The 1970s produced some truly memorable horror films, and this list highlights a few lesser-known gems from that era. We’ve left off the biggest, most famous titles like Don’t Look Now, The Exorcist, The Wicker Man, Black Christmas, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Jaws, Carrie, The Omen, The Hills Have Eyes, Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, Alien, The Amityville Horror, and When a Stranger Calls. We also skipped over movies that are famously bad but still enjoyable. Think films like Trog, Frogs, Grizzly, Sssssss, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, and Piranha. However, we did include made-for-TV movies.
Ever watched any classic horror movies from the 1970s? Let’s see if any of these catch your eye!
7) Home for the Holidays
Generally, Home for the Holidays is a fairly typical and mild slasher film. Considering it was made for television, it understandably avoids excessive gore. However, much like Black Christmas (released a couple of years later), it effectively creates suspense and portrays the killer as a real threat without relying on graphic violence.
At only 74 minutes long, Home for the Holidays is a quick watch that’s worth checking out. It’s interesting as a piece of pop culture, mainly because it stars Sally Field and features a significant role for Jessica Walter of Arrested Development.
6) It’s Alive
Though it spawned two over-the-top sequels, Larry Cohen’s It’s Alive is surprisingly a classic monster movie that also taps into the fears many parents feel. The film centers on Frank and Lenore Davis, who find their dream of a second child turned into a nightmare when Lenore gives birth to a mutant baby with teeth instead of a healthy infant.
The birth scene in It’s Alive is particularly striking – the mutant baby immediately attacks and kills the doctors and nurses delivering it, and it was even included in Bravo’s The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. While the rest of the film isn’t quite as shocking, it does feature the mutant infant killing a milkman, and John P. Ryan gives a believable and frantic performance. Plus, the baby’s design was created by Rick Baker, and it still manages to be creepy despite some campy elements. But it is a Larry Cohen film (The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent), so a little bit of over-the-top silliness is to be expected.
5) Eyes of Laura Mars
I’m a big fan of classic thrillers, and it really bothers me that Eyes of Laura Mars doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Seriously, it had an amazing team behind it! Irvin Kershner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back, was involved, and John Carpenter even helped write the screenplay. Plus, the cast was incredible – Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, and the fantastic Raúl Juliá! It actually did pretty well when it came out in 1978 – the same year as Carpenter’s Halloween – but it seems to have faded from most people’s memories, which is a shame.
Many critics see this film as an American version of the classic Italian giallo thriller. It centers on Laura, a successful New York City fashion photographer known for her images of striking, violent scenes. However, a real killer is now stalking the city, using an ice pick. Laura begins to experience the murders from his perspective and discovers the victims are connected to her. Can she uncover the killer’s identity before she becomes his next target?
4) The Crazies
Despite a fantastic remake in 2010, The Crazies remains somewhat underappreciated outside of dedicated horror fans. Similar to his Living Dead films, George A. Romero proved he could expertly combine intense suspense with insightful criticism of societal problems.
The story unfolds in Evans City, Pennsylvania, where the water supply has been infected with a virus called “Trixie.” This virus causes people to become dangerously unstable and violent. The narrative explores a world where the government prioritizes control over human rights during a crisis, leaving the audience to consider how closely this fictional scenario mirrors our own reality.
Stream The Crazies on Shudder.
3) Eaten Alive
Though a bit dark, Eaten Alive is a classic horror film and a strong follow-up to Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It shares a similar gritty, realistic style with that film and Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes, making it a companion piece to both.
The film centers around a hotel owner with a gruesome secret: he murders guests and feeds their remains to a crocodile living in the swamp behind the hotel. Eaten Alive reunites director Tobe Hooper with Marilyn Burns, star of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and also includes an early performance by Robert Englund, who would later become famous as Freddy Krueger.
Stream Eaten Alive for free with ads on Tubi.
2) God Told Me To
Similar to the 2001 film Frailty, God Told Me To is a relatively simple thriller. Tony Lo Bianco, known from The French Connection, stars as NYPD Lieutenant Peter J. Nicholas. He investigates a mass shooting and discovers the shooter claims he was compelled to act by God. The situation escalates when other, unconnected individuals commit similar crimes, all offering the same unsettling justification.
Okay, so the big reveal is that these people aren’t being compelled by a divine power – it’s this seriously weird psychic, and his backstory is connected to Lieutenant Nicholas, though I won’t spoil how. Look, Gold Told Me To isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, especially with the risks it takes in the final act. But the filmmakers really nail the feeling of New York City being both huge and incredibly confining – it reminded me a lot of how Dirty Harry made San Francisco feel. And here’s a fun bit of trivia: the late, great Andy Kaufman – you know, from Taxi – actually plays one of the assassins who’s being controlled by this psychic. It’s a really cool touch!
Stream God Told Me To on Prime Video.
1) Trilogy of Terror
Featuring Karen Black, known for her role in the often-overlooked 1970s horror film Burnt Offerings, Trilogy of Terror is widely considered the most frightening TV movie of the 1970s. It’s remarkable that ABC aired it at the time.
Trilogy of Terror is a three-part horror movie based on stories by Richard Matheson, the author of I Am Legend. Karen Black stars in all three segments, playing different characters each time – even two characters in the second story. The first segment, “Julie,” centers on a teacher who finds herself in a compromising situation with a student, but the power dynamics may not be what they seem. In “Millicent and Therese,” Black plays twins, one of whom believes the other is malicious and resorts to voodoo to eliminate her. The final and most famous story, “Amelia,” features Black battling a deadly, animated Zuni fetish doll. While some elements haven’t aged well, particularly the doll’s racially insensitive depiction, Trilogy of Terror remains a shocking and effective anthology film with three clever twists and a standout performance by the consistently impressive Karen Black.
Stream Trilogy of Terror on FlixFling.
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2025-12-04 04:12