By: Miriana Younan

History of Horror

The first horror ever released was Nosferatu, it was released in 1922.

The earliest horrors were eerie, dark and featured scenes of mutilation. They reflected the fact that audiences were terrified by mystical monsters found in literature. Costume, setting and darkness were used to create a scary effect.

First horror

The style of the horrors in the 30’s were gothic and were set in far off lands.

They were inspired by 19th century novels and they featured monsters.

The first time they used sound was in the 30’s.

One of the first horror movies to feature talking horror was Dracula (1931).

Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were the horror stars of this decade.

The 1930’s

Dracula starred Lugosi, as a very traditional Dracula with cape, fangs, blood-sucking, etc. The style of film was very gothic for it featured howling wolves, mists, eerie castles.

Dracula (1931)

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) was seen as one of the greatest horrors ever and the first to feature a female monster.

The 1930’s

At this time horror films were banned in Britain because of the WWII.

The Americas took over the horror films and they played it safe, with many films being recreated, making them into the style of the horrors made in the 1930’s.

The horrors featured characters that turned into animals or were half man/half beast did become popular, e.g. ‘The Wolf Man’.

The 1940’s

Cat People (1942) this film featured a female character to be feared. Though beautiful, the monster Irena prowled the streets in art form, terrorising and killing. The film was one of the first to use film methods popular today.

The 1940’s

After WWII, 40 million lives lost, on-screen horrors of the past decades were no longer scary in comparison to real life horror.

However, audiences did fear the effects of radiation, nuclear war, technological change and scientific experimentation.

Teenagers were the main audience for the horror films.

The 1950’s

The Fly (1958) this film is typical of the era with mutated creatures affected by radiation. Audiences feared what effects scientific experiments and radiation could have on the world.

The 1950’s

The Blob (1958) a giant amoeba like creature terrorised a town in this movie. Again this is a sing that audiences feared the effects of nuclear explosions and radiation on the universe.

The 1950’s

In the 60’s it was the period of massive social changes, drugs, sex, new fashions and freedom.

Monsters of the 60’s were in human form. Audience saw the monstrous potential of man the murky darkness of human mind.

The 1960’s

Psycho (1960) the Hitchcock classic featured a monster that in fact a man. Hitchcock chose the name Norman because it sounds like ‘normal’. Norman Bates looked normal but under the surface he was a psycho.

The 1960’s

Roger Corman made ‘B’ movies in the 60’s with sole intention of making profit. With lots of gore and buxom women, they were the opposite of the intelligent horrors being made by the like of Hitchcock.

The 1960’s

1970s - depression, an end to the optimism of the 1960s.

Horrors grew in quality, while tackling society’s fears.

The introduction of ‘the Pill’ and the birth defects caused by Thalidomide led to a fear of children and childbirth.

The idyllic family of the 1950s crumbled away. The idea that the enemy could be found in your own family was reflected in 70s horror.

In the 70’s, the slasher and the Final Girl were born.

The 1970’s

The Shining featured a murderous, violent father who controlled by a supernatural presence, tried to kill his wife and son.

The 1970’s

Exorcist featured a child possessed by evil, reflecting the fear society had of disturbed children in the 1970’s.

The 1970’s

There was technological changes, there was increased use of SFX.

Materialistic society, with the belief that the bigger and showier the better. Horrors of the 80’s were al about show lots of colour and SFX used more and the killers were in full view. Horror films were also more gruesome and brighter lighting.

Monsters remained human, society still eared the evil of fellow men.

VCRs were made so horrors could be watched at home.

The 1980’s

A Nightmare on Elmstreet (1984) typically 1980’s with excessive gore and brightly lit sets. The first victim, Tina is slashed to pieces for having sex. This is a convention of horror.

The 1980’s

The audience were becoming sick of guts and gore in horror movies and wanted to watch something more intelligent. Which introduced ...

Silence of the Lambs a disturbing horror featuring serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter.

But audiences were also too clued up on horror conventions and found them too predictable.

The 1990’s

Scream (1996) Wes Craven acknowledged how genre-savvy audience wee by having character who were aware of and mocked horror conventions. They still died though.

The 1990’s

The tragedy of 9/11 changed our view on what is scary. Audiences feared the evil that lurks in our world, especially terrorists.

Modern horrors often feature a game, race against time or a killing force that cannot be seen.

Remakes and spoofs have become popular.Audiences are enjoying different kinds of

horror more than ever; psychological, supernatural, zombie...

The 2000’s and beyond

Horror films shot in a ‘found footage’ style have become popular, e.g.‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘Grave Encounters’. This makes the material on screen seem more ‘real’ for audiences and therefore more scary.

Possession and Exorcism films, such as ‘The Devil Inside’ and ‘The Last Exorcism’ have enjoyed a surge in popularity. These can use a ‘found footage’ style also.

Horror films have become more transportable and accessible for audiences thanks to new and e-media.

The 2000’s and beyond

One missed call (2008) featured a murderous force that can’t be seen. It also featured mobile phones as the channel through which evil communicates this reflects on the rise of technology in our world.

The 2000’s

The ‘Saw’ franchise where killing became a murderous twisted game the victims forced to take part in the game in order to survive.

The 2000’s

Grave Encounters shot in a found footage style to create a new level of realism and fear for audiences.

The 2010’s

Scary possession and exorcism films are more popular now than ever, particularly with younger audiences and have proven to be box office hit.

The 2010’s

Horrors are designed to scare. Any horror that fails to do so would be unlikely to succeed.

The horror genre responds to and adapts according to what society finds frightening. It is a genre that shifts and changes as our fears do the same.

Fear Factor

The fears that will be address in my own horror movie, is the fear of religion and how evil can take control over good. Another fear presented in my horror movie, is the innocence's being evil, the child being sinister and trying to kill and terrorise his family. The audience fear that the vulnerable can be taken control off and that this could happen to the audience themselves.

Fears in my horror movie