10 Hidden Gem '80s Slasher Horror Movies

3. The Undertaker

The Undertaker Movie
Code Red

Not to be confused with the seven-time WWE World Champion, The Undertaker is a hidden gem for a wide variety of reasons - most notably for how long it really did stay hidden.

In that regard, The Undertaker never received a theatrical release, nor did it receive a VHS release, and supposedly the only finished copy of this Franco Steffanino feature belonged to star Joe Spinell. When Spinell passed away shortly after the movie was completed in 1988, the film became somewhat of a white whale for horror hounds, with various bootleg versions eventually surfacing.

2016 would finally see The Undertaker recut and restored for a Blu-ray release, and the movie can nowadays be found on certain streaming services, including Prime Video. It may not be the greatest of films, mind, but this is one worth seeking out solely for how long it was impossible to find.

As for the plot, it's a largely paint-by-numbers affair as Spinell plays an undertaker with a penchant for killing young women. Some of the acting is pretty painful in parts, and the editing is a little ropey in places, but again, The Undertaker deserves a spot on this list due to its unique spot in slasher history.

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Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.