Easily the most popular subgenre of horror films, slashers have been around since the sixties thanks to Peeping Tom (1960). And although the eighties saw juggernaut slasher franchises come to light such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, the 1970s were when the subgenre was truly popularized in Hollywood. Of course, a couple of other famous series started in the decade at hand, but more on those later.
Others on this list went down as underrated upon release either critically or commercially, and don’t hold near the name value today as those that sparked popular franchises. But all that said, these are the ten best slashers of the 1970s, ranked.
8 Silent Night, Bloody Night
For what’s out there to see, Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) doesn’t seem to have the best review scores across the board. But it features an intriguing premise of a man who inherits a mansion that used to be an insane asylum. And that protagonist — a lawyer named John Carter (played by Patrick O’Neal), along with his girlfriend Diane Adams (played by Mary Woronov) — find themselves stalked by an axe murderer.
And again, for those who haven’t seen it: there isn’t much information out there for all to see and study. Which makes sense, considering this is the oldest film on the list, predating the projects that truly popularized the subgenre at hand for audiences around the world. Nonetheless, those who have seen Silent Night, Bloody Night would agree that it deserves the opening spot on this list.
7 The Silent Scream
Among the most commercially successful independent horror films of the decade at hand, The Silent Scream (1979) accrued $7.9 million at the box office. Its budget is unknown — as are more contemporary reviews of the project as a whole. But some did get it right upon release with positive reviews, as The Silent Scream should undoubtedly go down among the more underrated projects the slasher subgenre of horror has ever seen.
It features carefully creepy camerawork and a resonating score right out of the gate. And like an entry that appears later in the list, this slasher is set on a college campus. It follows a student named Scotty Parker (played by Rebecca Balding) as she searches for rooming and lands on a hilltop boarding house. Little did she know, though, that within that very facility, a killer is on the loose. The result is a dynamic thrill ride despite the paucity of name value herein. You without a doubt need to indulge in The Silent Scream if you haven't done so already.
6 Savage Weekend
This is now considered to be a film with a cult following, and with good reason. Its plot follows the coping arc of a woman named Marie Pettis, who recently divorced her husband and decides to take a trip to upstate New York with a few people inside her inner circle of interpersonal relations — her new, wealthy boyfriend, along with both her sister and a close friend.
And what’s further worth noting with regard to Savage Weekend (1979) would be the fact that it was filmed in 1976, predating some of the slasher subgenre’s most famous entries such as Friday the 13th (1980) by Sean S. Cunningham. Sure, the film at hand wasn’t fully edited and released in theaters until a few years after its initial filming process. But despite any lack of popularity or modern name value herein, Savage Weekend nonetheless comes in at the number six spot.
5 Alice, Sweet Alice
Among the least recognizable titles on the list, Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) blends subgenres to an extent. Commonly viewed as a psychological slasher, it follows a young and troubled girl who is suspected of committing the heinous murder of her younger sister (who was actually portrayed by Brooke Shields in her feature length acting debut). Of course, it would hardly be a slasher if there was only one killing, though — and there are indeed more to follow at the hands of the titular Alice, played by Paula Shepperd. Its ending hits home, too.
This is another entry on the list that’s commonly considered a cult classic by critics. It took inspiration from English thrillers, like Don’t Look Now (1973) and those from Alfred Hitchcock, but failed to impress critics or rake in moviegoers to those extents. In the end, there’s an argument that Alice, Sweet Alice still remains highly underrated in that regard, landing the psychological slasher here at number five.
4 A Bay of Blood
Directed and co-written by Mario Bava in what is commonly cited as the most violent project of his career, A Bay of Blood (1971) featured highly gory set pieces that went down as influential on the subgenre as a whole. That’s fitting, given the title of the film. But what’s also worth noting is that this is more specifically classified as an Italian giallo slasher film. Known to comprise the elements of multiple horror subgenres, Italian giallo films derive their name from a series of pulp novels from the late 1920s that featured yellow covers — “giallo” means “yellow” in Italian.
And again, films of this ilk typically blend suspenseful or thrilling atmospheres with more horrific ones, almost like a neo-noir movie with horror backdrops. And on top of slashers, they often contain elements of psychological horror, sexploitation, and more. But with A Bay of Blood, there may not be a more notable example of a giallo slasher. Despite its straightforward premise of a series of murders occurring near the titular bay, the execution by Bava lands it here at number four.
3 Black Christmas
This entry stands out as somewhat of an anomaly on the list, considering — as its title may suggest — the plot takes place during Christmas. The setting’s location facilitates brilliant elements of the subgenre, too, as this Canadian slasher film goes down largely in a sorority house. And what’s worth noting off the bat with regard to Black Christmas (1974) is that these events kick off with the primary antagonist — a deranged, unnamed killer — calling the sorority’s house phone.
For fans of the genre, this could very well sound similar to the opening scene of Scream (1996) from two decades down the line. Directed by Bob Clarke and starring the likes of Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, Black Christmas remains endlessly inspirational to this day, even if the general film fan isn't too familiar with the project by name. It's commonly cited by critics as one of the best slashers of all time, with a thrilling plot that will undoubtedly keep you up at night — especially if you’re in a sorority. And overall, the project still holds up to this day.
2 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Co-written and directed by Tobe Hooper, this is without a doubt among the most famous films of its kind. In fact, save perhaps for the top pick, this was likely the first film that came to your mind upon seeing the title of this list, and justifiably so. With convincing performances and a rock-solid structure, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) succeeds on a variety of levels with regard to qualitative filmmaking. And perhaps most prominent in that regard was the well-written script by Hooper and Kim Henkel.
It's a truly terrifying plot that will leave you second guessing whether you ever want to go on road trip with your friends regardless of the destination. But here, the setting of a farmhouse goes down as one of the creepiest (and by virtue, also among the most unforgettable) the subgenre has ever seen. Several filmmakers have attempted to recreate this story of a cannibalistic family capturing and torturing a group of teenagers. But when it comes to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a franchise in general, nothing will ever top the original.
1 Halloween
Co-written, directed, and scored by John Carpenter, the original Halloween (1978) goes down in the eyes of many fans as the greatest slasher ever made. It of course spawned a massive franchise with entries still releasing to this day. But what’s more impressive from a standpoint of accolades is that it’s been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. For a horror film, that’s a pretty big deal.
And it was well warranted here with Halloween, which chronicles a day and night in the life of high school babysitter Laurie Strode. You likely know the plot featured herein, though. Its legacy is forever cemented in gravestones thanks to a well-structured and endlessly clever script, brilliant direction, and a haunting score — all provided by a legend of the horror genre in John Carpenter. It's truly thrilling, and provided many viewers around the world with nightmare fuel throughout their respective teenage years. Particularly babysitters. This could likely go down as the American director's greatest singular piece of work, and undoubtedly tops the list of best slashers from the 1970s.
Comments
Post a Comment