7 Great Horror Movies From the 1970s

For me, the 70s are the best decade of horror. I don't have the technical knowledge to put into words how distinct the filming was back then—the surreal color palettes, the insane practical effects, the psychedelic soundtracks. It was just so weird, so delightfully weird.

Since I started this series with the cutesy idea of 6 movies from the 1960s, I gotta keep up the numbers thing. I'm trying again here to avoid the obvious titles like Alien, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Exorcist, and Suspiria in favor of the ones that might've fallen under your radar. (Side note, Texas Chainsaw is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen.)

Black Christmas (1974)

I might piss off horror fans with this one right after my little disclaimer of mentioning lesser-known titles. "What!?" you flare up indignantly. "Everybody knows Black Christmas! It's a CLASSIC. This Jenna chick is a POSER."

I'm teasing.

I feel like Black Christmas is juuuust beneath the threshold of full pop culture awareness. Which is interesting, since it's the inspiration for dozens and dozens of slasher films, including Halloween. It wasn't THE first slasher, but it was important in popularizing the subgenre. Many filmmakers took its ideas and repackaged them in a more commercially successful way.

Sorority girls staying on campus during the holidays get creepy phone calls on their house phone. That's it, that's all I'm gonna say. It's been out for 51 years but I still won't spoil it for you. Because I'm nice. Just know it's a really creepy movie and it holds up well to this day.

Zombie (1979)

I'm not usually that into zombie movies. Not a hater, just not for me. This one and Night of the Living Dead are two huge exceptions.

There was so much love and talent put into crafting the zombies in this movie. Just an incredible level of detail. Today's CGI zombies could never.

And dude, oh my god, there's a scene where a zombie fights a shark. And the director used a real tiger shark. I did some digging, and apparently the shark's trainer played the zombie. They tranquilized the shark for safety, and the trainer went uncredited for his role in one of the coolest horror scenes of all time. His name: Ramón Bravo. Bravo, Mr. Bravo.

House (1977)

What is this movie about, you ask? Irrelevant. Also, I don't actually know. A schoolgirl goes to her sick aunt's house in the country with six friends. Insanity ensues.

It's fun, it's kooky, it's masterful in its use of special and practical effects. You might find metaphor in the ridiculousness (and this movie fully knows how ridiculous it is). You might find nothing but nonsense. Either way, you're gonna have a good time as long as you roll with it and don't fight too hard for understanding.

Tourist Trap (1979)

I have two words for you: evil mannequins.

This movie came at me out of left field when I was browsing Tubi one day. The budget is cheap, the acting is not great, but the vibes are creepy and the plot is unique. The score does a lot of work to elevate the atmosphere, making up a lot of ground. It's a fun way to spend your Saturday night in.

By the way, Tubi is stuffed with hidden gems, some hidden for good reason—and it's free. If you love horror across the spectrum of goofy to masterpiece, you need Tubi in your life (not sponsored to say that, but I wish I was).

Deathdream (1974)

Your son goes to war in Vietnam and is soon presumed dead. Then, one day, he shows up at your door. Everyone is relieved, reeling, their grief suspended somewhere between disbelief and miracle. But he keeps acting...strange.

What really stood out to me in Deathdream was how it plays with the emotional side of horror. Your son is not himself, but he's here, right? He's alive, and that's all that really matters. Right? You can touch him, see him, talk to him...yet, you're repulsed by him.

It's giving Pet Semetary. Or rather, Pet Semetary is giving Deathdream since the latter was released first. You might see a metaphor for post-Vietnam PTSD in soldiers. Or maybe it's a vampire/zombie flick with a bit of a brain. Unsettling, flawed, and dark, it's worth a watch for sure.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

I know at some point this movie took up its own unique space in pop culture, but I get the sense we've lost sight of it overtime. So here it is: Clint Eastwood's directorial debut and an early entry in the Fatal Attraction, woman-stalks-man suspense uh situation.

Many might say it's boring. But I think there's an art in Eastwood's pacing, those bite-sized scenes of mounting tension, those little moments where Evelyn's obsession seeps through. And imagine my surprise when I realized that creepy, possessive Evelyn is played by the late, great Jessica Walter! We miss you, queen.

Eastwood's character, Dave, is a handsome radio DJ who keeps getting requests from a lady caller to play the song "Misty." He cheats on his girlfriend one night with guess who, and everything slowly spirals from there. The gender politics and machismo and sexual stuff are dated, of course, but it's still a masterclass in suspense.

Eraserhead (1977)

I saved the best for last. Guys, I LOVE Eraserhead. On my top 5 list for sure. It's a David Lynch creation, so you know you're in for a ride. Surreal and nightmarish to the point of brain melting, this movie just kinda happens to you.

I'm not even gonna give you a premise, mostly because there's only the smallest thread of one. I just want you to soak up the experience like a lil sponge. The fun part is you can put as much or as little thought into that experience as you want. Industrial wastelands loom. A lady in a radiator sings a haunting melody about heaven. A fetal, lizard-like baby is born. What does it all mean? Does it mean anything at all?

Some say the lady in the radiator is a symbol of desire for escape, that the man in the planet at the film's start represents fate. So many essays about this movie turning the insane into symbols. It's fun to hear your own brain churn trying to piece meaning together, because our brains like to do that. We crave meaning. And I get a feeling Mr. Lynch is mocking that fact throughout this movie.