Decade in Review: The '70s — Screams & Streams Podcast

‘70 - ‘79 A Decade of Horror Part 1 & 2

This episode is a testament to the eerie, often hilarious world of cinematic scares we've endured. We're journeying back to the days of Giallo gems and laughable effects, discussing the films that made us laugh, grimace, and occasionally glance over our shoulders. From personal tales of multitasking madness to the engaging discussions sparked by our vibrant listener community, Screams and Streams is more than a show—it's a shared adventure into the heart of horror.

Prepare to be regaled with the absurdity of cat attacks from "The Corpse Grinders" and the iconic villainy of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," as we dissect the good, the bad, and the downright campy. We will discuss statistics from the decade, like body counts, weapons used, and who is the most prolific killer from our films. And let's not forget the critiquing of deaths that range from the subtly chilling in "The Amusement Park" to the outrageous defenestration of "The Exorcist."

As we beckon you into the world where "Deep Red" stands as a quirky standout and "The Devil's Reign" provokes eye rolls, you'll find our reflections on the decade engrossing. Villains of all stripes, from the ineffective to the ludicrous, make their appearances as we reflect on their roles in the genre's landscape. So, whether you're a horror aficionado or simply intrigued by the strangeness of the past, slip on your headphones and join us for a stroll through the shadows of the 1970s horror scene.

We rip into the over-hyped "The Omen" and its puzzling franchise success, but find an unexpected guilty pleasure in the low-budget creature feature "Squirm." Our debate on "Carrie" might just split the room, as we argue over its rightful place in the horror hall of fame.

We also exchange our candid thoughts on the victim hierarchy within classics like "Alien" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." We don't hold back on our love for "Halloween," scrutinizing the undying enigma of Michael Myers, while admitting it's hard not to rate this slasher near-perfectly.

As we bid adieu to the decade, we reflect with a mix of awe and head-shaking disbelief: from "Alien's" masterful suspense to the comedic misfire of "Tentacles," and the undervalued chills of "The Amityville Horror." Our stroll down this cinematic memory lane is packed with critiques on film scores and musings on the most overused tropes we love to mock. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, this episode is a treasure trove of horror nostalgia and insights that will have you rethinking your 70s horror movie rankings.

Body Count

155 deaths in total

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970) - 9 Characters
And Soon the Darkness (1970) - 3 Characters
Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971) - 2 characters
The Corpse Grinders (1971) - 8 characters
Tales from the Crypt (1972) - 5 characters
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - 6 characters
The Amusement Park (1973) - 4 characters
Scream Blacula Scream (1973) - 21 characters
The Exorcist (1973) - 4 characters
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) - 12 characters
Madhouse (1974) - 8 characters
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 7 characters
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) - 12 characters
Deep Red (1975) - 6 characters
The Devil’s Rain (1975) - 6 characters
Jaws (1975) - 6 characters
The Omen (1976) - 7 characters
Squirm (1976) - 9 characters
Carrie (1976) - 74 characters
Martin (1977) - 11 characters
Tentacles (1977) - 6 characters
Halloween (1978) - 5 characters
The Swarm (1978) - 10 characters
Alien (1979) - 7 characters
The Amityville Horror (1979) - 6 characters

Most Prolific Killers

Carrie White (Carrie) – 72 victims
Prince Mamuwalde/Blacula (Scream Blacula Scream) – 12
Honorable Mentions – 7 bodies

Michael Myers – Halloween
Wilfred Butler – Silent Night Bloody Night
Herbert Flay/Dr. Death – Madhouse
Monica Ranieri – Bird with the Crystal Plumage

Weapons

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) - Switchblade, Razor, Gun
And Soon the Darkness (1970) - Knife, Car
Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971) - Knife, Gun
The Corpse Grinders (1971) - Meat Grinder
Tales from the Crypt (1972) - Various (Knife, Gun, Poison, Axe)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - Fangs, Stake
The Amusement Park (1973) - Various (Knife, Gun)
Scream Blacula Scream (1973) - Bite, Stake
The Exorcist (1973) - Various (Crucifix, Defenestration)
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) - Gun, Shovel
Madhouse (1974) - Various (Knife, Noose)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - Chainsaw, Hammer
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) - Axe
Deep Red (1975) - Various (Knife, Axe)
The Devil’s Rain (1975) - Various (Sword, Fire)
Jaws (1975) - Shark Bite
The Omen (1976) - Various (Stabbing, Hanging)
Squirm (1976) - Worms (Indirectly)
Carrie (1976) - Telekinesis (Indirectly)
Martin (1977) - Razor Blade
Tentacles (1977) - Giant Octopus
Halloween (1978) - Knife
The Swarm (1978) - Bees
Alien (1979) - Xenomorph (Various methods, including acid blood)
The Amityville Horror (1979) - Gun, Axe

Best Death

Worms/worm face in “Squirm”
The opening death scene in “Jaws”
The bucket killing Tommy in “Carrie”
Leatherface’s first victim in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Amanda Righetti being boiled to death in “Deep Red”
The camera POV of the victim falling out of the window in “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage”
The necklace decapitation in “Deep Red”
The victim in the elevator in “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage”
The woman home alone in “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage”
The cat killings in “The Corpse Grinders”
The first death in “Martin”

Best Killer

Bruce from “Jaws”
Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
The Cryptkeeper from “Tales from the Crypt”
The demon from “The Exorcist”
The worms from “Squirm”

Worst Villain

Jonathan Corbis from “The Devil’s Rain”
Damien from “The Omen”
Paul Toombes from “Madhouse”
The hippies from “Lizard in a Woman’s Skin”
Wilfred Butler from “Silent Night, Bloody Night”
Willis Daniels from “Scream Blacula Scream”

Best Victim

Father Karras from “The Exorcist”
The woman in her negligee from “Bird with the Crystal Plumage”
Quint from “Jaws”
Carl Maitland from “Reflections of Death” from “Tales From the Crypt”
The family picnic & the school children from “The Swarm”

The Victims We Were Happy to See Die

Ash from “Alien”
Franklin from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
PJ Souls from “Carrie” & “Halloween”

Best of the Categories

Tropes

Drunk Acting
Creepy Redheads
Uncaring cops
Sexualized blondes
Things disappearing through editing/blocking
Heavy breathing

Lines

“Hey, look here, man. I don't mind being a vampire and all that shit, but this really ain't hip. I mean, a man has got to see his face.” - William Daniels from “Scream Blacula Scream”
“Bring in the perverts.” - Inspector Morosini from “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage”
“They’re all gonna laugh at you.” - Margaret White from “Carrie”
“Y'know the thing about a shark, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites ya. And those black eyes roll over white, and then... oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin', the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces.” - Quint from “Jaws”
“What an excellent day for an exorcism.” - Demon from “The Exorcist”
The profanity conversation at the hospital from “The Exorcist”
“Let Jesus fuck you.” - Demon from “The Exorcist”
“My family’s always been in meat.” - Hitchhiker from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
“You listen to me, pal. I don't like lectures and I don't like being hassled in the men's room. I'm going to write you a check. Either that's good enough for you or you're going to eat your own goddamn food.” - George from “The Amityville Horror”
“Your kids need some goddamned discipline.” - George from “The Amityville Horror"
"You look older now and fat." - William Butler from "Silent Night, Bloody Night"
"That's why l'm carrying a gun. You scare me.""I can understand that, thanks." - Diane Adams & Jeffrey Butler from "Silent Night, Bloody Night"
"I wish the dead could come back to life, you bastard, so then I could kill you again." - The Inspector from "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie"

What Doesn't Hold Up

You're all the same, the lot of you, with your long hair and faggot clothes. Drugs, sex, every sort of filth! And you hate the police. Don't you?" - The Inspector from "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie"
The blood from most of the films.
The dubbing and voiceovers from many of the films, but especially the Giallo films.
George Romero

Most Gratuitous

The necklace decapitation from "Deep Red"
The blood fountain from "Jaws"
The fight between Jane and the Gendarme in "And Soon the Darkness"
The amount of slow motion used in "The Swarm"
A number of intense death scenes:
1. The woman in her negligee home alone from “Bird with the Crystal Plumage”
2. The woman in the elevator from “Bird with the Crystal Plumage”
3. The woman on the train at the start of “Martin”
4. The zombie attack in the crypt from “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie”
5. The woman being murdered at the manor, and the bed crushing the actor from “Madhouse”

Test of Time

The canine vivisection from “Lizard in a Woman’s Skin”
Wormface from “Squirm”
The Butterfly Collector scene from “Halloween
Ripley from “Alien”
The opening train murder from “Martin”
The first two thirds, and the camaraderie from “Jaws”

Eerie to Earsplitting

The Eerie Moments
1. The theme from “Jaws”
2. The theme from “The Exorcist”
3. The theme from “Halloween”
4. The sound design from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Alien”
The Earsplitting Moments
1. The droning bees from “The Swarm”
2. The score from “Deep Red”
3. The music at the start of “Swarm” and “Deep Red”
4. The bats from “Lizard in a Woman’s Skin”

Back it Up Moments

Father Karras’s nightmare from “The Exorcist”
Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus’s interactions at Brodie’s dinner table from “Jaws”
The banter on the boat from “Jaws”
The revenge scene from “Carrie”
The USS Indianapolis speech from “Jaws”
The first time Regan talks to the demon in “The Exorcist”
The cafe scene from “And Soon the Darkness”
The kills and death room scenes from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
The medbay scene from “Alien”
The final confrontation on the escape pod from “Alien”

Best of the Decade