When I was in 8th grade, my friend and I went through a random phase where we just watched all the horror movies we could find, starting with the classics recommended by our parents. These were the movies they grew up on, and they genuinely terrified them. Sure, there are the more current horror movies that actually scare me (like "The Conjuring or Paranormal Activity") and those with disturbing yet engaging plots that will stand the test of time (like "The Sixth Sense" or "The Silence of the Lambs") but I will always have a soft spot for those classic '70s thrillers that keep you on your toes but, at least in my case, often fail to actually frighten you. I don't doubt that these films did scare their audience in their time, but with the technology and special effects that we are used to seeing in movies today, some of these films tended to make me cry with laughter rather than terror. Yet I will always appreciate them for creating a genre of their own. Here are just five on the very long list of must-sees.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
This film is about a sweet little girl who gets possessed by a demon (quite a common theme it turns out in horror movies of this time) and terrorizes everyone that tries to help her. What I like about this movie is the believable terror she puts everyone through, because who would possibly know what do in this situation? The fact that you feel bad for the mother, the priest, and especially the poor girl trapped inside a body with a demon is the thing that terrorizes me the most in this movie, not to mention the gruesome visual effects and makeup.
2. The Shining (1980)
This movie is purely creepy. It depicts the story of a family staying in a hotel alone for the winter (never a good start) where strange occurrences take place and the father grows more and more agitated until he tries to kill them all. The thing about this film is that you never quite know what is going on. Flashes of unfamiliar, sinister people or morbid scenes in the hotel that seem to make no sense are thrown in at random, adding to the disorientation and disturbing atmosphere of both the characters and you as you watch it play out.
3. Halloween (1978)
This movie is a classic case of screaming "WHY ARE YOU STOPPING TO REST WHEN THE KILLER IS STILL AFTER YOU?! RUN!!" at the TV. Someone who is meant to be kept in an insane asylum is loose and on a mission to kill an innocent stranger, which always makes for a scary plotline. Plus, the simplicity and perfect combination of humanness and inhumanness of that iconic white mask will forever creep me out.
4. Carrie (1976)
Another Stephen King classic, this film depicts a teenage outsider who has no relief, from her creepy, abusive mother at home to the bullies at school, and turns out to be more troubled then anybody anticipated. Like the majority of this list, this film has been redone more recently, but, like most remakes, it doesn't quite capture the creepy originality of the title character. The original movies told stories unlike any others of their time, and the attempts to redo them usually end up seeming stale, cliche, or like they're trying too hard.
5. The Omen (1976)
This is my personal favorite. The picture says it all. This movie is about a boy who is found to be the son of the devil and causes death and destruction for everyone around him. With the incredibly amusing overacting, a priest just standing there allowing himself to get impaled by a steeple, and the hysterically unrealistic decapitation scene, there is truly so much to love. And lucky for us, there are also "Damien: Omen II," "Omen III: The Final Conflict," and "Omen IV: The Awakening" for us to enjoy, which are all absolutely as ridiculous as the first. Though I must admit this movie doesn't scare me in the slightest, I still genuine appreciate watching it since it is just unapologetically absurd enough to be entertaining.
I highly encourage everyone to brush up on your classic horror movie knowledge and watch all of these and more at some point in your lives. If nothing else, I can assure you that you will be thoroughly entertained.
