Shake Off the Autumn Chill With These Summer Horror Movies

Jaws

The original summer blockbuster scared audiences enough that beach tourism dropped in 1975. Jaws pits the trio of Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw) against a bumbling and greedy mayor… and a giant killer fish (played by Bruce the animatronic shark). The battle that comes after Spielberg builds up expectations is a masterclass in filmmaking. It’s men against nature. Kill or get killed.

Friday the 13th

Camp Crystal Lake is not a safe place for camp counselors. As they prep the place for campers, they do what teenagers do when left to their own devices in the 1970s – drink, smoke, and have sex. It’s not a good time for long. A killer with a very specific vendetta begins to pick them off one by one. It’s a fantastic slasher with a twist no one saw coming when it came out.

The original is a classic. It spurred a long line of sequels with Jason chasing and killing various groups of people in various locations (including space).

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Tobe Hooper’s insane, blood-soaked cannibal movie was a shock to moviegoers. Its intense imagery and violence made it a hard sell, and it almost didn’t make it to theaters. The original is really the only version worth watching – recreating what makes it great is not really possible.

TCM was filmed in central Texas in the summer. You can feel the heat. It’s gritty, grimy, and it builds tension with every desperate move from the victims. It’s outrageous and macabre. The movie’s commentary on American life and civilization somehow makes it through the gore.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre also produced one of the most iconic killers in horror: Leatherface in his suit and mask made of people.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight

A classic summer camp horror from Poland. A group of tech-addicted teens has to give up their phones as they’re pushed into the wilderness to touch some grass. This makes them opportune targets for a deranged killer as they take off on a three-day hike. It’s very much in the vein of 70s and 80s horror movies with some new twists. It delivers gory kills, some meta humor, and gags, plus some characters you won’t hate. There’s also a sequel.

The Cabin in the Woods

A group of college students go to a remote cabin, and things happen in this summer horror movie. I remember the hush campaign around it when it was in theaters so it wouldn’t get ruined. No one had any idea what they were walking into. I’m going to keep with that for those that haven’t – those of us who have to know.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Filmed in the Mojave Desert, this tale of a road trip gone horribly wrong takes inspiration from the real-life Sawney Bean, as well as The Grapes of Wrath and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Horror master Wes Craven wanted to explore what someone may do if they left civilization behind and went savage. The Carter family was not prepared to battle against a family of cannibals living off tourists. Literally.

The Hills Have Eyes’ grossness lies on top of a decent story and director/writer Wes Craven’s dark humor. Watch at your own risk.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Scream brought the teen slasher back to the forefront the year before this summer horror movie franchise kicked off. A group of teens hit a man in the road after getting plastered in a small beach town. The group decides to run. They didn’t get away with it, though. A hook-wielding killer who loves leaving notes is after them. While it’s not as good as Scream, it’s a fun watch. It stars some of the brat pack of the era: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and  Ryan Phillippe.

The Lost Boys

There’s a boardwalk carnival, vampires, and Tim Cappello on the saxophone. What more do you need?