Artwork from The Horror Of Frankenstein

One of the great early 1970s horror movies was the 1973 film, The Exorcist! A twelve year old girl is possessed by the devil. This movie is memorable because of its dead on scenes of pure blasphemy against God by the possessed girl, Regan. The swearing, violence; the freezing bedroom where she lay, and green puke really makes you believe that Satan has taken up shop in that little girl. The struggling, courageous, all too human priests really make this movie. It's Good vs. Evil! This movie will raise the hair on your head.

In 1974, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre came out, and people thought differently about chain-saw use. Here was the plot: teenagers, graveyards, evil hitchhikers, and a disturbed family that harbors a chainsaw welding fanatic bent on slicing up the newly arrived company to make human jerky. 1970s horror movies would never be the same after this one!

In 1974, Black Christmas was released. It is very simple plot about a group of sorority girls on Christmas break getting sick phone calls. Soon, girls are getting picked off left and right by the killer. A killer score and well directed by Bob Clark; it starred the ultra hot Olivia Hussey and Amityville Horror's Margot Kidder. It was a great film long before Scream copied it.

Jaws Does anybody need an explanation when they hear that word?!?!? Directed by the amazing Steven Spielberg in 1975 from the novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws made people afraid to go into the water. An island resort town in New England is losing people in the water by a great white shark. The five main characters are the shark, the police chief, a mayor that thrives on tourist money, a shark hunter, and a shark expert. The movies revolves around the deaths of tourists in the water, the sliminess of local office, frustration at not being able to get the shark, and finally, obsession!

In 1976, Carrie (see the trailer), sizzled the screen with newcomer Sissy Spacek(hey, that girl can act!). The story is about a telekinetic girl who's picked on, loathed, and generally overlooked as a nobody at school. Unfortunately for Carrie's classmates, Carrie's got special powers that can move things! When Tommy Ross invites her to the prom, she's suspicious, but decides to go, to the whole school's eventual misery. Behind the scenes, she has to deal with a mother that's a borderline schizophrenic with religious paranoia. A great addition to 1970s horror movies!

1970s horror movies were honored with this next film. In 1976, The Omen, with Gregory Peck, instilled movie-goers with the fear of the antichrist! Peck plays an Ambassador who adopts a child and eventually finds out that the child is the spawn of Satan after a rash of murders. At right, Peck discovers the awful truth of what really happened to his son at birth!

The great Anthony Hopkins played in the 1977 movie Audrey Rose. The movie plot is basically about reincarnation. A man (Hopkins) that at first seems to be terrorizing a nice family and their daughter, finally worms his way into their lives to try and convince them that their daughter is actually HIS daughter that died in 1964. They don't want to believe it but their girl Ivy is projecting behavior that seems like the strangers daughter, Audrey. Audrey Rose: Born 1959 - Died 1964 - Born 1964 One of the all time "thinker" 1970s horror movies!

Dawn Of The Dead provided one of the goriest 1970s horror movies in 1978!! Set in a world where zombies walk in the daylight above ground, a group of survivors take refuge in a shopping mall. Holing up there where goods are plentiful and guns are dirt cheap, they find out that cleaning the mall of zombies is hard work as well as keeping out the living riff-raff. Here, some bikers have some fun with a stumbling zombie!

In 1978, John Carpenter's Halloween set the stage for horror clichés to come with his story of Michael Myers, an institutionalized killer. Michael murdered his sister while young, and now he escaped from the mental hospital. His Doctor, Dr. Loomis, goes back to Myer's hometown in the chance that he may show up there. Sure enough, he does, terrorizing Laurie Strode and her pals. The chilling score is classic!

Anthony Hopkins does horror again in 1978's Magic. A ventriloquist (Hopkins) is a bad performer, but his salvation is a dummy called "Fats". Hopkins’s character, Corky becomes a sensation but the price of that success is the fact that Fats is alive (or is he?), and wants to control Corky. As usual, Hopkins makes the role.

Time For "Your Reviews"!

Suggest a 1970's top ten list of your own, comment on the ones listed above, or slash and burn them if ya' hated em'! Tell Horror Stew all about it! What's YOUR favorite 70's horror film?

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

BAD RONALD (1974) 
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A MADE FOR TV MOVIE, THIS IS STILL REALLY GOOD. IT'S ABOUT AN OUTCAST TEENAGER NAMED RONALD WHO ACCIDENTALLY KILLS A LITTLE GIRL,THEN ...

Black Christmas 
That is the scariest movie ever, and I've seen a LOT of horror movies. I hope to buy it soon, great movie!

The Exorcist 
I remember the first time I saw this movie - It didn't scare me as much as it should have because I knew all the movie magic behind it (The 360 head spin,...

ChainSaw Massacre 
It's a terrible movie. Movies like it make our young people violent and mentally unstable. It's no surprise that shootings happen in schools.

Not only ...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre  Not rated yet
This movie is an immortal classic. It is also the only movie I have ever seen that is so disturbing and yet they never show any blood letting on screen....

Something Evil  Not rated yet
A made for television movie directed by Steven Spielberg, one of his first productions. Its very well done and one of my favorites. Extremely hard to find ...

When a Stranger Calls (1979)  Not rated yet
Arguably one of the most frightening opening sequences in horror movie history. Carol Kane's voice, big eyes, and vulnerability make her the perfect lead ...

The Exorcist  Not rated yet
When I first saw this movie it scared me...alot. I was about nine at the time, (it came out eleven years before I was born), and I would always watch it ...

Halloween  Not rated yet
It's sad as he was bullied as a kid.
I understand why Michael Myers is killing people, they treat him like trash in the young time...

Don't Look Now   Not rated yet
A 1973 psychic thriller based on the short story by suspense author Daphne Du Maurier. For those unfamiliar with this author's name, she also wrote ...

"CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER" (1974)  Not rated yet
This British-made 70's vampire film was produced and directed by some of the same people who were behind the popular 1960's British TV series, "The Avengers"...

"THE TENANT" (1976)  Not rated yet
Roman Polanski directs and also plays the title character in this bizarre 70's horror film. There is a plot similarity to his 1965 classic "Repulsion"...

Thanks Roger!  Not rated yet
The review you left is exactly what Horror Stew really desires, and that is an intellegent review of a horror movie. An alternate view from a horror fan ...

"THE WICKER MAN" (1972)  Not rated yet
Playwright Anthony Shaffer

Playwright Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) wrote this very intelligent screenplay about paganism on a remote Scottish island....

The Burning  Not rated yet
The best horror flick out there…the raft scene alone is worth the viewing time alone. (1976) Even the special effects hold their own!-------------------* We ...

Halloween  Not rated yet
SCARIESt MOVIE!!! (In my language, that means the best.)
amazing plot and lots of gore.

Halloween  Not rated yet
The best, the scariest, an atmosphere that was done maybe very simple but never again was reached even closely, in my opinion that is.
Even today it's ...