The Year I Made Contact: 1974

Eric from The Movie Waffler is running a blogathon about films released the year you were born. I was born in 1974. Also born in 1974 was Christian Bale, Michael Shannon, and Amy Adams. 1974, as it turns out, might have been one of the greatest years for films. Released that year were such important films as Chinatown, The Conversation, The Godfather part II, and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Then again, it was also the year that gave us The Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Airport, Death Wish, and Herbie Rides Again. Big year for disaster, especially Herbie. Being that this is a horror blog, here are some of the non-natural disaster horror films released that year....

Vampyres.  Lesbian vampire horror at its most boring.  I am really not interested in any lesbian vampire film unless it stars Ingrid Pitt.  This does not, but it is a nice piece of Euro trash.

Flesh for Frankenstein, aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein.  I actually saw this in the theatre (a few years ago, not as a fetus.)  It is very trippy and weird, and really, really gory.  It stars Udo Kier as Baron Frankenstein, who is trying to create a master Serbian race.  Crazy bastard.

Black Christmas.  One of my favorites, if only for Olivia Hussey’s hair.  See my review here:  http://zombiesaremagic.blogspot.com/2011/06/black-christmas-1974.html

I have never seen It's Alive, mainly because the tag line says its "The ONE Film You Should Not See Alone" and I watch every horror film alone (my husband does not care for them, and watching it with my cat would probably make It's Alive a whole lot worse.)

Zardoz is not really horror but I love it with a passion.  Not only is Charlotte Rampling in it, but check out this beefcake:

Take that Magic Mike.  I can't even figure out what Zardoz is about, I only know that it is a gift from God and beautiful in my eyes.

Brian De Palma.  Written and Directed by.  If you have never seen Phantom of the Paradise STOP what you are doing (accidentally reading my blog) and go and watch it now!!  It has everything: A Paul Williams sex scene, Jessica Harper singing badly, some guy you have seen on a thousand soap operas playing a singer named Beef, drug use, drag queens, disco, it is PERFECTION!

Seriously, besides Black Christmas, 1974 is the year that is best known for giving us (horror fans) Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  I am proud to have been born the same year as this instant classic.  Still one of my favorite films ever.

On the non horror tip: two films that have had a profound effect on me were released in 1974.  What is amazing is that they are by the same director.  Chew on that Spielberg: Brooks did it while you were still in film school!