Best 1980s made for TV horror film?

Deadly Lessons: saw this alot on TBS.

 

Watched it recently, it holds up great.

 

Easily The Midnight Hour, with an honorable mention to Mr. Boogedy.

 

Good to hear regarding The Demon Murder Case.

Scream Factory posted a question today on Facebook asking us to name our favorite-made-for-TV horror films and those we wish would come out on DVD. Wonder if they are considering any of these titles in our thread?

 

I've always loved this one. I just wish there were better transfers out there for the film. It's long overdue for a DVD release.

 

Was "Snowbeast" made for tv?

 

Yes, but it aired in 1977.

 

No love for Mr. Boogedy (1986) damn!!!

 

Mysterious Two, a fascinating gem inspired by the Heaven's Gate cult and directed by Gary Sherman of Dead & Buried fame.

 

Forgot to mention, Deadly Lessons and Midnight Offerings are two I revisited and would now be toward the top of my list as well.

Don't Go to Sleep would probably be bumped down to the number four slot now. I revisited Bay Coven a while back and would no longer consider it a favorite. I remembered it being better than it actually was. Still enjoy the others.

 

Mr. Boogedy (1986)

 

DON'T GO TO SLEEP scarred me forever. I'm a little apprehensive about watching it again in case it sucks.

 

Deadly lessons. enjoyed this a lot. diane franklin fresh from her last American virgin role and billy Paxton and ally sheedy in early roles. I think sheedy looked her best in this, hated when she cut her hair short..

 

I'll always remember the film fondly... in the 80's, on The Disney Channel. Which, for some reason, I've realized I do remember.

 

Why has Disney not released this on DVD or Blu-ray yet!?

 

Can't speak for the former...

But, as for the latter, last I checked they were just not in the mood to release any of their live-action films pre-90's on Blu-Ray (I've heard that Newsies has a Blu-Ray and, of course, Hocus Pocus has one- so, it's pretty much just the cult flicks). That's a lead-in, of course, to mention that (again, last I checked) they finally decided to experiment with Blu-Ray for their 1962(?) (1963?) adaptation of Babes in Toyland. Which was in fact released before the big 2013 Blu-Ray for Mary Poppins.

So... a Blu-Ray for Mr. Boogedy? Keep dreaming. It's going to have to wait in line behind 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Old Yeller, Pollyanna, Shaggy Dog, Parent Trap, Love Bug, Tron, Apple Dumpling Gang, Swiss Family Robinson, Davy Crockett, Treasure Island, Pete's Dragon, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Freaky Friday, Return to Oz, Absent-Minded Professor, That Darn Cat, sequels to all, the Kurt Russell flicks (he was in like 6), and the Witch Mountain films.

Again, providing they haven't finally started the assembly line on getting these out.

 

You never know. There have been many movies that never hit DVD, or hit late in the game, and than boom, a Blu-ray. Sometimes it's just a matter of them spending the money on the new transfer for DVD, might as well throw it on Blu too. Disney really needs to get on releasing their classic live action films on Blu though, it's embarrassing how behind they are.

 

Disney've got to be the #1 Proud to Not-Give-a-Shit because We've Been Convinced by Market Research That it Doesn't Pay To company out there. They're literally crafting the business model for the corporate thinking of where movie watching will be 10 years from now (in their ideal). Which is: physical media dead and everyone pays for every single occasion they watch a movie. In a way, Walt himself came up with this notion because he intended to resurrect their old classics for theatrical re-releases and now Disney don't bother with that at all unless they can sell 3-D for Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, etc. The post-Little Mermaid films. Michael Eisner then created the Disney Vault bullshit when VHS became a big thing in the early 80's: buy Sleeping Beauty (first released to VHS in 1986, I believe) this week / month or you're shit out of luck. Until we release it again, but only because it was a huge hit in 1986 did they bother doing it in 1995. Eventually we learn that their practice of re-releasing anything on physical media comes from how much money they made on their last release. I know this because I've heard execs from the company being quoted on it. They won't bother with upgrading anything unless it was a giant sell the last time it was released.

I mean, here's some perspective: everything from the original Platinum Edition line of DVD's has been Blu-Ray-ized. This is the company's bread and butter on home video, other than milking those Unbelievably Stupid Fans of Newsies (I actually have a Facebook friend who showed me their collection of discs on the movie... They bought every edition Disney hocked them), and Aladdin still doesn't have a Blu-Ray. Because they crunched the numbers and decided Alice in Wonderland had bigger merchandising potential. (It sorta does.) They're not just holding it back to make more money on the next re-release, making it more rare so as to drive up sales if it ever does hit Blu-Ray. They're convinced it won't make the same money as Sleeping Beauty if they want to re-release it a few MORE times on this format or streaming if they ever come up with a plan for that format that they like.

The only exception to this rule were a series of "movie club" releases, officially DVD-R'd by Disney, under these "collection" banners:



I have no clue why this was invented and kind of scrapped pretty early. Other than the fact that the "Wonderful World of Disney" discs are almost $30 a piece. The latter series seems to be devoted to made-for-TV films and is now 2 years old... like with anything Disney tries, it seems to be only an experiment.

 

Yeah I'm really surprised Mr. Boogedy wasn't released as a part of one of those limited exclusive lines. I heard Aladdin is being held for the stage musical re-release. Wasn't it already released everywhere but North America?

 

Dark Night of the Scarecrow easily. I still need to see Don't Go to Sleep!

Just curious, why is Sweeney Todd on here? That's not a made for TV film, it's the stage musical filmed live and then broadcast on PBS.