Summary
In the past, B movies were low-budget, poorly made, and cheesy. They were labeled B movies because they would usually be the second feature in a double feature, like the B side of a record. Many of these movies would be cheesy horror films or science-fiction films.
There are also modern B movies, which usually have a high budget, but attempt to capture the feeling and themes of the old B movies. So, if you are craving to watch a cheesy horror movie that is so bad it’s good, or want to update your repertoire with some B movies, here are some of the best ones.
Some of the movies on the list deal with crude and adult themes.
9The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 1975
Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an iconic horror comedy movie that also doublesas a musical. You follow the innocent and sweet couple, Brad and Janet, when they enter the otherworldly mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and all of his mysterious characters and creations.
It’s a spin-off of Frankenstein, and when it was first released, it inspired quite a nightlife around the live shows, as it was meant to be an accepting environment for everyone. While truly it is meant to be a live show, the movie is a great substitute and has gathered quite a following.
8Killer Klowns From Outer Space - 1988
What’s The Matter, Scared Of Clowns?
Killer Klowns from Outer Space embodies the campiness and cheesiness of B movies. A few clowns, who are aliens from outer space, set up a circus tent just outside the small town of Crescent Cove, where they are trying to kill and harvest humans for food.
Killer Klowns was inspired by the idea of a clown out in the wild (where they aren’t supposed to be) to create an off-putting and creepy vibe. If you’re not too squeamish around clowns, it is definitely worth the watch.
7Frankenhooker - 1990
Together Again
Have you ever created an automated lawnmower and then accidentally killed your girlfriend? No? Well, if you were curious about the outcome, look no further. Frankenhooker tells that exact story through Jeffrey’s eyes, who is, luckily, also a scientist.
Jeffrey is determined to bring back his girlfriend, so he decides to try to piece her back together, just like Dr. Frankenstein. Instead of his girlfriend, he creates a monster who kills men. Unfortunately for Jeffery though, what goes around comes around.
6Sleepaway Camp - 1983
How Can It be?
Sleepaway Camp is aslasher movieabout a girl who is sent to a summer camp to try to get her out of the house and to socialize with people. Unfortunately, there is a killer loose in the camp, and counselors and campers begin to come up dead.
Sleepaway Camp is often compared to Friday The 13th, both being summer camp slasher movies, low budgets, and cheesy acting. While it is goofy at times, there are a few grotesque and horrific deaths.
5Willy’s Wonderland - 2021
It’s Your Birthday
Willy’s Wonderland is considered a modern-day B movie since it has a low budget of around five million dollars. Although the creator denies it, Willy’s Wonderland is frequently compared to Five Nights at Freddy’s, which, is understandable because both happen to havekiller animatronicstrying to kill someonewho works at night.
Nicolas Cage, the protagonist of the movie, only agreed to star in Willy’s Wonderland under one condition: he does not have a single line of dialogue. And true to that condition, he does not utter one word throughout the entire movie.
4Maximum Overdrive - 1986
Who Made Who
Originally a short story called ‘Trucks’written by Stephen King, Maximum Overdrive is a movie about what would happen if cars and just about everything that has electricity in it tried to kill humans. It is also the only movie Stephen King has directed.
Maximum Overdrive has cheesy acting and special effects that would make anyone giggle. The soundtrack was performed by none other than AC/DC and was nominated for worst actor and worst director and has since been disowned by Stephen King. While King is obviously displeased by it, it’s still an enjoyable movie to watch.
3The Cabin In The Woods - 2011
Cabin in the Woods had a high budget despite being a B movie. But it has the classic stereotypical cast of characters like the athlete, the scholar, and so on. So if you don’t particularly like older cheesy B movies, this could be the one for you.
A group of college students decide to stay in a cabin in the woods for a weekend and, of course, chaos ensues. What makes The Cabin in the Woods stand out, though, is that almost everything that happens to the characters is simulated. Fascinating.
2Re-Animator - 1985
I Gave Him Life
Re-Animator is a comedy horror movie loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s novelette, which shares the same name. The film follows a morally corrupt scientist, Herbert, and his friend, Dan, who begin to bring people, as well as animals, back from the dead, or re-animating them.
The movie and the book were both inspired by Frankenstein with azombie-like twist, as the people they bring back are aggressive. There is tons of blood, wacky deaths, and interesting little twists that have made the movie a horror classic.
1Night Of The Demons - 1988
The Party’s Just Begun
Have you ever wanted to hold a séance with your friends in a creepy old mortuary on Halloween night? This film will be your exact reason not to! Because when a group of teenagers do just that, a few of them become possessed by evil spirits that slowly begin to pick everyone off one by one.
Night of the Demons is perhaps one of the most cheesy movies of the ’80s. With overdramatic acting and absurd moments, it is an essential movie to add to your next movie night.
