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Wednesday, 29 June 2011

The Evolution Of Horror Movies

By Adriana Noton


The history of horror movies spans more than a century. Designed to provoke feelings of fear, they often startle audiences with combinations of supernatural and macabre forces. These films provide safe methods for viewers to examine their inner 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 credited with pioneering the genre in the 19th Century with his silent films. His 1896 release, The House of the Devil, is considered the world's first thriller. His follow-up film was the 1898 release, The Cave of the Unholy One.

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.

Hollywood studios began releasing thrillers during the early 20th Century. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, from 1923, and The Monster, from 1925, both starred Lon Chaney, Senior. He is considered to be the first American thriller movie star. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were other early American actors who built their careers around their starring roles in these types of films.

The genre gained wide popularity in the 1930s. A famous set-designer and monster make-up artist was Jack Pierce. He is regarded as the pioneer in the masterful development of iconic monster costumes and masks.

Frankenstein and Dracula were released in 1931. These releases were very successful. They were followed by The Invisible Man in 1933. This film is notable for blending Gothic terror with science fiction. These themes gained their inspiration from the German expressionist films from the 1920s. Their plots thrilled audience members while incorporating more serious concepts.

The advances in technology during the 1950s spurred evolutions in this genre. Two sub-categories were developed, demonic and Armageddon. The producers from that period believed those themes would be more relevant to their viewers.

Japanese studios began releasing a stream of low-budget thrillers in the 1950s. Many experts believe they were influenced by the terrible after-affects from the nuclear bombing of World War II. These films centered on over-coming threats from alien invasions and deadly mutations of people, plants, animals and insects.

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.

Alfred Hitchcock was a well-known and highly-respected British film-maker. He began to include modern settings in his films. Rear Window from 1954, Vertigo from 1958 and Psycho from 1960 are among his most notable releases. The Birds from 1963 is an early example of his exploration of nature-gone-mad elements.

Contemporary horror movies have evolved from a rich and diverse history. While they tend to incorporate more modern themes with more advanced special-effects, they remain focused on providing thrills and chills to audiences.




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