Any decade ofhorrorcould be regarded as a seminal time for the genre, such is the consistently excellent output it has brought audiences over time. However, if you had to nameone era that introduced horror fans to great auteurs, lasting franchises, and superbly gory scenes, it was the 1970s. It was a breeding ground for talented filmmakers and was able to produce extreme content, just before the UK’s “video nasty” era of the early 1980s almost derailed it.
Horror movies from the 1970s deserve more love, and they benefited from the American censors becoming more lenient towards violent imagery. This resulted in creative filmmakers going all out to producefeatures that pushed the boundaries of cinema censorship. When you look over themust-see movies of 1970s horror filmmaking, you’ll find that many of the wonderful films are surprisingly gory, and reached new heights of depravity for the time.
10Martin (1978)
Directed By George A. Romero
Although the legendary George A. Romero was best known for the groundbreakingLiving Deadseries, some of his earlier work proved as gruesome and gory as his Zombie features. An excellent example isRomero’s 1978 vampire flick,Martin.
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The title may seem innocent and somewhat innocuous, but the movie features some seriously gory moments. Perhaps the most surprising element ofMartinis that it has been a largely overlooked gem from an era with more obvious horror classics.Its focus on the titular teenager is fascinating.
Martin
Cast
Martin is a 1976 horror film directed by George A. Romero. It follows a young man, who believes he is a vampire, as he struggles with his blood-craving urges while living with his elderly cousin in a small Pennsylvania town. The film examines themes of identity and isolation.
At first, you’re not sure if he’s just an emotionally stunted teen, full of angst and with a burning desire to find an outlet for it. The kills, when they arrive, come as a shock, and while they aren’t quite as gory as Romero’s more famous work, they deliver a chilling jolt nonetheless.
9A Bay Of Blood (1971)
Directed By Mario Bava
Some horror movies from the 1970spromised a certain level of bloodshed from their title alone.The true story that inspiredThe Texas Chainsaw Massacresuggested that the movie would be a bloodbath, but it actually turned out to be more disturbing than bloody.
The movie is regarded as one of the first slasher films.
One movie that stuck to its gory premise, albeit in a series of surprising ways, was Mario Bava’s 1971 slasher,A Bay of Blood.The movie is regarded as one of the first slasher films, with its setting near a large body of water, surrounded by woods evoking later franchise classics such asFriday the 13th, hinting at the carnage to come.
A Bay of Blood
A Bay of Blood is a 1971 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. It is known for its complex narrative involving a series of brutal murders revolving around the inheritance of a secluded bay. The film has been highly influential in the slasher genre, often cited for its explicit violence and innovative camera work.
It’s refreshing to look back on a movie that lives up to the bloody promise in the title, and while some of the kills may seem tame compared to later slasher entries, this Italian movie proves that gory excess can still come as a shock.
8Driller Killer (1979)
Directed By Abel Ferrara
In the early part of the 1980s, the UK took a heavy stance on a series of horror movies that were deemed too shocking for public consumption,leading to the famous “video nasty” era that followed. However,a lot of the video nasties are now considered to be classics, especially one that promises much from its provocative title alone;The Driller Killerby the great Abel Ferrara.
The Driller Killer
The Driller Killer (1979) is a horror film directed by and starring Abel Ferrara. It follows a struggling artist in New York City who descends into madness, leading him to commit violent acts with a power drill. The film is noted for its gritty depiction of urban decay and psychological unraveling.
Despite being released in the US with an R-rating,The Driller Killermade the infamous list in the UK, and while the movie isn’t as gory as you’d expect from the title,it still delivers some surprisingly brutal moments. The movie received numerous complaints following its VHS release in 1982, which showed a drill being driven through a man’s skull. Although the bloodshed in the movie doesn’t look too grisly now, its moments of violence shocked audiences in the late 70s.
7Blood Sucking Freaks (1976)
Directed By Joel M. Reed
The plot ofBlood Sucking Freaksfollowsa sadistic theater director, called Sardu, who tortures womenand forces them into demeaning acts of sexual slavery as part of his shows. It was met with derision from critics at the time of release in 1976, who lamented the movie for being too gross-out.
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Looking back on the film, the most surprising element of it is how it gleefully embraces its exploitation roots. Interestingly, the film was re-titled several times; fromSardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins, toThe Incredible Torture Show, to Troma Entertainment eventually rebranding it asBlood Sucking Freaks.
Bloodsucking Freaks
Bloodsucking Freaks, released in 1976, presents a theatrical horror story where Sardu, master of the Theatre of the Macabre, and his assistant Ralphus, run a show featuring acts of real torture and murder disguised as magic illusions, exploiting their unsuspecting audience.
It’s essential viewing if you like over-the-top gore, plus there were real-life tragedies linked to the film, due to theaccidental deaths thatBlood Sucking Freaksbecame associated with. The grotesque film provides gross-out moments that are as surprising as they are sadistic.
6Suspiria (1977)
Directed By Dario Argento
One of the most influential horror directors of all time is Dario Argento. The Italian-born auteur is best known for creating movies with melancholic imagery, and also for pioneering the historic Giallo mystery genre.Argento has created some of the best horror moviesof the 70s, withthe influentialSuspiriaa superb example of graphic horror filmmaking.
Suspiria
Suspiria, directed by Dario Argento, is a horror film set in a prestigious German ballet academy. The story follows American dancer Suzy Bannion, played by Jessica Harper, as she uncovers the academy’s dark and supernatural secrets. The film is renowned for its striking visuals, stylistic cinematography, and haunting score by the band Goblin.
Suspiriais the first film inThe Three Motherstrilogy and follows a German ballet school that acts as a front for a series of increasingly grisly murders.Argento’s movie revels in the supernatural scare it conjures up, with the relenting violence often arriving at shocking intervals. People are stabbed through the heart, throats are ripped out, and among the slicing and dicing is a surprisingly brutal tale that ends in flames.
5Zombie (1979)
Directed By Lucio Fulci
Another movie that fell foul of the UK censors, and was subsequently labeled as one of the “video nasties”, is Lucio Fulci’sZombie Flesh Eaters, or as it has also been knownZombie, andZombi 2. The film is nowhere near as controversial as the UK censors would have claimed upon release.
However, that’s not to say it doesn’toffer some surprising carnage. In one scene, a zombie takes a bite out of a surprised-looking shark, while another graphicallydepicts a woman’s eyeball being pierced by a shard of glass.
Zombi 2
Zombi 2, directed by Lucio Fulci, is a horror film set on the Caribbean island of Matul. It follows Anne and reporter Peter West as they seek Anne’s missing father amidst an outbreak of cannibal zombies, while Dr. David Menard attempts to understand and contain the undead threat.
This was the scene that initially had the censors up in arms, and although it does offer some shocking imagery, it’s quite tame for today’s standards. Especially considering thebrutality and gore in theTerrifierseries. Ultimately, however, Fulci’s movie offers somewonderfully macabre imagery in its zombie infestation.
4Carrie (1976)
Directed By Brian De Palma
One of the most talented directors whose work has spanned several decades is the great Brian De Palma. His filmmaking CV includes classic thrillers such as 1980’sDressed to KillandBody Doublefrom 1984.
However, his most influential movie,Carrie, has not only formed a lasting legacy within popular culture, it also offered some serious shock value when it was first released.The movie is rightly considered a masterpiece, and the fact thatCarrie still holds up todayis a testament to De Palmas' skill as a director.
Carrie
Carrie is a horror film directed by Brian De Palma, based on Stephen King’s novel. It stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy high school student who discovers her telekinetic abilities. Tormented by her peers and controlled by her fanatically religious mother, played by Piper Laurie, the film follows Carrie’s emotional and psychological struggles leading to a dramatic climax. Carrie solidified its place in the horror genre for its powerful performances and chilling atmosphere.
The story of a teen girl with telekinetic powers shocked audiences in 1976 by unleashing Carrie and her rage in a terrific, split-screen, finale. The prom scene is rightly considered to be one of horror cinema’s most iconic images, but it’s also Carrie’s fractured relationship with her mother that shocked audiences. Plus, the movie knows how to end with a perfect jump scare.
George A. Romero’s zombie classic,Dawn of the Deadchanged the genre. The movie is such an influential piece of genre filmmaking that not only didit inspire a very good remake by Zack Snyder in 2004, but it also surprised audiences in 1978 with its relentless gore.
The movie is such an influential piece of genre filmmaking that not only did it inspire a very good remake by Zack Snyder in 2004, but it also surprised audiences in 1978 with its relentless gore.
The less said about some of the make-up, however, the better.George A. Romero ultimately created a living dead universethat featured numerous sequels to his 1968 classic,Night of the Living Dead. However,Dawn of the Deadis his best zombie movie.
Dawn of the Dead
George A. Romero’s horror classic Dawn of the Dead follows on from Night of the Living Dead. Expanding upon Romero’s zombies, Dawn of the Dead redefined the horror genre for a generation. It follows a group of survivors as they make camp in a shopping mall, clearing the zombies in order to scavenge supplies and fortify their position in an increasingly hostile world.
Its shopping mall set action allows for the increasingly claustrophobic action to take center stage. Audiences would have been expecting more carnage than the 1968 original had, but there was serious shock value on-screen withhuman flesh being torn apart relentlessly.
2Jaws (1975)
Directed By Steven Spielberg
One of the most surprisingly gory horror movies, that was released as a PG in the US in 1975, isJaws. Theall-time classic by the great Steven Spielbergis one of the best, and most influential movies of all time, and not just in the horror genre.
Jawshas a Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 97%.
Jawsis a highly re-watchable thriller with family drama, and themes of friendship at the center of its narrative. The movie is also one of the most surprisingly gory films ever to have been released with such a lenient age rating.
Jaws
Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows the residents of Amity Island as they face terror from a menacing great white shark. The town’s police chief, a marine biologist, and a seasoned shark hunter join forces to track and kill the predator threatening their coastal community. Released in 1975.
Some of theshark attack scenes arrive with blood gushing from the water, and there are also torn-off limbs, people being eaten alive, and one of the best jump scares in the history of cinema in an underwater sequence.Jawsis simply wonderful filmmaking, and it’s a testament to Spielberg’s influence that the censors allowed it to pass through unscathed.
1Alien (1979)
Directed By Ridley Scott
English-born director Ridley Scott has enjoyed a glittering career that has spanned several decades. One of his most successful movies, which has spawned many sequels, prequels, and tie-ins, is the science fiction classicAlienfrom 1979. A more cynical approach to theStar Warsmania that started in 1977,Alienis a beautiful combination of horror and sci-fi.
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From Dallas getting mauled to Parker getting impaled, the deaths in 1979’s Alien — especially those at the hands of the xenomorph — are horribly gory.
There is no doubting the legacy the movie has left, but when it was released in 1979, it proved to be one of the most shocking, and surprising monster movies for not just audiences, but also for the main cast during one pivotal scene.
Alien
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science fiction horror film that follows the crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo. Upon investigating a distress signal on a distant moon, they discover a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and became a seminal work in both the sci-fi and horror genres, known for its atmospheric tension and groundbreaking visual effects.
The moment when a baby alien bursts through John Hurt’s chest after he’s impregnated by a Face Hugger is such a shocking moment of splattering bodyhorror, the reaction on the faces of the cast in the scene was genuine.
