10 Forgotten 80s Horror Movies You MUST Watch
4. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker
This interestingly titled horror/thriller covers taboo/potentially sensitive material in an expert manner uncommon for its genre or even time, and still manages to offer viewers the requisite chills they have come to expect from horror pictures. William Asher's 1981 opus explores the devastating effects of an Oedipus complex, while crafting in Cheryl Lynch (Susan Tyrell) a villain who is both captivating and repulsive in equal measure.
Plagued by the above mentioned antagonist is her nephew Billy Lynch (Jimmy McNichol), who lives with his controlling aunt after his parents died in a car accident when he was a baby. After Cheryl kills a shop technician out of spite, she inadvertently lands Billy in a complex and unnerving criminal investigation surrounding the murder and his own sexuality.
An 80s horror movie exploring sexual identities outside the "norm" sounds like a potentially offensive affair, but to its credit, the slasher treats its gay characters with respect. This is particularly true for Tom Landers (Steve Easton), Billy's basketball coach who is portrayed as a decent man caught up in the wake of Cheryl's grotesque behaviour.
Speaking of Cheryl, Tyrell breathes deliciously over-the-top energy into her character, whose love for her nephew goes into uncomfortable territory. Her campy flair is only matched by Bo Svenson's Joe Carlson, who gives an unapologetically (and fitting) deranged performance as the homophobic detective investigating the central murder.