Horror in the 1970s

By way of Italy, the slasher film made it's way to America, and paved the way for more freedom in what was allowed shown in theatres to wide audiences. The masterpiece of transformational disgust, The Exorcist, certainly one of the finest Horror films, emerged in this decade. I think the 70s, more than any other, saw filmmakers pushing the envelope; think of Jodorowsky and his surreal masterpiece, The Holy Mountain. The vectors of violence, corporate greed, guru madness and spiritual seeking, all converge here in this wild festival of bizarre visuals, the like of which were never before or after seen. Argento in Italy went along similar lines, though in a more traditional Horror vein, and produced masterpieces in both supernatural Horror and giallo, Suspiria and Deep Red, and several minor ones as well. Some other mentionables, Black Christmas , The Wicker Man and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The 1970s were a pinnacle for me in originality in the Horror genre.