Book Review - Ten Years of Terror: British Horror Films of the Seventies

When people think of British horror films, thoughts turn to Hammer (with a nod to Amicus). But now for something completely different: A book about independent British horror cinema, 1970 to 1979. Ten years, ten chapters.

Why those years? The editors explain:

"When people talk of the long tradition of British horror cinema, they're talking about a myth. In fact, British horror films only thrived for a twenty year period. Before 1960, there had only been a handful of genre movies made in the UK; and since 1980, horror film production has dwindled to an almost non-existent level."

But if British horror began flowering in 1960, why not Twenty Years of Terror? Because, the editors believe, British horror cinema peaked in the 1970s, both creatively and quantitatively: "The 1970s saw boundaries broken down, taboos challenged, censorship under assault and the rule books torn up. It had never happened before, and it hasn't happened since."

While the editors acknowledge Hammer's past contributions, they believe that by the 1970s, independent filmmakers had assumed the creative cutting edge:

"Hammer — particularly under the leadership of Michael Carreras — seemed to have little idea of how to deal with the sweeping changes that were taking place. It's sobering to think that while William Friedkin was shooting The Exorcist and Wes Craven had made The Last House on the Left, Hammer were dusting off Terence Fisher to grind out another Frankenstein movie."

Ten Years of Terror is part film encyclopedia, with production credits and analyses for each film entry. Its huge format resembles the Overlook Film Encyclopedia, yet naturally, its coverage of 1970s British horror is more extensive. Vastly so. The Overlook's horror edition covers all North American and European horror films up till 1992, plus films from Japan, India and Latin America, yet is only 1/3 longer than Ten Years of Terror. Ten Years of Terror lavishes over 300 pages for films that the Overlook covers in under 30. Likewise, Fragments of Fear: An Illustrated History of British Horror Films, covers nearly a century of British horror in 283 pages, compared to Ten Years of Terror's decade in 336 pages.

Clearly, Ten Years of Terror offers much more on 1970s British horror films than previous books. But what more is there? No, not padding. There's meat - and blood and guts and gore. This is a beautiful book, hugely glossy, lavishly illustrated, in resplendent color.

Article Author: Thomas M. Sipos

Thomas M. Sipos is the author of the anti-Communist satire, Vampire Nation and Manhattan Sharks. Some of his essays on horror film aesthetics appear in his horror collection, Halloween Candy. He founded the Tabloid Witch Awards horror film contest and festival. …

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