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Post by Lebowskidoo 🎄😷🎄 on Feb 7, 2020 19:06:48 GMT
The newfound freedoms in filmmaking and the huge amount of new, young filmmakers coming up gave the world horrors on screen that had not been seen before. The ideas were all newer and more shocking, not to mention very well made. Older audiences were scared because they'd never been subjected to such sights and themes. Younger audiences were suddenly the ones studios were aiming for and gave them just what they craved.
To this day, the movies that disturbed me the most all sprang from the 70's. That's not to say modern horror isn't great (see: Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Jordan Peele, Andy Muschietti, Alex Garland, etc.).
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Post by petrolino on Feb 7, 2020 19:12:32 GMT
It's definitely my favourite decade. You had so many strong scenes globally - USA, Canada, Mexico, U K, Italy, France, Spain, Australia and Japan are some of the nations that were firing on all cylinders.
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Post by Dramatic Look Gopher on Feb 7, 2020 19:26:16 GMT
Couldn't have said it better myself.
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Post by petrolino on Feb 7, 2020 19:36:36 GMT
You also had crossover. So, while new directors were coming through in the 1960s and 1970s, many of whom would later work for the major studios, still-active veteran filmmakers like Robert Wise, Mark Robson, Richard Flsiecher, Robert Aldrich and others were still making genre pieces, so I feel you had the best of both worlds.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 7, 2020 20:34:59 GMT
I think the peak for horror was 1960-75 if we are talking world cinema.
Arguably it started around 1957 with Mexican vampire Gothic, Hammer followed, and then AIP.
The indies were still going strong into the 70s, and some of the majors (like 20th Century Fox) were funding horror (Hell House, Race with the Devil).
The horror movie stars (like Vincent Price, Peter Cushing etc) were doing their last starring roles around 1975.
I loath the slasher genre so I see it as a decline for the genre.
"I have just been fired because nobody wants to see vampire killers any more, or vampires either. Apparently all they want are demented madmen, running around in ski masks hacking up young virgins." Peter Vincent, Fright Night
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2020 23:18:53 GMT
Nah, 80's horror is where it's at.
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Post by simest on Feb 7, 2020 23:27:23 GMT
I loath the slasher genre so I see it as a decline for the genre. "I have just been fired because nobody wants to see vampire killers any more, or vampires either. Apparently all they want are demented madmen, running around in ski masks hacking up young virgins." Peter Vincent, Fright Night That said, the slasher boom didn't really kick in until the 80s. Unless you count the Italian gialli films which are a somewhat separate breed, the 70s saw relatively few slasher films. The few that came along, such as BLACK CHRISTMAS, HALLOWEEN and (if it counts) TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were typically at the upper tier of an admittedly dubious subgenre. This allowed the decade a nice even balance of Horror offerings that the slasher-saturated 80s wouldn't enjoy.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 7, 2020 23:51:33 GMT
That said, the slasher boom didn't really kick in until the 80s. Unless you count the Italian gialli films which are a somewhat separate breed, the 70s saw relatively few slasher films. The few that came along, such as BLACK CHRISTMAS, HALLOWEEN and (if it counts) TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were typically at the upper tier of an admittedly dubious subgenre. This allowed the decade a nice even balance of Horror offerings that the slasher-saturated 80s wouldn't enjoy. Better than the 80s but I think the 60s were more varied internationally with horror and the line is blurred. Plus Hammer ceased horror productions by the mid 70s too so I consider it the descending point or the last gasp before the blockbuster and 80s decline.
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Post by jamesbamesy on Feb 8, 2020 0:14:33 GMT
I feel like the best of the 70s were better in quality compared to the best of the 80s. It’s hard to decide which decade I like more overall, but 80s did have a greater selection.
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Post by simest on Feb 8, 2020 1:52:49 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM.
It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group
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Post by politicidal on Feb 8, 2020 16:54:41 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM. It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group and Jaws. Hello..? |
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Post by simest on Feb 8, 2020 17:45:08 GMT
Agreed, in terms of quality, Jaws would sit proudly among them but I've never personally considered it a Horror Film.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 8, 2020 19:48:03 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM. It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group 1960s: Black Sunday The Brides of Dracula The City of the Dead Eyes Without a Face House of Usher Psycho The Innocent The Pit and the Pendulum The Day of the Trffids The Birds Black Sabbath The Haunted Palace The Kiss of the Vampire Blood and Black Lace The Gorgon Kwaidan The Flesh Eaters The Last Man on Earth The Masque of the Red Death The Tomb of Ligeia Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Die Monster Die! Planet of the Vampires Repulsion The Skull Island of Terror The Plague of the Zombies The Reptile Dracula Prince of Darkness The Fearless Vampire Killers Frankenstein Created Woman The Frozen Dead Quatermass and the Pit Theater of Death Viy The Devil Rides Out Dracula Has Risen From the Grave The Living Skeleton Twisted Nerve Frankenstein Must be Destroyed The Oblong Box
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2020 22:15:52 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM. It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, ALIENS, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HELLRAISER, NEAR DARK, POLTERGEIST, THE EVIL DEAD, THE FLY, THE SHINING, THE THING.
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Post by fangirl1975 on Feb 8, 2020 22:19:30 GMT
The original The Omen is my all time favorite '70s horror film.
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Post by simest on Feb 9, 2020 1:30:17 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM. It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group 1960s: Black Sunday The Brides of Dracula The City of the Dead Eyes Without a Face House of Usher Psycho The Innocent The Pit and the Pendulum The Day of the Trffids The Birds Black Sabbath The Haunted Palace The Kiss of the Vampire Blood and Black Lace The Gorgon Kwaidan The Flesh Eaters The Last Man on Earth The Masque of the Red Death The Tomb of Ligeia Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Die Monster Die! Planet of the Vampires Repulsion The Skull Island of Terror The Plague of the Zombies The Reptile Dracula Prince of Darkness The Fearless Vampire Killers Frankenstein Created Woman The Frozen Dead Quatermass and the Pit Theater of Death Viy The Devil Rides Out Dracula Has Risen From the Grave The Living Skeleton Twisted Nerve Frankenstein Must be Destroyed The Oblong Box Yes, some great films there but I'd still struggle to pick out a list of 10 that top the 10 I've picked from the 70s overall. PSYCHO, THE INNOCENTS and REPULSION are definitely of sufficient quality. I might add ROSEMARY'S BABY also, though interestingly enough, it hasn't made your list.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 9, 2020 1:40:39 GMT
Yes, some great films there but I'd still struggle to pick out a list of 10 that top the 10 I've picked from the 70s overall. PSYCHO, THE INNOCENTS and REPULSION are definitely of sufficient quality. I might add ROSEMARY'S BABY also, though interestingly enough, it hasn't made your list. Yeah but you only lean towards big studio films--the main provider of horror in the 60s were the smaller or international companies. And films like ALIEN borrowed heavily from 1960s films--Planet of the Vampires. The Exorcist took ideas from an Italian film The Demon (including the spider-walk). I left out some other films like Peeping Tom, Blood and Roses or Night of the Living Dead. The 60s was busy for horror just not at the big Hollywood studios.
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Post by simest on Feb 9, 2020 1:45:44 GMT
THE EXORCIST, THE WICKER MAN, TEXAS CHAINSAW, BLACK CHRISTMAS, CARRIE, THE OMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, ALIEN, PHANTASM. It's difficult to throw ten movies together from any other decade that can match this collection overall as a group A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, ALIENS, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HELLRAISER, NEAR DARK, POLTERGEIST, THE EVIL DEAD, THE FLY, THE SHINING, THE THING. I was never a fan of HELLRAISER or FRIDAY THE 13TH, so those two I'd dismiss instantly in comparison to the 10 I've listed from the 70s. I do rate ALIENS highly but feel Cameron gave us more of an action movie there than horror. Ridley Scott's original definitely stays more in line with the tense, claustrophobic dread one associates with horror. The rest of that 80s list are all films I enjoy but still think are outgunned overall by the likes of THE EXORCIST, CARRIE, HALLOWEEN and DAWN OF THE DEAD.
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Post by simest on Feb 9, 2020 2:31:08 GMT
Yes, some great films there but I'd still struggle to pick out a list of 10 that top the 10 I've picked from the 70s overall. PSYCHO, THE INNOCENTS and REPULSION are definitely of sufficient quality. I might add ROSEMARY'S BABY also, though interestingly enough, it hasn't made your list. Yeah but you only lean towards big studio films--the main provider of horror in the 60s were the smaller or international companies. And films like ALIEN borrowed heavily from 1960s films--Planet of the Vampires. The Exorcist took ideas from an Italian film The Demon (including the spider-walk). I left out some other films like Peeping Tom, Blood and Roses or Night of the Living Dead. The 60s was busy for horror just not at the big Hollywood studios.
I wouldn't say REPULSION was big studio. My taste in 60s horror (beyond the few I've already mentioned) lies with the likes of Mario Bava's offerings, namely BLACK SABBATH and BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. SCREAM OF FEAR is another personal favourite and if we can class it as horror, I also enjoy Doris Day's hysterics in MIDNIGHT LACE with it's creepy stalker voice. Beyond that, William Castle's STRAIT-JACKET and HOMICIDAL entertain me as do BERSERK and DEVIL DOLL. If we could qualify the Arch Hall Jr indie THE SADIST as a horror film, I would also throw that in. I'm not sure many of these are "big studio films". Most of the Hammer Films output, for me still have a charm but do not retain whatever impact they once had in the way perhaps that REPULSION, THE INNOCENTS and certain others still do. It's all personal opinion but I just think the 70s reached a higher standard for the genre when you pick out an elite 10 films from each decade. As for ALIEN, yes much has been made of it's similarities to PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, though for me these are more visual than anything else. I still consider IT: THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE far more an inspiration. Storywise, I don't consider THE EXORCIST to have borrowed from THE DEMON, even if Friedkin was inspired by the Demon mask and spider walk. William Peter Blatty adapted his screenplay from his own novel so it was very much an original work. Even if it were heavily influenced by a predecessor however, it's still a landmark film. Again, I think the 60s gave us some great horror films but I just think the 70s managed to top it.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 9, 2020 2:48:14 GMT
It's all personal opinion but I just think the 70s reached a higher standard for the genre when you pick out an elite 10 films from each decade. I would say the 70s was the era of downsizing. Stories got simpler while more money was put into SPFX. The real groundbreaking superstars of the blockbuster era were the FX specialists. Dick Smith, HR Giger, Tom Savini etc.
In the 60s that wasn't so much the case. The actors and directors and composers were carrying more of the focus. Vincent Price in Pit and the Pendulum for example. Most of the horror is in the performances.
Could the Exorcist work without Dick Smith? Or Alien without Giger? I don't think they could. So I would say the 70s wasn't an era where "all cylinders were firing," but that the focus shifted. There's a refinement, but arguably it was to downsize, not to broaden. Good? Bad? I think it depends on your pov.
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