Horror originated in the late 19th century with early films featuring supernatural villains. In the 1920s, iconic characters and suspenseful scenes without dialogue helped establish the genre. The 1930s-1940s saw the rise of dialogue-driven films featuring Dracula and Frankenstein alongside the introduction of werewolves. The 1950s brought science fiction elements with films about alien invasions. Psycho-horror emerged in the 1960s along with films fusing sci-fi and traditional horror. The 1970s featured classics like The Exorcist that placed the threat within the home. Gore and special effects increased in the 1980s while the 1990s adopted a postmodern approach that referenced older films. The 2000s returned to

2. Originating from 'spook tales' by early filmmakers such as Georges Melies
and the Lumiere brothers, which made use of supernatural villains such as
devils, witches and ghosts.The Devil's Castle (1896) is widely considered to
be the first horror film.
Early years

3. Horror, as it eventually became
known, took form in the 1920's, with
the release of films such as Nosferatu
(1922) and The Phantom of the Opera
(1925), which made use of iconic
make up (with regards to the
characters of Count Orlok and Erik,
the Phantom of the Opera,
respectively); as well as using long,
suspenseful scenes and particular
uses of mise-en-scene to build
tension without the use of dialogue.
1920’s

4. Early horror sound films such as Dracula (1930) and Frankenstein (1931) were
very dialogue driven, but also made use of iconic make-up and shocking
scenes. Early 1940's films used similarly supernatural concepts, such as use
of werewolves, while also making use of ambiguity in films such as Cat
People (1942), with the audience unsure what creature the protagonist is
facing on-screen, in a scene somewhat akin to the famous stair climbing
scene from Nosferatu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCUW4SwmfGc
1930’s/1940’s

5. Later on, horror took a different
turn, as the characters of Count
Dracula and Frankenstein became
regarded with an increasing amount
of disregard. Horror enemies then
became much more science-fiction
inspired. For example, films such as
The Thing From Another World
(1951) and The Quatermass
Xperiment (1955) dealing with alien
invasion, and The Fly (1958) dealing
with the risks of going against
nature.
1950’s

6. Horror films, as well as going into colour, also made use of 3D technology.
This was used on films such as House of Wax (1953) and It Came from Outer
Space (1953), and is indicative of one of the many different lengths film
companies were going to attract audiences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b96x2Qdm5E

7. The 1960's brought a change to the horror genre. Firstly, films such as
Psycho (1960) served as an introduction to the psycho-horror genre, with the
plot dealing with a threat which could be closer to home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY
In addition, films such as Night of the Living Dead (1968) fused sci-fi and
traditional horror elements, drawing from the theme of human re-animation
prominent in films such as Frankenstein with elements of extra-terrestrial
threats, with an outer space radiation thought to be causing a zombie
outbreak on Earth.
1960’s

8. Meanwhile, companies such as Hammer were releasing films which harked
back to Universals golden age in the 30's, with traditional horror elements
and creatures such as Dracula fused with quite risque elements.

9. The 1970's, in contrast, took the
genre to new levels, building on
themes prominent earlier on in the
horror genre, while retaining a
serious edge. For example, A
Clockwork Orange (1971) re-
introduced the idea of a
psychopathic enemy, while
introducing social commentaries on
themes such as behaviourism. Widely
regarded as a horror classic,The
Exorcist (1973) through its original
use of supernatural elements, also
introduced the idea that the enemy
could be in your own home.
1970’s

10. The 1980's made frequent use of special effects in terms of its horror films, a
trend introduced in some of the later films of the previous decade such as
Alien (1979). This use of gore is notable in films such as Re-Animator (1985)
and Friday the 13th (1980). Films from this era also made frequent
references to earlier horror themes, with Re-Animator providing a revival of
the archetypal mad-scientist character previously seen in Colin Clive's Dr
Frankenstein.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S8YFTcEDME
1980’s

11. Also, with home media becoming much more readily accessible; with horror
films becoming easier for young children to watch, concerns were growing
with regards to the gore present on particular films, which were labelled as
'video nasties'. Legal action was taken, and led to the 1984 Video Recordings
Act, meaning that films to be released on home video must be ascribed an
age certificate.

12. The 1990's seemingly adopted a much more post-modern approach to
horror. For example, Scream (1996), which featured elements of the slasher
genre, while featuring occasional cultural references to the likes of Michael
Myers and Jason Voorhees, acting as something of a pastiche of older horror
movie tropes and themes. Moreover, films such as The Blair Witch Project
(1999) act as an example of using merely dialogue and mise-en-scene in lieu
of special effects to create tension and fear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66RpatHajQ
1990’s

13. The 2000's made a return to the gore element of horror, with films such as
Saw (2004) marking a new horror subgenre called 'torture porn'. Films from
this subgenre, which also includesWolf Creek and The Devil's Rejects, use
explicit scenes of torture and gore to shock the audience, and also addressed
public fears with regards to issues such as kidnapping. In addition, this
decade has also proven as something of a revival of the ‘psycho’ sub genre,
with Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake and the Saw films providing a deep
look into their respective killers’ psyche.
2000’s