Hey, everyone! So as you may (or may not) have heard, earlier this week I released my latest book that celebrates the lives and careers of special effects artists called Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume 1 (you can order your copy HERE). And being someone who has always loved and appreciated special effects, I thought that for our latest installment in our “From Streams to Screams” series, I’d put together a list of where to stream more than 50 different classic horror movies that feature brilliant FX work from some of the greatest artists to ever work in Hollywood.
So, if you love creatures, monsters, characters, and all sorts of gooey gore like I do, check out this list of movies that feature some killer effects work from a variety of greats in the industry. One quick note: Peacock pretty much has all of the films from their Universal Monsters collection, so if you want to check out the work of many of the greatest artists who helped pave the way for modern effects, you can catch up with all those film series on Peacock’s platform.
Happy Streaming!
The Monster Squad (Available on Pluto TV & Amazon Prime)
Artist(s): Stan Winston, Steve Wang, Matt Rose, Alec Gillis, John Rosengrant, Tom Woodruff Jr., Shane Mahan and more
Young kids form a club that is devoted to monsters, but soon get more than they bargained for when Dracula adjourns to Earth, with Frankenstein's Monster, Wolfman, Mummy, and the Gillman.
Maniac (Available on Shudder & ARROW & Vudu & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Tom Savini
A twisted psychopath displays his victim’s scalps on mannequins in his apartment.
Day of the Dead (1985) (Available on Tubi TV & Pluto TV & Peacock)
Artist(s): Tom Savini, Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, Everett Burrell, John Vulich and more
The living dead regroup above while humans sweat it out below in a Florida missile silo.
Videodrome (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Rick Baker, Steve Johnson, Mark Shostrom, Bill Sturgeon and more
A programmer at a TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast.
The Return of the Living Dead (Available on HBO Max)
Artist(s): Bill Munns, Allan Apone, Tony Gardner and more
Ghouls with an insatiable appetite for human brains go on the rampage in this hilarious and insanely gory 1985 cult classic.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Tom Savini, Bart Mixon, Gabe Bartalos, John Vulich, Gino Crognale and more
A retired Texas Ranger (Dennis Hopper) pursues a killer named Leatherface (Bill Johnson) and his family of chainsaw-wielding cannibals.
Spookies (Available on Shudder)
Artist(s): Jennifer Aspinall, Gabe Bartalos, John Dods, Arnold Gargiulo and more
After their car breaks down, a group of travelers find themselves stranded in a remote part of New England. After taking shelter in a spooky old mansion, complete with a graveyard, they discover a ouija board and decide to spend the night attempting to summon some spirits. But the group soon learns that playing with the forces of black magic isn't fun and games, and it's not long before they're head-to-head with all sorts of demonic creatures, shape shifters, and other forms of evil, all of whom are more than happy to pick them off in the most gruesome of ways.
Zombie (Available on Shudder & ARROW)
Artist(s): Giannetto De Rossi
Lucio Fulci’s ultra-gory masterpiece is a must-see classic of zombie cinema.
Dead & Buried (Available on Shudder & Vudu & Tubi TV & Amazon Prime)
Artist(s): Stan Winston
Unsuspecting visitors to a small town are being murdered by groups of locals.
Stephen King’s IT (1990) (Available on Hulu & HBO Max)
Artist(s): Bart Mixon
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon that poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
Waxwork (Available on Vudu & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Bob Keen, Paul Jones, Mark Coulier, Dave Elsey and more
An evil magician creates a wax display of monsters and murderers and invites a group of college students to view the collection. When the kids are trapped in the deadly displays, they discover the wax models are more than they appear to be.
Night of the Demons (Available on Shudder & Pluto TV)
Artist(s): Steve Johnson
In this ‘80s cult hit, horny teens at a Halloween Party get possessed by demons.
Evil Dead II (Available on HBO Max)
Artist(s): Mark Shostrom, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, Shannon Shea and more
Sam Raimi's full-throttle sequel finds whacked-out dead basher Ash battling another batch of possessed pals at a remote cabin.
Child’s Play Collection (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Kevin Yagher, Tony Gardner, Howard Berger, Dave Nelson, Craig Reardon, Paul Jones and more
Features Child’s Play 2, Child’s Play 3, Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky.
Christine (Available on Pluto TV)
Artist(s): Roy Arbogast
Based on the novel by Stephen King, CHRISTINE tells the story of a 1957 Plymouth that takes on human characteristics.
Darkman (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Tony Gardner, Gabe Bartalos, Doug Beswick, Chet Zar and more
An acid-scarred scientist seeks revenge on the gangsters who disfigured him.
The Stuff (Available on Shudder & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Ed French
Americans start acting strangely after eating an alien ice cream known as “The Stuff.”
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Available on Pluto TV)
Artist(s): Thomas Burman
This dazzling remake of the 1956 spine-tingler stars Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Veronica Cartwright in an eerie tale of possession by "alien pods."
Basket Case (Available on Shudder & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Gabe Bartalos
A man begins killing off the people who separated him from his deformed Siamese twin.
Critters (Available on HBO Max)
Artist(s): The Chiodo Brothers, R. Christopher Biggs, John Goodwin and more
Ravenous aliens eat their way through a Kansas farming town while on the run from interstellar bounty hunters.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Collection (Available on HBO Max & Peacock)
Artist(s): David Miller, Kevin Yagher, Mark Shostrom, Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman, Steve Johnson, “Screaming” Mad George and more
This collection features all seven of the original Nightmare on Elm Street films (Peacock omits New Nightmare).
Killer Crocodile (Available on ARROW & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Giannetto De Rossi, John Goodwin
More than a decade after the Spielberg blockbuster, a dream team of shockmaestros created one of the most ridiculously entertaining JAWS rip-offs in ItaloSleaze history. When a humongous crocodile begins chomping on a tropical island community, a group of idealistic young environmentalists will clash with a crusty redneck hunter to destroy the monster reptile spawned by toxic waste.
Chopping Mall (Available on Vudu & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Robert Short
A group of young shopping mall employees stay behind for a late night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lock-down before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions, and goes on a killing spree.
Hellraiser (Available on Shudder & Tubi TV & Amazon Prime)
Artist(s): Bob Keen, Dave Elsey, Nigel Booth, Stuart Conran and more
A puzzle box reveals a realm of sadistic monsters led by a being named Pinhead.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (Available on Shudder & ARROW & Hulu & Tubi TV & Amazon Prime)
Artist(s): Bob Keen, Mark Coulier, Stuart Conran, Paul Jones and more
This brutal sequel follows Kristy, as she is brought to an institution. The facilities won't keep her safe from the return of a certain demon.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (Available on Hulu & Peacock)
Artist(s): Tom Savini, Kevin Yagher, Alec Gillis, John Vulich, James Kagel and more
Hockey-masked Jason goes after another batch of teens at Crystal Lake.
Bride of Re-Animator (Available on Shudder & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): John Carl Buechler, Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, “Screaming” Mad George, Brian Wade and more
Herbert West returns in the sequel to Stuart Gordon’s horror-comedy classic.
The Leprechaun Collection (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Gabe Bartalos
Features all six original Leprechaun films.
Street Trash (Available on Shudder)
Artist(s): Jennifer Aspinall
A psychotic Vietnam vet and toxic booze threaten the lives of a group of homeless men.
Event Horizon (Available on HBO Max)
Artist(s): Bob Keen, Mark Coulier and more
A space rescue crew enters a world of nightmarish evil when they happen upon a spaceship lost more than seven years earlier.
Society (Available on Shudder & ARROW & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): “Screaming” Mad George, David Grasso, Moto Hata, Guy Himber and more
A teen suspects his wealthy family is part of a cabal of monstrous socialites.
Gremlins (Available on HBO Max & Peacock)
Artist(s): Chris Walas, Brent Baker and more
An inventor gives his son an odd little creature which multiplies into monsters which wreck the town.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Available on HBO Max & Peacock)
Artist(s): Rick Baker, Bart Mixon, Bill Corso, Mike Elizalde, Steve Wang, Eddie Yang, Matt Rose, Gabe Bartalos, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Norman Cabrera, Guy Himber, Joey Orosco, Brian Wade and more
A designer and his wife try to stop hundreds of creatures from taking over New York.
Castle Freak (1995) (Available on Shudder & Pluto TV & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Everett Burrell, John Vulich
An American family inherits an Italian castle which houses a bloodthirsty monster.
Prince of Darkness (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Michael Mills, Mark Shostrom
A priest summons a professor to an old church to see a canister of liquid Satan.
House II: The Second Story (Available on Shudder & ARROW & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Chris Walas, Mike Smithson, Gregg Olsson and more
Ghosts, a magic skull, and Amazon warriors are just a few elements of this super-fun sequel.
An American Werewolf in London (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Rick Baker, Steve Johnson, Bill Sturgeon, Craig Reardon, Doug Beswick, Tom Hester, Shawn McEnroe and more
A New York student becomes the scourge of London after being bitten by a beast on the moors.
The Funhouse (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Rick Baker, Craig Reardon
Naughty teens are locked in a carnival funhouse with a man in a Frankenstein mask.
City of the Living Dead (Available on Shudder & Vudu & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Gino De Rossi
A reporter and a psychic try to close the gates of Hell before zombies invade Earth.
Vamp (Available on ARROW & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Greg Cannom, Everett Burrell, Brent Baker and more
Two fraternity pledges head to a seedy part of town to find some entertainment for their college friends but are faced with bloodthirsty vampires!
Nightbreed (Available on Shudder & Vudu & Tubi TV & Peacock)
Artist(s): Bob Keen, Mark Coulier, Paul Jones, Tony Gardner and more
A wanted man seeks refuge in an underground kingdom of grotesque monsters.
The Gate (Available on Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Craig Reardon
Two boys discover treasure in a hole in their backyard but inadvertently open a gate to Hell, unleashing demons into their home.
The Blob (1988) (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): John Caglione Jr., Tony Gardner, Shawn McEnroe, Bill Sturgeon, Mike Smithson, Francois Dagenais, Lynette Eklund and more
A teen rebel and a cheerleader try to fight formless slime oozing through town and engulfing people.
The Beyond (Available on Shudder & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): Giannetto De Rossi, Germano Natali
In this gore classic, a woman inherits a hotel built over an entrance to Hell.
Re-Animator (Available on Shudder & ARROW & Tubi TV)
Artist(s): John Carl Buechler, Everett Burrell
This beloved ‘80s cult horror hit follows a student who brings the dead back to life.
The Prowler (Available on ARROW & Vudu)
Artist(s): Tom Savini
At the graduation celebration held at an exclusive girl's school, a uniformed intruder commits violent acts against the partygoers.
Cat People (1982) (Available on Peacock)
Artist(s): Thomas Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
A woman's discovery that intense desire turns her into a leopard jeopardizes her relationship with a zookeeper.
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Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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