Film

TerrorVision

Name: TerrorVision
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Comedy
Released: 1986
Cast: Diane Franklin, Gerrit Graham, Mary Woronov, Chad Allen, Jon Gries

A 1986 creature feature where a satellite dish accident unleashes a hungry alien monster into a suburban home. It's silly, gory, affectionate, and utterly committed to its premise—part family sitcom, part creature-feature, entirely earnest about the absurd. Made for people who love '80s pulp with genuine heart and practical effects.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love gleefully cheap 1980s monster movies where the gore, the garish colour and the sheer nerve of the B-movie premise are the point, and you laugh at a film that never quite takes itself seriously.

Skip it if you need tight plotting or convincing effects, since the puppetry and rubber creatures show their seams and the satire of television culture can feel scattershot rather than sharp.

What it asks of you: Roughly an hour and a half of loose, rowdy energy, with the scares and jokes tumbling over each other; it wants you to accept its silliness early and go along with it.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Gremlins1984

A suburban family accidentally spawns mischievous creatures with rules you must follow to survive. It has the same blend of cosy Americana curdled into chaos, dark humour, and genuine scares that made TerrorVision work.

But Gremlins is slicker and more famous, which can feel like a step down if you're after that rough-hewn '80s charm.

The Blob1988

A remorseless alien creature terrorizes a small town; teenagers and adults must work together to stop it. Both films treat their ridiculous premises with complete seriousness and feature practical creature effects that still impress.

But This version leans harder into body horror and viscera than TerrorVision's goofier tone, so the mood is notably darker.

Night of the Comet1984

After a comet disaster, two teens navigate a mostly-empty Los Angeles while avoiding monsters and other survivors. It has that same scrappy, inventive '80s spirit and genuine affection for its weird scenario and characters.

But Slower paced and more contemplative, with less of TerrorVision's household-chaos energy and creature-feature thrills.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from TerrorVision

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Matinee1993

Both are creature features made by people who genuinely love creature features—films about why this kind of movie matters, filmed by directors who grew up in drive-ins.

Joe Dante's love letter to B-movies and creature features, following a promoter staging a midnight premiere in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's about why TerrorVision exists—the joy of schlock, the communal thrill of strange cinema, the sincerity of pulp.

But It's a film about the love of bad movies rather than a bad movie itself; if you want to feel that passion reflected back at you rather than lived, this is meta rather than visceral.

Tremors1990

A small desert town under siege by giant underground worms; locals must improvise and work together to survive. Both celebrate B-movie concepts executed with real craft, humour that earns itself, and characters you actually care about.

But Tremors is more polished and mainstream successful, which strips some of the scrappy ingenuity that makes TerrorVision feel like your secret.

Dead Poets Society1989

A teenager uncovers a horrifying conspiracy among the wealthy elite. It shares TerrorVision's willingness to be genuinely strange and grotesque, with practical effects that prioritise audacity over realism.

But This one is considerably more transgressive and unsettling; it's horror-horror rather than horror-comedy.

The Hidden1987

An alien parasite jumps between human hosts while a cop and FBI agent pursue it. High concept, darkly funny, committed to its premise, and blessed with practical creature work that still holds up.

But Plays it straighter and more action-oriented than TerrorVision; less family-sitcom DNA, more buddy-cop thriller.

Bad Taste1987

A group of friends fights back against alien invaders harvesting humans for food. Peter Jackson's debut is resourceful, gleefully gory, and treats its B-movie premise with unhinged commitment and ingenuity.

But Much bloodier and more chaotic in tone; the humour comes from extremity rather than warmth or relatability.

Videodrome1983

A media executive becomes obsessed with a snuff-film broadcast that distorts reality. Cronenberg's body horror and media satire share TerrorVision's fixation on screens as portals, though handled with existential dread rather than suburban comedy.

But Deliberately disorienting and bleak; this is art-house horror, not a creature-feature romp through a family home.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space1988

Alien clowns invade a small town and start harvesting humans for mysterious purposes. Same era, same commitment to an absurd high concept, same willingness to be funny and frightening without apology.

But The clown premise is either inspired or insufferable depending on your tolerance; there's no middle ground here.

The Stuff1985

Both use a home-invasion monster as a mirror for American family life and consumer culture, but TerrorVision plays it straight while The Stuff weaponizes the absurdity.

A mysterious white substance appears in grocery stores and becomes wildly popular; a conspiracy unfolds. Larry Cohen's satirical monster movie uses its creature as social commentary on consumerism, invasion, and family, wrapped in genuine monster-movie thrills.

But The social satire can feel heavy-handed; it stops being fun and starts being a lecture partway through.

The Lost Boys1987

Both are '80s films where monsters infiltrate normal life, but Lost Boys uses horror as coming-of-age metaphor while TerrorVision uses it as slapstick—different registers, same DNA.

Teenagers discover a small coastal town is run by vampires. It's an '80s creature feature with genuine atmosphere, real stakes, and surprising emotional weight beneath the leather-and-wisecracks surface.

But Much more romantic and moody than TerrorVision; if you're after goofy family chaos, this is Gothic and serious.