Ask JKM a Question #37: Why start with Horror Films of the 1970s?

A reader named Duanne asks:

“Why did you start your series of horror movie decades with the seventies?’

Duane, that’s a wonderful question, and the answer reveals how deciding on a particular book project involves a lot of decision-making and data points. 

As I recall, I had originally suggested to McFarland that I begin with Horror Films of the 1990s and then work backwards through the decades.  This was in 1999, if memory serves.

But the feeling from McFarland was -- probably rightly -- that not enough time had yet passed to write an adequate and complete “history” of the nineties, and that if I waited some time before starting that task, it would be easier. 

I think the publisher was correct.  and McFarland suggested instead a title further down on my proposals list: Horror Films of the 1970s.

This choice was perfect because it left me with somewhere to go (from 1970 into the present, essentially…) and I also felt that I was very fluent with films of the disco decade, having just written Wes Craven: The Art of Horror (1997) and The Films of John Carpenter (released in 2000). 

Additionally, the 1970s is actually my favorite decade for horror films, since it gave us The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Alien, Jaws, The Hills Have Eyesand many other classics.  

So it was both a book I wanted very much to write and one I felt that I could adequately write.  The only thing that prevented me from suggesting Horror Films of the 1970s as my top priority originally was that I wasn’t certain I could see all the films I wanted to include.  DVD was just in its infancy at that point, and many obscure titles had not yet been released.

Today, I hope that Horror Films of the 2000s is next. 

And after that, I would very much like to go back and write Horror Films of the 1960sto “fill in” a missing decade while I wait for the decade of 2010 – 2020 to finish.  

We’ll see how those plans turn out.  Ideally, I would like to go as far back as Horror Films of the 1950s. 

Also, my (no-longer) secret dream is a full update and re-do or second edition of Horror Films of the 1970s, because so many more films are readily available for review today.  Thus, I wouldn’t need to rely on my memory or resort to capsule review based on that memory.

We’ll see what happens!

Don’t forget to ask me questions at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com