Horror movies were on the rise in the mid '70s, thanks to the success of 1973's The Exorcist. Actors who wouldn't even think of appearing in a scary film at the dawn of the decade were suddenly lining up for starring roles in pics that were far from their usual fare, and projects that would have ended up at some independent studio were now being scooped up by the majors. It was a whole new playing field after the demonic-possession movie became a runaway commercial and critical hit. This new breed of horror movie uncovered the terror in the everyday lives of normal people who just happened to have a brush with supernatural forces.