Two ago I put together a list of 1960's horror movies that are still terrifying today which you can read HERE. I thought I would put together a list os 1970's horror movies that could spook you during this Halloween season.
1970's horror films shifted the world of horror for a few reasons. Many films had more graphic death scenes, they hid the horrors away only to make it 100 times more scarier because you had to use your imagination, the actual film used in the 1970's was grainer which gave the stories more of a documentary feel, we get introduced to the final girl idea, and many started out slow only to end brutally. 1970's horror films would tap into your deepest fears and settle there for years to come.
Films like The Exorcist (1973) and Halloween (1978) would haunt generations of kids because they introduced a realistic monster; the devil and a serial killer. While 1960's horror films played on the idea of innocence lost as a part of its scare factor, 1970's horror was raw and realistic. The characters in 1970's all got affected by whatever was happening even if it wasn't happening to them. 1970's horror also hinted on political, moral, spiritual, and socioeconomic issues but they were hidden under layers of fake blood, holy water, wires, and real estate.
Many of the films on this list had clear heroes and monsters but the heroes were always deeply affected by the actions of the monsters. Most times it left them brave and strong like it did with Laurie Strode (Halloween), Fischer (The Legend of Hell House), or in Ben Mears (Salem's Lot). But often in 1970's horror the reality of what the heroes faced destroyed them, often becoming a end product of the horror that they faced.
How many of these 1970's horror movies have you seen? What are some of your favorites?
Last House on the Left (1972)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
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