Every Major ’80s 3D Horror Film Ranked by How Much Stuff Flies at the Screen

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Back in the early 1980s, if a movie studio had a successful horror series – especially after two profitable films – they often wanted to make the third one a 3-D spectacle. Three horror franchises did just that, using the then-new 3-D technology with different levels of success. They weren’t the only ones trying to attract audiences with this gimmick, as many horror and sci-fi horror movies briefly embraced the 3-D revival, much like they did in the 1950s.

Here are the four most prominent movies from the short-lived 3-D boom of the 1980s, ranked by how much they utilize objects and creatures popping out of the screen. If you have a 3-D TV and Blu-ray copies, these movies become more fun to watch, though they’re still not masterpieces.

4) Parasite

When it comes to ranking classic 1980s 3-D horror films – whether you judge them by overall quality or how many effects jump out at viewers – *Parasite* is easily the worst. True horror movies are meant to be thrilling, but this film, set in a world after a disaster, is simply boring.

Honestly, the special effects weren’t anything amazing – sometimes you could even see the props! And I have to admit, Demi Moore wasn’t exaggerating when she said *Parasite* was a terrible movie. It really didn’t live up to the hype, especially considering it didn’t even bother with good 3-D effects.

3) Amityville 3-D

When it comes to ranking 1980s 3-D horror movies, judging them by quality and how many things jump out at the audience is still a common approach. *Amityville 3-D* feels like a weaker version of the original film – it’s rated PG, unlike the R-rated first two, and lacks significant scares with a somewhat inconsistent rhythm.

There are three main things that appear to come forward towards the audience: flies, the back of a truck, and a demonic figure. Flies appear most often, but they don’t fly directly forward; instead, they tend to drift and hover closer to the camera.

2) Friday the 13th Part III

These two films have a similar number of jump scares, but the one that isn’t *Friday the 13th Part III* stands out more because those scares feel awkward and drawn out. From this point on, the number of jump scares doesn’t really match up with the overall quality of the movies. *Friday the 13th Part III* is definitely the strongest of the four, though it’s still not a cinematic masterpiece.

While many *Friday the 13th* films exist, *Part III* stands out for its genuinely creepy atmosphere. It was also perfectly suited for 3-D, given its focus on weapons and attacks. This is a key installment in the series, as it’s where Jason Voorhees first donned his iconic hockey mask. The 3-D effects range from playful moments, like a yo-yo coming towards the camera, to genuinely shocking scenes-including a man being impaled by a pitchfork, with the weapon seemingly reaching out to the audience, and another man’s eyeball popping out of his head and flying towards the viewer.

1) Jaws 3-D

While *Jaws 2* was a surprisingly good follow-up, *Jaws 3-D* doesn’t measure up. It had potential – the idea of a great white shark getting into SeaWorld was interesting, but the movie itself just falls flat.

The film’s pacing was a major issue, with slow sections broken up by unexciting shark attacks. The 3-D effects, however, were intentionally campy and fulfilled that purpose. Underwater scenes often work well with 3-D, as seen in *Piranha 3-D*, and this movie leans into that. It frequently has objects floating towards the viewer for extended periods – a half-eaten fish, a severed arm, and the shark itself all make appearances. While the shark doesn’t look great, it’s a fair representation of the limitations of 3-D technology at the time.

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2025-09-17 23:44