15 1980s B-Movies That Have Been Forgotten (2025)

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.

15 'Crazy Thunder Road' (1980)

Directed by Gakuryu Ishii

You'd be a little disappointed if you watched a movie called Crazy Thunder Road and found it wasn’t actually that crazy. It’s about a biker gang that starts to get torn apart when one of its members falls in love and drifts away from the sort of lifestyle everyone in the gang is supposed to live. Also, the 1980s sci-fi action movie takes place in some kind of future, and the whole thing is more about style than substance.

But it kind of works, even if Crazy Thunder Road also sets itself up to be pretty niche. Whether it’s been forgotten or has always lived in obscurity to some extent can be up for debate. But if you want something zany, appropriately rebellious, and aggressively chaotic throughout, this might be the kind of mind-spinning assault on the senses you're looking for.

14 'A Chinese Ghost Story' (1987)

Directed by Tony Ching Siu-Tung

While it’s not a perfect martial arts movie by any means, A Chinese Ghost Story is a wonderfully ambitious and unusual one. Also, just calling it a martial arts film is doing it a disservice, because it blends some of that kind of action with supernatural horror, romance, and out-there fantastical elements in a way that feels exciting, weird, and distinctive.

It’s initially simple stuff at first, at least as far as ghost stories go, taking in and around a haunted temple, mostly involving three key characters: a tax collector, a young woman, and an older swordsman. A Chinese Ghost Story is hard to keep up with eventually, though, because the straightforward premise explodes into increasingly bizarre and unpredictable territory with just about every passing scene. Seeing where it goes—and finding out how it might keep topping itself—is enough to make it continually worth watching, even if further confusion might well be inevitable.

13 'Lady Terminator' (1989)

Directed by H. Tjut Djalil

Lady Terminator is another fairly nonsensical 1980s film that feels decidedly B-grade throughout, but at least it’s also a lot of fun. Its title might suggest sci-fi thrills, but Lady Terminator is honestly more of a fantasy film with a large amount of action for good measure, plus some attempts at horror that aren’t very scary. But that’s okay, because this film—about an evil spirit possessing someone’s body and going on a rampage—is entertaining for other reasons.

Inevitably, Lady Terminator was never going to be more than an acquired taste, or a cult classic, but that’s okay, because it’s pretty confident about what it is, and it kind of just is what it is. If you think it sounds stupid, you'll probably find it stupid, but if you think a mash-up of these genres done with very little by way of a budget sounds fun, then you'll probably find Lady Terminator fun.

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Lady Terminator

R

Horror Drama Fantasy Thriller Action

Release Date

June 10, 1989

Runtime

82 Minutes

Cast

• 

  Barbara Anne Constable

  Tania

• 

  Christopher J. Hart

  Max

• 

  Claudia Angelique Rademaker

  Erica

• 

  Adam Stardust

  Snake

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12 'Maximum Overdrive' (1986)

Directed by Stephen King

Stephen King wasn’t content with just writing some wild books (like The Stand and those in The Dark Tower series), because in the 1980s, he also had a stab at directing a completely wild movie. The movie in question was called Maximum Overdrive, and it was a blend of science fiction, horror, comedy, and action genres, and focused on a group of people trying to survive a bizarre event that brought to life various machines on Earth, and made them want to kill humans.

Maximum Overdrive could stand to be a little more fun than it is, because the gonzo-ness of it all only takes it so far, in the end. It feels a bit stretched thin, at a point, which might explain why it’s not particularly well-remembered, though it’s enough of a curiosity—particularly if you're a Stephen King fan who’s somehow read all 40,000 books of his—to make it maybe worth digging up.

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Maximum Overdrive

R

Horror

Comedy

Action

Release Date

July 25, 1986

Runtime

98 minutes

Cast

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• 

  Emilio Estevez

• 

  Laura Harrington

• 

  Pat Hingle

• 

  Yeardley Smith

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11 'Red Sonja' (1985)

Directed by Richard Fleischer

If you want a good action/fantasy romp starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, you're best off just sticking to Conan the Barbarian. That film, though, did get a generally underwhelming (but not awful) sequel in the form of Conan the Destroyer, with both of those being generally more well-remembered than Red Sonja, which is almost—but not quite—another Conan movie, or something of a spin-off.

The story behind this weird informal trilogy is probably more interesting than Red Sonja itself, which is a bit middling and deserves to be even more forgotten than it is. Of course, considering Schwarzenegger was involved, it’s not something that languishes in complete obscurity, but it’s less remembered than those other two Schwarzenegger films, and generally holds little value as far as 1980s fantasy/action/adventure movies go.

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Red Sonja

PG-13

Action Adventure Fantasy

Release Date

July 3, 1985

Runtime

89 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Brigitte Nielsen

• 

  Arnold Schwarzenegger

• 

  Sandahl Bergman

• 

  Paul L. Smith

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10 'Holy Flame of the Martial World' (1983)

Directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku

An overall underrated martial arts movie that’s also more than “just” a martial arts movie, Holy Flame of the Martial World is gonzo, strange, and undeniably entertaining. It doesn’t have immense production value by any means, even by the standards of martial arts cinema during this era, but it makes up for that in sheer imagination, as well as because of how rapid-fire it is in presentation and editing.

It's a film that never lets up, blending fantasy, strange comedy, and over-the-top action into one breathless cinematic cocktail. The premise of Holy Flame of the Martial World involves revenge and a search for a powerful weapon; all standard stuff by martial arts cinema standards. But it’s the blending of genres and the style that make this one take off, and while it’s an acquired taste, it’s worth hunting down if you're in the mood for something weird.

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Holy Flame of the Martial World

Adventure

Comedy

Fantasy

Release Date

June 10, 1983

Runtime

85 minutes

Cast

• 

  Leanne Lau

• 

  Siu Chung Mok

• 

  Jason Piao Pai

• 

  Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok

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9 'Ghosts… of the Civil Dead' (1988)

Directed by John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat is probably best known for directing The Proposition and The Road, both during the 2000s, though he was active much earlier, as Ghosts… of the Civil Dead demonstrates. This is a smaller, grungier, and more difficult film than the already intimate, gritty, and sometimes difficult movies he made that have achieved success on a larger scale. It’s probably one of the most harrowing prison movies out there, in all honesty.

Ghosts… of the Civil Dead drifts around between characters in a brutal maximum-security prison, showcasing general misery, violence, and despair. It’s light on plot but heavy on atmosphere, and isn't necessarily the “fun” kind of B-movie. It’s more just low-budget and niche, lacking much that’s traditionally entertaining (though that’s probably the point). If you’ve heard of it before, it’s probably because Nick Cave contributed to it as a co-writer, composer, and actor. It’s otherwise a bit of a cinematic obscurity.

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Ghosts... of the Civil Dead

Crime

Drama

Release Date

August 1, 1988

Runtime

93 minutes

Cast

• 

  David Field

  Wenzil

• 

  Mike Bishop

  David Yale

• 

  Chris DeRose

  Grezner

• 

  Kevin Mackey

  Glover

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8 'Escape from the Bronx' (1983)

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari

If you want to consider Escape from New York a B-movie, then it can probably be called one of the most well-known B-movies of the 1980s. It shouldn’t be mixed up with the much less famous Escape from the Bronx, though maybe whoever called it that wanted you to mix it up with Escape from New York. After all, that one came out in 1981, and then Escape from the Bronx was a 1983 release.

But it’s not entirely fair to suggest that, because Escape from the Bronx is also a sequel to the slightly better 1982 film 1990: The Bronx Warriors. Understandably, Escape from the Bronx lives in the shadow of that movie (which itself is still probably a cult classic at most), providing a little by way of fun for anyone who likes their dystopian action movies broad and cheesy.

7 'Five Element Ninjas' (1982)

Directed by Chang Cheh

Another martial arts movie from the 1980s that fans of the genre might know, but will probably prove obscure to anyone outside that group, Five Element Ninjas feels a little B-grade, like Holy Flame of the Martial World, owing to its production values (or lack thereof). Shaw Brothers films were still fun in the 1980s, but the budgets did sometimes feel a little reduced compared to the studio’s 1960s and 1970s productions.

In Five Element Ninjas, a group of warriors come together because one man has his master and fellow martial artists killed by someone who needs to be punched to death in a whirlwind of vengeance. It’s no surprise that yet another martial arts film resorts to such a premise, but it just about always seems to work, especially because the important thing is the action. And, with Five Element Ninjas, the action scenes are thankfully a good deal of fun.

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Five Element Ninjas

Action Drama

Release Date

April 21, 1982

Runtime

108 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Ricky Cheng Tien-Chi

  Xiao Tian Hao

• 

  Lung Tien-Hsiang

  Lei Ben

• 

  Lo Meng

  Liang Zhi Sheng

• 

  Michael Chan

  Kembuchi Mudou

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6 'The Island' (1980)

Directed by Michael Ritchie

The Island certainly has its issues, but it’s easy to admire just how wild it is. It’s also one of many Michael Caine movies that could be called underrated, with the actor being so prolific and having such a long career that some of his stuff gets overlooked. The Island is too weird to stay buried, though, and it satisfies as a B-grade film.

It’s about modern-day pirates and a reporter who gets roped into their hectic lives after crossing paths with them. The Island blends a bunch of genres together, being a mystery film, a horror movie, a thriller, and something of an old-fashioned (albeit bloody) adventure flick, too. It’s an exhausting, messy, and sometimes confusing ride, but it also works more than you might expect; a hidden treasure of a B-movie that any modern-day pirate would be thrilled to unearth.

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The Island

R

Thriller Horror

Mystery

Release Date

June 13, 1980

Runtime

114 minutes

Cast

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• 

  David Warner

  David Nau

• 

  Michael Caine

  Blair Maynard

• 

  Angela Punch McGregor

  Beth

• 

  Frank Middlemass

  Windsor

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5 'The Soldier' (1982)

Directed by James Glickenhaus

You kind of have to appreciate an action movie having a title as to-the-point as The Soldier, much like you would a mystery movie called “The Murder” or a horror movie called “The Scares.” The premise of The Soldier is similarly no-nonsense, following a proficient anti-terrorism agent – known only as “The Soldier” – getting sent after terrorists who are threatening to bomb an oil field in Saudi Arabia.

It's an underrated action movie in general, and can also be seen as a rare arthouse take on the genre in question, owing to how simple, strange, and unique it is. The Soldier is both unusual and very easy to appreciate in different ways, and the experience of watching it play out—not to mention play by its own rules—is a distinctive and entertaining one.

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The Soldier

R

Action Drama

Release Date

June 1, 1982

Runtime

88 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Ken Wahl

  The Soldier

• 

  Alberta Watson

  Susan Goodman

• 

  Jeremiah Sullivan

  Ivan

• 

  William Prince

  The President

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4 'Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds' (1987)

Directed by Alex Proyas

Though it might be a little more well-known nowadays than it was in the 1980s, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is still pretty obscure overall. Part of it becoming an almost-cult classic might be owing to the fact that Alex Proyas directed it some years before he became a better-known filmmaker, thanks to finding a decent amount of success with movies like The Crow and Dark City.

Fitting for a movie with such a title, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is odd, yet it’s also quite compelling, being set in a post-apocalyptic Australia while only focusing on a small number of characters. There’s less action and spectacle than what’s found in that other well-known property set in a dystopian Australia, but there’s also a great deal of beauty and creativity to be found in this one. Even if you don’t connect with the loose story or characters in Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds, you will likely be taken aback by how striking the film looks visually.

3 'King Kong Lives' (1986)

Directed by John Guillermin

It might not be quite bad enough to be considered an all-time bad giant monster movie, but King Kong Lives certainly isn't a good one either. For that reason, maybe it’s fair that it’s relatively forgotten, at least by the standards of the largely iconic King Kong film series. You probably have to be a decently passionate fan of the Eighth Wonder of the World to be familiar with this one.

Narratively, it brings Kong back to life and follows a comparable plot to Bride of Frankenstein, only with giant apes this time around instead of body parts stitched together and resurrected. King Kong Lives is sloppy and not nearly as technically dazzling as the other King Kong movies have generally been (for their time), but if you want schlocky action, you will technically get some of that here, for whatever that’s worth.

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King Kong Lives

PG-13

Action Adventure

Release Date

December 19, 1986

Runtime

105 Minutes

Cast

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• 

  Brian Kerwin

• 

  Linda Hamilton

• 

  John Ashton

• 

  Peter Michael Goetz

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2 'Voyage of the Rock Aliens' (1984)

Directed by James Fargo

Voyage of the Rock Aliens is one of the wildest, silliest, and most underrated sci-fi movies ever. It has so much on its plate and doesn’t successfully chew/swallow/digest it all, but there’s a wonder that comes with watching the whole thing try regardless. Also, it’s very much a homage to B-movies of the 1950s and 1960s while having a certain amount of endearing kitsch when watched today, as a 1980s B-movie.

It’s a musical comedy that consistently has the feel and energy of a music video, following aliens who come to Earth and clash with various people in a very unusual small town in America. Voyage of the Rock Aliens seems mostly self-aware about how silly it is, and it’s therefore a good deal of fun, and very much deserves to be unearthed as a full-blown cult classic one of these days.

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Voyage of the Rock Aliens

PG

Science Fiction

Comedy

Release Date

March 9, 1984

Runtime

97 minutes

Cast

• 

  Craig Sheffer

  Frankie

• 

  Pia Zadora

  Dee Dee

• 

  Ruth Gordon

  The Sheriff

• 

  Tom Nolan

  Absid (ABCD)

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1 'Thunder of Gigantic Serpent' (1988)

Directed by Lee Chiu

You get exactly what you'd expect and hope for out of Thunder of Gigantic Serpent, based on that wondrous title. It’s a kind of underrated kaiju movie and also a rare one in the sense that it wasn’t made in Japan, instead being a Hong Kong production. The story is expectedly simple stuff, following a pet snake accidentally becoming a giant one and causing all sorts of problems on an increasingly growing scale.

You could call it so bad it’s good, but there’s also an endearing quality to it that maybe you’ll find yourself laughing with it more than laughing at it. Thunder of Gigantic Serpent provides scenes of a gigantic serpent causing havoc, and shows that a beefy budget isn't always needed when it comes to making an unabashedly fun and silly giant monster movie.

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Thunder of Gigantic Serpent

Action Drama Horror

Sci-Fi

Release Date

April 15, 1988

Runtime

87 Minutes

Cast

• 

  Pierre Kirby

  Ted Fast

• 

  Edowan Bersmea

  Solomon

• 

  Danny Raisebeck

  Jackson

• 

  Dewey Bosworth

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NEXT: The Best Classic B-Movies, Ranked