The History of Horror Films

1. The history of horror films
By Scott Moore

2. What are Horror films.
 Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause
dread and alarm. Often with a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating
and entertaining us at the same time in a exhilarating experience. Horror
films effectively centre on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange
and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears:
our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of
the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear
of sexuality.

3. Where did it all start?
 Bloodsuckers (leeches) and vampire bats have always intrigued and frightened
people from cultures around the world. Demonic or supernatural possession was often
juxtaposed with blood-drinking, sex, and corpses. Many religions, myths, folk-tales and
cults espoused the idea of obtaining the life-essence from blood – in its extreme was
the practice of cannibalism. Vampires began to emerge in popular fiction of the 18th
and 19th centuries, during which time Anglo-Irish writer Bram Stoker's 1897 vampire
novel Dracula was written. It has become the most popular, influential and
preeminent source material for many vampire films. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 lesbian
vampire tale Carmilla came a close second to Stoker's writings. Stoker's seminal book
hatched all the elements of future vampire films -- predatory female vamps who
kissed the neck of male victims for their human blood, an elderly Count who vied for
their prey, and a vampire hunter with garlic to ward off the "Prince of Darkness" and
with a wooden stake to drive through Dracula's heart.
 The first horror movie, only about two minutes long, was made by imaginative French
filmmaker Georges Melies, titled Le Manoir Du Diable (1896, Fr.) (aka The Devil's
Castle/The Haunted Castle) - containing familiar elements of later horror and vampire
films: a flying bat, a medieval castle, a cauldron, a demon figure (Mephistopheles),
and skeletons, ghosts, and witches - and a crucifix to dispatch with evil. It appeared
that Quasimodo, from Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris 1831 novel, became the first
horror figure in the 10-minute short by female director Alice Guy titled Esmeralda
(1905, Fr.), and soon after was seen in the full-length horror film Notre-Dame De Paris
(1911, Fr.) (aka The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

4. Key Codes and conventions
Codes and conventions are what make a horror film an obvious horror, the basic
codes and conventions are sound, camera work, editing, mise-en-scene and
lighting. or example there will be an antagonist and protagonist. Mise-en-scene
will be props such as knives will connote danger and aggression. Depending on
the sub-genre, the codes and conventions will change. In typical horror films the
lighting will be low key and the sound will build when tension building. Location is
significant and speed of editing helps us understand intensity of the scene.
Sub-genres include:
‘Slasher’-
Psychological-
Supernatural-
Gothic-