1970’s – The Slashing, Satanic Seventies
Whew, we survived the 60s. Wouldn’t you know it, the 60’s threw us right into the 70s. We go now from Hendrix to Hendrix. I’ll explain.
Sadly, the world lost a great guitarist in 1970. R.I.P. Jimi Hendrix. It just so happens I’m going to use the help of another Hendrix to explain a 70’s phenomenon.
In 2017, Grady Hendrix published his book Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of 70’s and 80s’ Horror Fiction. After the sudden success of paperback horror books such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, Hendrix explains, suddenly everyone wanted to be the next best selling-horror author. This resulted in the publication of many trashy books. Several were decent though, and several were made into movies. We’ll see some of these on the list, including movies based on some works by this one author guy, guess he sold a book or two. Don’t know if you’ve heard of him. His name is Stephen King (though only one from the seventies).
What do Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist have in common? Answer – Satan! Though Satan himself sidestepped these stories, his offspring and/or minions stood in for the great horned beast. Thus, the world of horror fiction learned that Satan sells! So there will be a couple of horror movies on this list that feature such hellish beasts.
What else was happening in the 70’s world of horror films? Well, slashers were slashing their way onto the screen. Successful splatter films of the 60s bred more slasher films. Many were low budget and cheesy, for a lack of a better word. Would theaters go for this? Some would, some wouldn’t. Some of the ones that did were drive-in movie theaters. Declining in popularity as a fun-for-the-whole-family place of entertainment, drive-ins were struggling to stay afloat, so these low budget, definitely lowbrow films that major theaters rejected. Though the “sophisticated” film aficionado, or even the average movie goer would not take in this kind of thing, teenagers and twenty-somethings ate them up. Theaters and drive-ins that showed these kinds of films were known as “grindhouses”. Thus, the types of films shown at these theaters were called grindhouse films. According to Nofilmschool.com, a grindhouse film is low budget and might include graphic violence and sexuality, exploitation, and taboo subjects. There were hundreds of these films.
So, what’s the difference between a slasher, splatter or grindhouse film? Gosh, I don’t know. Some film nerd may have taken the time to find distinguishing characteristics for each label, but I ain’t gonna. Anyway, on this list I include a film that grew out of its “lowly” status as a grindhouse film to become one of the more iconic horror films. I also include one of the “more known lesser knowns” (hope that makes sense) to represent the all cheap and trashy horror drive-in films. You know, like the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit.
If forced for a definition, I’d say a “slasher” film contains at least one killer who kills several characters throughout the film in a graphic way. Often with a knife. Knives slash, guns don’t. I include a certain low-budget slasher film, which might be the most famous slasher film of all time (assuming we’re not including Psycho as a slasher film).
While on the subject of low-budget films, what might be their polar opposite? That would be the blockbuster, of course – a high-budget film with mass appeal. This label as used to describe movies has been around since the early days of film, but the “blockbuster era” began in the 1970s with one particular horror film that came out early in the summer. Thus, “the summer blockbuster” was born. Two summer blockbuster horror films appear on this list.
Finally, let’s not discount made-for-TV horror films. Most sources say these first came on the horizon in the 1970s. There are several good ones (and of course, many bad ones). I include two on this list.
“Oh, just one more thing!” (Columbo), Another Giallo film makes this list
Good gosh, this is a long intro. Maybe it’s because the 1970’s are my favorite decade for horror films? Be that as it may, I won’t harangue any longer. To the films! Let’s go!
I Drink Your Blood – 1970
What do you get when you mix rabid satanic hippies with rabid, unsophisticated construction workers? Answer: this movie
This is an example of a grindhouse film as referred to in the intro. For the price of one, teenagers at drive-ins could see this trash along with, oh I don’t know, a film about fanged bat-winged women devouring fleshless fishermen?
Obviously this is not a quality film but it is entertaining in parts. Got to give it some points for that.
Grindhouse films have been covered. Moving on…
The Abominable Dr. Phibes – 1971
Arguably Vincent Price’s best performance in a horror movie. And you never see his mouth move! I had originally written the “Abdominal” Dr. Phibes! I’d be spoon-feeding you a spoonerism that would make even Archie Bunker stop and think.
Don’t worry, this isn’t a film about Vincent Price eating so many people that his tummy hurts. His character, however, Dr. Phibes, does have some strange physicalities going on. Thought to have been killed in a car accident, Phibes is alive, but his face is torn up and he has lost his voice. As a doctor of music, he is very attuned to sound manipulation. He figured out how to speak without moving his mouth. He wears a false-face made of prosthetics.
So, is this a story about a good man with physical oddities trying to survive in a world where deformities are looked down upon? No, silly. He is a mad man, bent on revenge. His wife died in a surgery mishap (supposedly), and he seeks to kill all those involved in his wife’s death.
This eccentric gentleman is often seen sitting at his organ in his hideout, making his music while females in costumes dance. This is a campy film, not a silly kind of campy, more like an eerie style of campy. It’s billed as a comedy horror.
Woo Hoo! Full movie on YouTube! If it’s gone, then Boo Hoo!
Kolchak the Night Stalker/ The Night Strangler – 1972/1973
I’m cheating. I’m listing two films in the same slot. The second is a sequel to the first. I should only be mentioning Kolchak the Night Stalker. It is the better of the two, but I hadn’t seen The Night Strangler, and gosh-diddily-darn, I missed this not once but twice on Svengoolie, the last miss occurring 9/27/25. As an excuse to watch this on my own (w/out good ol’ Svengoolie, sob sob!), I decided to include it in this list. That way, I wasn’t taking it in for any guilty pleasure but instead for purposes of a larger project. See..
(Will you shut up already and tell us about these movies already?!?)
Sorry, will do. You don’t have to be so rude!
These are two made-for-tv movies directed/produced by Dan Curtis, who has quite the resume when it comes to television productions. There will be another Curtis , made-for-TV horror movie later on this list.
The success of these movies led to a TV Series with the same title as the first movie. I’m going to get ahead of myself and talk about the series first.
The main character is an odd and tenacious reporter named Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin (He’s the dad in A Christmas Story). With his blue/gray blazer (sometimes tan), necktie and straw hat, he’s always chasing a story, which is regularly linked to supernatural events. He will stop at nothing to prove a vampire is the culprit. Or a space alien. Or a werewolf. His editor and his foil is Tony Vincenzo, played by Simon Oakland. Kolchak drives Vincenzo nuts with all his theories of ghosts and goblins. “CARL!!” he might yell “This is a respectable paper! We can’t run a headline claiming a headless motorcyclist is responsible for killing those women. We’ll be laughed out of the business!” To which Kolchak might reply, “But these are the FACTS, Tony! I can prove it!”
It’s a funny and scary show. The first movie has Carl in Las Vegas, uncovering facts that lead to an unbelievable truth: a vampire is responsible for a recent string of murders. Of course neither the police nor his boss (Tony) believes him. But he’s right. Kolchak is always right about these kinds of things. In the end, though Carl puts an end to the vampire, he is chased out of Las Vegas.
In the second movie, Kolchak is in Seattle, and low and behold, he runs into his old boss Tony (who must have uprooted as well.) Reluctantly, Tony hires Kolchak on a local paper and right away, Kochak discovers a supernatural strangler is on the loose. Poor Tony has to go through it all over again.
I like the Tony Vincenzo character. He is kind of like a combination of MASH’s Col. Henry Blake’s and Potter. He has Potter’s temper but Blake tractability
At the end of The Night Strangler, Both Kolchak and Vincenzo are seen leaving Seattle together, in search of a new city to write and produce news. They talk about New York but fans of the show know they end up in Sweet Home ,Chicago!!
Alas, the show only lasted one season. Without this show, there would be no X-Files.
Both movies are on YouTube (Unless like in the movies, they run poor ol’ Kolchak out of YouTube town.)
The Exorcist – 1973
Come on, guys, do I really need to explain this one? Fine, in a nutshell, a little girl gets possessed by a demon and she wigs out in such a way the cinematic world had never seen before. She spits greenish goo, her head spins around, she talks with the voice of a creepy man of undetermined accent, she shoves crucifixes in her crotch, and the two priests that try to exorcise the demon wish they had called in sick that day.
It is called the best horror movie ever by many. People back in the day were fainting in the aisles. This was the Satanic Panic before that movement even got started.
Based on the book by William Peter Blatty.
(Oh and I can play the theme song (( Tubular Bells by Michael Oldfield) on the piano. This is a very important footnote!)
The Wicker Man – 1973
Please don’t confuse this with the 2006 remake of this movie. Please don’t ask, “Oh yeah, isn’t that the film where they put Nicholas Cage’s head into a cage with bees?” No it’s not. No moments of “Cage in a cage” exist in this film. I didn’t see the 2006 movie but based on reviews, the difference is this: the 1973 film is a great movie/ the 2006 film blows chunks.
Would you believe this is a horror musical? I shit you not. With this new bit of information, you might be thinking, “Um, are you sure you don’t have the two films mixed up? Surely the musical is the one that stinks and the “Cage in a cage” is the awesome one? No and no! Trust me, it works.
Christopher Lee joins our list again, playing the leader of a collective people that inhabit an island off of Great Britain’s mainland. All of them practice some form of paganism. A very straight-edged, no-nonsense police officer from the mainland arrives on the island to investigate a case of a missing girl. To say there’s a culture clash is an understatement. One might even say the meeting turns horrific. That would make this a horror movie. Guess what? It is.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – 1974
This might be the best-known Grindhouse film. It’s a very gruesome, low budget film, but it created the horror icon “Leatherface” who lives forever in the pantheon of horror film’s most quintessential villains. Wearing a mask made of human skin, he kills people with a chainsaw. He comes from an insane family that collects human skin, bones, and other gruesome body parts. He has a brother (who is only slightly less deranged), a father, and a grandpa that resembles a corpse. But he is very much alive.
Directed by the famed Tobe Hopper, the film initially opened to bad reviews. Now it is a cult favorite. It’s one of my favorites, that’s for sure.
Enjoy the dinner scene.
Deep Red – 1975
Please welcome to our list – Dario Argento (YAY! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!) We will see him again. He’s a renowned Italian director synonymous with the Giallo movement. The Italian name for this film (Therefore, the true name) is Profondo Rosso.
The film features an unknown, gloved maniac who keeps killing people. A musician gets tangled up in the mystery and he searches for the killer.
Great camera work, intriguing story, and an awesome soundtrack from the Italian progressive rock band Goblin.
Trilogy of Terror – 1976
Television producer Dan Curtis is back with the best made-for-TV horror movie evah! IMHO.
Actually, it’s three stories, with Karen Black playing the lead in all of them. First we have her as a timid college instructor being pursued by one of her students. He takes her on a date. He wants to drug her and have his way with her. Will the poor woman put up any kind of defense? The answer may surprise you.
Then we have Karen Black playing two roles, two sisters who live in the same house. One is in need of psychiatric care.
Finally, the BIG finally, is the third story. This is the one everyone remembers. Karen’s character has imported a native Zuni doll. Long shaggy hair, big teeth and a long, scary knife. Yes folks, it comes to life and chases her around her apartment.
Here is the film! (If it’s a dead link, then it’s There it went!)
Jaws – 1976
The first blockbuster film, at least the first from the blockbuster era. Everyone wanted to see it. One of the highest grossing horror films (and here I thought it was the highest. Since then, a few other films beat it).
A friend and I once caught the ending. He had never seen it before. I had. We saw the giant shark jump on the boat. He was like, “So fake-looking, and here this is supposed to be a critically acclaimed film.” See, he missed all that is good about the film. It’s not what the shark looks like, it’s about the suspense. Throughout most of the movie, we don’t see the shark. We hear John Williams’ hypnotic score of two pounding notes. We see the shark’s fin slicing the surface, moving toward its victim. We see the victim go under. Blood then rises to the surface.
This movie put Stephen Spielberg on the map. (Oh yes, Spielberg directed this)
Trailer. Watch
Carrie – 1976
Stephen King’s first novel. First movie based on a Stephen King novel. It’s certainly number 1 in my book!
I saw this on TV sometime in the 70s. I was a wee little lad and my mom suggested I watch it. She thought I would like it. I did. I was sent to bed before the blood-gushing prom scene. Strangely enough, Mommy said I could come down from bed and watch the final scene; the confrontation between Carrie and her mom, and Carrie’s final fate. Looking back, I think that scene is more traumatizing than the whole “let’s kill everyone at the prom.” thing. But I believe I was more sad than frightened. Sadscared – a brand new word and emotion
In a nutshell, the story is about a bullied teenager who develops telekinetic powers at the onset of her puberty. Telekinesis is my dream superpower. As a kid, I loved how Luke Skywalker could move objects with his mind in The Empire Strikes Back. But it was Carrie that taught me of such a phenomenon.
I have both read the novel and seen the movie. I prefer the movie.
P.S. – this was John Travolta’s breakout film
The Omen – 1976
Where are we at now with Satan, three? I believe so. Three 1970’s movies with Satanic themes. Like Rosemary’s Baby, this is a story about Satan’s offspring.
This was another film I first saw on TV as a kid, probably at the encouragement of my mom. A kid watching a movie about a kid. In some twisted way, I guess this makes sense.
This is a story about the Anti-Christ as mentioned in the Bible’s book of Revelation. Born of a jackal but made up entirely of human features, Damien is raised by an American ambassador living in the UK with his wife. The wife is under the impression that she birthed the child. Nope. There was a switch.
Only fiveish years old, and young Damien is already acting devilish. He must be stopped. But there is only one way to kill him and it involves traveling to Israel to obtain special knives.
This was a pretty decent film. Not a favorite of mine, but reviews fare reasonably well.
Susperia – 1977
Dario Argento is back again on our list. Suspiria might be his most acclaimed film.
An American woman attends a dance/boarding school in Germany. Spooky things are a foot. It’s quite possible the ones who run this school are witches.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen this, but I remember being somewhat confused about the plot. But nevermind. This isn’t a plot-centric movie. It’s about the style, the colors, the trippy visuals. Once again, the Prog Rock band Goblin teams up with Argento for a haunting soundtrack with tracks that work so well with the scenes they accompany.
There is a 2018 remake – this is a completely different animal. I only saw bits of it so I cannot judge it as good or bad.
Halloween – 1978
Here it is. The granddaddy of slasher films. The low-budget film that revolutionized the horror industry. Asylum-escapee Michael Meyers returns to his home town of Haddonfield, Illinois to stalk a babysitter and kill her friends on the night of Halloween.
Michael Meyers has no dialogue. He never speaks. He wears a mask void of emotion, modelled after William Shatner. His deep breathing and simple nods of his head are more frightening than any loud and gimmicky monster.
As to the cinematography, I like to think of the camera as a voyeur. Shots are done from the killer’s viewpoint. Sometimes he’s at a distance from his target; standing across the street and staring at the house he will soon invade. In these scenes we don’t see him but we hear his breath and feel the tension. This is a film built on suspense.
My mom did not let me see this one. She went to the theater with a friend and came back to tell me how stupid it was. She was lying. Had she told me it was good, I would have wanted to see it. And I did see it with dear old mom, but I was around twelve by then.
John Carpenter directs and provides the score for this film. His simple yet eerie work on the keyboard makes for chilling background music at the most pivotal scenes.
Alien – 1979
I always had a difficult time thinking of Alien as a horror movie. It’s a great film, no doubt, but for me, its sci-fi nature outshined any of the horror aspects. The rest of the world and their grandmothers disagree with me on this. I lose, they win.
“Come on, Dan, there are some scary moments in this movie,” they say. I reply back, “You’re right.” Inside the dark corridors of the space ship, the-tall ass alien with the gigantic head and big sharp teeth sneaking behind that dude; that was frightening. And the smaller alien resembling the ugliest of ugly squids with its tentacles wrapped around the poor dude’s head; that’s terrifying. And the…
Okay, there are many “and the” moments. Point is made no need to belabour it anymore. When seeing this film, just don’t gloss over all the cool sci-fi moments, mkay? Like the android who doesn’t need to incubate because he isn’t human. And when his body is torn apart, all that white and creamy “blood” and corresponding vessels; unattached and tangled, his severed head still speaking. Oh wait, this is horrific too. Still, yeah sci-fi! Yeah Science, Bitch!
P.S. forgot to mention the ground-breaking role for Sigourney Weaver – playing what might be the first female lead action hero.
Amityville Horror – 1979
It’s fake! A family known as the Lutzes living in a haunted house that nearly killed them – all lies! The corresponding book (which came first) was based on a hoax concocted by The Lutzes and their lawyer over a bottle of wine. Got to give them credit though. One bottle of wine between a few people and they arrived at this. I would need at least two bottles of wine for myself to get such a story going.
(Oh no, no. Don’t listen to that voice that wrote the preceding paragraph. It’s all true. Just ask the famed Ed and Lorraine Warren, true ghost hunters. They investigate the house and claim that it is indeed haunted. (oh wait, they can’t be asked; they’re dead))
Whether true or not, The Amityville Horror is a scary film. Perhaps the claim of being based on actual events adds to the scare factor. Gee, says the hypothetical thinker, if I visit this house, all these things could happen to me!
Windows that slam shut, trapping a little boy’s fingers underneath until they bleed. A babysitter locked in the closet for hours. A little girl befriending a ghost pig (or is this only in the book? I’m forgetting). Yup, that is some scary shit.
This film got mixed reviews but still went on to spawn over thirty sequels. One even has the haunted house floating around in space. Didn’t see it, so no asking how this comes to be. Some things are better left to mystery.
Phantasm – 1979
As a young and budding horror buff, I am ashamed to say I didn’t see this film until my forties. It certainly was one of the “must-sees” of my age group. True, I didn’t really go to the theater to see horror films until the 80s, and I didn’t have a VCR until the mid-80s. Yet somehow, I had seen the horror films from the recent past, at least the ones my peer group deemed relevant.
On the plus side, by waiting all those years, I was able to see this movie in a theater. A small, indie theater was showing Phantasm and for the first time, I saw “The Tall Man.” Proprietor of a funeral home, this horror villain is old, scary, mysterious, very tall (did I have to repeat that?), and old but ageless. He also possesses supernatural powers such as super human strength and telekinesis. He throws a mean steelie; but his steel ball is equipped with blade-like wings. He controls an army of hooded dwarfs that crawl in and out of graves.
A couple of young men and a thirteen year old boy are pitted against the Tall Man and his minions. How much success do they have? Honestly, I can’t remember the precise ending. I only know this movie has several sequels, none of which I’ve seen.
Full Movie, until it’s gone –
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death – 1971
I first saw this, I want to say, in the 90s? I certainly didn’t see it the year it came out. In 1971, I was crawling around trying to make it to my first birthday. I believe I rented it from Blockbuster Video. I didn’t care much for it. I saw it again around ten years ago. I liked it much better on second viewing.
Jessica has recently been released from a mental institution. Her husband has brought her to a house in the country – to relax. They share the house with another couple. Poor Jessica, she just isn’t adjusting too well. And this is before the vampires enter the picture.
A new girl has arrived. Is she a vampire? Certainly she is some kind of ghoul, a ghost perhaps.
Viewers are seeing this movie from Jessica’s perspective. She is an unreliable narrator. Is the whole town really awash with vampires? Are her friends and loved ones really being murdered? See it and make up your own mind.
Bad Ronald – 1974
Another made for TV movie. Not enough people know about this film. Too bad. It’s an odd one for sure, but it’s creepy. And sad.
Arnold might not have had all his marbles to begin with. He had most, I’ll say that. His mother took a few of them away. See, Arnold is a bright young boy; does so well at school. But he’s dreamy. He’d rather be a writer or an artist, methinks. He loves retreating to fantasy worlds of magic kingdoms. His mother, who ails from cancer, discourages him from that kind of stuff. She wants him to succeed at school and become a doctor so he can cure her disease. That’s a lot of pressure if you ask me.
Having thick glasses and scruffy hair, Arnold is socially awkward. A girl is teasing him and he pushes her, causing her to fall and crack open her head. The girl dies and Arnold is in trouble.
Mother hides Arnold. In their house, she has dividers built, sacrifices a bathroom, to make a hidden living space for her son. Somehow, she still thinks he will learn what is necessary to become a doctor, behind those walls I guess. Instead, he draws magical things and people all over the walls and creates an imaginary kingdom, and begins to loosen his grip on reality. Before, he was at least clutching it with his fingertips. After being hidden away, his fingers were free but his sanity was gone..
Mother dies. Arnold doesn’t know it. The house is sold, a new family moves in. Arnold is still living behind the walls! He creeps around at night and steals from their refrigerator. It’s such a creepy situation.
Here is a scene:
Hausu – 1977
This movie is trippy!
Finally, we have a Japanese movie on the list. “Hausu” means “House” in English. It’s a story of six girls, off to spend part of their summer at the house of one of the girl’s aunts. The house is beyond haunted. It’s more like a house that took a couple of hits of acid.
It has to be seen to be understood. I don’t know how such surrealism and animated effects can be put to words. Guess that means I’m a bad writer. Boo to me.
It has become a cult film and has over 90% positive reviews on Rottontomatoes.com
The Books of Daniel 