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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 9, 2020 6:49:43 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. And what's more - the handful of slasher films that did come out in the 70s were all genuinely creepy/unnerving and well-made ones produced with a real sense of flair and artistry. Black Christmas, Alice, Sweet Alice, Halloween - these are just fantastic horror films by any measure.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 9, 2020 6:54:28 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.
The 60s were great for classic British horror and gothic horror in general. The decade of Price, Lee and Cushing, but some of that carried on into the 70s. The early 70s witnessed the release of some of the greatest horror anthologies ever made, courtesy of Amicus. Hammer was admittedly on its last legs. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde was their last great horror film IMO.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 9, 2020 7:01:36 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. The 80s produced a lot of great stuff as well, but there was a tendency towards campiness that was apparent even in serious-toned fare such as the Nightmare on Elm Street series and was a fundamental component of a lot of that era's classics such as An American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. Over-the-top gore was also very much in vogue. The 70s managed to produce horror classics with decidedly less gore (on the whole) and largely devoid of the tongue-in-cheek approach that came later. The 70s classics also avoided the playfulness synonymous with their 80s counterparts. The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, Carrie, Halloween, Alien. No camp to be found in any of those.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 9, 2020 7:06:25 GMT
I'm a big fan of horror movies from the 60s straight down to the 80s. The 70s is when the 'modern' horror with a contemporary setting took centre stage. Gothic horror and Victorian settings became a thing of the past as horror films increasingly took place in a then contemporary setting. The horror became more vivid and intense, the effects more lurid and the violence more realistic. I love Christopher Lee's Dracula, but he never scared me the way Leatherface or the zombies in Dawn of the Dead would. I suppose you could say that it was the first decade to produce horror movies that can still frighten viewers today. Oh, and I consider Alien the greatest horror film ever made.
The 80s were great too - though the emergence of the home video market, while allowing for an expansion of the genre in many ways, also encouraged the creation of numerous cheap rip-offs of superior horror flicks.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 9, 2020 7:17:03 GMT
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. The main contribution made by Friday the 13th to the genre was its pioneering of the summer camp setting. The Burning is an infinitely superior take on the same premise. Should definitely be held in much higher regard than it is. And I agree that Alien is unbelievably suspenseful and far truer to the spirit of the genre than Cameron's movie, which is basically a very fun bombastic 80s action extravaganza but not a horror at heart.
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 9, 2020 7:53:27 GMT
The 60s were great for classic British horror and gothic horror in general. The decade of Price, Lee and Cushing, but some of that carried on into the 70s. The early 70s witnessed the release of some of the greatest horror anthologies ever made, courtesy of Amicus. Hammer was admittedly on its last legs. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde was their last great horror film IMO. That's why i think the best years for horror was around 65-75. It covers most of the trends--satanic, vampire, eco-horror, early slasher, even some sci-fi crossed with horror...
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Post by jamesbamesy on Feb 9, 2020 10:35:34 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. 80s produced a lot of great stuff as well, but there was a tendency towards campiness that was apparent even in serious-toned fare such as the Nightmare on Elm Street series and was a fundamental component of a lot of that era's classics such as An American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. Over-the-top gore was also very much in vogue. The 70s managed to produce horror classics with decidedly less gore (on the whole) and largely devoid of the tongue-in-cheek approach that came later. The 70s classics also avoided the playfulness synonymous with their 80s counterparts. The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, Carrie, Halloween, Alien. No camp to be found in any of those. Yeah it always seemed like 70s felt grounded and serious, whereas the 80s was serious at times as well but mostly campy and less gravitas. Neither is truly better than the other, just down to personal preference. |
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Feb 10, 2020 4:10:40 GMT
80s produced a lot of great stuff as well, but there was a tendency towards campiness that was apparent even in serious-toned fare such as the Nightmare on Elm Street series and was a fundamental component of a lot of that era's classics such as An American Werewolf in London and Fright Night. Over-the-top gore was also very much in vogue. The 70s managed to produce horror classics with decidedly less gore (on the whole) and largely devoid of the tongue-in-cheek approach that came later. The 70s classics also avoided the playfulness synonymous with their 80s counterparts. The Wicker Man, The Exorcist, Carrie, Halloween, Alien. No camp to be found in any of those. Yeah it always seemed like 70s felt grounded and serious, whereas the 80s was serious at times as well but mostly campy and less gravitas. Neither is truly better than the other, just down to personal preference. I agree 100% as someone who loves both campy horror and the more serious stuff.
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