How to Have a 1980s Horror Movie Halloween Party

1980s parties were extremely popular about 10 years ago, but started to die out once the novelty appeal wore off. So now, not too many people have 1980s themed parties anymore... or do they? As it turns out, people would still like to enjoy the '80s, but it never hurts to have a different spin on it. Instead of just having the standard neon colors, acid washed jeans, and leg warmers, why not approach a darker side of the 1980s? Let's discuss how to have a 1980s Horror Movie Halloween Party.

The 1980s were a great time for horror movies. Such timeless classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Friday the 13th, The Shining, and Hellraiser all came from the '80s. So why not have a night devoted to 1980s horror flicks? You can not only watch all your old VHS tapes (you know you still have them), everyone can dress like their favorite 1980s horror movie character. It will surely be a great time.

Let's keep in mind, food was not that terribly different in the 1980s, so you can probably still go with the standard Halloween food. Make sure to include Pop Rocks with the candy since that was a big thing in the '80s.

When decorating, you may want to go with a theme from a particular movie. If you can manage to prop up a fake life size Jason or Freddy Krueger, you are on your way to awesomeness (if that is a word). If you are not able to recreate those characters, don't rule out decking out your place like a fake prom in honor of Prom Night. If you dress up like Jamie Lee Curtis, your party will be a big hit.

Since this is a 1980s Horror Movie Halloween Party, encourage your guests to dress up like some of the characters out of the movies. There are many characters to choose from, such as:

• Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street)
• Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)
• Carol Ann (Poltergeist)
• Kane (Poltergeist 2)
• Ghostbusters (no, not exactly a horror movie, but an exception can be made in this case)
• Pinhead (Hellraiser)
• A Gremlin (from the movies Gremlins, yes, I would make this an exception, too)
• E.T. (OK, I'm making a lot of exceptions)
• Jack Torrance (The Shining)
• Grady Daughters (The Shining)
• The Miner (My Bloody Valentine)
• A Werewolf (An American Werewolf in London)
• Isaac (Children of the Corn)
• Charlie (Firestarter - if you've ever secretly wanted to be Drew Barrymore, here is your moment)
• Jerry Blake (The Stepfather)
• A Super Hot Vampire (The Lost Boys - before there was Twilight, there were really hot vampires on motorcycles)

Honestly, this list can go on and on. Perhaps you can have a costume contest to award the most creative costume. I would personally love to see something really original like someone dressed like the TV in Poltergeist or perhaps just a random '80s victim with an ax in her head. Also, one could argue that characters like Michael Myers should be acceptable since Halloween 2 came out in the '80s. Well, OK... no one should be a party pooper and ban Michael Myers from the '80s Horror Movie Halloween Party.

Naturally, you can't have a 1980s Horror Movie Halloween Party without some scary movies from the '80s. When you are picking out your movies for the night, you will probably want to pick some time honored classics like the movies listed above. However, you might want to also add some less popular horror movies from the '80s you haven't seen in a while, like The Gate, Ghoulies, and House: Ding Dong, You're Dead.

You might also want to play some horror movie trivia or play a game like Nightmare, a boardgame that was originally sold either in the late '80s or early '90s. It is tough to find horror games specific to the '80s, but you can always alter the games to make them work for you.

No matter what, your 1980s Horror Movie Halloween Party is going to be a blast. The '80s had some of the best horror movies, and therefore, this will be one of the best parties ever!