Editorials
30 Years Later: A 1987 Theatrical Retrospective
2017 marks the 30th anniversary for a lot of horror classics. Box office juggernauts like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Predator, or The Lost Boys still elicit just as much fan enthusiasm now as they did back then. Others may not have accrued the box office numbers, but instead acquired a fervent cult following on home video. Whether big or small, each horror film released theatrically on this list has left an imprint on the genre in some way. 1987 marked a year of iconic villains, amazing franchise sequels, surprising anthologies, a major shift in how we viewed vampire films, and, of course, glorious practical effects. In order of theatrical release, these horror films are worth celebrating their major anniversary milestone.
The Stepfather
The major component missing from the 2009 remake was the key that made the 1987 film so chilling; Terry O’Quinn as the titular character. Not only did O’Quinn’s performance earn critical accolades and award nominations, but it gave lead actress Jill Schoelen nightmares for a week after filming the final act. Based on the true story of John List, the dark subject matter snowballs into pure nightmare fuel with O’Quinn’s creepy take on the character. So creepy, that you won’t even notice there’s not much gore. The Stepfather first scared audiences 30 years ago in theaters, on January 23rd.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Released in theaters on February 27, this seminal sequel remains one of the best sequels today. The film was the highest grossing film for the studio that year, and 24th highest grossing film of 1987. Not too shabby. Its 30th anniversary just passed, and in commemoration, Trace nailed exactly why this sequel is so great.
Angel Heart
Do noir films get any darker than Satan? Writer/director Alan Parker explores the noir detective film by way of Satanic occult, keeping the horror scares to a minimum while focusing on the creepy journey of Harry Angel, played by Mickey Rourke. It’s an effective tactic that builds to a twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud. Atmospheric, well-acted, and full of graphic violence. Robert DeNiro is prone to overacting in his role as Louis Cyphre, though the scene that sees him eating a hard-boiled egg may change the way you think about them forever. This occult detective horror film is now 30 years old as of March 6.
Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn
A sequel so iconic that it’s been known to replace memories of the original film, at least in terms of tone. Increasing the special effects and injecting slapstick gore makes for the rare sequel that arguably surpasses its predecessor. Even hard to please critic Roger Ebert gave this sequel a favorable review, largely due to the satire. March 13 marks the date that changed how we saw Ashley J. Williams forever. Audiences still can’t get enough; merchandise is still in hot demand. Even a board game based on the movie is currently available for pre-order. I totally want it, too.
Creepshow 2
Written by George A. Romero, this anthology sequel isn’t nearly as beloved as its predecessor, but it’s still a worthy sequel nonetheless. With Tom Savini playing The Creep in the wraparound, the number of Stephen King based segments dropped from five to three due to budgetary constraints. Old Chief Wood’nhead and The Hitch-Hiker have their detractors, but The Raft proves strong enough to hold up the film on its own. The gruesome deaths by the lake blob makes this sequel long-lasting in memory, even 30 years later as of May 1st.
The Gate
This PG-13 horror film still holds up as one of the best horror films geared toward a younger audience; serving as a perfect gateway for those looking to introduce their children to the genre. Starring Stephen Dorff in his first film role ever, the plot sees two 12-year old boys battling miniature demons that have emerged from a hole in the backyard. It’s a fun concept lead by very likeable child actors, but the real star of the film is the fantastic special FX. Play your metal records backwards in commemoration of this film’s anniversary on May 15th.
The Predator
The highest grossing genre film of the year belonged to an Arnold Schwarzenegger starring sci-fi action flick that saw his character facing off against an elite hunter with a moral code from outer space. Upon initial theatrical release on June 12th, critics weren’t so kind though they’ve long since changed their tune. Spawning sequels, crossover films, comics, novels, and games, perhaps it’s only fitting that the franchise is about to come full circle just over thirty years later. Shane Black, who portrayed the geeky Hawkins in the original, is set to release a sequel that he wrote and directed next year. Whether good or bad, it won’t matter; we’ll always have the original, quotable lines, vicious kills, and all.
Blood Diner
This wacky horror comedy is full of camp and heart, following a plot that sees two brothers collecting body parts to resurrect ancient goddess Shitaar. I should probably mention that these two brothers are screwballs and rely on the guidance of their smarter uncle, a talking brain in a jar. Originally conceived as a sequel to Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast, it was revamped as a standalone B-horror prior to production. Jackie Kong’s movie is so over the top is humor and gore that it’s hard not to love, and Shitaar’s revival doesn’t disappoint. Given a limited theatrical release on July 10th, count yourself lucky if you caught this one on the big screen.
The Lost Boys
Released in the thick of summer on July 31st, this horror comedy shifted the perception of what a vampire movie could be. In short; fun. The original screenplay was conceived more as a Goonies type of vampire movie featuring cub scouts, but we can thank Joel Schumacher for refusing to sign on unless he could change the characters to teenagers. It worked. The group of vampires lead by Kiefer Sutherland’s David may not have been scary, but boy were they cool. The success of this film rests largely on the talented cast, right down to the saxophone guy.
The Monster Squad
Stan Winston creature effects, a classic monsters team up, the discovery that The Wolfman’s gots nards, and kids who love monsters, what’s not to love? I’ve long outgrown the demographic this horror-comedy is aimed toward, and I still want membership to the club. Upon the film’s August 14th release, initial success was lacking. But, like most genre films, it found a huge following on home video. Rewatch for Jonathan Gries take on The Wolfman that feels in line with Universal’s original, and Tom Noonan’s performance as Frankenstein’s monster will break your heart. Bogus!
From a Whisper to a Scream
Also known as The Offspring, this horror anthology marked the last horror film role for Vincent Price. Well, unless you could screwball horror-comedy Dead Heat. Price plays a town historian who relays tales of horror to a visiting reporter. It’s a deliberately paced anthology comprised of four segments all spanning various time periods within the same town. Price also reportedly hated the film, and perhaps its depraved subject matter is to blame. Necrophilia, mutant babies, gory FX, and more keeps this anthology worth revisiting. Its 30th anniversary coincides with its September 4th theatrical release.
The Curse
Directed by actor David Keith, this joint Italian/American production adapted H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space”. Produced by Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond the Door) and Lucio Fulci (The Beyond), the film centers around young Wil Wheaton’s character, and also stars his real life sister Amy in one of her only acting credits. While the acting is terrible, and the plot is full of inconsistencies, there’s a lot of gross out effects once the meteorite crash lands on the farm. Mutated farm folk, puss-filled chicken eye sockets, and liquefying corpses almost makes up for the cheesy acting. Originally released in theaters on September 11 under the title The Farm, it was changed to its current, more memorable title upon home video release.
Hellraiser
Based on Clive Barker’s novella “The Hellbound Heart”, the studios felt that title was more appropriate for a romance than a horror film. So Barker offered to name the film “Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave.” Luckily, the title didn’t stick, though it did give indication of the trouble Barker would have with MPAA censorship prior to its September 18th theatrical release. The rest, though, is horror history. Iconic Cenobites, hellish puzzle boxes, and a long-running franchise that’s threatened to reboot for years has made the last 30 years fly by for this favorite.
Near Dark
The recent loss of Bill Paxton is devastating, but perhaps the silver lining is that this underrated flick will find a larger audience. Not the first beloved vampire film released this year, but the first to forego a light-hearted sense of humor for a more visceral approach. Katheryn Bigelow’s take on a vampire story went straight for the jugular. While there are numerous great performances, Bill Paxton once again steals the show. As John Squires rightly pointed out, Bill Paxton’s character introduction is the stuff of legend. Though it turns 30 on October 2, this one is worth celebrating now.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2
Originally written and filmed as The Haunting of Hamilton High, Samuel-Goldwyn Company purchased the film and marketed it instead as a sequel to 1980 slasher Prom Night. It’s a move that likely hurt the film upon its October 16 theatrical release, but personally, it’s what caused me to fall in love with the series for the first time. Written by Ron Oliver, this sort of sequel is a clear love-letter to the genre; each character is named after well-loved genre directors. The vengeful ghost of prom queen Mary Lou Maloney is iconic, and the film is worth revisiting for the weird rocking horse scene alone.
The Hidden
Director Jack Sholder’s sci-fi/horror/action mashup didn’t exactly take the box office by storm when released on October 20th, but it’s a solid film that earned positive critic reviews and has since gone on to amass a cult following. The concept sees an alien parasite hiding in human hosts as it commits a violent crime spree across Los Angeles, transferring hosts often when the body wears out. An alien cop with a personal vendetta must team up with a human detective while in pursuit. The alien cop, also sporting human skin, is played by Kyle MacLachlan, who clearly translated some of his character quirks to FBI Agent Dale Cooper in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks just two years later. Considering that Twin Peaks is getting a revival series later this year, that makes one more reason to revisit this underrated gem.
Prince of Darkness
Released in theaters on October 23, John Carpenter took on a possession/supernatural horror film the way only John Carpenter can; by infusing the supernatural elements with theoretical physics and atomic theory, complete with the trademark synth soundtrack. When a mysterious cylinder full of green liquid is discovered beneath an old church, a research team and a priest must team up to prevent the coming of the Anti-God. The fantastic cast is led by Donald Pleasance and Victor Wong, and includes a fun cameo by Alice Cooper as a street Schizo with a penchant for bugs. Look for weird green liquid possessions, Satanic zombies, and a unique mythology wrapped in a metaphysics bow. Definitely not the Carpenter flick with the most wide stream appeal, but it’s an amazing classic regardless.
What’s your favorite 1987 horror film?
Five decades ago, Stephen King published the story of a bullied girl with telekinetic powers and forever changed the world of horror.
Carrie follows a high school misfit who seeks revenge for a hideous prank by psychically destroying her senior prom. The name Carrie White has become synonymous with the concept of a formal dance thanks to a flawless adaptation from Brian De Palma. Now fifty years after the film’s release, Mike Flanagan is putting his own stamp on the troubling story.
Rather than a feature film, the writer/director will expand King’s relatively slim debut novel into an eight-episode miniseries for Amazon Prime set to premiere on October 7.
Flanagan is no stranger to the world of Stephen King. A long-time Constant Reader, he first made waves with his daring adaptation of Gerald’s Game (2017), a novel many fans considered un-filmable. His underrated Doctor Sleep merges the disparate plot of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining with King’s original source material, and his 2024 genre-bending tearjerker The Life of Chuck faithfully executes one of the author’s most metaphysical novellas.
He’s currently mired in pre-production for an expansive adaptation of The Dark Tower series, keystone to King’s connected universe, and Warner Bros. recently announced that Flanagan will helm a new version of The Mist, King’s 1980 novella which sees a small Maine town overrun by otherworldly monsters.
Considering the vast array of the author’s previously unadapted material, an obvious question arises. Why reimagine Carrie in 2026? Noting the timeless nature of the content, Flanagan expressed his desire to bring the story of a bullied girl into modern times, mirroring his approach to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. He explained, “The only way to approach it was to build something new out of the ingredients of Carrie. Otherwise, there’s really no purpose in trying to retread ground that’s been so beautifully walked before.”
His miniseries will maintain the novel’s bloody bookends while delivering “big surprises” along the way.
A New Prom Night Nightmare
The roughly 60-second teaser introduces Summer H. Howell as Carrie White just before the moment of catastrophe. Standing in a prom dress, she smiles at her applauding classmates with an ominous crown perched upon her head. Moments later, Carrie unleashes a rage-filled scream into the night air while promgoers rush for the exit doors. But careful examination of this scene shows Carrie wearing a different, albeit dirty dress as she seems to telekinetically punish her peers.
In an exclusive first look with Entertainment Weekly, Flanagan explains that in his version of the story, “the events of that prom are going to be completely different.” An open trunk emitting a crimson glow does hint at the pig’s blood dumped on Carrie’s head, but it’s likely Flanagan’s formal dance will be a different kind of horror altogether. Despite these changes, the series may end with the widespread destruction outlined in the source material. Unlike any previous adaptations, King’s novel ends with the near-total destruction of Chamberlain, Maine. A flaming street in Flanagan’s trailer promises similar carnage no matter what prank sparks Carrie’s deadly revenge.
The Monstrous Addition of Social Media
On the opposite end of this fiery conclusion is an extreme act of bullying that brings together the story’s main cast. King’s novel begins as Carrie gets her first period while showering in the girls’ locker room. Completely unaware of the concept of menstruation, the sheltered girl thinks she’s bleeding to death. Her classmates respond with vitriolic rage. Led by ultra-mean girl Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton), they mock the terrified teen while pelting her with tampons. Glimpses of this disturbing event reveal that Flanagan has excised the scene’s nudity while adding a seismic update. As Carrie sobs in the shower stall, Chris and her friends film the breakdown with their phones.
Other scenes note the presence of social media, bringing King’s fifty-year-old story into the digital age.
Flanagan’s adaptation promises to explore the destructive power of social media, an often invisible entity with a potential for harm rivaling Carrie’s own powers. While King’s tormented heroine suffers in front of a small group of girls, Flanagan’s version of the incident will likely become a viral video, potentially circling the globe on social media. Similar to Katt Shea’s criminally underrated The Rage: Carrie 2, which includes elements of revenge porn exploitation, Flanagan’s modern retelling will distinguish itself by exploring the nebulous cruelty of online bullying, a force ten times more powerful than the irl pranks King first envisioned.
A Completely Reimagined White Family
In addition to modernizing these canon events, Flanagan hints at updates to Carrie’s oppressive upbringing at the hands of her mother, Margaret White (Samantha Sloyan). Dead before the novel begins, we never meet Carrie’s domineering father Ralph, known to carry a bible alongside his gun. Flanagan’s White household will be an altogether different beast. In his version of the story, Carrie and her mother have been hidden away in the unassuming home, forced out of hiding by Ralph’s unexpected death. Perhaps we will finally meet this elusive man whose shadow hangs over his wife and child. Considering the White family’s fundamentalist lifestyle, this reimagining hints at tradwife culture and a home ruled by staunch patriarchal control.
Whereas King’s Carrie has been tormented by her classmates since Kindergarten, Flanagan’s Carrie will be a wide-eyed newcomer to public school, eager to make friends and engage with her peers. We glimpse Carrie cozying up to Chris and the equally popular Sue Snell (Siena Agudong) as she navigates a new social scene. Of course, we know this kindness is part of an elaborate plot designed to lull Carrie into a false sense of camaraderie, setting up an atrocious act of public humiliation. These brief moments of feigned compassion put Sue’s own complicity into question. Will Flanagan’s version of the character find the courage to defend Carrie from vicious bullies or will she succumb to peer pressure and join in the mob mentality?
Perhaps the biggest deviation from King’s original text is the relationship between Carrie and her mother. King’s Margaret White is a horrifically abusive religious zealot whose worldview has been hardened by internalized misogyny. She shames Carrie for menstruating, locks her in a closet to “pray,” and regrets not killing her child in infancy. She’s also responsible for Carrie’s social ostracization. Known to berate her neighbors for their “sins,” Margaret forces her daughter to live by an extreme code of conduct and disallows any potential friends lest they corrupt the girl with their worldly ways.
Flanagan’s version of the character is perhaps just as much a victim as Carrie herself. Also trapped inside her home, his Margaret is overly vigilant, her own trauma manifesting as strict control. Describing a more sympathetic depiction of the iconic villain, Flanagan explains, “Our Margaret White is a woman who fiercely loves her daughter and wants to protect her from this world … [She] doesn’t know how to do that and thinks the way to protect her is to close her off; not punitively, but to create this private utopia.”
Despite this potential softening, Sloyan’s Margaret may still have a sharp edge. Though she has appeared in many Flanagan projects, from Hush (2016) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), she is best known for her role as the abhorrent Bev Keane in the poignant saga Midnight Mass (2021). Perhaps inspired by King’s Margaret White, Bev is pious and sadistic, willing to punish anyone who does not adhere to her warped approximation of Catholicism.
Flanagan specifically wrote Margaret with Sloyan in mind, likely remembering the actress’s eerie ability to create deceptive empathy and shift our allegiances on a dime.
Expanding Stephen King’s Telekinetic Universe
While most of King’s story deals with an unthinkable prom night in Chamberlain, Maine, large sections of the semi-epistolary novel see experts debating the nature of telekinesis. Do Carrie’s frightening abilities represent a new phase in human evolution or is the prom night carnage merely a fluke? King settles the debate with a shocking denouement in which a young mother recounts her infant daughter’s ability to dangle her crib toys in midair. We’re left to wonder if she will become another tormented girl who surprises the world with metaphysical strength.
Flanagan plans to build out this brief scene while amplifying themes of female empowerment. After introducing our main cast of characters, episode two will open with an unrelated story in which we meet another girl with the TK gene. Each subsequent chapter will expand this world, building out a roster of telekinetic young women. Considering King’s fondness for stories about powerful kids, often described as possessing “the shining,” Constant Readers will no doubt have their eyes peeled for various Easter Eggs nodding to the author’s vast catalogue.
Giving Carrie Her Own Voice
Perhaps the most striking distinction in Flanagan’s new trailer is the extent to which we hear Carrie’s voice. The sneak peek is fully narrated by the titular prom queen as she demands accountability. “I want to know why,” she explains while detailing Chris’ elaborate plan. Aside from the aforementioned coda, King’s book essentially ends with the aftermath of the prom night tragedy, leaving little time for Carrie to reflect. His shifting narrative does bring the reader into her fragile mind, though not before she’s been cowed by relentless cruelty. We watch Carrie sink into bloodthirsty revenge, but never hear a considered desire for justice or repair.
Flanagan’s original monologue allows Carrie to voice her pain and mourn the life she could have had. We’re also treated to a mug shot-style photo of Chris with a bruised and bandaged face, implying that the mean girl will have to answer for her senseless sadism.
Flanagan is known for filling his series adaptations with heartwrenching speeches that cut to the heart of his thematic intentions, and this teaser seems to follow suit. After years of fans, critics, and scholars analyzing Carrie’s pain, perhaps his modern retelling will offer the titular anti-hero a chance to finally speak for herself.
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