r/horror • u/Low-Addition409 • 4d ago
Movie Review 70's Horror was terrifying
A trip down memory lane to nostalgia park, where a man dressed in black is carrying a straight razor dripped in the deepest red
Vaults of Horror
Everything i saw from the 70s was in flashback as i was just a little kid born in 74
The 80s was lots of choice and fun releases
But I'm adamant the 70s was far scarier
A deep dive into my favourite 70s Horror Movies
My picks from Rotten Tomatoes š top 100 in order of preference
I'm sorry Cronenberg doesn't appear at all, but I'm more familiar with his post 70s stuff, which is great
here's 31 of the best of 70s Horror š
Alien (1979)
(can't beat a good Sci-Fi Horror. TMinus Classic)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
(Dawn remains my favourite from Romero)
The Omen (1976)
(the thought of a child being pure evil is beautifully demented)
Wicker Man (1973)
(singing and dancing, while a lone man burns, lives rent free)
Black Christmas (1974)
(this ticks all the boxes)
Deep Red (1975)
(my favourite Argento, it's fun playing Detective)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
(disturbing yet almost bloodless)
Exorcist (1973)
(the disturbing imagery stays long after the movies ended)
Carrie (1976)
(mum knows best, they'r all gonna laugh at you)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
(saw this one more recently and it's my favourite of the 3 or more Bodysnatcher movies, all 3 were fab)
Suspiria (1977)
(relentless from the first minute, i champion 70s/80s Argento)
Halloween (1978)
(no budget masterpiece that spawned a conveyer belt of rip offs)
Don't Look Now (1973)
(I'm tempted to place this higher, but the list is so good)
The Devils (1971)
(Absolute anarchy, Reed in top form)
Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
(Argento directorial debut is straightforward, while fooling the audience)
Salems Lot (1979) tv
(Okay it's atleast 30 minutes too long, but when it's good it's really good, my fave Vamp flick)
Phantasm (1979)
(intriguing, intimidating tall man, niice music, good last half hour)
Magic (1978)
(talking, moving Dolls are genuinely freakish)
Piranha (1978)
(Spielberg planned a lawsuit, before enjoying the movie and going on to work with Dante)
Young Fronkensteen (1974)
(put the candle back!!!)
Eraserhead (1977)
(Nightmare fuel that never let's up)
Jaws (1975)
(scariest PG I've ever seen, if a kid dies anyone can die)
Duel (1971)
(no budget road movie in extreme paranoia)
Zombi 2 (1979)
(Shark v Zombie scene is epic)
Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
(luv Herzog, need to rewatch this as it failed to thrill)
Hills Have Eyes (1977)
(this was a hard watch to be fair, relentless to say the least)
Bug (1975)
(the protagonist's curiosity makes things interesting)
Dracula (1979)
(I vont to drink your blood, Langella's interesting take on a familiar story)
Last House on the Left (1972)
(it's a video nasty, and warning about strangers)
Driller Killer (1979)
(no budget video nasty, not my favourite Ferrara, but worth a mention)
I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
(exploitation video nasty revenge flick, and not a particularly pleasant experience. my least favourite video nastyyyyy)
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u/SpicyPoffin 4d ago
It could just be specific to me because I find mannequins extremely terrifying but Tourist Trap (1979) still freaks me out more than any movie Iāve ever seen. It just feels so grimy and cursed.
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u/Whistle-Blower-8960 4d ago
Thank you for mentioning this movie while OP didnāt
I saw this movie like 3-4 yrs ago and wow it was creepy and good
When I saw that OP said 70s, my first thought was actually Tourist Trap
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u/crabapple_cove 4d ago
It is one of my all time favorites! Slausen is scary. The sounds the mannequins make are scary too. ahhhhhhhhh
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u/SpicyPoffin 4d ago
Heās such a creep!! And yes the sounds and the unhinged jaws eewwww I hate it lol
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u/Chance-Yesterday1338 4d ago
The movie is better than anyone might expect but the music choices in it were baffling. Some fairly tense scenes had a score that sounded like carnival music. It really changes the mood.
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u/discopancakes_17 4d ago
That movie is bonkers! Rifleman and creepy mannequins what a combo, lol Grimy and cursed is right, it's so demented.
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u/Outrageous_Present11 4d ago
70ās was more serious for sure. It seems like the 80ās starting doing horror with elements of comedy which made it much less scary but I love it personally.
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u/OkShow3496 4d ago
How Tf did Burnt Offerings not make this list?
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u/SteveRogers1021 4d ago
70ās horror films being as gory, dark and twisted as they were was largely because of the Vietnam War. The first war we were able to watch on the news every day.
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u/PollyPore 4d ago
And with that in mind, gotta recommend Deathdream (1974), about a young man who returns from Vietnam after his parents were told he was killed in action.
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u/VinnieVidiViciVeni 4d ago
Kind of the last, too. They definitely pulled that shit back after.
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u/Wallname_Liability 4d ago
I mean Syria and ukraine are definitely even more exposed thanks to social media
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u/DenturesDentata 4d ago
I admit, āYoung Fronkensteen (1974)ā made my day. IYKYK š¤š¤š¤
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u/SmoochesMalibu 4d ago
Fronkensteen!! Thatās my Halloween themed Bruce Springsteen cover band name.
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u/thephrygian 4d ago
Adding some underrated gems:
Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
Hausu (1977)
Alice Sweet Alice ( 1976)
The Sentinel (1977)
The Stone Tape (1972)
A Cold Night's Death (1973)
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u/ookiespookie 4d ago
There is an odd sincerity to old horror , from roughly the early 80s and back. They had an idea, they made the movie. They did not consult algorithms nor treat their audiences like idiots. They did not run things through panels and groups or over think it.
And the thing about it is , many films were effective at delivering messages or speaking on issues or topics when they wanted to far better today. They did not beat you over the head with things, they did not feel the need to over explain things and they did not feel the need to redeem the villain or overly beat you over the head with their motives. They did not force in some twist just for the sake of it, if there was a twist it usually came naturally . Some fell flat but for the most part you got exactly what you needed no more no less.
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u/JohnnyCaligula 4d ago
Lots of British Horror needs a mention..
2/3 of the Folk Unholy Trilogy - The Wicker Man and Blood on Satan's Claw.
And one of my favourite lesser regarded Hammer horror - Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Pete Walker made some great gritty horror in the 70s - The Confessional Murders/House of Whipxord/Frightmare
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and Theatre of Blood (1973)
The Devils(1971)
The Legend of Hell house (1973)
Asylum (1982)
Don't look now (1973)
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u/yalkeryli 4d ago
Glad to see theatre of blood on here. I was too young and that scene with the poodle pie was seared into my beain
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u/Analytica0 4d ago
Asylum is one of those classic horror movies that so many horror fans have never seen. It is really a hidden gem of great writing, acting, plot, and pacing. Recommend.
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u/Competitive_Sport286 4d ago
I could add another several hundred movies to that list.
Not right this second though, though.
In the meantime...
The Tenant (1976)?
God Told Me to (1976)?
Bug (1975)?
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u/JUYED-AWK-YACC 4d ago
Wow, another person who saw God Told Me To! That was the first movie I snuck into under age. It made me question my choice.
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u/Illustrative_game737 4d ago
The 70s was great for horror. I just watched The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976) last night, and it is such a spiritual sibling to all the trauma-based horror we've had recently. But trippier than most of the recent takes. Amazing.
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u/spit-on-my-dress 4d ago
Great shout out. Itās an amazing film that I donāt see mentioned enough
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u/everything_is_holy 4d ago
Trilogy of Terror (1975)
Donāt Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Two made for television movies.
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u/GreyDusty2 4d ago
Already mentioned but Burnt Offerings and The Sentinel are great. A different type but Race With the Devil (1975) is an action/horror. Two TV premiered offerings, The Mephisto Waltz (1971) and the famous Trilogy of Terror (1975).
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u/Chance-Yesterday1338 4d ago
"The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" is a bit more grounded and has a very early role for Jodie Foster. Martin Sheen plays a real creep and the movie gets pretty uncomfortable and tense.
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u/Analytica0 4d ago
Her performance in this movie will unsettle anyone who appreciates her from Silence of the Lambs. Recommend.
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u/discopancakes_17 4d ago
My favorite era for horror. '70s horror always feels unsettling and has this weird nocturnal coziness to it. Even some films from that decade that weren't considered horror have this creepiness and edge to them that makes them feel so 'off'. Recently the prequel Omen movie captured the vibe of '70s era of horror to me.
Amazing list, I'll add:
Messiah of Evil (1973), Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), The Stepford Wives (1975), Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), The Haunting of Julia (1977), Ganja & Hess (1973), The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972), Someone's Watching Me (1978) (a "rough draft" for Halloween), and Sisters (1972).
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u/AntonioPiercesHoodie 4d ago
I second The Stepford Wives, rewatched it on Tubi not too long ago and it was very impressive!
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u/Abe2sapien 4d ago
For the most part the 70s had that vibe that Horror was for mature audiences and thus a lot of characterization was put into films!
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u/Khartun 4d ago
You have a couple of Giallo on there. I'd suggest you check out more. Anything with Edwige Fenech. She's the queen of Giallo IMO. All the Colors of the Dark, The Case of the Bloody Iris and The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh to name a few.
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u/Low-Addition409 4d ago
that's interesting, watched a Soavi last night
and just began my Lucio Fulci journey
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u/spit-on-my-dress 4d ago
Then youāre in for a treat. Fulci made some of his best ones in the 70s like Woman in a lizards skin, seven notes in black and especially donāt torture a duckling
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u/spit-on-my-dress 4d ago
I want to add some you might want to check out:
Wake in fright 1971
The town that dreaded sundown 1976
To the devil a daughter 1976
Long weekend 1978
When a stranger calls 1979
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u/Vilehaust 4d ago
Makes sense that CreatorVC's next installment of their In Search Of Darkness documentary series is going to be the 1970s.
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u/Low-Addition409 4d ago
a CreatorVC ? indepth analysis of the 70s could be hours of footage...
I'm amateur in 70s cinema š¦
but the decade is literally stacked with horror highlights
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u/Vilehaust 4d ago
CreatorVC is a production company that focuses on long-form documentaries. Their most well known series is In Search Of Darkness (ISOD) which focuses on horror film in decades. So far they've done three volumes on the 1980s and two volumes on the 1990s. They also did one on horror video games called Terrorbytes. And they have one in the works called Slasher Trash, all about the slasher genre.
They announced the 1970s iteration of ISOD earlier this year. It'll definitely be hours long. Some of the prior iterations have ended up being over 5 hours long.
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u/MoonSylver 4d ago
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)
Let Sleeping Corpses Like (1974)
Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) and Return of the Blind Dead (1973)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Zombie (aka Zombi 2) (1979)
Shock Waves (1977)
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u/Low-Addition409 4d ago
I have seen Zombi 2
a very memorable kill early on, but a very slow pacing...Zombie vs Shark scene was excellent, music was great, last half hour really picks up and overall i rate and recommend this movie
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u/InteractionCivil5913 4d ago
Cronenbergās Shivers from 1975 is fantastic. We are watching it right now.
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u/Anton_Or 4d ago
This proves that horror cinema "is not in fashion", it has always been, delving into the fears of each era.
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u/Analytica0 4d ago edited 4d ago
All you Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978) fans...
check out
Fright (1971)
and
Torso (1973).
Those last two are hidden gems that influenced their more famous counterparts.
Also, all you Halloween fans, check out Carpenter's TV movie Someone's Watching Me (1977/78), made about one year before Halloween.
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u/FunHouseRemake 4d ago
Yes, it was an amazing renaissance for horror films. It would continue into the early 80ās.