6/29/2011

The History Of Horror Movies

By Adriana Noton


The history of horror movies spans more than a century. Designed to provoke feelings of fear, they often startle audiences with combinations of supernatural and macabre forces. These films provide safe methods for viewers to examine their inner fears.

The plots are often focused on evil events, people or forces. The central components often incorporate the supernatural. Disease outbreaks, vampires, serial killers, haunted houses, ghosts, zombies, curses and werewolves are among the common elements found in the films.

Georges Melies is credited with pioneering the genre in the 19th Century with his silent films. His 1896 release, The House of the Devil, is considered the world's first thriller. His follow-up film was the 1898 release, The Cave of the Unholy One.

Gothic literature provided the themes for the early thrillers. The Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, Frankenstein and Dracula were among the earliest releases. A spine-tingling version of Frankenstein was released in 1910.

Producers in Hollywood started to release spine-tingling films early in the 20th Century. The 1923 release of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the 1925 release of The Monster featured Lon Chaney, Senior. He was America's first movie star from thrillers. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff also created successful careers from their roles in thrillers.

The genre gained wide popularity in the 1930s. A famous set-designer and monster make-up artist was Jack Pierce. He is regarded as the pioneer in the masterful development of iconic monster costumes and masks.

The productions of Dracula and Frankenstein were introduced in 1931. These were major successes. In 1933, Hollywood studios released The Invisible Man. This film was notable for its blending of Gothic and science fiction themes. A lot of films from this period were influenced by German expressionist releases during the 1920s. The plots continued to thrill audiences, but they began to incorporate serious components as well.

The advances in technology during the 1950s spurred evolutions in this genre. Two sub-categories were developed, demonic and Armageddon. The producers from that period believed those themes would be more relevant to their viewers.

Japanese studios began releasing a stream of low-budget thrillers in the 1950s. Many experts believe they were influenced by the terrible after-affects from the nuclear bombing of World War II. These films centered on over-coming threats from alien invasions and deadly mutations of people, plants, animals and insects.

In the 1960s, producers continued to focus on ghosts and monsters, but they began incorporating more science fiction elements. The 1963 release of The Haunting, and the 1968 release of Rosemary's Baby exemplify this trend.

Alfred Hitchcock was a well-known and highly-respected British film-maker. He began to include modern settings in his films. Rear Window from 1954, Vertigo from 1958 and Psycho from 1960 are among his most notable releases. The Birds from 1963 is an early example of his exploration of nature-gone-mad elements.

Modern horror movies continue to thrill audiences. Although advanced film-making techniques and special effects are often incorporated today, the films continue to be designed to elicit bone-tingling chills and gasps from viewers.




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