The 90 Best Horror Movies of the 1970s
(Photo by United Film Distribution Company/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Comb your porn ’stache, put on some vinyl (records or disco boots, your choice), and smell that lead in the gasoline – we’re heading back to the Me Decade with the 90 Best 1970s Horror Movies!
The ’70s were a decade of upheaval for the genre, transforming horror into a legitimate vessel for awards recognition (The Exorcist) and the birth of the blockbuster (Jaws). The reign of Hammer gothic horror had its last gasp here (Vampire Circus), giving way to the whodunit sleaze of Italian giallo (Deep Red), American realism (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and grindhouse (Last House on the Left). Meanwhile, legends-in-the-making made their name off horror: Steven Spielberg (Duel), Ridley Scott (Alien), David Lynch (Eraserhead), and John Carpenter (Halloween) to name a few. The only stipulation for a movie to be considered for this list was a Fresh rating, before we sorted by a ranking formula that factors a movie’s number of reviews and release year.
Now that you’re keyed up, get down for some boo-gie nights as we get off on the best scary movies the 1970s offered!
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Rotten Tomatoes
