The Scariest 1970s Horror Movies
The scariest 1970s horror movies hold an incredibly special place in the minds and hearts of horror fans. This groovy decade symbolized a metaphorical passing of the torch for the genre. Gone were the mainstream psychological thrillers and monster movies that flooded the market, now was a time for a change, for experimentation, for fear. This list of horror movies from the 1970s is not for the faint of heart. These are some of the most shocking, disgusting, bizarre, and flat-out frightening films to ever be released.
Whether you’re looking for a realistic flick based on true events or a completely fictional movie, there’s sure to be a great fitting movie on this list for you! The movies featured on this list are some of the scariest ones of all time – who doesn’t shiver at the thought of a little girl’s head turning 360 degrees because she’s been demon-possessed, or get a little nervous at the idea of swimming in shark-infested waters, trying to escape as quickly as possible?
Vote up the best '70s Horror Movies, and be sure to check out the best horror movies of all time!
- 1Debra Hill, John Carpenter
- Actors: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers
- Released: 1978
- Directed by: John Carpenter
On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being ...more - 2William Peter Blatty
- Actors: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn
- Released: 1973
- Directed by: William Friedkin
One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan (Linda Blair) starts acting odd -- levitating, speaking in tongues -- ...more - 3Tobe Hooper
- Actors: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail
- Released: 1974
- Directed by: Tobe Hooper
When Sally (Marilyn Burns) hears that her grandfather's grave may have been vandalized, she and her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), set out with their friends to investigate. After a ...moreAvailable On:
- 4David Giler, Gordon Carroll, Walter Hill
- Actors: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
- Released: 1979
- Directed by: Ridley Scott
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The ...more - 5Brian De Palma, Paul Monash
- Actors: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, William Katt, Amy Irving, John Travolta
- Released: 1976
- Directed by: Brian De Palma
In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious ...more - 6David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck
- Actors: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
- Released: 1975
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry ...more
