The ultimate 80s trash horror!

Yo, guys, pop in the VHS, turn up the volume and get ready for the totally crazy cult shocker TerrorVision from 1986!

This is pure ’80s power: neon colors, slimy monsters, a family that’s completely crazy, and an alien that crawls right out of the TV! If you’re into trashy horror comedies that are so cheesy they almost drip off the screen, this is the movie for you, man! Totally radical, mega-gory, and just awesome!

And yes: TerrorVision is exactly the kind of movie you either love immediately or hate completely – but either way, you’ll never forget it. It feels like a wild mix of “family sitcom,” “creature feature,” and “MTV at 2 a.m.,” all thrown into a neon blender and doused with slime.

This isn’t “horror” in the classic sense, where you shiver in the dark and scream quietly. This is horror that laughs in your face, dumps a can of Coke on your head, and plays a guitar riff while doing it. It’s the perfect movie for anyone who wants to travel back in time to an era when satellite dishes were the new big thing, hairstyles were as tall as skyscrapers, and movie studios still had the courage to bring completely crazy ideas to life.

And let’s be honest: the title alone sounds like a video store warning written on a crumpled VHS cover. “TerrorVision” – that’s not subtle, that’s a promise. And the film delivers.

Watch out, this thing is coming out of the TV!

Imagine you’ve just installed a new satellite dish on your roof – and suddenly you’re not only receiving MTV, but also a hungry alien monster from the planet Pluto! The Putterman family, totally 80s with swinger parents, a heavy metal daughter, and a little survival kid, gets exactly that.

The Puttermans are already a family that makes you wonder if they were ever “normal.” The father is a party animal, the mother is an ice queen in permanent flirt mode, the daughter lives in a constant rock show, and little Sherman is a typical 80s movie kid who is smarter than all the adults put together.

The “Hungry Beast” is disposed of as intergalactic trash, but ends up right in their luxury TV. And that’s when things get really sick: first it eats Grandpa, then the swinger guests, and soon it imitates the slimy remains of its victims – gross, right?! The monster is not only dangerous, but also somehow absurdly disgusting and funny at the same time, because the film stages the whole thing in such an over-the-top way that you can’t help but grin.

The best part is that no one realizes it right away. While Sherman notices early on that something is really wrong, the adults react as usual: they ignore everything as long as it doesn’t interfere with their party. And that’s where the biting humor comes in, because the film basically says, “Hey, adults are completely blind when it comes to real problems – as long as the music is playing.”

Sherman, the little hero, desperately tries to warn everyone, but no one believes him – typical! The adults are far too busy with their party, their lifestyle, and their 80s overkill. Meanwhile, the house slowly escalates into a slime hell. It’s as if a monster movie suddenly bursts into a sitcom and covers everything with green jelly.

And then comes this absolutely delightful escalation: the monster gets bigger and bigger, nastier and nastier, more and more grotesque. And at the same time, everything seems so over the top that it almost looks like a cartoon. Sometimes you don’t know whether to scream or laugh – so you just do both.

In the end, it turns into a wild party with the monster, until an alien cop shows up… and everything gets even more chaotic! And if you think the finale is logical or “tidy”: nope. The thing is an explosion of chaos, noise, and neon, and it feels like fireworks that you accidentally set off in your living room.

Pure action, slime, and laughter—that’s TerrorVision, baby! Rewind and watch it again!

Neon, Slime, and Complete Exaggeration

If you had to make a movie that was completely based on 80s aesthetics, TerrorVision would probably be the blueprint. Everything screams plastic, bright colors, absurd outfits, and a set design that looks like someone raided a toy store. The sets are overloaded, garish, and totally “too much” — but that’s exactly what makes them so charming.

The Puttermans‘ house looks like a mixture of a sci-fi design catalog, a teenager’s bedroom, and a shopping mall. Everything is flashing, there’s weird furniture everywhere, and you get the feeling that the walls could start talking at any moment. Even when no one is dying in the film, the look is so over the top that you constantly feel like you’re in another dimension.

The film looks like a VHS tape that has been played too many times: slightly skewed, overmodulated, and with that inimitable B-movie glow. Add to that absurd camera angles and a style as loud as a heavy metal solo in a child’s bedroom.

And then there’s the slime! The film is practically a declaration of love for slimy practical effects. Today, something like this would probably be done with CGI, but here everything is handmade: latex, puppets, slime, and probably a lot of poor crew members who had to spend hours scraping green goo off the sets after filming was over.

The monster design is also something else: it’s not “cool” in the modern sense, but more like a nightmare you have after three cans of energy drink. That’s exactly why it’s so iconic.

B-movie royalty at their best

The cast is a who’s who of the 80s B-movie universe and contributes significantly to the film’s over-the-top charm. And that’s important, because a film like this would completely fall apart if the actors didn’t play along. But here? Here, everyone goes ALL IN.

• Gerrit Graham as Stanley Putterman – the weird swinger dad who’d rather throw parties than listen to his son. Stanley is basically the kind of guy who tries to stay cool even when an alien is crawling out of the TV in the next room.
• Mary Woronov as Raquel Putterman – the swinger mom with perfect 80s hair and ice-cold coolness. She seems like the kind of woman who would remain prim and proper even if an alien were spreading slimy remains all over the living room.
• Diane Franklin as Suzy Putterman – the cool heavy metal daughter. She is basically the walking definition of “80s teen spirit”: always slightly annoyed, always a little dramatic, and completely caught up in the world of rock and metal.
• Chad Allen as Sherman Putterman – the smart little brother who is the only one to take the monster seriously. He is basically the classic “kid hero” from the 80s: a little nerdy, but with more brains and more courage than the rest of the family put together.
• Jon Gries as O.D. – Suzy’s punk boyfriend who looks like he fell straight out of a rock video. He has that typical 80s “bad boy” look: leather and attitude.
• Bert Remsen as Grampa – the crazy grandpa with a bunker and weapons, a walking Cold War nightmare: always suspicious, always ready to shoot someone at a moment’s notice.
• Alejandro Rey as Spiro and Randi Brooks as Cherry – the swinger guests.
• Jennifer Richards as Medusa – the sexy horror hostess with a snake wig. She looks like a mixture of a gothic model, a B-movie vampire, and a TV presenter from an obscure late-night horror show.

What makes the film so funny is that many of the actors perform as if they were in a completely different film. Some seem as if they are in a sitcom, others act as if they are in a horror movie, and still others seem like MTV presenters. And it is precisely this mixture that makes it so crazy. It almost feels as if each actor was given a different script – but instead of ruining the film, it makes it truly cult. This total clash of styles means you never know whether to laugh, marvel, or just say, “What the hell?!”

The film was directed by Ted Nicolaou and produced by Charles Band (Empire Pictures). And you can tell that this was a time when producers like Charles Band were keen to mix up completely crazy genre cocktails. There was no time to think about logic or realism – it was all about having an idea that looked cool on a VHS cover and then just going for it. It’s precisely this “let’s just do it” mindset that is the spirit that makes TerrorVision so wonderfully over the top and at the same time so unique.

Synth, rock and video store vibes

When you watch TerrorVision, you don’t just hear the 80s – you get run over by them. The score is loud, the sound is full of synthesizers, and everything feels like a mixture of horror movie and rock concert. This music has that typical “VHS at midnight” feeling: a little cheap, a little overdriven, but that’s exactly why it’s so cool. It sounds like someone took a keyboard, threw some weird sci-fi sounds over it, and then just said, “That’s fine, it’s art.”

The soundtrack is by Richard Band and the band The Fibonaccis, and the title song “TerrorVision” is a real earworm. It’s the kind of track you can imagine playing on some late-night show back in the day, while teenagers sit on the sofa eating chips. And that’s exactly the feeling the film conveys: it’s like a music video that suddenly decided to become a monster movie.

What also fits perfectly is that the sound isn’t just background noise, but almost a character in its own right. The music drives the scenes forward, making everything faster, louder, and even more absurd. Sometimes it feels like the score is screaming at you: “Hey, don’t think – just enjoy the madness!”

The music really supports this comic vibe: even when the monster is eating people, it somehow feels like a grotesque party. That’s exactly why the film works so well as a horror comedy: you never feel like it’s really trying to traumatize you—it’s more like it wants to hypnotize you with neon, synth, and slime until you’re completely immersed in this 80s fever dream.

Fun Facts from the Slime Factory

• The film was shot in Italy, back-to-back with Troll (also Empire Pictures). Many crew members, including effects artist John Carl Buechler and composer Richard Band, worked on both projects. This also explains why some sets and the general “fantasy meets trash” feeling seem a bit similar – Empire Pictures really did churn out cult video store gems back then.
• The monster design is pure handiwork with lots of slime and practical effects – a highlight for fans of classic creature features. And you can really tell how much love (and probably how many liters of slime) went into it. The creature is not elegant, not stylish – just maximally disgusting, maximally weird, and thus 100% 80s.
• The soundtrack is by Richard Band and the band The Fibonaccis; the title song “TerrorVision” is a real 80s earworm. This music sounds like it came straight out of an old arcade game or a weird MTV intro – and that’s exactly why it sticks in your head.
• The film was released on February 14, 1986, and grossed a meager $320,000. So yes, it was a bit of a flop at the box office. But films like this don’t live off box office receipts – they live off people discovering them years later on VHS and suddenly realizing, “Okay, this is completely insane… but somehow awesome.”
• The film was later released on Blu-ray (including as a double feature with The Video Dead from Scream Factory). For many fans, this was a real highlight because they could finally see the film in better quality without the picture looking like a fifth-generation copy from the video store.
• The mixture of sci-fi, horror, and comedy was too weird for many at the time—today, that’s exactly why fans celebrate it. In the 80s, many viewers wanted either “real horror” or “real comedy.” TerrorVision said, “Why not both? And a little sitcom thrown in for good measure.”
• The film also plays on the fear at the time that television brings “bad influences” – here it is literally a monster. And that’s what makes the gag so powerful: instead of just softening your brain, the TV simply spits out an alien that eats you.
• The name “Putterman” already sounds like a cartoon surname, and that’s exactly how the family feels. They seem less like real people and more like characters sprung from a crazy parody of American suburban life.
• Many fans see the film as a kind of satire on the consumer culture and media craze of the 80s. And the more you watch it, the more you realize that behind all the slime there is actually a small commentary on how much people back then were already lulled by television, trends, and superficial lifestyles.

Why the film only became a cult classic later

When it was released, TerrorVision was largely panned by critics. Rotten Tomatoes now gives it a critics‘ score of only 10% (based on 10 reviews). And yes, that sounds brutal – but when you put yourself in the context of the time, it’s almost logical: in 1986, horror was either serious and dark or clearly recognizable as comedy. TerrorVision, however, was such a completely bizarre hybrid that many critics probably didn’t know whether to feel like they were being made fun of or whether it was meant to be taken seriously.

• The New York Times called it “smugly stupid” and “noisily campy without cleverness.” In other words: loud, stupid, and self-satisfied. Harsh, but somehow also exactly what makes the film so entertaining today.
• Variety wrote that the film was “uninvolving” and relied too much on gooey effects instead of finesse. Which is true, of course – but come on, this is a film that basically wears slime and neon as makeup. Finesse was never the plan here.
• The Chicago Tribune gave it only one star and called it “certifiably bad,” but found some moments “strangely likable.” And that’s probably the most honest review of all: Yes, it’s bad… but it has this weird charm that you can’t shake.
• The Los Angeles Times praised individual “goofy moments” but criticized the lack of comic rhythm. And that’s not entirely wrong, because the film sometimes seems to jump back and forth between “monster movie,” “sitcom,” and “music video.”

Many reviewers found the film too loud, too trashy, and too exaggerated. And honestly, that’s exactly what it is. TerrorVision is a film that constantly screams, “More! Bigger! Brighter!”—completely throwing any form of subtle restraint out the window.

But that’s exactly the point: some films aren’t meant to be “understood” upon their initial release. Some films need time. And TerrorVision is like a weird snack that you might have found disgusting as a child – but suddenly love as an adult. The kind of thing you would have dismissed as “rubbish” in the past, but now celebrate as a pure 80s time capsule because it’s so uncompromisingly weird.

From flop to video store sanctuary

TerrorVision flopped at the box office, but became a true cult classic through VHS and midnight screenings. Today, it is considered a prime example of the “so bad it’s good” trash of the 80s and is celebrated by fans for its self-deprecating satire on television consumption, family clichés, and the era of satellite dishes. It is precisely this mix of “too much” and “completely over the top” that makes the film so legendary, because it doesn’t feel like a product, but like a complete fever dream.

The film influenced later horror comedies and is regularly mentioned in retro lists and podcasts. Many genre fans also celebrate it as an example of how, with a minimal budget and maximum creativity, you can create something that still feels fresh and completely crazy decades later. The practical monster effects and neon-colored look make it a favorite of the B-movie community.

With an IMDb rating of 5.6/10 and significantly higher audience scores (around 43-60%), it has a loyal fan base that defends it as an entertaining guilty pleasure. And that fan base is pretty vocal: for many, TerrorVision isn’t just “trash,” but exactly the kind of movie you put on again and again when you’re in the mood for completely escalated ’80s energy.

And let’s be honest: movies like this are the reason why video stores used to be like treasure troves. You never knew whether you were taking home a classic or complete madness—and TerrorVision is definitely madness in its purest form. It’s the kind of movie where, after ten minutes, you think, “Okay, this is either genius or total garbage”—and in the end, you realize it’s both, and that’s exactly why it works.

Today, the film is often mentioned alongside other “Weird 80s” gems because it captures that era so perfectly. It’s like a time capsule: you can turn it on and immediately be transported back to that world of neon, plastic, and absurd ideas. And the more you watch it, the more you realize that the film is not just a monster gag, but also a small, completely bizarre monument to a time when television really did seem like magic… and sometimes like a gateway to hell.

Grab the VHS and unleash the monster!

Wow, guys, TerrorVision is the absolute king of 80s trash! Slime, laughter, aliens, and pure energy—this is cinema that will blow you away and never let you go! If you’re in the mood for a movie that’s as crazy as a night at the video store, then this is for you! It’s the perfect flick for an evening when you just want to switch off—but in a completely deranged way.

This is not a film for people who want “perfect” stories. This is a film for people who like to throw themselves into a neon slime hell and have fun doing it. And best of all, the film never takes itself seriously – but it takes its audience seriously enough to deliver completely. You can tell that everyone involved knew exactly what they were doing: maximum trash, maximum madness, and maximum fun. And that’s exactly why it’s not just “bad,” but somehow brilliant in its own way.

If you’re in the mood for a movie that looks like an over-the-top music video, smells like an old VHS tape, and feels like an ’80s fever dream after too much Coke and too little sleep – then you’ve come to the right place. This is the stuff cult classics are made of.
Totally awesome, mega-fun, and a must-see for any horror fan who loves neon, creature action, and completely crazy ideas. Don’t touch that dial… or do?

Rewind and let’s go!

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