The Development Of Horror

It was 1889 when the horror film was created, George Melies' film Manoir Du Diable was initially made to amuse instead of scaring them. Translated, House of the devil, Manoir Du Diable is a two minute long film about a demon that creates a cauldron and makes creature such as skeletons, ghosts and witches until an underworld cavalier holds up a crucifix and the devil disappears.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920's German silent horror film that was directed by Robert Wiene and was written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It tells a story of a deranged hypnotist who uses a somnambulist (sleepwalker) to commit murders the film contains a dark and twisted visual style, structures and landscapes that lean and twist in unusual angles and shadows that are painted directly on set.

Nosferatu was a German Expressionist horror film that was shot in 1921 and made in 1922. It was a different story to Bram Stokers version of Count Dracula with edited character names and other details. For example, Vampire became Nosferatu and Count Dracula became Count Orlok. Despite the negatives it is said to be a influential masterpiece of horror and cinema.

Universal horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960. The series began with the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame and continued with Dracula, Frankenstien, The Mummy and The Wolf Man.

Alfred Hitchcock introduced the world to a new type of horror called 'slasher' when he made the film Psycho. The film is based on a crazed killer who shows no remorse when he goes round killing people for the thrill of it. Hitchcock's film is now ranked as one of the best horror films of all time. It also set a new level of acceptability for violence.

Black Christmas was a film made in 1974 that included a psychopathic killer stalking and then murdering a sequence of victims in a graphic manner. He would often use a bladed tool such as a knife, machete or an chainsaw. This film was also one of the first 'slasher film' to be made, leaving a new impact on the horror genre.

Later that year came The Texas chainsaw massacre. This film portrays the stereotypical 'slasher film', the victims are a group of clueless teenagers who will be in an isolated setting and killed of 1 by 1 until only two survivors are left, they then need to try their best to escape the maniac either with aid or themselves.

Other films that followed the 'slasher' type sub-genre were Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), Nightmare on Elm street (1984). These three slasher films would go on to be the icons of the 'slasher' genre, all because of the introduction of the immortal killer, these killers could be severely injured but could never be killed.

 These slasher films started to become less popular during the 1980's, until SAW was introduced in 1996. The SAW franchise began creating a new perspective on horror and imagery to the 'slasher' genre.

Another sub-genre is 'visual horror'. This is where instead of the film playing on your mind, you are disgusted to watch by showing extremities and all the gruesome action that is happening. Examples of this are zombie films such as Dawn of the Dead (2004), or other films like SAW (1996) and Hostel (2005). These three films are well known for being very Gory and Gruesome films.

Horror films have changed massively over these years. Going from the short two minute clips to the action packed films you see today. The horror genre is one of the oldest genres to date and it will always continue. Horror will always continue as it has inspired a number of other platforms such as video games or TV series'.