NOW FEATURING Manos, The Hands of Fate!

I have set aside this page for a listing of really bad movies in the horror genre. Now I know this is a rather tough subject considering just how many bad horror movies exist. In creating the list I have decided to put a few restrictions.

  1. No sequels, I want these to be original movies
  2. I want movies made after 1965, too avoid schlocky 50's monster movies
  3. I want movies with bad plots, silly names and really bad acting


I MUST WARN YOU THE PAGE YOU ARE ENTERING CONTAINS SOME OF THE WORST CHEESE EVER PUT ON VIDEO. I AM TALKING ABOUT MOVIES SO BAD YOU WILL REGRET SPENDING THE TIME AND MONEY ON THEM. I MUST ADD THAT EACH FILM MORE THEN LIKELY CONTAINS SEVERAL OF THE CLICHÉS ON MY VIDEO GUIDE. HAVE FUN!


To see what fans have voted as the worst movies look here!


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  • Beast Within, The
  • Beyond the Door
  • Blood Eaters
  • Blood Sucking Freaks
  • Chopping Mall
  • Ghoulies, The
  • Leprechaun
  • Lift, The
  • Maniac
  • Manos, The Hands of Fate
  • Monster A Go-Go
  • Night Creature
  • Night of the Lepus
  • Pack, The
  • Orgy of the Dead
  • Rabid
  • Refrigerator, The
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night
  • Student Bodies
  • Tentacles
  • Toolbox Murders, The
  • Transylvania 6-5000
  • Trick or Treat
  • Wacko
  • Watchers
  • Wizard of Gore
  • Worm Eaters, The

  • Beast Within, The (1982) US

    Bibi Besch plays a woman who is raped by a swamp thing during her honeymoon. Seventeen years later her son under goes some sort of freaky metamorphisis that turns him into a giant cicada monster . Although it is supposed to imitate a '50s style monster movie I found the story rather boring and the monster some what laughable. I had rented this movie because the box said it was one of the most shocking movies ever made and warned the viewer to beware of the last few minutes. I took it as a sign of good things to come, too bad the super cicada gimmick killed the shock ending. Ronny Cox also appears as the father of the the cicada boy. A rather poor attempt to use a Kafka idea.......

    Beyond the Door (1974) Italy-US

    You know when a great horror film like The Exorcist comes out, it is fair game for all the hacks out there to copy, cut and paste. This time we get a pregnant woman, played by Hayley Mills sister, who is possessed by the devil. As always the husband is to blame, ever wonder why more woman don't do this. Well instead of stealing more of the story and plot, they take the gross vomiting scenes and cursing and make it more intense. What we end up with is yet another clone of a popular movie with little in the originality dept and lots of poor acting and dramatization. Still this movie is popular on the horror scene for some odd reason, oh well I guess there is indeed a market for carbon copies..........

    Blood Eaters (1980) US

    Another sad attempt to imitate the success of George Romero. This one was even filmed in Romero's home state of Pennsylvania. As always a government experiment goes really bad and has some really weird results. A group of potheads are sprayed with the chemical in the woods by the government, turning them into flesh-ripping, blood-craving zombies. Very low budget, and with such a field of great zombie fliks by the master Romero to watch, this one seems almost pointless. Some one outta sue!!!!

    Blood Sucking Freaks (1978) US

    This film also appears on my list of Disturbing Movies. The movie takes place at a off-off Broadway theatre with the magician Sardu performing realistic scenes off gore, Grand Guignol style. He is of course a white slaver who leads a pack of Sadists in a gory house of torture. Filmed as The Incredible Torture Show, it was made to be a camp classic, yet fails greatly. The movie is very misogynistic and shows little respect towards woman, usually they are caged, sodomized or used as human urinals. The movie has very bad acting and not so special effects, the blood looks like it came from a Klingon Blood Bank. The scenes of torture and dismemberment look like they were done by 9 year olds. One of the few movies picketed by woman's groups that truly diserved the condemnation. Too offensive to be seen as camp, it is one of those movies that you will want your money back, even if you paid .49 cents for it.
    It seems the director of this movie got wind of my review and threatened to sue me if I did not remove or rephrase the review, Ok but I would not be proud of a film that is VERY similar to Herschell Gordon Lewis's Wizard of Gore.

    Chopping Mall (1986) US

    This one has it all, really generic teenager who are old enough to have teens kids, silly looking robots and really goofy sound FX lifted from War of The Worlds. A group of teens break into a mall and encounter the automated security droids which go about dispatching them with zappers and such. The title is very misleading as their is no chopping or slashing, just frying with electricity. The only highlight is the cute love story between the nerdy couple.
    I really hate cute robots!

    The Ghoulies (1985) US

    Gee, Gremlins or Ghoulies......I recall when this one was released, it was such a blatant ripoff of the very sucessful Gremlins that actually got some people to watch it. A guy inherits an old house and finds the evil bible that his satanist fater used to worship. He then becomes possessed and after reading it we get a motley group of little demons. The Ghoulies are a rather sick and creepy looking set of puppets that invade the house and reap havic. What we then get is a standard fight them back into hell showdown with lots of blood and guts. I guess they wanted us to think the ghoulies were cute and cudley, but most were just plain ugly. I would steer you away from this and have you watch the Dead-Alive or Evil Dead if you want a good vs evil shoot out. Where's Ash when you really need him.......

    Leprechaun (1993) US

    Warwick Davis has had a good career playing in such epic films as Return of the Jedi and Willow, yet he displays a real lack of taste in this dated slasher flik. Davis plays the little Irish Fairy who is after a group of people he thinks stole his pot-of-gold. Stealing from the likes of Freddy Krueger and Chuckie, we get a rather sad attempt to recreate an amusing bad guy the likes of Freddy. After 20 years of boring exploitation films you would think that a gimicky horror charachter would seem out of place after such wonderful horror fright films like Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. Not so, we get the same retread of sick jokes, gory deaths and silly over-age teens. The FX are the only real saving grace but FX cannot carry a film alone. Like a bad habit the producers have decided to curse us with not one but two sequels. What next, Rumplestiltskin...........oops, too late!

    Lift, The (1983) Netherlands

    You know many people have an irrational fear of elevators, and after many horrific elevator scenes in such films as The Omen II and Speed it was no surprise that an elevator would be the focus of a horror films. Well in this film what we get is an elevator with a penchant for killing its riders. It seems the elevator, which is computerized, was programmed by some mad scientist type who used living human cells in his set-up. I have yet to see this film but I received a number of replys to include it on this list. Very tongue in check in its approach but I think I will go for the X-Files episode with a killer elevator. Gotta love these killer appliances......

    Maniac (1980) US

    Another movie that made my Disturbing Movies list. A low budget gore flick with no moral perspective that its own makeup artist wanted to be removed from its credits. Tom Savini would later become famous for his award winning FX as well as acting and directing many later horror films yet his realistic FX are the only saving grace in this gutter film. Like many horror films we have a loner with no social grace or personality, in this case a real mama's boy who enjoys murdering women and using their scalps to adorn his mannequins. The nature of this habit is for nothing more then his perverse sexual pleasure. He is suffering from the torment of an abusive mother and longs for her love. Pity, because the audience is treated to little more then the graphic scenes of murder and of the mutilation of the victims shown in bloody red detail. Like many other slasher films this one displays strong anti-woman feelings and the attitude that woman are only good for killing and raping. Displaying little if any value this film only seems to sink into the abyss of cheap slasher flicks, yet its overt immoral tone and downright negative feelings towards woman in general place it in the hall of the disturbed. Carolyn Munro appears very much against type as a woman who is actually drawn to this sicko, will he do her in.... Who cares!!! Luckily the producer/writer/star Joe Spinell died before making Maniac 2.

    Manos, The Hands of Fate (1966) US

    Imagine a movie so brutal and intense in its abosolute suckiness that it may indeed be bad for your psycke. The movie is about a family that travels so very far off they end up at a house presided by a manservent named Torgo. "I take care of the place while the Master is away." says Torgo. The Master is the one who worships the deity Manos and he has this cool robe he wears with hands on it. Besides that the plot is pretty simple, it either involves The Master torturing Torgo or having his wives wrestle one another for his attention. There are also the Masters Hell dogs who wreck some havoc on Torgo and the family. To imagine this movie and its utter drek you must realize that is neither a Wood or HG Lewis movie, this is far worse then anything made by them. If you must insist on watching this film, PLEASE watch the MST 3000 play on this film, it makes it WATCHABLE! Strangely we almost did not have this as an MST 3K staple, it was pushed upon by Joel Hodgson and it took the other producers a couple of viewings to get the joke, I think he was just torturing them. Universally voted by the IMDB users as the worst movie ever made. At least Torgo has cool theme music!

    Monster A Go-Go (1965) US

    Another infamous MST 3000 staple, and what is the deal with a Go-Go anyway. I do believe that anything with A Go-Go has got to be a warning of dreck to come. An astronaut returns from a trip and becomes this radiactively scarred monster. He then terrorizes teens and those to stupid to run away. With all the charm of a root canal one wonders just what would compel someone to make this film. The credits list a Sheldon Seymour on its role, a little digging unveils that this is none other then Herschell Gordon Lewis. This explains so much!

    Night Creature (1978) US

    I once read that there were no good Filapino films, You know THEY ARE RIGHT! Donald Pleasance is badly cast as a sportsman out to hunt and kill a wild panther out on the prowl. I guess this is supposed to be scary but what do we know. The rest of the cast is both unknown and wasted in this snoozer. If you like Donald Pleasance, rent something else!

    Night of the Lepus (1972) US

    If you know a little Latin then you would think this was a movie about wolves, WRONG! This little gem features the talents of none other then Janet Leigh (Psycho) and DeForest Kelly (Bones from Star Trek). A small town is besieged by giant cotton tail bunnies. What is even funnier is that the bunnies are not made to look evil or vicious. They are just big, thats it! Of all the monster movies ever made I find cute bunnies almost laughable, well except for that vicious rabbit in Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Now that rabbit had a vicious streak a mile wide! Better put your carrots away or maybe we should talk to the folks who brought you Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, now that would be contest! Hand me the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and be off!

    Pack, The (1977) US

    What happens when you abandon a pair of dogs on a resort, they become wild killers????? Yet another play on animals turn deadly, we see a vacation site and its locals terrorized in this variation of the Birds. Too bad mother nature has to get even when we mess up, unfortunately we end up with is yet another carbon copy. Now if they were rabid dogs or vampire dogs we might have a movie worth watching.

    Orgy of the Dead (1966) US

    We all know that Ed Wood, Jr was a misunderstood cross dresser and he is considered to be the worst Director of all time. Yet you have to appreciate the effort he went through to make his films. I enjoy watching Plan 9 and a few other Wood movies because they are bad. Wood wrote the screenplay for this crap which is sort of a horror-nuddie. Criswell stars as a Prince of Darkness who is passing judgement on a poor couple that happened to be caught in the graveyard. Of course the other sinners are all topless dancers with big boobs but that doesn't matter since they are sinners. Truly awful, even for Ed Wood, you would think that nudie films would turn you on but this one turns you off. Your better off watching Plan 9, at least that one has a plot!!!!

    Rabid (1977) Canada

    David Cronenberg may have decided his vampire movie would set new standards, unfortunately his efforts were entirely too much like a Romero movie. A young woman has a severe motorcycle accident and lucky for her it occurs near a private clinic. Yet the doctors decide to do an experimental skin graft procedure which some how turns her into a vampire like monster. It is never really explained how or why it occurs. We then see her unleash upon Montreal with her killer armpits! When she hugs her victims a fleshy syringe pops out and drains their blood. Afterwards the victims turn into flesh eating zombies. Is this a vampire movie or another living dead movie, it is hard to tell since we seem to get both for the price of one. Although the zombie sequences are not as scary as Romero's brood, porn star Marilyn Chambers does play a very sexy vampire. What we get is combination of Day of the Dead, Dracula, and a little of The Crazies. My option is to go with the Dead Trilogy or Cronenberg's classic Scanners. Now how about that hug baby!
    I have been getting some hate mail on why I don't like this movie, considering everything else Cronenberg has delivered I felt this one was somewhat below his high standards, come on he rips from at least 3 movies!

    Refrigerator, The (1991)

    Another one of those silly killer appliance movies, funny how I have never seen any of these. Well in this one we have a couple battling a possessd refrigerator. The premise is taken very seriously by its maker and what get is a suspenseful and at time funny movie. Shot in lower Manhattan, I find this yet another in a long line reasons why I will not move to New York. Burp!

    Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) US

    Another movie that was picketed by family groups. Silent Night has a young man who dresses as Santa Claus and goes out killing people. This of course stems from the brutal murder of his parents at the hands of some druken killer dressed as santa. The young man then suffers at the hands of a mean nun and a cruel orphanage. He then gets a job at toy store and seems fine until Christmas comes and he is asked to don the red suit. Weak acting and way too much hokey psychology are the highlights in this unoriginal slasher flik. With the controversy that brewed up it is interesting to note that the Killer Claus was first used in a Tales From the Crypt 10 years before. Many feel that this is the worst movie to have spawned a series of sequels, although I would debate that considering the number of Leprechaun sequels we have been cursed with.

    Student Bodies (1981) US

    First there was Halloween, then Friday The 13th, what next …….Jamie Lee Curtis’s birthday? Seriously, this horror parody is about as memorable as the last Troma film but for some odd reason I am drawn to it. It stars pretty much no one worth noting, and I guess those who where in it leave it off their resume. A psycho breather preys on those typical stupid teens and uses every piece of office supply as his deadly weapon. Everything points to the shy virgin Toby who is allergic to sex. It is up to the virgin Toby and her friend Hardy to prove her innocence. This movie is really, REALLY SILLY. It incorporates every cliché imaginable including naked bathroom scene, stupid trick ending and a weird janitor named Malbert. For a bad movie it is somewhat addictive and I must admit this is one of my favorites. Not the best horror parody but it is way better then Translyvania 6-5000.

    Tentacles (1977) Italy/US

    There were many films to bank on the success of Jaws including Piranha and Orka. With that in mind what do you get when you cross Italian filmmakers, sunny California locals and a slew of known stars. Unfortunately you get this crud. A giant octopus menaces beach combers, swimmers and boaters, eating a few along the way. It then begins attack a group of kids on a sailing regatta. What is missing from this film are the talents of the well known stars, it seems each one lost a bet or was dared to appear in this film as no one lives up to their talent’s. Even worse was the Octopus effects, it looks like it was filmed in someone’s dirty pool. The only role worth noting is Shelly Winters who plays one of the mothers and probably could of played the monster better then the crappy machine they used. The killer whales used to save the day appear too late to salvage this drivel. Ironically this film was directed by the man who delivered the Exorcist clone Beyond The Door. Read into it what you may.

    Toolbox Murders, The (1978) US

    Oh Boy! This was one of the first films to receive major criticism from parent’s groups and talk shows. A crazed killer stymies police with a series of brutal murders using everything out of a Black & Decker catalog including a cool Nailgun. Very brutal, very vulgar, but VERY DULL. One of those films you wish you had not rented and will want to send back demanding an apology. This film was shown to an audience of Donahue and it received a mass of boos and groans from the shocked audience. Someone outta pay for this crud.

    Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) US

    There are some campy horror movies that are a riot, and then there is Transylvania 6-5000. Jeff Golblum and Ed Begley Jr. play tabloid reporters who travel to the infamous town to prove if these monsters really exist. Much of this film relys on homages to previous horror spoofs but it fails on almost every way. The supporting cast does include some notable faces including Michael Richards(TV's Cosmo Kramer) as an igor like servant, Jeffrey Jones as an innkeeper who wants to make quick money, and Geena Davis as a very sexy and horny vampire. A good cast that is wasted on this drivel, if you want a good spoof try the way funnier Young Frankenstein.

    Trick or Treat (1986) US

    A good idea that does not quite make it. Marc Price (Skippy on Family Ties) plays a loner teen who idolizes a heavy metal rocker who dies before the release of his next album. It seems that the local DJ (Gene Simmons of Kiss) has the last album and when played backwards summons the evil spirit of the rocker. The usual slasher deaths follow as the loner teens finds his enemies being taken out one at a time. The only highlights being the numerous cameos by notable rockers including Ozzy Osborne as a preacher condemning rock music. Way too much MTV influence followed by direct ripoffs of other more popular horror fliks.

    Wacko (1981) US

    Unlike the very similar Student Bodies, Wacko actually boasts some well known stars. George Kennedy, Julia Duffy, a pre Dice Andrew Clay and the venerable Joe Don Baker appear in this silly parody of Prom Night and Halloween. Hitchcock High’s Halloween Pumpkin Prom is in danger as the not so infamous Lawn Mower Massacre stalks those silly teens. Duffy portrays the poor teenager who is haunted by the image and sounds of lawnmowers. A really weird movie that goes into some bizarre areas and incorporates homage’s from more famous films. The real treat is watching Joe Don Baker parody his own role from Walking Tall and Mitchell. I guess its for those who consider Gallagher too sophisticated.

    Watchers (1988) US

    I once stated that many a novel could not be done right, and this is very much the proof needed. What is considered a great novel by Dean R Koontz is a grotesquely bad film which seems to be more of a vehicle for that annoying twerp Cory Haim then a decent horror film. The government creates the ultimate weapon in the form of a smart dog and icky monster. Well the dog escapes and the "hideous???" Monster gives chase. This film was gutted so much one wonders why they spent money to adapt the book. Michael Ironside appears as a psycho bounty hunter and is the only thing likable about this sham. This is one instance where the sequel was way better then the original. Talk about the monster, I found more scary creatures in Bugs Bunny cartoons…..

    Wizard of Gore (1970) US

    I seem to recall a time when Herschell Gorden Lewis was known for the best in the field of splatter, after all he invented it with his clasic Blood Feast. Yet by this time his magic had faded as fast as an NBC Spielburg TV show. By this time he was making movies that bordered more on porn then horror. The mad magician Montag the Whatever performs before a shocked audience as he performs realistic scenes of mutilation. Afterwards he takes his willing volunteers from the crowd and performs actual feats of cut and slice. Of course all this is patterned after his stage act. All of this seems way to similar to the later Blood Sucking Freaks and considering both are the dregs of the list I wonder why anyone would copy such a horribly bad movie. Like BSF, this film boasts bad acting, bad sound, bad sets and FX that aren't so special. A real low point for ole'Herschell and only good enough for those die hard HG Lewis fans who must see them all. Yeech!

    Worm Eaters, The (1977) US

    Herb Robins directed and stars in this putrid and plotless drek about a worm farmer who begins to eat his wares. He believes he is a Worm Man and passes on his sick fetish to those he bites. The acting is so unbelievably bad you wonder if these people were hired solely for their willingness to put live worms in their mouths. When it was released they had a promotion where viewers were given free passes if they would eat live worms. I wonder what is worse, paying to watch or getting in for free. Either way The Worm Eaters is indeed a truly gross movie, in more ways then one. Eat up!


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    **THE LOSMAN'S OTHER PAGES**

    *Losman's Lair of Horror * Losman's Horror History * The Best Horror Movies *

    * Really Disturbing Movies * More Disturbing Movies * Lair of The Losman *

    * Horror Movie Clichés * Movie Index*


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