Best Horror Films Of The 70s Poll

[Rik]

I saw it at the Showcase Cinema in Leeds when it was rereleased, the majority of the audience were laughing, pissed me right off!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rik

I saw it at the Showcase Cinema in Leeds when it was rereleased, the majority of the audience were laughing, pissed me right off!

A lot of people I know who saw The Exorcist on release at the cinema in the '70s actually have stated that they find it laughable now. Many have gone as far as saying that they won't watch it again, due to not being able to take it seriously anymore.

I do like The Exorcist, and understand it's importance and history within cinema, but I'd only rate it around 8/10: Good, but not a favourite by any means.

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

A lot of people I know who saw The Exorcist on release at the cinema in the '70s actually have stated that they find it laughable now. Many have gone as far as saying that they won't watch it again, due to not being able to take it seriously anymore.

That's my problem. Almost all "spooky" or "scary" or "serious" scenes elicit a laugh.

Greetings!

[troggi]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

A lot of people I know who saw The Exorcist on release at the cinema in the '70s actually have stated that they find it laughable now. Many have gone as far as saying that they won't watch it again, due to not being able to take it seriously anymore.

I do like The Exorcist, and understand it's importance and history within cinema, but I'd only rate it around 8/10: Good, but not a favourite by any means.

I can understand why folk would not be "able to take it seriously anymore" but, please, try to put the film in context; nothing like it had been seen before, the polarised reaction it got from groups in society, the media coverage it achieved (bearing in mind the media of the day and the ultra media coverage that it would have got if today's media was around then), and the lasting effect that it had on it's audience (yes even the ones who find it laughable now). Add to that the film's subject matter, it is a "true supernatural horror" film not just a collection of gristly murders stitched together around a bunch of unlikeable, vapid teenagers who are only there to be murdered in a gristly fashion like so many of the later '70s Slasher flicks are, (sorry but I've got a bit of a downer on formulaic slashers).

The Exorcist, in my opinion and with my limited experience, is a vastly important film and should be treated as such. By today's standards maybe it is "around 8/10" but think about it, 8/10 after 40 years and when put up against the film-makers tools we have today such as animatronics and CGI? It's a heck of a score!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by troggi

I can understand why folk would not be "able to take it seriously anymore" but, please, try to put the film in context; nothing like it had been seen before, the polarised reaction it got from groups in society, the media coverage it achieved (bearing in mind the media of the day and the ultra media coverage that it would have got if today's media was around then), and the lasting effect that it had on it's audience (yes even the ones who find it laughable now). Add to that the film's subject matter, it is a "true supernatural horror" film not just a collection of gristly murders stitched together around a bunch of unlikeable, vapid teenagers who are only there to be murdered in a gristly fashion like so many of the later '70s Slasher flicks are, (sorry but I've got a bit of a downer on formulaic slashers).

The Exorcist, in my opinion and with my limited experience, is a vastly important film and should be treated as such. By today's standards maybe it is "around 8/10" but think about it, 8/10 after 40 years and when put up against the film-makers tools we have today such as animatronics and CGI? It's a heck of a score!

Oh, I agree. It was an extremely taboo film for it's day; especially as it was aimed at mainstream audiences. Bear in mind that the people I know who commented as such are not really horror film fans, and I think us and our die-hard kin are sometimes more forgiving to horror, and certainly more passionate about it.

For a general member of the public, they may have been shocked back in '73, but they are comparing it to the mainstream horror around on TV and in cinemas today, which is much more 'extreme', which is neither a good nor a bad thing, but I generally think that today's mainstream audiences are much more desensitized and less easily shocked than they were in the 1970s, what with global media shoving atrocity in your face from all angles every minute of the day, coupled with the rise of the internet and indie films.

I do indeed see my 8/10 as a very good score (especially speaking as someone who seldom rates anything at 10/10). Age plays no part in that though. I may have possibly rated it higher had I seen it in the '70s, however I did not have that opportunity (mainly because I wasn't alive!). My ratings are always subject to change, but I try to leave icon-ism, cinematic importance, and technical merit out of all my rankings, and only rank based on personal preference... which indicates why there are films like The Wizard of Gore ranked above it on my list!

[SharonLynette]

I haven't made a full list yet, and this is my top 49 from the top of my head, I haven't put full thought into it yet, sorry, I think the top 10 are roughly about right but it is hard to choose, there are so many good films from that decade and in general I can't pinpoint my top ten films altogether. Even after typing this I've swapped some stuff around.

1. Fright (1971)
2. ....And Soon the Darkness (1970)
3. Profondo Rosso (1975)
4. Psychomania (1973)
5. The Vault of Horror (1973)
6. Don't Look Now (1973)
7. From Beyond the Grave (1974)
8. Asylum (1972)
9. Suspiria (1977)
10. Halloween (1978)
11. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)
12. Tomb of the Blind Dead (1972)
13. Martin (1976)
14. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
15. Carrie (1976)
16. The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (1974)
17. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
18. The Brood (1979)
19. Patrick (1978)
20. The Wicker Man (1973)
21. Nothing But the Night (1973)
22. Island of Death (1977)
23. What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974)
24. The Asphyx (1973)
25. Pink Flamingos (1972)
26. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
27. Frightmare (1974)
28. Black Christmas (1974)
29. Fear in the Night (1972)
30. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
31. Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)
32. The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
33. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
34. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
35. Axe (1974)
36. The Wizard of Gore (1970)
37. Empire of the Ants (1977)
38. Don't Go in the House (1979)
39. Torso (1973)
40. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
41. Shivers (1975)
42. Piranha (1978)
43. The Comeback (1978)
44. Magic (1978)
45. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
46. The Gore Gore Girls (1972)
47. When a Strangers Calls (1979)
48. Death Line (1973)
49. The Toolbox Murders (1978)

[platostotal]

After much gnashing of teeth and scratching of chin, I've locked my top ten...

1 Dawn of the Dead
2 The Exorcist
3 Profondo Rosso
4 Halloween
5 The Wicker Man
6 Jaws
7 Suspiria (two in the top ten for Dario)
8 Texas Chainsaw Massacre
9 Alien
10 The Night Stalker (tv or not, brill)

Just missing out...
ZFE
Phantasm
Don't Look Now
Perfume of the Lady in Black

[jiraffejustin]

The Night Stalker is fine, as it is a television movie. Though if we ever decide to do a horror television series poll, you wouldn't consider this a part of the Kolchak series.

Which prompts me to ask: after this decade, we want to do the 60s right? And after that, do you guys have any ideas of what to do next? Another decade? TV? A different genre? Doing these lists is a lot of fun for me, and I think I might be addicted.

[platostotal]

Now the 60s would be all Hammer and Poe with a few Italian classics, the 50s would be big monsters and more Hammer, the current horror boon (still going strong) really kicked in around the early 70s, in fact in horror terms might be better to start from the 30s and move forward.

[jiraffejustin]

Originally Posted by platostotal

Now the 60s would be all Hammer and Poe with a few Italian classics, the 50s would be big monsters and more Hammer, the current horror boon (still going strong) really kicked in around the early 70s, in fact in horror terms might be better to start from the 30s and move forward.

I'd be open to that, or pretty much any suggestions we get. What do others think of doing it like this? And do you think we should bunch the 20s and before with the 30s?