06 -
Suspiria (1977)
The first time I watched
Suspiria, I wasn't sure what I was seeing at first, but the more I watched, the more intrigued I became. The garish lighting and that strange, unrelenting tune that holds throughout the movie made me feel progressively more uncomfortable until finally, I was sitting on the edge of the couch.
I think this is Dario Argento's finest work, a beautiful and terrible thing to watch.
07 -
Eraserhead (1977)
David Lynch's masterpiece isn't really a film so much as a nightmare. The symbolic madness and frantic twists make this brief experience and unforgettable one, and it is not easy to shake off. Beautifully shot in good ol' fashioned black and white, the shadowy realm of the unknown continues to carry audiences away nearly thirty years after its release.
And still no one knows what the hell any of it really means.
08 -
Halloween (1978)
Arguably the best slasher film, and certainly the most influential,
Halloween is John Carpenter's masterpiece. Its simple, its subtle, and it is also genuinely scary.
The premise? A masked killer is stalking babysitters on Halloween night. And unlike many of the slasher films after that would attempt to imitate its style and borrow its ideas,
Halloween didn't need a lot of blood, or a ridiculously high body count to be effective. The film works because of the level of suspense that Carpenter was able to build, and because of the fine performances by the cast. Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis? Genius.
It also works because it has one of the creepiest, and most memorable, soundtracks in horror history. And let's not forget our killer; Michael Myers is slow, he's methodical.....and he's unstoppable. The last scenes are absolutely chilling.
Believe it when I say this,
Halloween is one of the greatest horror films ever made.
09 -
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
What more is there to say about George Romero’s magnum opus that hasn’t been pondered over and dissected by horror fans since this masterpiece came out thirty years ago?
The layering of metaphor upon metaphor (death is stalking us, we’re all just going through the motions, consumerism is eating our brains and souls) never once detracts from the simple joy and terror of this epic gorefest. Tom Savini makes a name for himself, Dario Argento produces, Ken Foree becomes a genre icon and Romero solidifies his position as the inventor and master of the living dead subgenre of horror.
If you haven’t seen it, you aren’t a horror fan...it’s just that simple.
10 -
Alien (1979)
For as long as I can remember,
Alien has been a part of my subconcious mind. The first time I watched it, I was physically shaking by the time it was over, and slept with a light on for the next 4 years.I dream about H.R. Giger's creature now on a regular basis. The dirt, the grime, the claustrophobia, and the sheer frenzy that comes from being enclosed with a terrible THING and having nowhere to go.....all those make, for me, an enduring impression, like teethmarks in bone.
Alien is one of those rare movies that stands the test of time even 25 years later. A true horror classic in every sense of the word.
Honorable Mentions:-
Last House on the Left (1972)
Phantasm (1979)
Zombi 2 aka
Zombie (1979)
For those of you who missed Part I: The Swingin' 60's, click
here.
Another week. Another decade. Till then...happy nostalgic memories!