The 1980s was a good time to be a fan of titles broadly definable as B-movies. The golden age for the humble B-movie might’ve been a little further back in time, when double features were more common and the second half of such an event was the cheaper of the two; a supporting movie, so to speak. But then the term came to define movies that were generally low-budget and/or kind of schlocky.
Schlock isn’t inherently a bad thing, and some B-movies – though rough – offer just as much that’s impressive and entertaining as so-called A-movies. There were enough in the 1980s that some are rather obscure, with the following movies all containing B-grade elements or energy while either being somewhat forgotten to time or perhaps unlucky enough to never truly find an audience.
- ‘Thunder of Gigantic Serpent’ (1988)
- ‘Voyage of the Rock Aliens’ (1984)
- ‘King Kong Lives’ (1986)
- ‘Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds’ (1987)
- ‘The Soldier’ (1982)
- ‘The Island’ (1980)
- ‘Five Element Ninjas’ (1982)
- ‘Escape from the Bronx’ (1983)
- ‘Ghosts… of the Civil Dead’ (1988)
- ‘Holy Flame of the Martial World’ (1983)
I wasn’t sure what to expect but that’s a fun list, if a bit random.