The 1970s were a great time to be a horror movie lover, as this decade included plenty of cheesy scary movies with surprisingly great writing. While an outlandish premise, over-the-top characterization, or even a silly title might make viewers think a film will lack strong writing or thematic depth, for a movie to truly stand the test of time, the script needs to be up to scratch. While all these cheesy horror movies were a lot of fun, it’s amazing just how good the writing actually was.
Some of the best horror movies of the 1970s embraced the cheesier side of cinema and didn’t take themselves too seriously. While cult-favorite horror musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show have earned their place in popular culture, other more genuinely frightening films also walked the fine line between cinematic cheese and truly compelling writing. While the 1970s may be long over, all these incredible horror movies boasted fantastic writing and plenty of thrills.
You are watching: 10 Cheesy Horror Movies From The 1970s That Actually Had Great Writing
10
Piranha (1978)
Directed by Joe Dante
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Piranha
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
9/10
Release Date
August 3, 1978
Runtime
94 minutes
Cast
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Bradford Dillman
Paul Grogan
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Heather Menzies
Maggie McKeown
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It’s easy to dismiss Piranha as a cash grab rip-off of Jaws that attempted to siphon off some viewers from Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster triumph. However, if that were the case, then Piranha would not have managed to expand into a franchise in its own right, whose series of low-budget sequels has gained a special place in popular culture. As an early work from the future two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Sayles, there was some real writing talent behind Piranha.
While it’s easy to make fun of this B-movie creature feature, Piranha was full of sharp dialogue, self-aware humor, and social commentary relating to government incompetence. The characters in Piranha were far more fleshed out than the average parody movie, and it’s no surprise the series has become a minor touchstone of popular culture in its own right. While Piranha began with the absurd premise of lethal, genetically altered piranha, it balanced this ridiculousness with a strong narrative structure.
9
Hausu (1977)
Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
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House
Comedy
Horror
6/10
Release Date
July 30, 1977
Runtime
88 Minutes
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Kimiko Ikegami
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Miki Jinbo
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Japanese cinema during the 1970s had plenty of outrageous horror movies that would truly test the boundaries of your imagination. Among these was Hausu, a film that may at first appear chaotic and unwieldy, yet buried below the surface was impressive, unsettling writing with an almost dreamlike logic. Hausu tells the story of a schoolgirl attempting to travel with her friends to her aunt’s house, which soon turns dark as they come face-to-face with supernatural forces.
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The reputation of this bizarre cult classic has only grown over the years as its strong writing was bolstered by an impressive soundtrack from the rock band Godiego. While Hausu was poorly reviewed upon release, the stunning and unnerving visuals and over-the-top collage of extreme imagery meant it stood out as one of the most interesting Japanese horror movies of the decade. While some aspects of Hausu feel haphazard and its special effects don’t quite live up to today’s standards, the mix of strong direction, great music, and brilliant writing meant it stood the test of time.
8
It’s Alive (1974)
Directed by Larry Cohen
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It’s Alive
PG
Horror
Sci-Fi
Release Date
April 26, 1974
Runtime
91 minutes
Cast
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John P. Ryan
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Sharon Farrell
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Andrew Duggan
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Guy Stockwell
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It’s Alive told the bizarre and frightening tale of a mutant baby in a movie that had surprisingly strong writing and boasted compelling social commentary. From writer, director, and producer Larry Cohen, his previous work on blaxploitation films like Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem prepared him well for this cheesy horror of significant depth and sincerity. While It’s Alive contained plenty of cheap thrills, just buried below the surface was a thoughtful exploration of parental anxiety, fear of the unknown, and the way society reacts to things it doesn’t understand.
Much in the same way the baby from David Lynch’s Eraserhead tapped into uneasiness around the responsibility of being a father, It’s Alive captured a young couple whose expected child turned into their worst nightmare. With writing that also satirizes medical ethics, corporate greed, and media sensationalism, it’s impressive how this cheesy horror balanced its deep themes with a real emotional core. While Cohen’s two sequels failed to capture the appeal of the first movie, It’s Alive stands as a great and underseen classic of 1970s cinematic cheese.
7
Blacula (1972)
Directed by William Crain
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Blacula
PG
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
August 25, 1972
Runtime
93 minutes
Cast
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William Marshall
Tina
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Vonetta McGee
Blacula / Prince Mamuwalde
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Denise Nicholas
Michelle
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Thalmus Rasulala
Gordon Thomas
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If you were to judge the blaxploitation horror movie Blacula on its name alone, you’d be forgiven for thinking it would feature lackluster, derivative, and silly writing. However, this was far from the case, as scriptwriters Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig, and Richard Glouner imbued this parody knockoff with genuine pathos and a main character with a surprisingly compelling backstory. Blacula, as its name suggests, starred William Marshall as Mamuwalde, an African American who was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula in Transylvania.
With some fascinating social commentary on racial issues and prejudices, Mamuwalde was presented as an African prince who traveled to Transylvania in 1780 to ask for Dracula’s help in suppressing the slave trade, only to end up cursed himself. Blacula’s script weaves in themes of racism, colonialism, and loss without feeling heavy-handed, while also including plenty of gags and an enjoyable soul music soundtrack. Don’t let the title fool you; Blacula was far deeper than it usually gets credit for.
6
Phantasm (1979)
Directed by Don Coscarelli
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Phantasm
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
Release Date
March 28, 1979
Runtime
88 minutes
Cast
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A. Michael Baldwin
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Kathy Lester
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Angus Scrimm
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Reggie Bannister
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While the low-budget feeling and amateur cast of Phantasm may cause many viewers to dismiss this sci-fi horror, the truth was that this was a fascinatingly surreal and dreamlike movie that boasted some great writing. From writer and director Don Coscarelli, Phantasm was packed with great ideas as it told the story of a supernatural undertaker turning Earth’s dead into zombies to be sent to his planet as slaves. As the first in a franchise with four sequels, Phantasm was just the beginning of a unique cinematic world that rarely gets the credit it deserves.
Featuring pulpy dialogue and unsettling characters like the antagonistic The Tall Man, Phantasm was almost Lynchian in its eerie execution and nightmarish atmosphere. Through minimal exposition, Phantasm threw viewers into the deep end as they were forced to make sense of the strange visuals they were presented with. While this was a cryptic movie, it was not alienating, which highlighted the strength of Coscarelli’s strange script.
5
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Directed by Jim Sharman
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
R
Comedy
Horror
Musical
Sci-Fi
7/10
8.8/10
Release Date
August 15, 1975
Runtime
100 minutes
Cast
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Richard O’Brien
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Peter Hinwood
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The music, visuals, and campy aesthetic of The Rocky Horror Picture Show made it one of the most acclaimed horror comedies of the 1970s, whose appeal has continued in the form of midnight movie showings that committed viewers still flock to almost half a century after it was first released. With an astounding performance from Tim Curry, this LGBTQ+ classic was about as cheesy and outrageous as a movie can get. As a compelling homage to sci-fi and horror B-movies from the 1930s to the 1960s, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was characterized by strong writing.
With its origins as a stage musical by Richard O’Brien, director Jim Sharman collaborated with O’Brien on the screenplay for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. With a fast-paced narrative, dialogue that was packed with sexual innuendo, and music lyrics that transcended the film itself, The Rocky Horror Picture Show blended themes of identity, sexual liberation, and rebellion against conformity. While style alone can get you pretty far, The Rocky Horror Picture Show would not have been the iconic classic it became without great writing to back it up.
4
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)
Directed by Brian De Palma
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Phantom Of The Paradise
PG
Comedy
Drama
Fantasy
Musical
Release Date
October 31, 1974
Runtime
91 Minutes
Cast
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Paul Williams
-
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William Finley
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George Memmoli
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Harold Oblong
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While director Brian De Palma was behind all-time classics like the Stephen King adaptation Carrie and iconic remake Scarface, his early career also included the unusual, underappreciated, and cheesy comedy horror Phantom of the Paradise. As an outrageous rock opera with Faustian undertones, this epic tale tells of a singer-songwriter cheated out of his life’s work who begins terrorizing the concert hall of the music producer who did him wrong.
With a sharp script that contained clever allusions to prime influences like The Phantom of the Opera and The Picture of Dorian Gray, Phantom of the Paradise was an enjoyable intertextual journey that powerfully balanced its satirical nature, horror undertones, and great soundtrack. As a cult classic that is sadly not as well known as other 1970s rock operas like Tommy or Jesus Christ Superstar, this was a must-watch for any fans of De Palma, rock ‘n’ roll, or musicals.
3
Eaten Alive (1977)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Eaten Alive
R
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
May 13, 1977
Runtime
91 Minutes
Cast
-
Neville Brand
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Mel Ferrer
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Carolyn Jones
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Marilyn Burns
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper followed up that trailblazing slasher classic with the cheesy killer crocodile movie Eaten Alive. While this underseen horror did not have a villain as compelling as Leatherface at the center of its narrative, the idea of a psychotic hotel proprietor feeding those who upset him to a giant crocodile was still terrifying. Through unpolished dialogue and unpredictable characters, Eaten Alive’s writing felt raw and unrestricted in a way that suited its grindhouse feel.
While Eaten Alive was not well received at the time of its release, its reputation has grown in the years since, and there’s an argument to be made that the bad press associated with the film was due to critical resentment toward the surprise success of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Much in the same way Hooper’s previous movie shone a light on the disenfranchised Americans that society had left behind, Eaten Alive tapped into the isolation, madness, and societal decay of the country’s forgotten corners.
2
Race With The Devil (1975)
Directed by Jack Starrett
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Race with the Devil
PG
Action
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
June 1, 1975
Runtime
88 minutes
Cast
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Peter Fonda
Roger
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Warren Oates
Frank
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Loretta Swit
Alice
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Lara Parker
Kelly
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Movies like Rosemary’s Baby and events such as the Manson murders in the 1960s contributed to the encroaching fear of devil-worshiping cults that reached their peak with the Satanic panic of the 1980s. It was out of this context that came the cheesy action horror Race with the Devil, which depicted two couples on a road trip pursued by terrifying cult members after accidentally witnessing a human sacrifice.
As an over-the-top exploration of burgeoning societal fears, this Jack Starrett movie was far more than a simple combination of horror, action, and car chase genres. With a screenplay by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost, Race with the Devil was a relentless, fast-paced, and paranoia-driven horror containing some truly unnerving car chases. As the terrifying antagonists stop at nothing to pursue their would-be victims, the heart-racing intensity of the writing elevated Race with the Devil’s more action-oriented sequences.
1
Theatre Of Blood (1973)
Directed by Douglas Hickox
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Theatre of Blood
R
Comedy
Horror
Release Date
March 16, 1973
Runtime
104 minutes
Cast
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Diana Rigg
Edwina Lionheart
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Vincent Price
Edward Lionheart
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Ian Hendry
Peregrine Devlin
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Harry Andrews
Trevor Dickman
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While horror legend Vincent Price will always be remembered for his astounding work on over 100 movies, amid his vast filmography are plenty of cheesy releases that often don’t get the credit they deserve. Among these was Theatre of Blood, a comedy horror about a Shakespearian actor taking revenge on the critics who failed to recognize his work. As a deliciously camp and over-the-top melodramatic release, the thespian background of Price’s character allowed him to go all out in his outrageous performance.
Theatre of Blood was a personal favorite within both Price’s and his co-star Diana Rigg’s careers, which acted as an enjoyable spoof of Price’s early film The Abominable Dr. Phibes. With both movies featuring a protagonist who is presumed dead and seeking revenge, Theatre of Blood was packed with references to Shakespeare’s great plays. While its writing may not have reached the lofty standard of the Bard himself, Theatre of Blood’s satirical edge meant it was far more nuanced than the average campy revenge story.
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Category: Entertainment