Plot: Lenore Davis and her husband Frank are about to have their second child. As she gives birth, the newborn baby vanishes and leaves behind five dead bodies. It’s up to the police and Frank to figure out where their mutated child has gone.

Scene: The baby attacks the cop

KBZ’s Take: Larry Cohen has had quite a few B-level horror films that have achieved cult classic status from God Told Me To (1976) to The Stuff (1985). While It’s Alive doesn’t quite reach the level of those films, it does have a certain charm with its ridiculous plot about a mutant child that goes on a killing spree.

Though the film hasn’t aged well at all, it’s still a creature feature that gave nightmares to Gen X kids – especially from the film’s trailer and TV spots (which were actually scarier than the film itself).

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Mysterious and unearthly deaths start to occur while Professor Saxton is transporting the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid creature he found in Manchuria back to Europe.

Scene: The creature’s eyes

KBZ’s Take: Horror Express was one of the few films that brought legendary horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee together. And while both actors are at the top of their game in this underrated horror film, it’s the eventual appearance by the creature that is the most terrifying.

Where to Stream / Buy: Tubi

Plot: Dr. Henry Armitage, an expert in the occult, goes to the old Whateley manor in Dunwich looking for Nancy Wagner, a student who went missing the previous night. He is turned away by Wilbur, the family’s insidious heir, who has plans for the young girl. But Armitage won’t be deterred. Through conversations with the locals, he soon unearths the Whateleys darkest secret – as well as a great evil.

Scene: The monster behind the door

KBZ’s Take: The Dunwich Horror is an early 1970’s horror film that has a mix of 70’s psychedelia mixed with Lovecraftian horror that somehow mesh well together. While the film has elicited mixed opinions, we felt it was a well-crafted film that is one of the better adaptations of Lovecraft’s novella of the same name. The film has a creepiness factor most other Lovecraft film adaptations lack, and we recommend the film for fans of the subgenre.

Additional Lists: Top Cosmic Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #10

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists and a woman.

Scene: Scientists discover the ants

KBZ’s Take: Phase IV has developed a cult following over the years and is one of the better-known Eco-Horror films from the 1970’s. The film effectively balances sci-fi with horror with a unique narrative and unsettling atmosphere.

It’s also one of the better Animals Attack Films from the decade that takes a more cerebral approach to an evolved species that could soon compete against humans for domination on Earth.

Additional Lists: Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970s #6

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: When a dispute occurs between a logging operation and a nearby Native American tribe, Dr. Robert Verne and his wife, Maggie, are sent in to mediate. Chief John Hawks insists the loggers are poisoning the water supply, and, though company man Isley denies it, the Vernes can’t ignore the strangely mutated wildlife roaming the woods. Robert captures a bear cub for testing and soon finds himself the target of an angry mutant grizzly.

Scene: Maggie discovers the mutated cubs

KBZ’s Take: Has this film aged well? No. Is it still a great time? Hell Yes! This is the best “logging company is poisoning water creating mutant grizzly bears that go on the attack” film that you’ll ever see.

While some of the effects are outdated, there are still enough suspenseful thrills in this film to keep you watching. Though today’s kids might not find this scary, it’s a reminder of what was rated “PG” back in the day.

Additional Lists: Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970s #2, Top Animals Attack Films You Haven’t Seen #10

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: A young couple inherits an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures who are determined to make the wife one of their own.

Scene: The creatures plot to kill Sally

KBZ’s Take: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is one of the underrated horror films of the 70s that was eventually remade by Guillermo Del Toro (as a writer) in 2010. While we enjoyed the remake, there’s still a certain creepiness in the original film the remake can’t quite capture – especially when the creatures make their appearance in the bathroom.

Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube

Plot: City slicker Mick (Don Scardino) makes his way to the swampy little town of Fly Creek, Ga., to see his girlfriend, Geri (Patricia Pearcy). After meeting up with her, Mick learns that the area has recently been ravaged by intense storms. More troubling is the appearance of large worms driven up through the soil by the downpours. But what Mick, Geri and the locals don’t realize is that the electricity from downed power lines has caused the worms to go mad and develop a taste for human flesh.

Scene: The face worms

KBZ’s Take: Though Squirm isn’t a classic creature feature film of the 70s, it does have a memorable scene that warrants inclusion (and high ranking) on our list. If you can get through the ridiculous plot and often terrible acting, the scene of the lake will be imprinted in your memory (and nightmares) for quite a while.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: David, a college student, is looking for a job. He is hired by Dr. Stoner as a lab assistant for his research and experiments on snakes. David also begins to fall for Stoner’s young daughter, Kristina. However, the good doctor has secretly brewed up a serum that can transform any man into a King Cobra snake – and he plans to use it on David.

Scene: David encounters the “Snake Man”

KBZ’s Take: Sssssss (with 7 s’s), is one of the more ridiculous genetic engineering horror films of the subgenre. However, it has a very disturbing scene of one of these successful genetic experiments between man and snake that has become a defining scene of 70s horror.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: When an insatiable great white shark terrorizes the townspeople of Amity Island, the police chief, an oceanographer and a grizzled shark hunter seek to destroy the blood-thirsty beast.

Scene: The Daughter

KBZ’s Take: Jaws is the premier creature feature of the 70s that launched numerous knock-offs from Grizzly (1976) to Piranha (1978). In fact, it could be argued that Jaws was the primary reason for the proliferation of animals attack films in the decade that helped transform this theme into its own subgenre.

While the film has numerous creepy scenes, we went with tense leadup to the unexpected attack of a boater (as Brody’s son Michael looks on). This scene, however, wasn’t enough to make it #1 on our list given the notoriety of our top pick…

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: During its return to Earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.

Scene: Brett and the cat discover the Xenomorph

KBZ’s Take: We couldn’t leave the definitive horror classic of the decade off our list. While admittedly, the film is filled with more horror that is shocking rather than creepy, there is one particular scene we felt qualified for our list. Special points go towards the cat that makes the scene all that creepier…

Additional Lists: Best Space Horror Films #1, The 25 Creepiest Scenes from 1970s Horror Films #5

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon