Favorites: Best 60s Horror
I will start my Decade Series off with the 1960s. The 60s really became a great decade for horror with technological advances in film making and changing artistic influences that allowed for new more inventive (and frightening) ways of storytelling. There are quite a few films that are not only incredibly creepy but that also paved the way for the horror movie pandemonium that swept the 70s, 80s and is still going strong today. I have condensed my own personal favorites into a short-list here of films that are surly not to be missed: (in no particular order)
- Rosemary’s Baby: (1968) – Supernatural/Thriller: This horror classic is still creepy when I watch it today with it’s eerie subtlety and minimalistic suspense. Polanski doesn’t go for the shock-and-scream factor but instead shows little to no disturbing scenes relying upon the great acting and tension building to tell the story. Many directors have been artistically influenced by this occult-thriller and it really created a horror style all it’s own.
- Psycho: (1960) – Horror/Mystery: One of my favorite Hitchcock films, Psycho is a perfect example of a surprise twist ending that I’m sure left the audiences in shock. Modern films like The Sixth Sense had to have taken some inspirational queues from this legendary horror film. Not to mention the fact that Anthony Perkins secured his place in horror history with his portrayal of the criminally unstable Norman Bates.
- Night of the Living Dead: (1968) – Zombie-Horror: One of the first and definitely most influential horror-zombie films of all-time, Night of the Living Dead is amazing director George A. Romero’s masterpiece. Low-budget and black and white the director and make-up artists did a superb job making the zombies not only realistic but completely horrifying. Romero has gone on to direct many other great zombie-horror films but this one marked the beginning of his impressive career.
- The Innocents: (1961) – Supernatural/Mystery: Another black and white horror classic, The Innocents is a great example of a slow-burn suspense building ghost story. Set in a big and creepy mansion, a young governess and two children are the unfortunate victims of a sinister haunting. Deborah Kerr gives a stunning performance as the frightened but protective governess. Interesting trivia: in the video sequence for The Ring, 25 seconds of a little boys singing is playing which comes from this movie.
- The Haunting: (1963) – Supernatural/Suspense: This is another great example of a 60s ghost story. It was remade in th 90s but as usual the remake pales in comparison to the original. Just like in The Innocents, this ghost story is much more of an atmospheric scary than a special-effects shocker which is what makes it so good. – Based on the novel by Shirley Jackson.
There are many more that didn’t make the list such as: The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Fall of the House of Usher, Village of the Damned, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, The Birds, Repulsion and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. What are your favorites?
Loading ...
