The Interesting Background Of Horror Movies

The evolution of horror movies is interesting and lengthy. The genre’s intention is to elicit feelings of fright and fear in viewers. Scenes are devised to thrill audiences with a combination of supernatural elements combined with the macabre. The films provide safe outlets for the exploration of subliminal fears.

Plots often center around the occurrence of an evil force, event or person. Usually the central theme is based upon supernatural beings and happenings. Werewolves, ghosts, vampires, curses, haunted houses, disease outbreaks, zombies outbreaks and serial killers are common components in these films.

Georges Melies is regarded as the earliest pioneer of thrillers. His first silent film was The House of the Devil. This 1896 release is considered the world’s first thriller. His subsequent release was The Cave of the Unholy One, in 1898.

The first thrillers tended to be based upon classic Gothic literature. Dracula, Frankenstein, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde and the Phantom of the Opera are among some early releases. In 1910, a bone-chilling version of Frankenstein was released.

Studios in Hollywood began to release thrillers during the early 1920s. The 1923 release of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the 1925 release of The Monster featured actor, Lon Chaney, Senior. He’s considered the genre’s first American movie star. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff followed were among the other early actors from America who built successful careers on their roles in thrillers.

The genre gained widespread popularity in the early 1930s. One influential monster make-up artist and set-designer was Jack Pierce. He became famous for creating iconic monster masks and costumes.

The 1931 releases of Dracula and Frankenstein were hugely successful. A 1933 release, The Invisible Man, blended science fiction with Gothic fright. Many films from this time-period were inspired by the German expressionist films from the 1920s. These plots were designed to thrill audiences, but also incorporated more serious elements.

Along with the technological advances in the 1950s, the film themes also shifted. Two sub-genres evolved, those based on Armageddon and those based on demonic themes. Film-makers believed these themes were more relevant to contemporary audiences.

In the 1950s, studios in Japan began to release a series of low-budget films. The themes were influenced by the terrors experienced in the country following World War II’s nuclear bombing. The main elements centered on challenges from alien forces as well as deadly mutations to insects, animals, plants and people.

During the 1960s, film-makers remained focused on monsters and ghosts, but they expanded the science fiction components. The Haunting from 1963, and Rosemary’s Baby from 1968 were examples of this trend.

The notorious and prolific British producer, Alfred Hitchcock, began incorporating modern back-drops to films. Some of his early notable productions include Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960). His 1963 production of The Birds is considered to be the earliest example of nature-gone-mad themes.

Modern horror movies continue to thrill audiences. Although advanced film-making techniques and special effects are often incorporated today, the films continue to be designed to elicit bone-tingling chills and gasps from viewers.

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