The history of horror

The History of Horror

By Betsi Burch

Dracula (1931)

Nosferatu (1922)

The Fly (1958)

Cat People (1942)

Psycho (1960)

The Exorsist (1973)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Scream (1996)

Saw (2004)

Although the horror genre has been around for many years, it has had many significant changes as what people are scared of differs as time goes on...

“...(horror) exists in process, in incessant change” – Peter Hutchings (The Horror Film)

“One of the most

influential models

of the history of

horror cinema sees

it in terms of

distinct periods of

development” –

Peter Hutchings

(The Horror Film)

Introduction

The 1920’sNosferatu (1922)- This was one of the first horror

movies to be released- A dark, shadowy, gothic/vampiric film- Only features orchestral music as the

sound for the movie

As shown by Nosferatu, the earliest horrors were eerie, dark and featured scenes of mutilation. They reflected the fact that audiences tended to be scared of mythical monsters, due to literature.

The 1930’sDracula (1931)- Starred Bela Lugosi, a very famous actor of the time- Very traditional; cape, fangs and blood-sucking

were featured throughout the film- Very gothic – howling wolves, mists, eerie castles- First talking horrorThe Bride of Frankenstein (1935)- Starred Boris Karloff, again a very famous actor of

his time- Considered as one of the greatest ever horrors - The first horror to feature a female monster

As shown by Dracula (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), the horror films of the 1930’s were quite gothic in style, and were set in far away lands. They featured monsters as the antagonist, and were inspired by 19th century novels. The 1930’s also saw the first use of sound.

The 1940’sCat People (1942)- Featured a female character to be

feared by the audience- Although she was beautiful, the

‘monster’ Irena prowled the streets in cat form, terrorising and killing humans

- One of the first to use film methods which are still popular today

During the 1940’s horror films were banned in Britain due to World War 2. America started to take over; playing it safe with many films recreating the horrors of the 1930’s. Horrors featuring characters which turned into animals or were half man/half beast became extremely popular.

The 1950’sThe Fly (1958)- Typical of the era, as it features mutated

creatures affected by radiation - Audiences started to fear what effects

scientific experiments and radiation would have on the world

The Blob (1958)- Featured a giant, amoeba-like creature

who terrorised a town- Again, it is typical of the era; this is a sign

that audiences feared the effects of nuclear explosions and radiation on the world

Post World War 2, Britain was mourning for the 40 million lives lost; horrors of the past decades no longer seemed scary in comparison to real-life horrors. Audiences started to fear the effects of radiation, nuclear war and scientific experimentation. Teenagers became the main audience for horror films.

Andrew Tudor states that horror

changed before and after the

1960’s – before the 1960’s, horrors

had ‘closed narratives’ where the

monster was always destroyed,

however, post 1960 there were

‘open narratives’, where the

monster was not always definitely

destroyed (leaving an air of

mystery and room for a sequel!)

“The old horror was either dead or dying; a new horror was about to be born...” – Peter Hutchings (The Horror Film)

The 1960’sPsycho (1960)- Directed by well renowned director, Alfred Hitchcock- Featured a ‘monster’ which was a human- Chose the name ‘Norman’ for the antagonist; it

sounds like normal - Norman Bates looks normal on the surface, but he is

actually a psychoRoger Corman’s ‘B’ movies - Featured lots of gore and buxom women- Made with the sole intention of making a profit- Complete opposite of intelligent horrors being made

by the likes of Hitchcock

When it got to the 1960’s audiences were relieved; there were no nuclear explosions or destruction caused by radiation. Fears which had gripped society in the 50’s were now gone. The 60’s saw a period of massive social change, with drugs, sex and new fashions becoming much more acceptable and embraced – different attitudes were coming into play. It is no surprise, therefore, that audiences had started to see the monstrous potential of humans and started fearing what goes on in the human mind.

The 1970’sThe Exorcist (1973)- Featured a child possessed by evil - Typical of the era as it reflects the fear society had of disturbed

childrenThe Shining (1980)- Featured a murderous, violent father- He gets controlled by a supernatural presence and tries to kill

his wife and son- Although it was made in 1980, it is seen as an honorary 70’s

horror due to it’s mise-en-scene elements and narrative

The 1970’s was an era of depression; the optimism of the 1960’s had ended. Horrors started to grow rapidly in quality, whilst still tackling society’s fears. The introduction of ‘the pill’ and birth defects caused by Thalidomide had led audiences to develop a fear of children and childbirth. The once idyllic family of the 1960’s crumbled away, with the idea that the enemy could be in your family. This was reflected through 1970’s horrors, for instance, The Shining and The Exorcist. The slasher and the final girl were also born within this era.

“Some horror critics and historians have come to view the 1970’s as a ‘golden age’ of horror production, as a period in which the genre acquired some maturity and artistic integrity...” – Peter Hutchings (The Horror Film)

The 1980’sA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)- Excessive gore and a brightly lit set- Tina, the first victim, is slashed to pieces

for having sex (the slasher convention of ‘whoever is sexually active getting killed’ was born)

In the 1980’s there was a lot of technological change – an increased use of special effects was reflected in horror films. Society had become more materialistic and the bigger/flashier the better. Therefore, horrors in the 80’s were all about show – there was lots of colour, special effects, killers in full view, gruesome killings, brighter lighting. Monsters still remained human, as society still feared the evil of fellow human beings, however, horrors could now be watched at home due to VCR technology.

The 1990’sScream (1996)- Wes Craven acknowledged how genre-savvy

audiences were bored of the same narratives cropping up again and again. He made sure to feature characters who were aware of and mocked horror conventions within the film, although, they still died.

Audiences had become bored of guts and gore by the time the 1990’s came around; they wanted much more intelligent horror. They were too clued up on horror conventions and had started to find horror films really predictable. Scream (1996) challenges the predictability of your typical slasher, and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was refreshing for audiences; a disturbing and intelligent, psychological horror featuring serial killer and cannibal, Hannibal Lecter .

The 2000’sOne Missed Call (2008)- Featured a murderous force which couldn’t be seen- Typical of the era, as it features mobile phones as the

channel through which evil communicates, reflecting the rise of technology within the world

The Saw Franchise- Killing becomes a sick twisted game in which the victims are

forced to take part- Victims ultimately kill themselves; an intellectual horror

which suits society, as they want to be intellectually challenged

The tragedy of 9/11 changed society’s view of what is scary; audiences started to fear the evil which lurks in the world, such as terrorism. Modern horrors tend to feature a game in which involves a race against time or a killing force which can’t be seen. Remakes and spoofs are also very popular, and audiences are more open minded when it comes to horror; psychological, supernatural and zombie horrors are all being enjoyed. Realism is also key; ‘based on a true story’ ensures the audience is scared on a whole new level, and this phrase is often featured in horror movie promotional packages.

The 2010’s and beyond...Grave Encounters

(2011)- Shot in a ‘found

footage’ style in order to create realism, and scare the audience further

The Possession (2012)- Scary possession and

exorcism films are more popular than ever, especially with younger audiences, and are also cheap to make. They have proven to be box office hits!