A History of Horror

Originating from 'spook tales' by early filmmakers such as Georges Melies and the Lumiere brothers, which made use of supernatural villains such as devils, witches and ghosts. The Devil's Castle (1896) is widely considered to be the first horror film.

Early years

Horror, as it eventually became known, took form in the 1920's, with the release of films such as Nosferatu (1922) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), which made use of iconic make up (with regards to the characters of Count Orlok and Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, respectively); as well as using long, suspenseful scenes and particular uses of mise-en-scene to build tension without the use of dialogue.

1920’s

Early horror sound films such as Dracula (1930) and Frankenstein (1931) were very dialogue driven, but also made use of iconic make-up and shocking scenes. Early 1940's films used similarly supernatural concepts, such as use of werewolves, while also making use of ambiguity in films such as Cat People (1942), with the audience unsure what creature the protagonist is facing on-screen, in a scene somewhat akin to the famous stair climbing scene from Nosferatu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCUW4SwmfGc

1930’s/1940’s

Later on, horror took a different turn, as the characters of Count Dracula and Frankenstein became regarded with an increasing amount of disregard. Horror enemies then became much more science-fiction inspired. For example, films such as The Thing From Another World (1951) and The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) dealing with alien invasion, and The Fly (1958) dealing with the risks of going against nature.

1950’s

Horror films, as well as going into colour, also made use of 3D technology. This was used on films such as House of Wax (1953) and It Came from Outer Space (1953), and is indicative of one of the many different lengths film companies were going to attract audiences.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b96x2Qdm5E

The 1960's brought a change to the horror genre. Firstly, films such as Psycho (1960) served as an introduction to the psycho-horror genre, with the plot dealing with a threat which could be closer to home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY

In addition, films such as Night of the Living Dead (1968) fused sci-fi and traditional horror elements, drawing from the theme of human re-animation prominent in films such as Frankenstein with elements of extra-terrestrial threats, with an outer space radiation thought to be causing a zombie outbreak on Earth.

1960’s

Meanwhile, companies such as Hammer were releasing films which harked back to Universals golden age in the 30's, with traditional horror elements and creatures such as Dracula fused with quite risque elements.

The 1970's, in contrast, took the genre to new levels, building on themes prominent earlier on in the horror genre, while retaining a serious edge. For example, A Clockwork Orange (1971) re-introduced the idea of a psychopathic enemy, while introducing social commentaries on themes such as behaviourism. Widely regarded as a horror classic, The Exorcist (1973) through its original use of supernatural elements, also introduced the idea that the enemy could be in your own home.

1970’s

 The 1980's made frequent use of special effects in terms of its horror films, a trend introduced in some of the later films of the previous decade such as Alien (1979). This use of gore is notable in films such as Re-Animator (1985) and Friday the 13th (1980). Films from this era also made frequent references to earlier horror themes, with Re-Animator providing a revival of the archetypal mad-scientist character previously seen in Colin Clive's Dr Frankenstein.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S8YFTcEDME

1980’s

Also, with home media becoming much more readily accessible; with horror films becoming easier for young children to watch, concerns were growing with regards to the gore present on particular films, which were labelled as 'video nasties'. Legal action was taken, and led to the 1984 Video Recordings Act, meaning that films to be released on home video must be ascribed an age certificate.

 The 1990's seemingly adopted a much more post-modern approach to horror. For example, Scream (1996), which featured elements of the slasher genre, while featuring occasional cultural references to the likes of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, acting as something of a pastiche of older horror movie tropes and themes. Moreover, films such as The Blair Witch Project (1999) act as an example of using merely dialogue and mise-en-scene in lieu of special effects to create tension and fear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66RpatHajQ

1990’s

The 2000's made a return to the gore element of horror, with films such as Saw (2004) marking a new horror subgenre called 'torture porn'. Films from this subgenre, which also includes Wolf Creek and The Devil's Rejects, use explicit scenes of torture and gore to shock the audience, and also addressed public fears with regards to issues such as kidnapping. In addition, this decade has also proven as something of a revival of the ‘psycho’ sub genre, with Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake and the Saw films providing a deep look into their respective killers’ psyche.

2000’s