The end of the classic era: 1970?

[fibbermac]

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I noticed that the cut-off between classic and modern monster films in this forum is 1970. I was wondering if there was a particular film that could be pointed to as being the end of the era.

For me, I would point to the film "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" released in 1971 as the end of the classic era. I'm told it was the final film for both Chaney and Naish, which marks the end of an era in itself. Since it was released in 1971, it falls quite close to this forum's 1970 cut-off.

Also, in my mind, I look at "Psycho" (1960) as the end of the black and white horror era. Was there really anything made after 1960 that could be considered classic?

[Monster Bob]

Spider Baby
Young Frankenstein
Carnival of Souls
Night of the Living Dead

[Monsterkid71]

For me the 70's still hold some classics but I guess 1970 is a good cut off date. I mainly watch movies from the 20's to the early 70's. I love some of the 80's stuff since I did cut my gorehound teeth in that era but I still prefer the classic stuff.

[Wich2]

If we incude The '70's Tube, you've got a goldmine of flicks like -

THE NIGHT STALKER/STRANGLER
MOON OF THE WOLF
DUEL
THE DEAD DON'T DIE
etc.

And series like NIGHT GALLERY.

All pretty much "in the classic vein."

But I would agree (alas) that by the '80's, the Fangoria mode had killed the Famous Monsters one...

Great weekend,
-Craig W.

[Monsterkid71]

the Fangoria mode had killed the Famous Monsters one...

Yep I agree. I look back at that era with a lot of fondness though. I hounded the book store all the time looking for new Fangos when they were to hit the shelves. I discovered a lot of good stuff through that mag and Im thankful for it.......still though I kinda wish I had a chance to experience the Famous Monsters stuff. Those types of mags were extremely scarce when I was a kid in the 70's.

[Crazy1van]

I tend to think of the 30, 40, & 50s and the UNIVERSAL / CLASSIC era of horror, the 60s and 70s as the HAMMER age, the 80s and 90s as the Slasher age, and the current decade as something I can't quite define as yet.

[Josh]

Phibes came out in '71, the sequal in '72.  The first film is certainly considered, rightly so, one of Prices best films and he is firmly on the "A" list of second wave classic horror stars.  I'd say the dividing line in classic horror, if you just have to find one, is Night of the Living Dead, that film had a huge impact, and the genre was really not the same afterwords (same year as "The Devil Rides Out", which, while being an excellent film and one of Hammers best of the late '60s must have seemed a bit clunky and stagey when compared the NOTLD).  But there is certainly no way to find a specific cut off date in "classic" horror sci-fi.  I mean "Last House on the Left" was '72, (same year as the campy Phibes sequal, and "Chainsaw" followed 2 years later along with "Black Christmas" with its holiday themed killer) and its certainly more in the vain of what would come later (into the '70s/'80s) but Clash of the Titans was '81 and its pure Harryhausen at his best, fits in nicely with his (much) earlier work.  The final Hammer film was, I think '76, with "To the Devil a Daughter", but by this point Hammer had long since exited its "golden age" (even though Chris Lee does appear in that final film). 

(theres a few randomly tossed out thoughts, hope it makes a little sense)

[fibbermac]

I think maybe Josh has as good an answer as any. "Night of the Living Dead" in 1968 was probably a "changing of the guard" as they say. Which would put this group's cut-off of 1970 pretty close to that point.
Personally, my tastes are quite old fashioned. So, if I had my way, the end of the classic era would be "House of Dracula" in 1945.
But what do I know. I'm just an old fart who only pretends to have grown up.
-fibbermac-

[raycastile]

The changing of the guard was incremental. Psycho, NOTLD, TCM, Exorcist, Halloween, Alien, all of these helped push the genre into the modern era.

[ARTMAN666]

This is of course a very individual road to follow as far as when did the classic era end, for me it was Night of the living dead, after that i never looked at horror films the same way. Not just a great film or a great genre film but ground breaking throughout, it added a level of realism that didn't exist, hell that happening in my backyard not in some far away castle or island. of course thats just my opinion, what the hell do i know, lol

[Wich2]

(I still maintain that Romero stole a good deal of that from INVISIBLE INVADERS, a decade before...)

[Barlow]

For me, I include the 70's in my "classic era", because it includes the highest number of monster movies in my Top 200 or so. 

Lemora, A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (aka Lemora, Lady Dracula)
Phantasm
The Exorcist
Count Yorga, Vampire
The Return of Count Yorga
Blacula
The Dark
Abominable Dr. Phibes
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
House of Dark Shadows
Nosferatu ('79)
Lust For A Vampire
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Night Stalker
Night Strangler
Salem's Lot
It's Alive
Dawn of the Dead
The Sentinel
The Omen
Damien: Omen II

Ah, the list can go on for pages! 

[sashasuman]

I'm very sceptical of that 5000 figure. Big Loo retailed for $9.99. The economics would be all wrong unless at least 100,000 were produced since his launch was supported by commercials on TV:

[horrorhunter]

1976

To The Devil A Daughter (1976) marked the end of Classic Hammer. The movie was hardly that good, but the Hammer Classic Era was.

Also, the next year Star Wars (1977) changed sci-fi, and it wasn't long until the slasher sub-genre changed horror.

There were plenty of films in the early and mid '70s in the traditional gothic horror vein, especially Eurohorror films. When Classic Hammer died it signaled the end of Classic Horror.

[Hepcat]

I'm very sceptical of that 5000 figure. Big Loo retailed for $9.99. The economics would be all wrong unless at least 100,000 were produced since his launch was supported by commercials on TV:

While I don't deny that Big Loo is very cool, what is this all about?