Top 10 Vintage Horror Movies
Erin Hoyles
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7. The Last House on the Left (1972):
Wes Craven’s directorial debut, after making X-rated films, was The Last House on the Left. Heavily censored and even banned in several countries, its heavy violence and shocking themes include graphic scenes of rape and murder. The movie focuses on two teenage girls who are kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a gang of miscreants. The gang end up, coincidentally, at the home of one of their victims. The second half offers up one of the first times that revenge would become a motivating factor in horror and the protagonist and antagonist essentially change places. Spectacular in its graphic violence and disturbing from beginning to end, this movie is a must-see. A follow-up was attempted in 2009, but like most sequels, it should be avoided as the original is pure perfection.
6. Psycho (1960):
No vintage horror list would be complete without an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and Psycho is easily one of his best. A creepy hotel owner with an unholy obsession with his mother takes his mommy issues out on the guests of his hotel. Made during a time when women could not be filmed naked in a shower, Hitchcock manages to use that rule to his advantage and create one of the most well-constructed horror scenes ever created… the shower scene. From the epic sound effect that accompanied Norman Bate’s knife entering his victim to the closeup of a stream of blood trickling down the drain, this and several other scenes from Psycho have left an indelible mark on the horror genre. Known for the proverbial “twist,” Hitchcock waits until the end to introduce us to Norman’s mother, thus creating one of the most memorable and shocking endings in horror movie history.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984):
The movie that made Wes Craven famous, A Nightmare of Elm Street is a supernatural horror movie with one of the most well-known antagonists in horror movie history. Freddy Krueger (or should I say the angry, tortured soul of Freddy Krueger) haunts and eventually kills teenagers in their dreams. Freddy, a villain with a sense of humor, uses his famous bladed glove to slice through his victims in creative and sometimes laughable ways. Returning to a theme of revenge, Craven’s Freddy is out for blood after neighborhood parents kill him by burning him alive in a boiler room, an act of revenge perpetrated against Freddy for crimes against children. Feeling persecuted and out for his own payback beyond the grave, Freddy pursues the children of the parents of Elm Street. While the teens try to stay awake to avoid Freddy’s wrath, sleep cannot be put off forever, thus creating the kind of “edge of your seat” terror that makes horror movies so fun. The special effects were shockingly good, and unlike some older movies, you don’t go back and find yourself in awe that you ever found it so realistic. The effects still hold up, even today. While this movie spawned a slew of sequels, none really compared to the genius of the original. A definite must-see… again and again and again.
4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974):
Questionably billed as a true story based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is often considered one of the most frightening movies of all time. Banned in several countries, it follows a group of young friends who encounter a cannibalistic family in middle of nowhere Texas. Leatherface, the prodigal son of this murderous family, is as sadistic as he is physically repulsive. Wearing the skin of his victims, this chainsaw-wielding, human monster chases his victims one by one until they all perish in the most gory of ways. Made with a shockingly low budget of $60,000, the film ended up grossing millions and just goes to show that money doesn’t necessarily equate to quality filmmaking. In fact, the low budget gave us a much more scary film because it looks like you might be watching the real home videos of one real sick family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3981DoINw
