The horror comedy genre saw a surge in popularity in the ’70s, with beloved films like the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show and Young Frankenstein debuting. The playful and entertaining film style has been a go-to in Hollywood for decades, with moviegoers getting the best of both worlds with its delightful blend of humor and horror. According to author Bruce G. Hallenbeck, in his authoritative book Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008, the crowd-pleasing genre gives audiences “the permission to laugh at your fears, to whistle past the cinematic graveyard and feel secure in the knowledge that the monsters can’t get you.”

Throughout the groovy decade, many of the cinema’s most celebrated stars made memorable appearances in horror comedies, with actors like Vincent Price, Gene Wilder, Tim Curry, and Susan Sarandon all trying their hand at the thrilling genre. George Hamilton portrayed a culture-shocked Dracula in Love at First Bite, while Jaws knockoff Piranha took viewers on a campy ride when it made a huge splash in theaters. Let’s take a look at some of the best horror comedies of the 1970s.

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8 Love at First Bite

     American International Pictures

George Hamilton donned Dracula’s iconic black cape and fangs when he appeared as the horror legend in 1979’s Love at First Bite, which follows the famed vampire as he and his devoted servant Renfield are forced to move from his Transylvania castle to New York City after being expelled by the Romanian Communist government.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

While combating life in the big city, Dracula attempts to find the reincarnation of his true love. Hamilton is phenomenal with his hilarious take on the Count, earning a Golden Globe nomination for his zany, endearing approach to the classic character; the actor memorably boogied at the disco to “I Love the Nightlife” in the film, which helped his popularity surge.

7 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

     NAI Entertainment 

Serving as an uproarious parody of past B-movies, the 1978 horror comedy Attack of the Killer Tomatoes tells the delightfully over-the-top tale of sentient tomatoes that go on a bloody rampage against humanity, leaving a growing body count and gooey mess in their wake.

Despite a scathing response from critics upon its initial release, the movie has since gone on to achieve cult status and has been retrospectively described by Rue Morgue as “one of history’s most misunderstood films” and that it has “often been celebrated as a prime example of ‘so bad it’s funny’ cinema.” The box office success of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes led to three direct sequels and numerous spin-offs and parodies.

6 Piranha

     New World Pictures

In an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the groundbreaking Steven Spielberg thriller Jaws, director Joe Dante helmed 1978’s Piranha, a low-budget B-movie that centers on a river plagued by violent, genetically altered piranhas viciously attacking unsuspecting people who dare enter the water.

Praised for its tongue-in-cheek humor, campy screenplay and gory horror, the film has been called by Spielberg himself as “the best of the Jaws ripoffs.” The horror comedy was remade twice, the first being the 1995 made-for-television version and most recently in 2010 with Piranha 3D, featuring stars like Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott and Christopher Lloyd.

5 Phantom of the Paradise

     20th Century Fox

For the 1974 comedy horror rock musical Phantom of the Paradise, celebrated director Brian De Palma teamed up with actor and songwriter Paul Williams to introduce audiences to the titular bold rock opera that follows hopeful but naive musician Winslow Leach (William Finley) who is taken advantage by a crooked music producer.

Williams appears as the powerful but shady record producer, who’s devious actions prompt Leach to don a disguise and become the vigilante known as Phantom. The horror musical was loosely inspired by the lauded classic novels Faust, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, and went on to nab a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for its catchy soundtrack.

4 The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Silver screen legend Vincent Price was in all his horror glory when he portrayed the eponymous character in 1971’s The Abominable Dr. Phibes, which chronicles the determined doctor’s crusade to get revenge on the medical personnel responsible for his beloved wife’s death. Turning to the Ten Plagues of Egypt for inspiration for his vengeance and murder plots, Phibes sets out to punish the surgeons for their fatal mistakes and kills them via outlandish methods.

Co-starring Joseph Cotten of all people (Citizen Kane, The Third Man) as the doctor targeted by Phibes and Virginia North as his beautiful, mute assistant, the picture features a stellar performance by Price that has since been called by critics as “his campy best…A crazy script and an awesome score make this a true classic.”

3 House

     Toho

The 1977 Japanese experimental horror comedy House tells the chilling story of a young school girl who travels to her aunt’s sprawling country home for the summer along with her six friends, only to realize the estate is being terrorized by a menacing supernatural entity.

The teenagers are put through the horror ringer when they each are targeted by the paranormal forces, being traumatized by floating heads, haunted cat paintings, possessed household items and supernatural trap doors. The surreal flick has attracted a large cult following since its release, with contemporary critics praising House for being an entertaining fever dream full of bizarre humor and horror.

2 The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Tim Curry rose to superstardom when he delivered a performance of a lifetime as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the sensational 1978 comedy horror musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which features a dazzling cast including Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. Centering on the eccentric mad scientist as he welcomes a young, stranded couple into his lavish castle to witness the debut of his “creation”, the picture is full of kooky characters, toe-tapping tunes and plenty of thrills and chills.

The quirky classic was created to serve as both a parody and tribute of the horror and science fiction movies made from the ’30s to the ’70s. Regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a Halloween staple and is considered the longest-running release in film history, as it continues to play in cinemas across the world.

1 Young Frankenstein

Brilliant comedian and actor Gene Wilder joined forces with the great Mel Brooks for the 1974 fan-favorite Young Frankenstein, which focuses on the efforts of the eponymous character (a descendant of the famed Dr. Victor Frankenstein) to create his very own monster. With a stacked cast including Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman and Cloris Leachman, the beloved Brooks hit was shot in black-and-white in order to capture the atmosphere of horror films of the 1930s and serves as a parody to the genre.

Young Frankenstein was both a critical and commerical hit, going on to earn two Academy Award nominations and landing on numerous critics lists; it ranked number 13 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 funniest American movies. Author Bruce. G. Hallenback praised the ’70s classic in his aforementioned book, calling the picture “a movie for film buffs, but written, directed and performed in such a way that average Joes and Josephines can enjoy it just as much for its outrageous and wacky humor.”