50 Years of Horror on Film

Well, here we go again. Having now completed two "50 of a kind" movie-watching projects (SF and action), it's horror's turn and October is a perfect time for it. My rules are pretty simple: One movie a year since 1971, and I must not have already reviewed it (I've only seen about a half-dozen from the list previously). Chosen for quality, diversity, "you haven't seen that?!" and availability, that gives us...

1970s
An popular interest in psychic phenomena and Satanic practices really leaves a mark on the decade's horror output, but relaxed standards of what can be shown on screen is the real game changer.
1971: The Cat o' Nine Tails (starting with a bit of Argento)
1972: Tales from the Crypt
1973: The Exorcist (rewatch)
1974: The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
1975: Deep Red (Argento again)
1976: The Tenant
1977: Alucarda
1978: Dawn of the Dead
1979: The Driller Killer

1980s
Though the 70s invented the slasher genre, it's the 80s that turn it into the de facto horror film (for better or worse). The bleakness of 70s cinema gives way to a more camp, cheer 'em when they kill, mood to movies of the Reagan era.
1980: Prom Night
1981: Scanners
1982: The House on Sorority Row
1983: Christine (rewatch)
1984: Firestarter (rewatch)
1985: Fright Night (I've only seen the remake)
1986: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1987: Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
1988: Dead Ringers
1989: Society

1990s
The 90s demanded reinvention and revitlization, and the Scream series' meta comedy had a big impact on the culture to be sure. Anne Rice replaced Stephen King as the literary horror of choice (didn't last). And at the end of the decade, a Japanese film made a big splash.
1990: The Witches
1991: The People Under the Stairs
1992: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (rewatch)
1993: Body Snatchers
1994: Interview with the Vampire
1995: Species
1996: The Frighteners (rewatch)
1997: Funny Games
1998: Ringu
1999: Deep Blue Sea

2000s
In the new Millennium, horror fans' eyes looked to Asia for the biggest and most novel scares, which remains a trend.  In the Western world, we note the rise of torture porn.
2000: Ginger Snaps
2001: The Happiness of Katakuris
2002: Dog Soldiers
2003: A Tale of Two Sisters
2004: Saw
2005: The Call of Cthulhu
2006: Bug
2007: 30 Days of Night
2008: Tokyo Gore Police
2009: Daybreakers

2010s+
While the trends of the previous decade have yet to snuff themselves out, we also see a number of high-end horror films that play on creepy themes and look like art films. Auteurs like Jordan Peele, Ari Aster and Robert Eggers are setting the tone for the genre and making sophisticated audiences - not normally drawn to horror - take notice.
2010: The Crazies
2011: The Victim
2012: Antiviral
2013: A Field in England
2014: Tusk
2015: The Final Girls
2016: The Conjuring 2
2017: Forgotten
2018: Apostle
2019: Saint Maud
and 2020: Freaky

Follow my progress every Sunday on This Week in Geek, or check out the list as posters at Letterboxd.