History of Horror Films

HISTORY OF HORROR FILMS

ROOTS OF HORROR

Horror films are somewhat unique among the film genres in that there is a recognizable pattern that

happens again and again. A film will come along and terrify an audience capturing their imaginations.

But as we look at how the genre changes overtime, we must not think of the history of horror as being

rigid one way street. New films borrow from old films all the time, a constant remix of subgenres and new techniques to make something for the contemporary

culture.

MARY SHELLEY, BRAM STOKER AND EDGAR ALLAN POESo who did the first horror films borrow from?

Monsters, murderers, demons and bests have been around since antiquity, ghost stories told round camp

fires since we learned how to talk. But the roots of filmed horror were an extension of a genre of

literature that got its start in the late 1700s:Gothic Horror.

Marry Shelley, Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe are famous gothic writers from late 1700s.

THE FIRST HORROR FILM

It was Gothic literature that the first horror films found inspiration. The genre was popular in both books and theater at the time. Although the term

horror did not come into use for film until the 1930s, early filmmakers and film goers certainly showed an interest in the macabre in the clip “Spook Tale” from

1895 created by the Lumiere brothers.

In 1896 Georges Melies would go on to create what is considered to be the first horror film ever made.

1930’s-1940’s

During the early period of talking pictures, the American Movie studio Universal Pictures began a successful Gothic horror film series. Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (also 1931) and The Old Dark House (1931) both feature Boris Karloff as a monstrous

mute antagonists. These films were science fiction.

The Invisible Man (1933) featured a mad scientist. This type of film was designed to thrill but also incorporated serious

elements.

With progression of the genre, many actors, including Boris Karloff and Bela Lugos began to build entire careers making

horror films very successful in the 1940’s.

Including, The Body Snatcher (1945), Cat People (1942) and I Walked With A Zombie (1943).

1950’s – 1960’s

With advances of technology, the ton of horror films shifted from the Gothic towards contemporary concerns. Two sub-genres began

to emerge: the horror-of-Armageddon film and the horror-of-the-demonic film.

During the 1950’s the Hollywood directors and producers sometimes found ample opportunity for audience exploitation with gimmicks such as 3-D. Some horror films such as The Thing From Another World (1951) and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

used this gimmick.

Ghosts and monsters still remained a frequent feature of horror in 1960, but many films used the supernatural premise to express the

horror of the demonic.

Blood Feast (1963) and Two Thousand Maniacs (1964) both used ghosts in their films but inhabited supernatural premise.

1970’s – 1980’s

During the 1970’s horror films began to involve the youth in the counterculture began exploring the

medium. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) recalled the Vietnam war.

In late 1970’s Canadian director David Cronenberg featured the ‘mad scientist’ movie sub-genre by

exploring contemporary fears about technology and society.

A cycle of slasher films was made during the late 1970’s . Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

1990’s - 2000

List of successful Horror films

I Saw The Devil (2010)

Audition (1999)

Tesis (1996)

The Day Of The Beast (1995)

Nightbreed (1990)

The Ring (2004)

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

The Grudge (2002)