2. Introduction into horror
The genre of horror has an aim to frighten
and scare it’s viewers. The audience enjoy
the adrenaline rush they get from the fear
when watching a horror/thriller movie.
Horror films first started in the 1800s and
were silent films. The first release was a
French film called 'Le Manoir Du Diable' by
Georges Méliès. It was a 3 minute film that
mesmerized the audience because of the
innovative ideas.
3. Universal horror
Universal horror is a series of horror films
made by Universal Studios from 1923.
Universal’s first horror movie was The
Hunchback of Notre Dame and was produced
in 1923. A few years later they produced the
film The Phantom of the Opera, which was
released in 1925.
Sound was first introduced to films in 1927
which gave films a whole new beginning.
Music helped build tension and suspense in
horror films.
4. Some of the first most popular examples of horror films
were Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy that were
all released in the early 1930s. In the 1940s horror
movies saw a decline in their industry mainly due to
World War 2. However horror films such as Cat People
and Wolf Man were still released.
In the late 1950s Great Britain was one of the main
producers of horror films. Psychological thrillers began
to show in the 1960s with releases such as 'Psycho'
which was released by Alfred Hitchcock. Another
example would be 'Night of the Living Dead' which was
also released in the 1960s.
5. In the 1970s and 1980s horror films were increasing
rapidly. 'Jaw' was released in this time. As technology
increased more horror films were produced, Producers
were able to create more realistic effects which appealed
more to the audience as they liked and enjoyed the thrill it
gave.
Other classics released at this time includes 'Halloween'
and The Shining'
'Scary Movie' is a popular film that was released in 2000.
This was different to all the other films produced as it was
seen as a horror- comedy rather than just a horror.
Psychological thrillers became much more popular in the
1990's. 'Silence of the Lambs' released by Jonathan
Demme is a perfect example of a psychological horror
which possibly left audiences paranoid and mesmerized. It
was about a young FBI who is set a task to rescue a woman
from a serial killer who skins its victims.
6. German Expressionism
This was a movement that started in the early 1900s as a result from the First
World War. This was due to the isolation of the country during the war.
Phantom was among one of the first expressionist films that was released in
1922. Horror was a genre that was especially influenced by the German
Expressionism.
A couple of German film makers went from Germany to Hollywood and would
make films there. German Expressionist films were considered to have their
own elements.
They used lighting to create dramatic shadows and to show the contrasts of
light and dark (also known as Chiaroscuro lighting) as well as using reflective
surfaces such as glass and mirrors.
These films consisted of themes such as murder, betrayal and psychopaths.
Examples of German Expression films include 'The Unknown' and 'The
Phantom Carriage'
