What is it about 70s horror films that make them so creepy?
besides the obvious horror genre fact
They had actually competent directors making them.
Many studios didn't have tons of money or huge A-list actors to choose from, so they were forced to lean more on the craft of storytelling.
The cheesy, sometimes shitty looking monsters were hand made. Special effects were used to advance the story along, instead of how CG is used as a crutch by todays directors.
>>63655983
>creepy
the low budget, dissonant soundtracks created by first generation analog synths
>>63655983
they had no money and shit technology so they look like home movies
Creativity is not born out of numerous possibility. We can literally create ANYTHING with CGI these days, if we can physically see it, it can be made. And yet we are in one of the least creative periods in movie history ever, technology spoils us essentially. The most visually creative film makers were Buster Keaton and Howard Hawks, back in the 30s, because they didn't have the means to do ANYTHING, so whatever they did, they did really fucking well.
>>63655983
The low budget and the film stocks of the time gave them that gritty texture and ambiance so they didn't feel as "manufactured" as contemporary horrors do.
>>63656307
this tbqh
sountracks composed using shitty plug in synths just don't cut it
Synth music soundtracks and the crappy budgets.
Studios were willing to take a chance on movies that my not have been formulaic. It created incredible flops as well as incredible new movies.
Most studios now are very big businesses and would never take a chance on a movie if their market research didn't tell them that it was profitable. They're stagnating as an art form.
There's something about the video quality that makes it more believable/snuff like. Modern digital films simply can't grasp the eeriness of some dirty looking murderous recording.
Might be a bad example, but on the Plinkett reviews when they start filming some basement with captive women, it actually draws from that element, take out the comic undertone, and it's fucking creepy.
I think Ash vs Evil Dead is capitalizing in how ridiculous modern quality and cgi looks like in horror, it's so neat and over the top, it's laughable.
Those mexican executions taped with a 90's phone are far scarier for me than modern ISIS ones.
Speaking of 70's horror films, I hope the new 4k DCP of Phantasm gets a theatrical release next year similar to the TCM in 2014.
![The-Exorcist-1973-film-movie-bluray-dvd-3[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/mrWI9UG.jpg "The-Exorcist-1973-film-movie-bluray-dvd-3[1].jpg")
>>63655983
Every decade had its share of creepy movies, tbhfamilia. Lots of 70's horror was cringey as fuck, let's face it. They look like crappy, old Hallmark channel TV movies now.
Will babadook be remembered as a cult hit that didnt get the attention it deserved, like Dredd?
Lack of technology made you rely on strangers more when things turned bad. No mobile phones, no internet, a lot of driving cross country, a lot of news stories about serial killers and rapists. Police were also worse at their job and more criminals got away due to faulty evidence handling, no way to test for various things.
You would go outside and talk to your neighbors and children would play together in the street. A psychopath could blend into this environment and take advantage of the trusting nature of children or young women.
The 1970's are the best decade of cinema.
Thrillers, political films, war films, horror films, gritty realism. They had true balls to tell new stories in the 70's.
>>63655983
Because of the rough quality to them which lend them an air of authentic horror. Hollywood movies are much too polished, and have the quality of seeming fabricated (i.e fake). I guess it's the same principle which makes the "unknown" more frightening than anything your typical monster/serial killer.
duders, nowadays almost all horror is filmed on digital because budget and who cares about picture quality on horror flicks right?
well, its the same as with a film photo and a digital photo. digital has this polished something that might look good but its not reality, its clearly a representation. film looks like a fucking memory, and that resonates deeper with our fears. they seem real.
Authenticity, plain and simple.
>>63656391
>>63656416
These.
I've been binging on what id like to think are "grindhouse" films from the 70s/80s era, some falling under Italian-American etc
Really enjoyed the likes of The Visitor [1979], Blue Sunshine [1978], and Angst/Fear/Schizophrenia [1983]
The scoring, the story, the production and even overall strange air of comfort I got from the films is something so hard to come by in my opinion
Any more reccomendations of where to go next?
I watched "The Beyond", didn't really stick with me as much [though the soundtrack was phenomenal], nor did "Hardware"
Thread theme?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh3SFgOql3I
Want to know why people liked the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , because the whole film had the feel of some sort of gritty documentary and you just felt really seedy watching it ,
the murders were brutal and happened so sadistically , the hammer to the head was more brutal than anything in the accompanying slasher films
>>63660510
Definitely watch Suspiria.
This thread is full of some pretty disgusting fedora tipping. Protip: Those grindhouse B movies actually sucked dick and that's the baseline, not Halloween, Alien and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
>>63656836
I thought it was okay but I don't see it being remembered. I wasn't huge on Dredd either. You want a movie that's got cult appeal? Watch Hardware. It's based on a 2000AD story like Dredd and it's got horror elements too. The director's a big Dario Argento fan and it shows in a good way.
>>63660510
If you watched The Beyond and Hardware it's probably because I recommended them. I love those movies. If you didn't like them I'd definitely say listen to>>63660598. Suspiria is great. It's like a less pulpy The Beyond.
Then if you like Suspiria I'd recommend Dario Argento's giallos. They're very cool movies. Deep Red and his animals trilogy are probably his best ones.
The 70s had a real underlying darkness to them, there was some major heaviness going on and many horror movies from the time play on it, sometimes inadvertently sometimes directly.
People who think the 70s are all about peace and love are naive and uneducated
>>63655983
I think that they type of film used is also a key element. I believe it was 35mm? It added a type of grunge to the production that newer films lack.
>>63660598
>>63660775
Thanks guys, will definitely check them out
Yeah there was some b-rated grindhouse movie thread a few weeks back that I just kept open because I had no idea what I just stumbled into, but I've been rewatching and showing friends the movies ever since
Definitely hoping to add to the collection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRbtsdBRrI
