The ‘70s were a wild time, right? So, naturally, the cinema of the era reflects that — and no genre more so than horror. The freewheeling “Me Decade” produced some of the most revolutionary, bizarre, and terrifying movies of all time. Halloween, The Omen, Jaws, and The Exorcist, namely, elevated the genre to new heights of popularity. Yet as the decades progressed, many of the other, lesser-known and more perverse gems got lost in the cinematic sauce, as the influx of horror films grew exponentially.
Here is a crepuscular collection of some of the most interesting works of celluloid that helped redefine the horror genre. From the eerie humanized mannequin movie Tourist Trap to the trauma-heavy, psychosexual The Witch Who Came from the Sea, these strangely satisfying scare-fests need to be revisited, dissected, and enjoyed.
10
‘Squirm’ (1976)
Sometimes B movies offer up more than just schlock and gross-out gags. Nothing exemplifies this more than the very pinnacle of invertebrate horror, Squirm. The feature debut by writer/director Jeff Lieberman, this cult favorite asks “What would happen if worms got electrocuted?” Well, of course, they would develop a taste for human flesh and try to destroy all of humanity. Once one looks past the ridiculous plot (although M. Night Shyamalan would later use this same basic premise, only with plants), there are some really spectacular, guilty pleasure moments to indulge in.
With a sly nod to Psycho, there’s a hilariously creepy(crawly) shower scene, where a bevy of worms comes right out of the shower head, threatening to land on to the cranium of the unsuspecting ingénue, Patricia Pearcy (as Geri Sanders). All of this begs the question: would Tremors exist without Squirm? We’ll never know —but Squirm will worm its way into the heart of even the most purist horror fan. Yes, it’s corny and camp, but it’s a fun, highly self-aware and creative watch nevertheless.
9
‘The Child’ (1977)
Whenever a job ad mentions a “remote farmhouse,” it’s usually a good idea to pass on that employment opportunity. Unfortunately for Alicianne Del Mar (played with realistic angst and befuddlement by Laurel Barnett), she took the promising position of nanny to a little girl, Rosalie (eerily acted by Rosalie Cole). As one would expect, Rosalie seems normal at first; then her predilection for communicating with invisible ghouls and performing freaky rituals is revealed.
Director Robert Voskanian did a lot with a little in this single-location, microbudget flick. Utilizing unsettling sound design, shadowy imagery, and disquieting themes of the unknown, he permeated the whole setting with rising panic and spine-tingling mystique. The Child paved the way for future generations of scary kids, laying the groundwork for bone-chilling films such as The Good Son, Wicked Little Things, and even Orphan.
8
‘The Manitou’ (1978)
Perhaps the most ‘70s-ish film on this list, William Girdler’s dimension-defying The Manitou is a psychedelic roller-coaster ride of intense visuals and mind-blowing, extra-dimensional abstractions. What happens when modern technology comes face-to-face with ancient, Native American forces? This is the question posed by The Manitou, and the answer is a sometimes terrifying, cosmic slap in the face.
The plot is centered around a woman who develops a strange lump on her neck, and then tries to have it removed through traditional medical means. Big mistake. Unseen mystical, mythical voodoo intercedes and a cavalcade of primeval fury is unleashed (the lump is really the physical incarnation of a demonic entity, duh). The Manitou also boasts the rare appearance in horror (at the time) of an actual celebrity, a mugging Tony Curtis — amusingly overwrought as Harry, the fraudulent psychic who finally encounters genuine supernatural, spiritual powers. With stunning practical effects and monstrous figures guaranteed to petrify, this wild work doesn’t disappoint.
7
‘Let Sleeping Corpses Lie’ (1974)
It’s a rarity when a film from the 1970s predicts the potentially disastrous effects of climate change (save Soylent Green), but that’s exactly what Let Sleeping Corpses Lie did. On the heels of Night of the Living Dead, this English countryside-set feature took the zombie concept and ran with it. As scientists attempt to control pests with a new brand of ultrasonic radiation technology, they quickly learn that one little side effect is the reanimation of the dead. Yes, they are hungry for human flesh, but there’s a lot more to this film than drooling brain-lust.
In a simpler time, before the ubiquitous inundation of cheesy zombie flicks, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (also titled No profanar el sueño de los muertos, as it was a collaboration between Spanish and Italian filmmakers) presented a more thoughtful, metaphorical take on undead flesh-chompers. Perhaps stemming from European artistic sensibilities, the setting of Jorge Grau’s film is extremely sumptuous, earthy, and verdant. One can almost feel the soil from whence the undead emerged. Grounded performances from Cristina Galbó, as Edna Simmonds, and Ray Lovelock, as George Meaning, and an eerily prescient social commentary on the dangers of toxins and technology make this a need-to-stream masterwork in the zombified sub-set.
6
‘Let’s Scare Jessica to Death’ (1971)
Written and directed by John D. Hancock, the pensive Let’s Scare Jessica to Death takes a look at the difficulty of distinguishing perceived mental illness from actual, flesh-and-blood terrors. It’s a slow-burn, atmospheric work of art, more focused on mood and unease than blaring jump scares. Zohra Lampert plays the titular Jessica, fresh out of a psychiatric facility and ready for a new, calm life with her husband at a remote farmhouse. Sorry, Jessica; here she only finds things going bump in the night, looming presences, and an ethereal ginger girl who just may be a specter — or, even better, a vampire.
Hancock drew inspiration from some classic wo’rks, including the novel The Turn of the Screw, and one of the undisputed, best house-centric horrors from the ’60s, The Haunting. One of the few horror films of the time that featured an unreliable narrator, here the audience is taken on a disquieting psychological ride, where what is real is always in question.
5
‘Tourist Trap’ (1979)
Directed by David Schmoeller, the plot of Tourist Trap is a highly inventive, if truly surreal, one. It’s the story of a group of young people who get stranded in a “tourist trap,” a wax museum with animatronic figures — and then are compelled to stay by a sadistic madman, Chuck Connors, as Mr. Slausen — along with hidden, supremely evil forces. When the young folk begin turning into haunted mannequins themselves, that’s when things really start to cook.
This movie is a fever dream version of Mannequin, in hell. It’s no secret that there’s something inherently frightening about wax figures, mannequins, and dolls, but Schmoeller takes this low-hanging (rotten) fruit and does wonders with it. The line between human and inanimate object is blurred throughout, and when the two entities collide, it’s quite chilling. The final takeaway? It’s called a tourist trap for a reason.
4
‘The Severed Arm’ (1973)
Thomas S. Alderman directed, and co-wrote, this wildly conceived story. It’s basically 72 Hours meets I Spit On Your Grave, on a budget. It’s a twisty, twisted tale laden with bright red herrings and clever misdirection. The basic story is that a group of friends went spelunking, got trapped, then decided to cut off the arm of one of their buddies so they wouldn’t starve, Alive-style. The only catch was this: they were rescued shortly after the arm was…severed. Oops. The non-mutilated members concocted a story to cover it all up, which, naturally, eventually comes back to bite them in the…arms.
Dismemberment of any sort is horrifying in its own right, and the threat of it is used here very effectively. The themes of guilt and anxiety propel this film along, taking the audience on a tension-filled trek through the caverns of the mind. As the (disfigured) bodies pile up, this mystery unfolds in a pretty neat fashion — and concludes with one final twist that is as shocking as it is oddly satisfying.
3
‘The Sentinel’ (1977)
Long before religious horror became its own highly popular sub-genre, there was The Sentinel. Directed by Michael Winner, the general story is fairly straightforward: a model looking for a fresh start finds an affordable apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone (this is not a fantasy element; this actually used to be a thing). Soon, things take a dark turn, as ominous vibes permeate the house and the other tenants slowly divulge their devious natures. Still, all the oddness could just be the protagonist, Allison Parker (played by a captivating Cristina Raines), descending into madness — and then, actual ghouls begin to appear and she at least knows that she’s not nuts.
What makes this film an enduring, nightmare-inducing work of dark art are the shocking images, well-timed scares, and an overall dusky and foreboding atmosphere. There’s even a solid turn by future horror icon, Chris Sarandon, of Fright Night fame, as the dashing Michael Lerman. The Sentinel also plays up Catholic guilt quite nicely, leading one to question if their “sins” will result in eternal damnation — even if it’s just in a sublet.
2
‘The Witch Who Came from the Sea’ (1976)
Matt Cimber’s provocative The Witch Who Came from the Sea initially gained notoriety for pushing the boundaries of common decency. It follows Millie Perkins as Molly, an abused woman who blocks out her trauma with excessive alcohol and the occasional drug binge. However, these antidotes only work so well at quelling her tortured mind. Soon her psychotic impulses turn from mere violent fantasies to fully manifested acts of murder. Taking inspiration from the famed Botticelli painting “The Birth of Venus” (the movie’s title is a direct reference to it), the film is laden with messages about feminism and power, and what evil men are truly capable of.
What makes it so unique is its treatment of familial abuse and the subsequent repression of awful acts. This thought-provoking motion picture also has a lot to say about chasing fame and the false hope of Hollywood dreams (Mulholland Drive-style). It’s set in California, with an uncharacteristically dreary Venice Beach backdrop. Perkins (giving Krysten Ritter in the new Dexter series vibes) delivers a knock-out performance, the kind rarely seen in horror movies of the era. She vacillates between naive, childlike innocence to vengeful brutality with ease. Her Molly is erotically-charged at times, with elements of BDSM layered in; yet, Molly’s sexuality is a distorted one, birthed from the perversions of her father (who she still idolizes). The horror in this film is the all-too-real horror of what humans sometimes do to the ones they supposedly love.
1
‘The Brood’ (1979)
David Cronenberg’s The Brood is nothing short of groundbreaking, on many levels — ahead of its time in a variety of ways. The visceral visuals, the ever-present sense of nihilistic dread, and the highly innovative, completely out-there plot are just a few of the chilling components that combine to leave an indelible mark on the mind of anyone who witnesses it. Throw in a finale sequence that’s a jaw-dropping display of ghastly wonders, and the quintessential body horror film is born.
Centered on the bitter custody battle between a failed couple, the movie’s concept was apparently birthed out of Cronenberg’s own prickly divorce. With Samantha Eggar and Art Hindle as Nola and Frank Carveth, The Brood is a masterfully acted shock-o-rama (Oliver Reed also delivers a powerful performance as the uber-intense guru Dr. Hal Raglan). Nola becomes involved in a cult-like, new-age institute (perhaps a nod to Scientology), where patients are encouraged to “physicalize” their emotions. This results, of course, in the psychoplasmic manifestation of “Broodlings,” fiendish little Land of the Lost-looking creatures that do Nola’s unconsciously evil bidding. Closing out the ‘70s with fantastic flare, The Brood needs to be watched, or re-watched, just for its delightful weirdness alone.
