OMAR AZIMI

Following the release of Psycho and other well-known horror films in the 1960s, the 1970s gave rise to smaller independent ventures. Many of the horror films in the decade were made with skeleton crews, and small budgets. These films were often under the constraints of distributors and the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

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The 70s is a time fondly looked upon for the production of many still-popular and cult-classic horror films, such as The Exorcist, Halloween, and Jaws. Additionally, the era is also well known for experimentation with camera techniques that had never been used before, such as the Panavision camera, which revolutionized filmmaking. Multiple directors, producers, and actors also enjoyed success for the very first time, making it a truly epic time for the genre.

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The Exorcist (1973)

Released at the end of 1973, The Exorcist has terrified audiences ever since. The audience is introduced to a 12-year-old girl and her mother who have a playful and loving relationship with each other. When Regan (Linda Blair) is seemingly possessed by Pazuzu, who claims to be the devil, her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn) is forced to watch her daughter’s condition deteriorate. At the other end, Father Karras (Jason Miller), who with Father Merrin (Max von Sydow), conducts Regan’s exorcism, is conflicted by his faith which is further exacerbated by the death of his mother.

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When the movie was released, there were dozens of reports of moviegoers fainting. Per the Newsweek issue on February 2, 1974, “…all Hell has broken loose” due to the many controversies that arose. However, the movie was still a hit, with moviegoers standing in lines that stretched blocks. The Exorcist was followed by several sequels, as well as the television show on FOX, the original remains one of the scariest movies of all time.

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Black Christmas (1974)

A phone call begins the terror at a sorority house, which leads to its household members getting murdered one by one. As the girls at the house prepare to either leave or hunker down for the Christmas holiday, Jess struggles with her decision to have an abortion and is taken aback when her boyfriend Peter (Keir Dullea) opposes her choice. Jess (Olivia Hussey Eisley) finds herself the sole target of the increasingly threatening phone calls.

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The film was directed by Bob Clark, who is most known for the 1983 A Christmas Story. The film’s slow-burn and likable characters make Black Christmas a terrifying ride. John Saxon, who would also appear in A Nightmare on Elm Street a decade later, also stars in the film as a policeman who struggles to figure out who is behind the phone calls plaguing the sorority house.

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Sally (Marilyn Burns), her brother Franklin (Paul Partain), Jerry (Allen Danziger), Pam (Teri McMinn), and Kirk (William Vail) are packed into a van as they travel to a cemetery to check on Sally and Franklin’s grandfather’s grave after the cemetery was reported to be vandalized. However, they catch the attention of a gas station proprietor, and Kirk, Jerry, Pam, and Franklin soon fall victim to Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), leaving Sally to endure a night of extreme terror with Leatherface’s cannibalistic family.

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What makes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre all the more horrifying, other than its imagery, is the lack of a score. In one scene, moviegoers are forced to listen to Sally’s terrified screams without any score backing them. The film is an unnerving watch and is fully capable in its ability to evoke feelings of pure dread.

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Jaws (1975)

To put it simply, Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a masterpiece of horror, as well as cinema, and is credited for being the first-ever summer blockbuster. The film’s screenplay was adapted from Peter Benchley’s novel and is also well known for the stellar performances turned in by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, who masterfully breathe lives into their respective characters.

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John Williams’ score helps to elevate the film into its well-deserved “blockbuster” status and helped to build suspense and the fear factor of “Bruce” the shark.

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Carrie (1976)

After Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is mercilessly bullied in the school locker room for getting her period (and not knowing what was happening to her), one of the bullies, Sue (Amy Irving) convinces her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom. Carrie reluctantly accepts Tommy’s invitation, and when the couple is voted as prom king and queen, the bullies strike again, by dumping a bucket of pig’s blood on her. This causes Carrie to snap and enter a catatonic state, where she unleashes her trauma on all her classmates, trapping them in the school, and killing them.

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According to IMDb trivia for Carrie, to prepare for the titular role, Spacek told the cast that “although she loved them, she would be avoiding them, so she could stay in character, and that they would have so much fun together after the movie was finished.” The film is considered to be one of the best adaptations of a work by Stephen King and is one of director Brian De Palma's best directorial efforts.

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The Omen (1976)

When Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorne’s (Lee Remick) baby is delivered stillborn, Robert is convinced to adopt one of the babies, whom they name Damien. Years later, Robert becomes an Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and mysterious events begin to happen with their son. Later in the film, Damien is found to be the Antichrist, bearing a mark of three sixes. When Robert attempts to stab the boy, police shoot him, leaving Damien to wander the world unchecked.

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The Omen finds its inspiration from films such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist and features Peck’s extraordinary acting ability. Additionally, the numerous well-designed kill scenes, such as the nanny happily hanging herself at Damien's birthday party and Damien knocking his mother off their home's second story, are meant to evoke terror from the audience that doesn't stop until the credits roll.

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Halloween (1978)

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, Michael (Will Sandin), a six-year-old boy murders his sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) and is committed to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. Fifteen years later, Michael (Nick Castle), now 21, escapes and returns home to Haddonfield and notices 17-year-old Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who bears a similar likeness to his sister. Throughout the day, he stalks Laurie and her friends Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (PJ Soles) and follows her to her babysitting job. Concerned about her friends’ well-being, Laurie goes across the street to where Annie was babysitting Lindsey (Kyle Richards), and finds her, Lynda, and Lynda’s boyfriend Bob (John Michael Graham) dead and their bodies staged. Michael finally attacks Laurie, and she’s forced to protect herself and the lives of the kids she’s babysitting.

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The screenplay was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill and was initially titled The Babysitter Murders before the concept and title of Halloween were brought up by producer Irwin Yablans. Halloween is also known for being Curtis’ film debut, who has played Laurie in eight films that have spanned six decades. In addition to Carpenter and Hill’s screenplay, Carpenter also composed the score for Halloween after being told by a producer that the movie wasn’t scary enough on its own.

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The Amityville Horror (1979)

Based on real events, The Amityville Horror begins with Ronald DeFeo Jr.going through the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, and murdering his entire family. One year later, George (James Brolin) and Kathy (Margot Kidder) move into the home. The couple requests that a priest bless the home, but when he enters, the home seemingly turns against him, including a room full of flies, stomach illness, and later, blisters on his palm. George begins to develop a more sullen and angry personality and with keeping the fireplace stoked. After 28 days, George attempts to kill Kathy and their children, but is interrupted and snapped out of his trance by Kathy. Together, the family escapes the house and drive away and never return.

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Although the real home is located in Amityville, NY, the film was shot on-location at a home in Toms River, NJ, which was converted to look like it. The score for the film added to the slow-mounting tension of the plot and was nominated for an Academy Award.