Creepy 70s Classics and Their Enduring Power
October 1, 2021 By Go BackHorror movies of the 1970s reflect some grim social developments of the decade. Following the optimism of the 1960s, with its sexual and cultural revolutions, the seventies represented a downturn. The party was over; the Manson family killed the California hippie dream, the Beatles split, Jim, Janis and Jimi died, and it was all downhill from there: Nixon, ‘Nam, oil strikes, skyrocketing divorce rates, you know the rest.
But when society goes bad, horror films get good. In the 1970s, horror made its way back into the cultural spotlight. Horror movies dealing with contemporary social issues and addressing genuine psychological fears were big hits during the decade. Big name directors lined up to produce horror films that attracted big studio budgets. The Exorcist (1973) was even nominated for ten Academy Awards!
The Exorcist (1973)
They don’t make ‘em like they used to is an understatement when talking about the most famous horror movie of the 1970s, The Exorcist. Yet 50 years later, it has trouble connecting with a younger horror audience. Yes, the movie is slower than the modern horror film, it revels not in being flashy or stylistic, but instead gets its timeless scare power from the film’s sense of realism. During its theatrical run, moviegoers were literally passing out in their seats due to the intensity. Today, The Exorcist still pulls off an incredible balancing act of being both a psychological drama and a morality tale masquerading as a horror film. The film asks a question less relevant with a younger generation, but nonetheless one that can strike a deep, disturbing chord: Are you right with your God?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
From the first seconds of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, we’re greeted to flashing images of decomposing flesh, subsequent news reports detailing grave robbing in rural Texas, followed by the oozing red sunspots of the title sequence, and the opening shot of armadillo roadkill. Within the first five minutes, viewers are transported to a nightmare-wasteland zone where moral parameters are nonexistent. The rest of the movie involves a slow, measured descent into the madness of the Sawyer family, and culminates in a final ten minutes of torture and terror that begins around their dinner table. Director Tobe Hooper captured lightning in a bottle with this low-budget production, a point made all the more clear by the trail of lacklustre reboots left in Leatherface’s wake.
Suspiria (1977)
Few people know this, but the colour red didn’t exist until Italian director Dario Argento invented it in 1977. I kid, but it’s an easy argument that Suspiria’s visual palate is the most horrifying use of colour to date. The highly involved double-murder scene towards the beginning of the film remains one of the most memorable scenes in horror history, standing next to Psycho’s shower scene in terms of pure sensory input. Argento sets scene after scene aglow with colour, using it to express mood in ways only the subconscious can fully appreciate. Suspiria remains one of the most expressive films to ever plunge a knife into the psyche of its viewers.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Paranoia strikes deep in this classic sci-fi remake. A well-paced build of claustrophobia through its first two acts – so once the third act begins, it’s impossible not to have your survival instincts kick into gear alongside the protagonists. The film’s central themes not only hold up but seem to grow more relevant, such as the portrayal of totalitarianism and how easily manipulated society can be at conforming to new regimes is an unfortunately timeless theme. But it’s the horror of losing one’s identity that is bound to strike a chord with new viewers. If any movie is going to get under your skin this Shocktober, look no further.
Catch these films and more creepy classics on Hollywood Suite all Shocktober long!
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