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Every decade has its influential and iconic revulsion film : The Conjuringfor the 2010s,28 Days Laterfor the zero , Screamfor the 1990s , andA Nightmare on Elm Streetfor the 1980s . The ' 70 are no unlike , but not every Hellenic 1970s repulsion film made a mess at the box role . Phantasm , The Wicker Man , The Last House on the Left , andBlack Christmaswere boxful office letdown that became cult classical and made their money over time . For ' 70 horror films that bump immediate succeeder , character often led to high financial returns , accord toBox Office Mojo .
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) — $30.7 Million
A sequel gross less than a seventh of the original ’s domestic draw unremarkably spells flop , butExorcist II : The Hereticstill set an initiative weekend disk for Warner Bros. However , it was also revile by critic and ticket buyers over those three days thatthe movie was changed while in dramatics . In the end , any change made did petty to alter the timber of John Boorman ’s troubled pic , and the toxic word of mouth sunk the ship quickly .
Even still , the film ’s yield budget was so blue it could technically be call a winner , as it gain nearly $ 30.8 million on a budget of just $ 14 million .
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — $30.9 Million
Tobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain encounter Massacreinitially went into output on a tiny budget of $ 60,000 , but there ’s disputation as to the net figure . Regardless , even if the budget were ten times that form , Hooper ’s masterfully atmospheric filmwould be one of the most successful films of the decade , horror or otherwise .
The story of five friends who meet a mob of cannibals made a monolithic centre of $ 30.9 million . In 2022 dollars , that would be about $ 183 million .
Carrie (1976) — $33.8 Million
Brian De Palma’sCarriestands as the first , and one of the undecomposed , Stephen King adaptations in a long line of King adaptation . Featuring a star - do carrying out from Sissie Spacek , De Palma ’s film show that popular horror fable could be adapted into an efficient motion-picture show .
On a budget of just $ 1.8 million , the film earned a very impressive $ 33.8 million from domestic market , which made it clear that more of the source ’s work would soon be adapted . However , not all the financially successful ones were worthwhile just as not all the flops were failures ( The polishing ) .
Halloween (1978) — $47.2 Million
Michael Myers and his iconic fuckup knifebecame iconic moderately rapidly thanks to the jaw - dropping fiscal achiever of John Carpenter ’s seminalHalloween . To this day one of the most successful independent films , the chemical reaction to Carpenter ’s classic is the major reason why audience also haveFriday the 13thandA Nightmare on Elm Street .
With a scant budget of $ 325,000,Halloweenscored a whopping $ 47 million dollars at the United States box office , exceed the already - impressive total of Hooper’sThe Texas Chain consider Massacre .
The Omen (1976) — $60.9 Million
Richard Donner’sThe Omenboasted a major star in the frame of Gregory Peck , but he was n’t the only cause the film proved to be one of theSupermandirector ’s large hits .
With gorgeous motion-picture photography , a compelling story , memorable panic attack scene , and a vivid sexual conquest , The Omenis a masterful mid-’70s scarer that pull almost $ 61 million on a budget of just $ 2.8 million . The narrative of the daimon ’s son would go on to inspire two theatrical sequels , the first of which ( Damien : The Omen II ) managed to essay moderately successful in its own right .
The Amityville Horror (1979) — $86.4 Million
star James Brolin and Margot Kidder , The Amityville Horrorwas one of several memorable repugnance films that serve close up out the 1970s . With an effective atmosphere and devoted performances from most of the cast , it stands as a minor classic of the genre .
The Amityville Horrorwasn’t critically glorify at the sentence nor has it ever been , but the movie was a monumental success at the box office . With a decent budget of $ 4.7 million , the movie netted over $ 86 million from U.S. house alone , effectively gain 17 times its budget .
Jaws 2 (1978) — $81.8 Million
As a continuation to thebest shark movie of all meter , Jaws 2had some big fins to swim behind , and unlike the two sequels that come , it managed to do so with some level of success .
With that being said , the continuation did n’t nearly reach the nine - figure domestic tally of Steven Spielberg ’s original classic . But a horror / thriller sequel pull in near $ 82 million at the United States box spot in 1978 was and persist a substantial accomplishment . tote up in $ 106 million from international territories , andJaws 2was a blockbuster in its own right .
Alien (1979) — $81.9 Million
Ridley Scott’sAlienis the ultimate haunted house pic , and its travail - inducing , script - judder impact helped ensure that the picture would profit from repeat line of work .
Scott ’s film also boasts thescariest theatrical laggard of all time , practically warrant interview members would pay up to get wind what the snippets of slimy , startling footage meant in a larger circumstance . And they did , asAliennetted an impressive $ 106 million worldwide on a budget of just $ 11 million . The first sequel , Aliens , did comparably well , but the franchise would never reach the heights of the first two films in terminal figure of ticket gross sales .
The Exorcist (1973) — $233 Million
Before it was amajor horror franchise , The Exorcistwas both a major part of 1970s cinema pop culture and a decisive darling . One of the few films that are arguably flawless , William Friedkin ’s classic stand as almost sure as shooting the scariest movie of all time .
The Warner Bros. product hit theaters as an $ 11 million investing , and those who have in cash were n’t disappointed as it gross $ 233 million from the domestic market alone . Add in $ 136 million from international district and Friedkin ’s film was a hit across the globe .
Jaws (1975) — $260.8 Million
The godfather of the megahit and the summer moving picture season , Spielberg’sJawsis not only one of the most financially successful films of the 1970s but also of all time .
Few wait it to be the masterful pop culture steamroller it was and the budget was keep down to $ 7 million , a figure it would barely surpass in its first weekend alone . But then it kept making money week after week , ending with a gargantuan domesticated total of over $ 260 million , which in 2022 dollars would equate to around $ 1.4 billion .
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