Outlaws and hackers on the computer frontier, in the world of underworld crime. A new breed of criminal emerges: the Console Cowboy. Hackers, mega corporations, huge class divisions, and the obliteration of the world’s ecosystem are all aspects of the Cyberpunk future. Cyberpunk is a genre that is ever-critical of rampant capitalism and unfettered technological advancement.
Science fiction started out as a disrespected sub-genre of fiction literature, but became very popular in the 1950s. Part of the reason for the popularity was the general wariness people had regarding outside forces. That mindset created some frightening scenarios in the imaginations of contemporary novel and screenplay writers. Sci-fi puts us in awe of forces that are beyond human control.
Asian horror became more mainstream in the 90s, and was appearing outside of Japan and China. In fact, some American remakes of popular Asian horror films were released in the early 2000s. The Ring, for example, was released in 2002. Nevertheless, Asian horror continued to renew itself and offer some very original and haunting tales.
Japan has a long history of horror cinema going back to the early 20th century. Films like The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen (1938) and The Ghost of Yotsuya (1956) featured vengeful ghosts and supernatural monsters. In Japanese folklore, these are ancient entities called onryo and yokai.
Back in the 1980s, Saturday mornings were all about cartoons, sugary cereal, and action figures. This list contains some of the best cartoon series from yesteryear, the heyday of animation and toy tie-ins. These are my personal favorite 80s cartoons that also happened to have cool toys.
Many anime films made it to the West thanks to the Japanese anime explosion that occurred in the 80s and 90s. Luckily, distributors such as US Manga Corps had a broad range of releases. These curated video tapes catered to middle/high school students and older audiences. This list contains some of the best full-length films and OVAs that were released or existed in the era of VHS releases.
It’s impossible to narrow down all of the lengthy history of anime shows to a simple list, but these are entries that are notable for their popularity at the time or the impact they had on future works. They may also be included because I like them. I happen to enjoy sci-fi and horror films in general, so you will see a lot of that in this list.
The Found Footage genre is relatively new. With camcorders and home editing becoming more mainstream, these tales were extremely believable due to the authenticity of the experience. The godfather of the genre, Cannibal Holocaust, is an example of how negative media attention can work as a form of marketing.
This list was hard to make, and may be updated later, but these are my favorites that I consider landmarks or exemplary in their overall production. Although this list focuses on pre-CGI Western horror, it certainly omits some excellent examples of Italian Giallo, Asian Horror, American slashers and British ghost stories that could (and should) be given their own lists.
What if Edward Bellamy was wrong? This genre of film is often characterized by including themes of dehumanization, tyrannical governments, and environmental disaster. Many cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic fiction is certainly dystopian as well, as the zeitgeist shifted from the positive “Jetsons” 1950s vision of the future to a more cynical one. This list is very focused on dystopian government and societies specifically.
In science fiction, the most recognizable portrayal of a cyborg is a human being with visibly mechanical parts. Movies from the era of VHS saw lots of creative cyborg effects and futuristic settings. The idea of the cyborg goes back to the late 1800s, and humanity has certainly been aided by technology for thousands of years, making all of us cyborgs, by definition.
The apocalypse seemed right around the corner at the end of the 21st century. These films encapsulate the fears and comedy that resulted from feeling the pressure of instant nuclear retaliation. The extinction of mankind was a horrific concept, but that didn’t stop it from intriguing moviegoers.
The vampire has been a staple in film since the advent of the moving picture. These films are my top 10 favorites that were released in the 1980s. While most of these movies can be classified as horror-comedies, a few of these movies are actually quite serious and scary.
Top 10 Movies that Inspired Video Games (coming soon)
This is a list of 10 films that inspired video games or video game characters. It’s no secret that video games continue to reference and mimic other forms of popular media. These movies all have inspired other intellectual properties to some extent (and possibly to some debate).