decadence. Freddy/Jason/Michael are the hat trick of horror, well-known by all, and for that reason will be respectfully omitted from this list. One need only scratch the surface to find some other truly creepy fiends that transcended their genres... 