In Search of Darkness ’70s documentary is available for pre-order until July 1st

Over the course of three In Search of Darkness documentary films, all of which were over four hours long (with one of them nearly reaching the six hour mark), director David Weiner did an incredible job of digging into the many great (and some not-so-great) horror movies that were released in the 1980s. There were still so many movies left uncovered that Weiner could circle back and continue looking into ’80s movies for years to come – but instead, he decided to move forward into the ’90s with In Search of Darkness: 1990 – 1994 and In Search of Darkness: 1995 – 1999. Now, the series is jumping back in time with the latest installment, In Search of Darkness ’70s, which is available for pre-order on the official website HERE! Pre-orders opened yesterday and will be available through July 1st.

What does In Search of Darkness ’70s cover?

Here’s the information on the new movie:  The Exorcist. Jaws. Halloween. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Carrie. Dawn of the Dead. The Omen. Alien. And so many more…

The ’70s were an absolute golden age for horror at the movies, a collective time of cinematic greatness that defined how we look at the genre for decades to come – and we can’t wait to explore them with you. In Search of Darkness ’70s will follow our unique format, spotlighting movies year-by-year with larger context chapters in-between exploring specific elements of interest, including:

Rise of the Slashers – The slasher genre might have exploded in the ’80s, but the fuse was lit in the ’70s, with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Black Christmas paving the way for ambitious filmmakers to take on low-budget/high-yield gambles with their own slasher-film concepts. Low and mid-budget films including Alice Sweet Alice, Torso, The Toolbox Murders, and The Driller Killer populated theaters, along with colorful Italian giallo entries like Suspiria. Then in 1978, Halloween re-wrote the rules for success for low-budget slashers.

Satanic Frenzy, Folk Horror & Witchcraft – Fueled by the mainstream notoriety of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan and supercharged by The Exorcist and The Omen, the dark arts were box-office gold throughout the decade. Satanic cults, creepy covens, pagan worship, voodoo ceremonies, and demonic possession were on full display in titles such as The Dunwich Horror, Mark of the Devil, Daughters of Satan, and The Wicker Man.

Sex & Horror in the ’70s – Sex, nudity, and sexual violence ran rampant in ’70s horror flicks such as Flesh for Frankenstein, Countess Dracula, Nude for Satan, Mardi Gras Massacre, and the rape-revenge classic I Spit On Your Grave. Meanwhile, European filmmakers projected a liberal take on sexuality in movies such as The Nude Vampire, Requiem for a Vampire, Lips of Blood and Fascination.

Dawn of the Zombies – Inspired by George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, the ’70s saw a wave of zombie flicks, from the Blind Dead saga to The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue, Night of the Seagulls, and Lucio Fulci’s Zombie. Of course, Romero played with his own concept of contagion with The Crazies before delivering his seminal Dawn of the Dead, an inspiration to films like the French The Grapes of Death and a precursor to the rage-zombies of 28 Days Later.

And Much More… Other segments include spotlights on the new horror directors making waves – Brian de Palma, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, George A. Romero, and more – and a section on the epic handpainted art of the ’70s movie poster. Telling these stories will be the largest cast of ’70s Horror legends ever assembled. Returning favorites will be joined by many new cast members, each ready to share their own stories and experiences from the 100+ movies we’ll be featuring.

Writer/director David Weiner provided the following statement: “‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be revisiting the most formative decade in my life for the newest In Search of Darkness documentary. Growing up as a kid in the ’70s, I was exposed to all sorts of monster movies, creature features, and straight-out horror on our wood-paneled den TV and in the 99-cent movie theater down the street. From watching such films as The Exorcist, The Omen, Phantasm, Alien, and Halloween at way too young an age, I essentially imprinted on horror. For In Search of Darkness ’70s, we are assembling a murderer’s row of knowledgeable and recognizable talent to both celebrate and recontextualize this golden era of filmmaking, and I can’t wait to share it with our hungry horror community.“

In Search of Darkness ’70s is expected to be released in July 2027. Are you a fan of the In Search of Darkness documentaries, and will you be watching this one? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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