Top 10 Horror Films: 60's

Hello again, if you've been reading my blog recently then you'll know that I recently started to list some of my favourite horror films of all time beginning with those from the golden age and in my last post, those from the 1950's. Now we come to a decade where horror was beginning to evolve immensely, the 1960's. Horror films were becoming bloodier, made all the more effective with the help of colour cinema, the slasher genre was slowly emerging and zombies became more fearsome than ever. It was truly a decade of change for horror cinema and one that produced some of the most iconic horror films of all time. So now I present to you my list for the top 10 horror films of the 1960's, beware there could be some spoilers in there!

10. The Raven (1963)

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the pioneers of gothic horror, known for his various poetry and prose, Poe's work has since inspired a wide variety of films over the years, one of which being this 1963 Roger Corman classic. It's only a very loose adaptation of Poe's iconic poem The Raven, this version adds in sorcery and deception presumably to extend the poem into an entertaining feature length film. It's a pretty bizarre premise for a film, the story of a sorcerer named Bedlo (Peter Lorre) who seeks help from fellow sorcerer Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) after being turned into a raven by the malevolent Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff). More fantasy than horror but still classed as the latter, The Raven is a pleasure to watch due to its absurd plot and entertaining performances from the trio of horror legends, Price, Lorre and Karloff. It lacks all the suspense and mystery from its source material but that doesn't matter here, it is a masterpiece of comedy-horror and one of Roger Corman's most entertaining Poe adaptations from the 60's. I mean come on, what's not to like about a film that involves a wizard duel between Vincent Price and Boris Karloff? However, one reason why I love this film is because it is one of the roles that launched the career of Jack Nicholson who plays Lorre's son in this. It was one of many Corman films to have Nicholson in the cast and if it wasn't for films like The Raven his careers could have went a completely different way.

9. Black Sunday (1960)

Gothic horror cinema was making a comeback all over the world, from Hammer films in the UK to AIP in America, the world was once again embracing gothic horror cinema. Over in Italy, a certain director by the name of Mario Bava was also embracing the gothic genre with a little film by the name of Black Sunday. It stars scream queen Barbara Steele in a duel role playing both princess Katia Vajda and the evil undead witch Asa who wishes to drain her blood to gain immortality. It takes inspiration from many different sources such as Dracula, Carmilla and the Salem Witch Trials however it is very much its own film thanks to the expertise of Mr. Mario Bava. The film highlighted his talent from the horror genre, his ability to build an air of suspense and his skills in both direction and cinematography. When I first watched this I was overwhelmed by the visuals, the setpieces were exaggerated yet naturalistic, reminiscent of the production design in Tod Browning's Dracula but with a hint of Bava's own unique flair. The real highlight of Black Sunday, however is Barbara Steele's performance, or performances, in particular during her scenes as the resurrected witch Asa. Not only is her appearance unsettling, but she gives such an enticing performance that every scene with her sent shivers up my spine, she is an actress truly worthy of the title of Scream Queen. It is an Italian masterpiece of gothic cinema that highlights Mario Bava's talents as a director and sent him on to have a promising career in the genre.

8. Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Speaking of which, four years later Bava directed what is often considered as one of the most influential giallo films of all time, Blood and Black Lace. The film follows a group of fashion models who become the targets of a brutal killer who is intent on finding a mysterious diary in their possession. Blood and Black Lace is often considered to be one of the first giallo films, a subgenre of Italian horror that would inspire slasher films in the years to come. From its setpieces and colourful lighting to its highly stylised murder sequences, the film set the standard for giallo films and inspired future legends of the genre such as Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci. Not only did it influence giallo films in Italy, but Blood and Black Lace is often considered to be one of the earliest slasher films as well. Many tropes of the modern slasher genre such as the high body count and blending of violence and sexuality can be traced back to this film, even its title emphasises the connection between the two. I like this film, not only because of its massive influence, but because it genuinely is an entertaining film to watch. Once again Bava presents us with this unique visual style, only instead of Black Sunday's gothic atmosphere, this time we get this colourful sixties vibe that suits the plot really well. As a fan of films that are ahead of their time it was hard for me not to like this film, until this point a connection between sex and violence had only really been hinted at in horror cinema, but this film emphasised that link and inspired future films to do the same. Much like Bava's later film A Bay of Blood, this really set the standard for every slasher film in the following years. 

7. Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)

Something that was becoming more popular in the 60's was the anthology film, a feature length film that incorporated a number of different smaller segments, in the horror genre these were made popular by Amicus Productions. My all time favourite of these films would have to be Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, a film that involves several men on a train who each tell their own horrific tale to the mysterious passenger Dr. Shreck (Peter Cushing). Along with Cushing in this menagerie of horror were the likes of fellow horror giant Christopher Lee, Roy Castle of Record Breakers fame and a young Donald Sutherland who each told their own personal tale involving encounters with the supernatural. The segments varied from a tale about a formidable plant to one about a piece of music with a voodoo curse, each as frightfully entertaining as the next and only made more enjoyable by the excellent performances. My favourite segment in the film would have to be Christopher Lee's story about an art critic who is terrorised by the severed hand of a dead artist whose work he panned, it is as strange as it sounds and Lee is as impeccable as always. The real beauty of this film lies in its twist ending though and it keeps in line with the darkly comedic tone, I won't spoil anything though in case you watch it yourself. Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is a darkly funny and highly enjoyable anthology of horror that will appeal to fans of the genre and others alike.

6. The Birds (1963)

While he had previously been making mystery and thriller films, Alfred Hitchcock finally took to the horror genre in the 1960's and one of his most iconic of these films was The Birds. The film follows Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) as she travels to Bodega Bay in San Francisco only to find that the birds there are becoming increasingly violent towards humans. The film is more than just your average creature feature however as it has the master of suspense behind the camera, Hitchcock brings his signature talent for suspense to The Birds to create an atmosphere so tense you could cut it with a butter knife. That scene where Melanie walks by the children's playground where the blackbirds perched on the jungle jim watch her is truly nailbiting, I thought that scene would never end. The whole idea that something as innocent as birds turning on humanity is a chilling concept that is executed perfectly here by Hitchcock, rather than having the birds attacking all at once he makes their assaults gradual, almost strategic. When the birds finally do attack it is almost cathartic, winged beasts flying violently around the place causing harm to any human who gets in their way, the film has the perfect balance between suspense and violence. While the effects may seem a bit dated by today's standards, the acting is flawless and the performances from both Hedren and her co-star Rod Taylor are incredibly convincing. There is this sense of hopelessness throughout and even the films ambiguous ending retains this, in less than two hours Hitchcock managed to make us fear birds of all things.

5. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

To be honest, I never really found this film scary (apart from its opening theme) but it is without a doubt one of the greatest horror films of its time and I will tell you why. First of all, the film does not rely on violence or shock value for its scares, instead it relies heavily on suspense. For the films majority it keeps with the theme of 'less is more' and it really works, it keeps the viewer constantly guessing what is going to happen and who's messing with Rosemary (Mia Farrow) making it an enticing piece of cinema. The film follows Rosemary who begins to experience strange goings on in her apartment after she becomes pregnant, soon she becomes increasingly paranoid and even begins to question whether or not she can trust her own husband Guy (John Cassavetes). This sense of paranoia that gradually increases throughout the film is really captivating and Mia Farrow is brilliant at conveying this to the audience, following her on her journey into madness is a great experience. The real highlight of the film for me is the Castevet's, the old couple who live in Rosemary's building portrayed by Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, this sinister duo hide behind their seemingly friendly demeanor throughout and they both shine in their roles. Rosemary's Baby is a slow burner but by the time it reaches its shocking climax you'll be glad you watched it.

4. Blood Feast (1963)

As I mentioned earlier, the increasing prominence of colour cinema meant that films could now be much more bloodier and no man took advantage of this more than American director Herschell Gordon Lewis. Often cited as the Godfather of Gore, the director is notorious for making some of the earliest splatter films and pushing the limits of how much blood and guts you could show onscreen. Blood Feast is the perfect example of this. The film follows mysterious caterer Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold) who begins to decapitate a number of women across suburban Miami in preparation for his blood feast, a sacrifice to the goddess Ishtar. Upon its release, Blood Feast was panned, considered to be in poor taste due the excessive gore that was uncommon at the time and is one of the earliest entries on the video nasty list. Looking back now, it is pretty corny and the acting is almost cringeworthy at times, but it would be wrong to ignore how important this film is. This one really pushed the boundaries, Lewis did things that some filmmakers would never have dreamed of doing and although it seems a bit amateurish at times it was essentially the first of its kind and after Blood Feast more splatter films began to emerge in the years that followed. It is not necessarily a good film, however Blood Feast is highly entertaining, be it the over the top performances, the bizarre story or even just the gore, the film has something we can all enjoy.

3. Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Another one of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, Masque of the Red Death was set in a world overrun by a mysterious plague known as the red death where all of the survivors reside in a large castle ruled over by the satanic Prince Prospero (Vincent Price). While many of Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films were a bit silly in comparison to their source material, I think that this one genuinely does the writer justice. It takes inspiration not only from Poe's short story of the same name but also from his other short story Hop-Frog. There is a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere throughout due to the production design and colour schemes, the cinematography was done by none other than Nicolas Roeg who would go on to direct classics such as Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth and his influence is felt in several Roegisms throughout. To me it is the most mature of Corman's Poe adaptations, while some sequences are a bit silly it has this sense of slow burning tension throughout that all comes together in the films macabre climax that could have made even Edgar Allan Poe smile. Of course it would be rude not to mention Price's performance as Prospero who brings his signature sense of charismatic evil to the character, he gives a powerful performance that almost made me feel sorry for the villainous prince. If you were going to watch any horror film by Roger Corman, watch this one.

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The film that changed it all, this classic zombie romp is what caused the undead to evolve from voodoo slaves into bloodthirsty monsters from beyond the grave. The film follows a group of survivors led by a man called Ben (Duane Jones) who defend themselves from inside a farmhouse against hordes of the recently resurrected deceased. This was a big gamechanger for its time, not only because it changed zombies forever but also due to the casting choices. At this time it was uncommon to have an African American actor in a lead role which is why Duane Jones' casting raised a lot of eyebrows at the time, however Jones' performance is timeless and has since become iconic. Another reason why it was so controversial is because of a certain scene in which a young girl comes back from the dead and proceeds to stab her mother to death with a trowel, even by today's standards that's pretty shocking. It was a bold move by George A. Romero to make this film but it managed to launch his highly successful career and spawned a number of sequels both official and unofficial, it is also known for being one of the most profitable horror films of its time being one of the top grossing films in Europe upon its release. It is a true milestone in the history of horror film.

1. Psycho (1960)

As I said earlier, Alfred Hitchcock briefly turned to horror during the 1960's and while The Birds was fantastic, it did not compare to his masterpiece that is Psycho. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch, the film follows Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who checks into the mysterious Bates Motel after stealing money from her boss. It is here where she meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and things take a shockingly sinister turn. Often considered one of the earliest slasher films, Psycho is a masterclass in horror cinema, from its heavily suspenseful atmosphere courtesy of Hitchcock to Bernard Hermmann's chilling score, the film gets everything right. Just when the audience thinks Hitchcock will turn left, he turns right, it is a film that is highly unpredictable and full of unexpected surprises at every corner. The pivotal shower scene has since become infamous, and although knowing about it does spoil the film, there are still plenty of surprises waiting within the walls of the Bates Motel. The acting is stellar, although it did unfortunately get Perkins typecast in the role of Norman Bates for the duration of his career, it is without a doubt his greatest performance. Psycho has since inspired countless parodies and homages, not to mention a number of sequels, a tv show and a shot-for-shot remake (but lets not get into that), it is very deservant of its popularity. In Psycho, Hitchcock toyed with the conventions of classical cinema to give audiences a new experience that would scare the living daylights out of them, and in that he certainly succeeded.

And so ends another decade of horror, if you have any horror films you like from the 60's or if you agree with the list then let me know in the comments. Next time I will be looking at what, to me, is the greatest decade in horror cinema, the 1970's. Films that looked at possession, witchcraft, serial killers and the terrors of space, so stay tuned for that!