Horror Films of the 1970s

The seventies were a decade of groundbreaking horror films: The Exorcist, Carrie, and Halloween were three. This detailed filmography covers these and 225 more. Section One provides an introduction and a brief history of the decade.
Beginning with 1970 and proceeding chronologically by year of its release in the United States, Section Two offers an entry for each film. Each entry includes several categories of information: Critical Reception (sampling both ’70s and later reviews), Cast and Credits, P.O.V., (quoting a person pertinent to that film’s production), Synopsis (summarizing the film’s story), Commentary (analyzing the film from Muir’s perspective), Legacy (noting the rank of especially worthy ’70s films in the horror pantheon of decades following).
Section Three contains a conclusion and these five appendices: horror film clichés of the 1970s, frequently appearing performers, memorable movie ads, recommended films that illustrate how 1970s horror films continue to impact the industry, and the 15 best genre films of the decade as chosen by Muir.

John Kenneth Muir is an American literary critic and award-winning author. As of 2022, he has written 30 reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular focus on the horror and science fiction genres.

John Kenneth Muir
Format: softcover (7 x 10 in 2 vols.)
Pages: 684
Bibliographic Info: 55 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008 [2002]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3104-5
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9156-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     vi

Introduction     1

The History of the Decade (in Brief…)     9

The Films (by Year)      37

Conclusion      627

Appendix A: Horror Film Conventions of the 1970s     629

Appendix B: The 1970s Horror Hall of Fame     636

Appendix C: Memorable Movie Ad Lines     638

Appendix D: Then and Now – Recommended Viewing     640

Appendix E: The Best Horror Movies of the 1970s     642

Notes      645

Bibliography      647

Index      651

Booklist Editors’ Choice. ALA Outstanding Reference Source
“extensive…very fun…most of the films are discussed thoroughly and meticulously…excellent”—Classic Images; “a top-notch overview…entertaining…informative…well worth reading…impressive…highly recommended”—Library Journal; “important…a must”—Booklist; “impressive, dedicated and amusing”—Film Review; “definitive…a stellar book”—Horror Talk; “John Muir’s filmbooks are in a genre all their own…John Muir is one of the very best, if not the best…a definite must-have…a brilliant and essential guide…infectious…remarkable”—NVH Magazine; “interesting”—Communication Booknotes Quarterly; “your reaction to learning of this book’s existence may be similar to mine; new pants-wetting…for horror films, it really never was better before or after than the late, great 1970s…succeeds…surely will be referenced by horror fans for years (and decades) to come”—Hitch; “I agree with many of Muir’s opinions and enjoy reading them”—Psychotronic; “brilliant and essential guide…erudite, incisive and most importantly, unassuming”—Brutarian Quarterly; “good fun”—Rue Morgue; “entertaining and scholarly”—American Libraries; “detailed text…Muir’s writing is concise, witty, and intuitive…an indispensable reference”—SOURCE.