The document provides a history of horror movies from the 1920s through the 2000s and beyond. It summarizes the key themes, films, and influences for each decade. In the 1920s, early horror films were silent movies that featured dark, eerie themes drawing on mythical monsters from literature. The 1930s saw the introduction of sound and continued themes of monsters and creatures. Horror evolved throughout the decades to reflect the changing fears and interests of audiences, incorporating elements of science experiments gone wrong in the 1950s, psychological thrillers focusing on the dark side of human nature in the 1960s, and slasher films and increased gore in the 1980s made possible by advances in special effects. Modern horror from the 2000s

1. History of Horror

2. 1920’s

3. The 1920’s
The 1920’s was the beginning of horror movies as they started becoming popular
during this time period. Many horrors that were produced were silent movies and
consisted of black and white colour. Horrors of the 1920’s was very eerie, dark and
featured scenes of mutilation. Movies in this time period reflected the fears of
mythical monsters found in literature.
A popular theme was using vampires which is shown in movies such as Nosferatu.
During the 1920’s vampires were amongst the feared mythical creatures, however
in comparison to today, vampires are not deemed scary. This is because vampires
are now used in movies such as the Twilight series and The Vampire Diaries series
where humans are shown to portray lust and love for the vampires. This shows how
views and horror have adapted and developed to suit the audiences from different
time periods.

4. Nosferatu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMl6hUZHBqY
Due to this movie being a silent movie the
sound is used wisely to heighten tense
moments for the audience's enjoyment. The
background music is from an orchestra that
use instruments such as organs.
The vampire is played by an actor call Max
Schreck. He is portrayed to be the mythical
creature of a vampire due to his pale skin, tall
and bony figure, sharp teeth, dark clothes,
long fingers and odd behaviours of never
appearing in sunlight. Therefore, his
appearance coincides with that of mythical
creatures in literature as this is what people of
this time period were afraid of.
Nosferatu is a German horror film from 1922. It begins with a
man named Thomas Hutter who embarks on a journey to
Transylvania to visit a new client named Count Orlok.

5. 1930’s

6. The 1930’s
The 1930’s introduced the use of sound in horror movies. This decade was similar to
the 1920’s in that people still feared mythical creatures inspired by 19th century
novels. People in this time period were also afraid of monsters which beckoned the
production of Frankenstein.
During this decade Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were horror stars. They featured
in films within the 1930’s such as The Black Cat, Son of Frankenstein, The Raven,
The Invisible Ray and Murders in the Rue Morgue.

7. Boris Karloff Bela Lugosi

8. The Mummy
The Mummy is a 1932 horror starring Boris Karloff as the Mummy.
The film is about an ancient Egyptian mummy named Imhotep who
is discovered by a team of archeologists and inadvertently brought
back to life through a magic scroll. Disguised as a modern
Egyptian, the mummy searches for his lost love, whom he believes
has been reincarnated into a modern girl. This movie uses the fear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
1i6xNScZRP4
people had of monsters and ancient
scripture. It also is in black and white
with the addition of sound which
reflects the 1930’s decade.

9. 1940’s

10. The 1940’s
Due to WWII horror movies were banned in Britain meaning America took over
with the production. America simply recreated the style of horror previously made in
the 1930’s however they started featuring characters that turned into animals or
were half man/half beast. This includes movies such as Cat People and The Wolf
Man.

11. The Wolf Man
The Wolf Man is a 1941 horror which stars the famous bela Lugosi. It is
based around a man who transforms into a werewolf during a full moon.
This links back to 19th century literature of mystical creatures that people
were afraid of in 1920’s and 30’s. It was popular for movies during the
1940’s to involve a human turning into an animal or being half human/half
beast as this is what people were afraid of, therefore the fears of the
1940’s were reflected in this horror.
The character of Larry Talbot is bitten by a werewolf whilst saving his
lover's friend. Due to being bitten and surviving he is forced to turn into a
werewolf every full moon and stalk the village killing villagers. He later
attacks his lover and is bludgeoned to death by his father with his own
walking stick. The werewolf then transforms back into human form. This
follows old tales of werewolves and how they supposedly transform
making it more truthful and realistic for the audience and therefore
scarier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q4Wn63uof8

12. 1950’s

13. The 1950’s
A great loss of approximately 40 million lives was experienced during the post war
period of the 1950’s.
Previous decades horror was no longer scary in comparison to the horrors that
unleashed during the war and the uncertainty that continued after. Horrors
therefore adapted to generate fear from audiences once again.
Those that lived in this time period feared the effects of scientific experiments and
radiation. Therefore, movies such as The Blob and The Fly were popular horrors.
The main target audience for horrors during this decade was teenagers.

14. The Blob
The Blob is a 1958 science fiction horror. It follows a couple who try to warn the
population of small town in Downingtown, Pennsylvania that a ‘monster’ is killing
people. This ‘monster’ was the blob which came from outer space and landed on
earth inside a meteorite. It moves around engulfing and dissolves its victims. With
every person it kills the blob grows larger and more aggressive.
At the end of the film it becomes so big is begins engulfing the dinner as seen in
the film cover. The lead, played by Steve McQueen, discovers that it can be frozen
using co2 from fire extinguishers. It is them frozen and moved to the antarctic
where it will remain frozen. However at the end of the movie the lead says ‘As long
as the Arctic remains frozen’ which if followed by a question mark. This could be
foreshadowing a sequel which was later made in 1971 called ‘Beware! The Blob’
The majority of characters in the movie are teenagers and young adults and the
adults do not believe the ‘kids’ as they called them. Teenagers are used because
the target audience of horrors was teenagers.
The time period is reflected in the movie because the two lead characters used the
air raid siren to alert and warn the citizens of the blob.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUsyXQ8Wrs

15. 1960’s

16. The 1960’s
The previous fears of nuclear explosions and destruction caused by radiation were
abolished. The 60’s was a period of massive social change including drugs, sex, new
fashions and freedom. The new fear was that of man as the audience became aware
of the monstrous potential of man and the murky darkness of the human mind.
Famous films of this time period include that of Psycho, Peeping Tom and Night of
the Living Dead.
Horror historian Andrew Tudor discusses how horror has changed before and after
1960. He stated that before the 1960’s horrors had closed narratives where the
monster was destroyed. In contrast, post 1960’s the narrative is left open where the
monster is not killed. This allows horrors to continue production with sequels.

17. Peeping Tom
Peeping Tom is a 1960 British psychological thriller-horror film. The film revolves
around a serial killer who murders women while using a portable movie camera to
record their dying expressions of terror.
It was the first "slasher" film, and the British Film Institute named it the 78th
greatest British film of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAqEn6JS-oM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pwb4Y9INWY
This film plays on the fear people had
of the human mind and how normal
people could be evil psychopaths that
kill with no remorse. This film
therefore, adapted from horror about
scientific experiments gone wrong to
satisfy the 1960’s audience. It started
the beginning of many psychological
slashers.

18. 1970’s

19. The 1970’s
The 1970’s experienced a recession, putting an end to the post war economic boom. Horrors of
this decade were influenced by the the innovation of new drugs such as the pill and the birth
defects caused by Thalidomide. This therefore, led to a fear of children and childbirth.
As a result the villain was usually portrayed through a child and the idyllic family of the
1950’s vanished at the prospect that the enemy could be found within your own family as
reflected through 70’s horror.
Popular horrors during 1970 include The omen, Black Christmas, Carrie, The Exorcist, Texas
Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and Alien.
The slasher and the final girl were born. Slashers are a subgenre of horror that consists of a
villain killing multiple people, stereotypically teenagers, one by one. The final girl is a concept
within slasher movies where the final victim is a strong female figure who puts an end to the
villain.

20. 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 required some maturity and artistic
integrity.
- Peter Hutchings (The Horror Film)

21. The Omen
The Omen is a horror made in 1976 which concerns a young child
substituted at birth by American Ambassador Robert Thorn
unbeknownst to his wife, after their own son is stillborn. They are
surrounded by mysterious and ominous deaths, unaware that the
child, Damien, is the Antichrist.
This movie uses the fear of young children that was buried in people's
minds during the 1970’s. The fact that the villain is a child is seen as
scary because young children are viewed as weak, vulnerable and
pure. and so by using this character as the villain he is powerful and
dangerous which juxtaposes the characteristics of children. This
therefore makes the film more scary because you wouldn't expect a
young child to play the evil villain that kills people.
The film spawned a franchise, starting with Damien: Omen II,
released two years later. Additionally, the first film was remade in
2006.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7CEbd7ffNw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6k9ZZm35w

22. 1980’s

23. The 1980’s
The 1980’s was a period of technological change as the use of special effects was used
more frequently in horrors to make them bigger and showier in a materialistic society
that believed the bigger and showier the better. Therefore, horrors of this decade were
filled with the use of colour, special effects, killers fully visible, gruesome killings and
brighter lighting.
Monsters in horror remained human due to the fear of the fellow man still being very
prominent.
Additionally, the 1980’s introduced Video Cassette Recorders allowing horror viewers to
watch movies at home.
Popular horrors of this time period include A Nightmare on Elm Street, My Bloody
Valentine, The Shining, Friday the 13th and Child’s Play.

24. Child’s Play
Child’s Play is a horror from 1988 directed by Tom Holland
and was such a hit five sequels were made. It follows a story
of a widowed mother who gives her son a doll for his
birthday, unaware that the doll is possessed by the soul of
an infamous serial killer that tries to possess her son's body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjiyV8mtXiU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GUk-1i2_Zo
The hit tapped into the
underlying creepiness of
kids' playthings and toyed
with the fear of children
that was around since the
1970’s.

25. 1990’s

26. The 1990’s
Audiences were starting to become bored of guts and gore which was common in
horrors throughout the century. Instead, they wanted to see intelligent horror which
was twisted and thought-provoking. This is why films such as Silence Of The
Lambs were produced.
Furthermore, audiences were fed up with common horror conventions and found
them too predictable. Therefore, films such as Scream and Hannibal Lecter were
popular due. Scream specifically mocks horror conventions and was more of a
comedic take on horror to please the bored audience and give them something
different.

27. The Silence of the Lambs
The 1991 horror was the first scary movie to ever win an Academy Award,
and the third film in history to sweep the 5 major categories, Best Picture,
Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
A young F.B.I. cadet, Clarice Starling, must confide in an incarcerated and
manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who
skins his victims. The incarcerated killer is Dr. Hannibal Lecter who is a
murderer that eats his victims after killing them. Buffalo Bill is the serial
killer she needs help finding as he has abducted the daughter of the
United States senator. Whilst talking to Dr. Hannibal Lecter he describes
his killings and begins a game of quid pro quo offering comprehensive
clues and insights about Buffalo Bill in exchange for events from Starling's
traumatic childhood.
Although, gruesome this horror is more
intellectual than other horrors which people
were beginning to get bored of. Therefore,
it was very popular during this decade as it
was different and unconventional.

28. 2000’s
and beyond

29. There are obvious groupings to be found in
modern horror...films released...testify to
the broadness of the genre.
- Peter Hutchings (The Horror Film)

30. The 2000’s
Modern horrors often feature a game, race against time or a killing force that cannot be seen. For instance
the SAW franchise features a game and race against time and was therefore very popular. The tragedy of
9/11 led to audiences fearing the evil that lurks in our world, especially terrorists. Mythical creatures and
monsters were no longer seen as scary for humans were capable of a lot more atrocious horrors.
Additionally remakes and spoofs such as Scary movie became popular during the 2000’s and were used to
present a range of horror sub-genres including psychological, supernatural and zombie which were very
popular genres during this decade.
Another increasing convection in horror movies is that of found footage. This is seen in many movies
including The Blair Witch Project and the Paranormal Activity movies. This is very popular because it
uses modern technology which increases the realism of the movie and generates more fear.
Supernatural movies experienced a surge in popularity as they involved aspects of possession and
exorcisms. These movies include ‘The Devil Inside’ and ‘The Last Exorcism’.
Furthermore, horror movies have become more transportable due to the rise in new media that allows you
to stream movies online.

31. Scary Movie
Scary movie is an example of horror spoofs that were very
popular during the 2000’s. Scary movie presents past horror
movies in a comedic manner making the audience laugh in
replacement of being scared. These movies also meant that the
movies involved were no longer viewed as scary to the audience
when rewatched.
The first scary movie was made in 2000 and was a parody of the
several mid and late 90’s films and TV shows including the hit
horrors Scream, I Know What You did Last Summer, The Sixth
Sense, The Usual Suspects, The Matrix, The Blair Witch Project,
and Dawson's Creek.
It was so popular that it was followed by four sequels; Scary
Movie 2 (2001), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Scary Movie 4 (2006), and
Scary Movie 5 (2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSWewFbFTl4

32. 28 Days Later
28 Days Later is a 2002 British post-apocalyptic horror
film. The plot depicts the breakdown of society following
the accidental release of a highly contagious virus and
focuses upon the struggle of four survivors to cope with
the destruction of the life they once knew.
It was set in the city of London and appeared to be
deserted and littered. Using a well known capital makes
the film seem more realistic and scarier for the audience.
Additionally, due to London always being crowded and
busy it was a freight for people to see it completely
abandoned and open.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5WyLnz7H9c

33. Paranormal Activity
Paranormal activity was filmed on 2007 and uses the fear
people had of the paranormal. It follows The film centers on a
young couple, Katie and Micah Sloat, who are haunted by a
supernatural presence in their home. It is presented in the
style of "found footage", from cameras set up by the couple in
an attempt to document what is haunting them.
The film sets up found footage conventions that will be mirror
in numerous films to follow. The use of new technology
including video recorders makes the material on screen more
real for audiences and scarier.
Conventional paranormal aspects included poltergeist activity
and the character of Katie becoming possessed and having
inhuman strength which she uses to kill her husband.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twoWuDy5kys

34. The Strangers
The Strangers is a psychological horror from 2008. It centres around a young couple
who are terrorized by three masked assailants over the course of an evening at a
remote summer home.
It was based on a real-life event: the Manson family Tate murders, a multiple homicide
that occurred in California in 1969. These murders happened for the sole reason that
the couple killed ‘were home’. This makes the movie even more scarier because the
violence within the horror actually happened and there’s the possibility that it could
happen to the audience. To heighten the scare factor of the film the phrase ‘because
you were home’ has been presented as the tagline on the movie poster.
The strangers seemed to be playing a sadistic game with the couple, taunting them and
scaring them throughout the movie. The killers only capture the couple nearer the end
of the movie where they torture them and leave them for dead.
The movie ends with the female character waking up from the traumatic experience.
This leaves the film open for a sequel which is a horror convention. Another convention
this film follows is that of Todorov’s narrative structure as the film begins with an
equilibrium followed by a disruption then an attempt to repair. However, a new
equilibrium is not created due to the only character surviving being the woman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbqELQHpmQM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JURfOQ51Ec#t=0.3927709

35. From researching the history of horror I have gained an understanding of how horror has adapted to
suit the changing fears that haunt people. Current sub-genres that are popular include that of the
supernatural, science fiction, psychological, zombies and slashers. Therefore I intend to base my film
on one of these popular sub-genres and target the fears that haunt people of today’s society.
From researching I have found many conventions of horror some of which includes violence,
gruesome murders, jump scares, a family or a young group of friends, a haunted house and a
possessed person which is usually a child.
I have also found that nearly all horrors follow Todorov's narrative structure whereby it begins with
an equilibrium which then creates more of a scare effect when the horrors unfold. Todorov’s
narrative structure consists of four stages in the order of equilibrium, disruption, recognition and
attempt to repair, and new equilibrium. I therefore, will use this theory within my own work.
Additionally, from my research I have found that the final girl is also a very common convention that
is highlighted within the slasher sub-genres.
I will therefore take all these conventions into consideration when making my own to make it more
realistic and scary.