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Do you remember the first horror movie you watched while sitting in the dark by yourself, jumping at every noise coming from outside? Americans have been watching horror movies for many decades and being a fan of horror movies, I can personally account for watching many of these films. Out of the seventies came many horror movies, which in my opinion paved the way for many famous horror movies that followed. The three most creative decades in the horror film industry are the seventies, eighties, and the nineties.

The seventies was the decade that gave birth to cult classics. One of the most famous horror films from the seventies was 1979's "The Amittyville Horror", based on the true story of a young man who murdered his whole family and claimed that the house they were living in told him to do it. Incidentally, this movie was given many sequels and was only done justice by its newest version made in 2005. No less important was "The Omen", about a little boy who was supposedly the son of Satan. The Omen was one of the seventies scariest movies. Last but not least, there was "Carrie", the story of a telekinetic teenage girl whose mother was completely insane. All Carrie wanted was to fit in, but the price of being normal was more than she bargained for. Finally, 1978's "Halloween" wrapped up the end of the cult decade and brought movie goers into one of the most notable horror movie decades; the "Slasher Film" decade.

The "Slasher Film" decade was used to scare teenagers into listening to their parents, or to keep them from wandering around by themselves at night. One of the most remembered horror movies from the "Slasher Film" decade was "Nightmare on Elm Street"; based on the twisted tale of an old man known for killing children and teenagers. The town's parents were more than unhappy about this and burned down an old boiler room with the old man still inside of it. None of the parents ever thought he would come back, but he did, in their children's dreams to seek revenge. Another one of the most well known "Slasher Films" was the original "Child's Play" about a doll possessed by the spirit of a man known in the movie as "Charles Lee Ray" or "the seaside strangler". Though,in the end I fear that the "Slasher Film" decade became more humorous than horrifying.

The seventies and eighties made ground for one of the strangest eras in horror films, the "Serial Killer" decade. One of the most famous serial killer tales is "Silence of the Lambs", telling of Agent Starling's hunt for a gruesome murderer whole stole young women's skin and of how Hannibal aided her in her chase. Out of this decade arose the only horror movie to show Brad Pitt's emotional side, "Se7en". "Se7en" was about a group of murders based on the seven deadly sins. Last but not least, there was the "Summer of Sam", based on the Son of Sam murders from the seventies.

As the nineties came to an end, so did the last of the great horror films. Though these three decades of movies may be just distant memories of teenage lovers holding each other tight in a dark movie theater, they shall forever be remembered as the greatest moments in the horror film industry.

Learn more about this author, Tiffiny Rutter.
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