6 Best ‘80s Slashers to Watch on Valentine’s Day

As the title implies, My Bloody Valentine is the most obvious choice for a list of slashers to watch on Valentine’s Day. The film is set in the fictional mining town of Valentine Bluffs (how perfect is that?) and follows a murder spree kicked off by the vengeful Harry Warden. The miner narrowly survived a deadly accident during the town’s annual Valentine’s Day dance. Following his initial killings, Harry cautioned against having another dance on that day.

Twenty years later, the town decides to throw caution to the wind and host the dance. This sparks a new round of brutal murders, this time targeting a group of young adults.

RELATED: Top 10 ’80s Slashers That Never Had a Sequel

My Bloody Valentine was filmed on-site in the Sydney Mines in Nova Scotia. Although production was notoriously difficult for the cast and crew, it helped the film stand out among a sea of early-’80s slashers.

The Prowler, also released as Rosemary’s Killer, would make a great double-feature with My Bloody Valentine. The plot of this Joseph Zito-directed film begins in WWII when a college student named Rosemary writes a Dear John letter to her boyfriend. She and her new beau are later brutally murdered on Lovers’ Lane during the graduation dance, which is suspended following the killings.

However, in 1980, someone is finishing what was started 35 years earlier as the annual dance is set to resume.

The Prowler has some of the best Tom Savini effects you will ever see on screen. The kills, which involve a shotgun blast to the face, a pitchfork to the stomach, and a knife through the top of a head, are not rushed by cinematographer Raoul Lomas and director Zito. They can be wonderfully excruciating to watch at times, which horror fans will appreciate. Cuddle in and enjoy!

Slumber Party Massacre II is the ideal pick for a horror-themed Galentine’s Day because after all, spooky girls just wanna have fun! One of the many things to appreciate about this franchise is that a woman directs each entry. Deborah Brock helms this sequel, which focuses on Courtney Bates (Crystal Bernard), Valerie’s younger sister from the original film.

Courtney and her sister survived Russ Thorn’s murder spree, but Valerie is in the hospital after suffering a mental breakdown. Courtney wants to move on with her life by spending a weekend with her friends and new love interest while her parents visit the hospital. However, those plans are dashed when the group is pursued by The Driller Killer (Atanas Ilitch).

RELATED: ‘Maniac Cop’ Is One of Horror’s Most Underrated Slashers

This supernatural killer, dressed in black leather and with grease-slicked hair, plays a red drill bit guitar and sings sexually charged lyrics while grinding his hips. It’s the slasher musical you didn’t know you needed. “So, baby, let’s buzz!”

Anyone expecting a proper Prom Night (1980) sequel may be disappointed. Aside from the prom and high school setting, the films are unrelated, yet this is one of the few occasions when it works to the sequel’s advantage. Hello Mary Lou is a campy, lustful supernatural film, while Prom Night is a conventional slasher.

Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) is a beautiful and popular teen with one goal: to be prom queen. However, just as she is about to be crowned, an accident claims her life. Her vengeful spirit is locked away in a chest with her possessions at school. When nerdy, meek Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon) unleashes Mary Lou, she becomes possessed. This allows Mary Lou not only to exact revenge on her killer but also to be crowned prom queen.

Mary Lou isn’t shy about using sex as a weapon, regardless of which body she is in. While in possession of Vicki’s body, she even attempts to seduce Vicki’s father (played by the renowned Michael Ironside) until her mother stops it. This scene is incredibly twisted and will stick in your memory.

The film, directed by Armand Mastroianni, follows a man (Tom Rolfing) who goes on a murder spree, killing brides-to-be after murdering his fiancée for rejecting him. His main target is engaged college student Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), whose fiancée is away for his bachelor party. Over a few days, he silently stalks Amy, brutally murdering anyone around her.

RELATED: ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’: 10 Things You May Not Know

Horror fans in search of slashers to watch on Valentine’s Day should check out He Knows You’re Alone, despite the movie’s made-for-TV feel. There’s much to enjoy here, including kills from the murderer’s POV, love triangles, and a fun twist ending.

This underrated 1980 slasher also marks Tom Hanks’ film debut. In a touch of foreshadowing, the actor went on to star in Bachelor Party only a few years later.

This wacky British slasher parodies the genre, focusing on The Toxic Avenger (1984) and the Friday the 13th franchise. If you appreciate meta-horror films like Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006), then Unmasked Part 25 is for you.

Jackson (Gregory Cox), the son of an abusive serial killer, is continuing on his father’s legacy. Thought to have drowned in a lake as a child, he survived and now lives with his alcoholic father (Edward Brayshaw).

One night, while gleefully murdering a group of young adults who had unintentionally thrown a party in his house, he encounters partygoer Shelly (Fiona Evans). As a blind woman, she is oblivious to Jackson’s grotesque face, which he typically conceals with a hockey mask. The relationship has its challenges, however, as Jackson’s urge to kill continues.

Jackson and Shelly’s hilariously misunderstood relationship, which includes a bit of BDSM, makes this one of the best slashers to watch on Valentine’s Day.