'70s Horror Films Available on Netflix

I'm a film buff. I love all kinds of films, from drama to documentaries. About the only exception to my film viewing tastes are the sophomoric, teeny bopper-type films from the late '90s to the present.

You might find Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1990) in my Netflix queue but you'll never find American Pie (1999), perhaps this is because by the time the mid '90s rolled around I was pretty well cemented into the world of adulthood and teen flicks no longer held my interests. In any event, I love most types of films and my taste has tended to grow with me.

When I was a kid in the 1970s I was absolutely enthralled with horror films. I had a particular soft spot for the psychological thriller type films from the '60s through the '70s that were produced by the British Hammer Studios. I absolutely loved everything in the suspense genre and I considered psychological thriller/suspense type movies to fall under the heading of horror because they were far more realistic than monsters or alien invasions. What could be more horrid than something that could actually happen to just about anyone at any time? Also, anything with Alfred Hitchcock's name attached to it was pure gold. My love affair with horror movies continued well into my teen years in the 80's and my young adulthood in the early 90's.

As you might have easily imagined I have also since outgrown my horror film passion and I have little interest in the horror film releases of the present day. Sometimes I'll see a preview for a horror film that looks like it might be interesting, then when I go and check it out I'm extremely disappointed, this happened earlier this year with The Happening (2008), and The Strangers 2008. Logic would dictate that horror movies produced "back in the day" were not actually any better than the ones produced today, it probably only seems that way to me because I have changed since then. In any event, if you are anything like me and you have a true appreciation for horror flicks from the 70's then hop on over to Netflix and pop these films into your queue. You won't be disappointed:

Audrey Rose (1977)

Does the human soul die or does it exist forever, in one form or another? Is Ivy Templeton a normal kid with the usual teen angst or is her soul on the verge of being swiped away by Audrey Rose, the little girl who suffered a fiery death in the exact same moment that Ivy Templeton was born? This movie is unsettling to say the least. Starring: Anthony Hopkins and Marsha Mason. Directed by: Robert Wise.

The Exorcist (1973)

If you believe in the concepts of Heaven and Hell, then you must believe in the concepts of good and bad or God and Satan. And, if you believe that Jesus walks and angels protect, then what is there to say that Satan and his minions do not do the same? Watch as one of Satan's minions, Pazouzou, places its filthy hands on Reagan McNeil's pure little soul. I'm sure just about everyone alive has seen this film, if you haven't then throw it in your queue and get ready to be moved. Unsettling doesn't even begin to describe this movie. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, & Linda Blair. Directed by: William Friedkin.

Phantasm (1979)

All that I remember from this movie was parent less teens with an affinity for graveyard sex, a ghostly looking tall man with superhuman strength, midget trolls draped in blackened cloaks, and a phantasmagoric shiny silver ball with a thirst for human blood. Yeah, if it sounds crazy that's because it is. But, it's still a trippy little flick. Check it out. Starring: Angus Scrimm. Directed by: Don Coscarelli.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Oh please don't get this film confused with that awful mess of a remake from 2006. The original Wicker Man is truly a harrowing psychological experience. Journey with Sgt. Howie as his mission to track down a missing girl takes him to an isolated Scottish archipelago where the residents harbor ancient secrets and customs that just may well be the undoing of our noble sergeant. Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee. Directed by: Robin Hardy.

Sisters (1973)

OK, so if it has the seal of the great De Palma then it must be something pretty amazing. Guess what? It is. A rather nosy reporter thinks she's witnessed a murder and she can't seem to let it go. Our reporter goes on a fact finding mission to gather evidence and winds up getting caught in the middle of a strange tale of psychologically twisted Siamese Twins (I know, I know, that's what they called them back then...just quit with your p.c. thinking and get with the spirit). Starring: Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, & Charles Durning. Directed by: Brian De Palma.

Rabid (1977)

OK, so if it has the seal of the great David Cronenberg then it must be something pretty freaky. Guess what? It is. A young Canadian woman endures a serious auto accident but luckily for her... the crash occurs very near an experimental medical facility. One phallic thing leads to another and the next thing you know the whole of Canada is on the verge of nightmarish zombiedom which threatens to cross the border into the pristine shores of the U.S. Oh No! Back damn Canadians! Just kidding, I'm only jealous because I'm a Florida born Canadian at heart. Starring: Marilyn Chambers (yes, that Marilyn Chambers). Directed by: David Cronenberg.

Possession (1981)

Yes, it is a little out of the time period but the cinematic style is very much in line with its 70's predecessors. Weird, odd, and freaky in a nightmarish sort of way best describes this film. Basically it's about a man who is totally obsessed with his wife who mysteriously abandons him. His initial assumption is that she has found another man...but, that's not REALLY the case. She's found something to replace him though.....yeah, this one will totally freak you out. Isabelle Adjani is in it and she's practically naked, that's enough of a reason to watch just about anything. No, really this is an amazing film and it is not to be missed. Starring: Sam Neil and Isabelle Adjani. Directed by: Andrzej Zulawski.

Martin (1977)

OK, so if it has the seal of the great George A. Romero then it must be something pretty eerie. Guess What? It is. Martin is just a little a bit odd. He's plagued by visions of Transylvania-esque torch lit mobs giving unveiling chase to the undead for their crimes of their feast upon human blood. Martin's main problem is that he thinks he's one of the undead and he goes to great lengths to live out his life as such. By the time the film is over you're not altogether sure whether or not Martin really is or he isn't what he thinks he is. Starring: Nobody I know. Directed by: George A. Romero.

If you put these gems into your Netflix queue your desire for mindless entertainment reminiscent of days gone by will be easily satisfied because you'll never be more than a couple of days away from some of the best of the 1970s horror films.