Horror 101: Thoughts on the genre by a beginning viewer and a longtime fan: 1970’s Edition
Our intern Ellery is just starting to get acquainted with the horror genre, while Team Smarthouse’s Director of Marketing, Amie, is a longtime fan of horror films! Here are thoughts from both of them on some 1970’s selections.
An introduction by Ellery:
For our third installment of horror through the eyes of both a beginner and longtime fan, Amie and I decided to look at some classic horror movies from the 70s.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Directed by Tobe Hooper
Ellery: Whenever I chat with people about horror, this movie always seems to come up. At least three people have told me that it’s their favorite horror movie, if not movie in general, so I am glad I finally came around to watching it! The movie itself is brutal and gory and oh so perfect; I completely understand why there is such a cult following. It drives home the universal lesson that we are all going to die, no matter age or ability, it's just a matter of how.
Amie: I’m a big fan of both the original TCM and its sequel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2! Hooper’s direction is masterful, and it’s crazy that he was able to produce such stunning imagery and such acute terror on a tiny budget. The first emergence of Leatherface lives in my nightmares, and the final scene of Sally Hardesty is one of the best horror movie endings of all time.
The Wicker Man (1973), Directed by Robin Hardy
Ellery: My oh my I love this movie. The film moves at a very slow pace so that the evil reveals itself unhurriedly. I got major Midsommar vibes throughout the movie because the plot is essentially the same: an outsider gets lured to a cult-like community that happens to be celebrating May Day. It got me thinking how the May Day ritual makes for a really perfect horror movie device. I think it would be interesting to see The Wicker Man before Midsommar because it would sort of prime the viewer to know what to expect in Midsommar, even when they weren’t quite sure what was happening.
My favorite details were all of the costumes the townspeople wore for the celebration. The costume design was really well done and even reminded me of Moonrise Kingdom at certain parts. My only frustration was that the investigation could have been done so much better. It was odd to me why only one investigator would be sent out to the island.
Amie: The Wicker Man is such a weird, wonderful gem of a film! The music; the costumes; the maniacally jovial cult leader. I love it so much. This was one of those films that I knew virtually nothing about going into it, and I was glad I hadn’t spoiled anything for myself because not knowing anything made that ending even more devastating. There’s no denying that Aster took a lot of inspiration from this film for Midsommar. And I know the remake with Nic Cage is a “bad movie” hit — but that one just makes me very sad because it had so much potential! And it just didn’t work.
The Exorcist (1973), Directed by William Friedkin
Ellery: I was scared. I was enthralled. I was gripped from the opening scene. This movie is fantastic. It’s delightfully terrifying and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I really think that it might be my favorite horror film that I’ve ever seen as of now. I slowly builds on itself and has the viewer interested throughout. The effects, from sounds to the floating bed build the horror in this beautiful layered way. The performances stood out to me as well, particularly Linda Blair as Regan. The Georgetown cameo was also fun. I love seeing places on screen that I have visited before.
Amie: One of the most compelling and interesting things about The Exorcist to me is the drama that takes place before the actual demon possession and exorcism. The absolute exhaustion and despair that Regan’s mother spirals into after realizing that no one can tell her what is wrong with her daughter. It feels so real that it’s almost unbearable to watch. That tension and uncertainty really adds to the supernatural terror of what happens later on, and reveals just how amazing Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair’s performances are.
Don't Look Now (1973), Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Ellery: These 70’s movies are all really hitting home for me. The cinematography in the movie was absolutely stunning and the venice setting took me back to pre-COVID times. The ending is inexplicably unsettling and confusing on first watch. However, upon reflection it uniquely drops the moral of the story at the very end. If anything, I enjoyed this movie for its inventive storyline; it is very odd in fact. I would even describe it as simply just weird. This oddity is perhaps why I enjoyed it so much. There is nothing quite like seeing something so out of the ordinary on screen. I would highly recommend this movie especially because it is available for free online. Maybe I am just out of the loop but this movie is super underrated in my opinion.
Amie: There is really not another movie out there that is like Don’t Look Now! Underrated for sure, and whenever anyone tries to say that “art house horror” is a new thing I screech, BUT WHAT ABOUT DON’T LOOK NOW at them. Quiet, beautiful, unsettling, and punctuated by weird characters: the creepy psychic sisters and the tiny phantom in the red coat will be lodged in my brain forever. I’m also betting Aster took a lot from this for Hereditary, re: processing grief and its effect on familial relationships. Good stuff.
Jaws (1975), Directed by Steven Spielberg
Ellery: Full disclosure: I am living in Maine this summer and just last week there was a fatal shark attack in an area very close to where I swim. Because of this, I was a bit hesitant to watch Jaws but it also felt like perfect timing so I dove right in. I’m honestly very shocked that I hadn’t seen Jaws in the first 21 years of my life. Steven Spielberg, as always, did not disappoint with this absolute masterpiece. The first scene is vital for setting the tone of the film and Jaws is a prime example of this. What stood out to me most was the shots, which is not surprising considering it’s a Spielberg film. The shots of people swimming were particularly majestic both underwater and above. The only line that threw me off was “I can do anything. I'm the chief of police.”
Amie: I watch Jaws every year on the Fourth of July! And Quint’s speech at the town meeting is another oft-quoted classic pop culture moment in our house. Every part of this movie holds up; it’s brilliantly executed and incredibly intense — also comparisons of Amity’s Mayor to our current “leader” are hard to miss. It really hits different in these times! Every time I watch, my thing to do is to check out the local extras in the background. There’s a great interview with Spielberg talking about casting Martha’s Vineyard locals, and how one of them in particular was essentially a real life Quint (he’s the salty seafarer whose severed head gets discovered by Hooper). Even though sometimes you can tell the shark isn’t real, it’s still flawless and terrifying. A perfect film.