Haunted History: A History and Synopsis of Horror Movies, Part 2

Throughout the history of cinema, there have been many notable turning points. The introduction of sound and color brought a vibrant and expressive world of art and media, unlike anything our world has ever seen. When addressing the history of horror movies, the period we will be discussing today (1970-1999) is a massively notable turning point in the horror industry. During this nearly 30-year stretch, we see the development of new genres, scare techniques, and the introduction of horror into the world of blockbusters.

The 1970s saw the expansion of new genres and, to build upon our last discussion, even more growth in racial equality in the movie industry through horror movies. I attempted to note every important horror movie of the 1970s and ended up with a list of close to 25 films. I will not discuss every movie but will attempt to touch base at least quickly with each notable film during this decade. The early 1970s saw a boom of Black-centered horror movies, aimed at discussing deep social narratives on ongoing racial tensions through the median of horror movies. “Blacula” (1972) a fabulous movie by William Crain, started the blaxploitation horror film industry. The films followed a similar character structure meant to bring harmful racial stereotypes to the public eye. The industry created 14 films spanning from 1972 until 2006, each of which pushed a strong social message unlike anything our film industry has ever seen.

Wes Craven, the eventual creator of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise, started his directing career in 1972 with the ever-controversial “The Last House of the Left”. I would not suggest a watch of the film, as the strong violence and traumatic events make for an unpleasant but groundbreaking film. The film turned a sour eye to horror movies with many fearing the violence was too much for viewers, turning many away from the industry. 1973 saw the amazing works of “The Exorcist” and “The Crazies” brought to the screen, the Exorcist particularly has a dark history and will likely get its own article. 1974 saw an interesting year with two Christmas horror films, “Silent Night Deadly Night”, and “Black Christmas”. The year also saw the groundbreaking “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, a gritty low-budget film that broke the slasher industry wide open and started a craze that still lasts to this day.

1975 saw the classic film “Jaws” hit the big screens and make the entire world scared to step into any body of water. 1976 saw horrifying works like “The Omen” terrorize audiences while films like “Carrie” grew Stephen King’s reputation as the king of horror stories. 1978 saw the start of the “Halloween” franchise which brought the pure evil of Michael Myers to the cinematic world. 1979 most notably introduced “Alien”, a groundbreaking science fiction horror film with stunning visuals, a tense atmosphere, and of course the Hollywood debut of Sigourney Weaver.

1980 saw the massive film releases of “Friday the 13th” and “The Shining”. “The Shining” in particular is a cinematic work of art, filled with hidden meanings, theories, and a host of gorgeously made shots. 1981 saw a trio of good groundbreaking werewolf movies, “An American Werewolf in London”, “Wolfen” and “The Howling”. 1981 also saw Sam Raimi’s classic “The Evil Dead” and “Friday the 13th Part 2” which introduced the infamous Jason Voorhees to audiences.

Stephen King adaptations largely ruled the 1980s with works such as “Creepshow” (1982), “Cat’s Eye” (1985), “Silver Bullet” (1985) and “Pet Sematary” (1989). Several longstanding horror franchises also started in the 1980s with “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984), “Re-Animator” (1985) and “Predator” (1987). The 80s were marked by a trend in sequels, with many entries in franchises coming out in back-to-back years. This was due to an increased trend in the possible profit of growing individuality in American culture, making formerly taboo topics more open to filmmakers. 1982 also saw the release of my personal favorite film “The Thing”, a movie I will never not recommend to those willing to endure its cold atmosphere and paranoia.

To finish up this “Golden Era” is the polarizing 1990s. 1990 saw the creature feature the classic “Tremor” starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, as well as “Jacob’s Ladder” a serious psychological horror film about the traumas of war. “Jacob’s Ladder” saw a shift in tone from the upbeat almost comedic horror films of the 1980s. Similar in that tone was “Se7en” (1995), an ultra-violent and darkly psychological thriller that sought to tell a real and horrifying story, a theme we will continue to see more of in the modern era. Another growing theme was the popularization of the “psychopath” serial killer, a far cry from the more fictitious paranormal-like stalkers of the early decades.

This turn towards realism was an expected trend as the 90s was a staple of developing grunge music and the developing alternative scene. Humorous horror was no longer enough, audiences wanted real fear. With this came Serial Killer related movies such as “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), “Scream” (1996), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), and “Psycho” (1998).

We will pick up these growing trends of psychological horror and realistic terror in the modern era, where the horror franchise will see its biggest expansion in experimentation.