The History of Horror

Examine the changes in the genre over the past 100 years:
Development in terms of:
- Advances in technology
- Audience needs + lifestyles
- Cultural Changes
- Muti-nationalism
- Economic Reasons
- Changes in style
- Changes in content.


In the early 1920s horror films, along with other genres of film, were silent movies. 'Phantom of the Opera,' which was released in 1925, featured silent actor Lon Chaney. A lot of films in this era and later on through the decades, were based around the 'monster.' In this case Chaney played the role of the Phantom, where he was a murderer, trying to make his management make his loved one a star. The film created by Universal Pictures, was one of Chaney's most famous pieces. Universal is a company that is still going strong today, they are well known for their horror films and other blockbusters. The budget for this film was tight, and Chaney had to do his own makeup, which made him look even more deformed. Because of Chaney dong his own makeup for Phantom, makeup was used more in horror films, films such as Dracula. Universal also shot the whole film in Paris (where Phantom is set) to save money on finding different locations around the world. The same crew and cast were used in every film, creating a conveyer belt effect, where they would reuse their staff. Many actors took out contracts with the film production companies in 1929, as the depression struck. They would rather have had a secure job with less income than have no job at all. The depression then made the production companes scale down their productions, and choose one genre of film to create. With the overturn that Universal has now, they have been able to set up many different studios around the world where they can create their sets. A short clip seen in the early 30s featured a man hanging himself, and the film in the camera moved around and layered different colours onto the man making him look purple, this advance in technology won an Oscar. Technology had soon moved on after Phantom, as in 1925 sound was introduced into film, this changed the style of films as they were able to put in the sound effects of bangs, crashes and screams into their films.

Dracula was the first horror film with a lot of dialogue. Thankfully Dracula was set in Transylvania, which allowed restricted actor Bela Lugosi (who was Hungarian) to take advantage of his accent and use it to give Dracula more effect. Dracula gave horror iconography, Dracula used low key lighting to create a lot of shadows, this has been followed through many horror films, and a lot of films in the 21st Century are based on shadows and low lighting. The fangs and blood on Dracula weren't going to be used in production, they were both inputted through suggestion and imagination. Dracula had at least 2 scenes censored in 1934 and Dracula's 'death groans' were shortened at the end of the film. Dracula was directed by James Whale, a director who worked for Universal Studios. He pushed the boundaries of Horror, which was easier to do in the early 1930s as censorship wasn't a big deal. He directed 'Frankenstein' (1931) and he also directed the 1935 film 'Bride of Frankenstein.'

Frankenstein is also a horror film created by Universal pictures. The iconic large green head and bolts in his neck were original ideas from Universal themselves, this imagery was created by them as it was not featured in the book. The colour of the monster's skin was inspired by Borris Karloff (the actor who played Frankenstein's Monster) when he talked about his childhood. Frankenstein was the first film to have an input of gore and small part that hint towards necrophilism. This was only at the beginning of the film where Frankenstein was seen digging up graves for his pleasure. This is where he gets his body from to create his monster. To make the monster look as realistic as possible Universal used the best makeup they get. Technically this was one of the most advanced films of the era, they pushed the boundaries of horror. A scene showing a child being thrown into a river was cut from the film as it had shocked the audience too much, this scene wouldn't be reinstated until 1999 along with the lines, 'Now I know what it feels like to be God!'

In the 1930s, Hollywood studios began to get more creative about the production of the films and what they could produce, we see this in the 1933 horror 'Mystery of the Wax Museum.' This film was released in Two-color Technicolor, one of the earliest colour films. Mystery of the Wax Museum was made by Warner Bros, and they're horror films broke tradition by being set in the present day rather than years or century's before. 'MofWM' was also known for having human wax figure melting in the fire that looked incredibly realistic.

Freaks was a film made in 1932, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a production and distribution company founded in 1924. Freaks was extremely controversial and wasn't receieved well by audiences. A lot of the film had to be cut due to it being very controversial. Even after the extensive cuts, the film still received negative feedback, director Tod Browning struggled to find work after the release of Freaks because of such controversay, this was a shame as Browning had previously worked with respected actors Lon Chaney and Bela Lugosi. 'Freaks,' was that much a shock that it got banned for 30 years in the united Kingdom, only in the 60s did the film come back as a cult film.

Cat People a film produced in 1942 by RKO Studios and Director Jacques Tourneur. Cat People was based around a short story called 'The Bagheeta,' the main character Irena believeing that she is a descendant of a race of people who turn into cats when they are sexually aroused, and panthers when caught being jealous. Producer Val Lewton created a technique for horror films which would change the style of films and some of the content used. The 'Lewton Bus,' is a technique where Lewton would use a slow build up of tension that would then be broken by an unthreatening object that appeared to be normal, and he would then include a proper fright to scare the audience. This technique is still seen today over half a century later.

Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) is a sub-genre from Horror that has gained its own fanbase. Sci-Fi features more futuristic settings including aliens, different planets and supernatural forms. Frankenstein is often seen as a related film to Sci-Fi, but being classed as a Horror Fiction rather than just Horror.
Because of their similarities Horror and Sci-Fi are often mixed up when you go into a shop to buy a DVD, some stores tend to class them as the same thing.

One of the leading film producers of all time is 'Hammer Film Productions.' They are responsible for films such as, 'The Curse of Frankenstein,' and 'Dracula.' Bray Studios is the home of Hammer, and sadly now a pressure group is trying to save Bray House as it is no longer used, after Hammer moved from Bray to Elstree Studios in 1966.

The Curse of Frankenstein was the first British horror movie to be shot in full colour. The film was groundbreaking at the time for this and also for its shocking violence and gore, something the UK hadn't seen before. This film is famous for having a dramatic scary scene followed by something quite humorous. The film directed by Terence Fisher lead to worldwide success and several sequels were made. The Revenge of Frankenstein was released in 1958 along side Dracula (featured below). The films used the same set as it saved money, so Dracula's crypt became Frankenstein's surgery.

Dracula was also a film created by Hammer in 1958. Reoccurring actor Christopher Lee was transformed from Frankenstein into vampire Count Dracula. Dracula was the first film to show fangs as a mainstream element. The film was censored in the UK for being too sexual, a screen shot from the film to the right, shows one part where the film was considered sexual. The way Lee lent into the woman and seduced her was far to sexual for 1958. This lead to the film being given a X rating until 2007 where it was cut and given a rating of 12A. Dracula featured special effects when Dracula seemed to be peeling away his skin, this was done with wax, but it was a big technical enhancement that left viewers squirming.

After the release of 'The Curse of Frankenstein,' and 'Dracula,' Hammer had established a stable brand known simply as 'Hammer Horror.' In the early1980s Hammer created a series of 13 episodes for TV called the 'Hammer House of Horror.'

One of the most controversial films in the 1960s was Italian film 'Black Sunday.' Famous horror actress Barbara Steele started as the leading lady Asa. One of the scenes in the film showed Steele being pinned down and having a mask of nails placed on her face. The next shot showed a man walking towards her with a mallet and he swings the mask onto her face, embedding the nails into her. Black Sunday was controversial for its amount of sexual content. The films creators mixed sex and death together, which automatically made it more explicit than any of the Hammer films. Black Sunday was definitely shocking but it pushed the boundaries of Horror using sex.

'A classic horror film ... The exquisitely realized expressionist images of cruelty and sexual suggestion shocked audiences in the early 60's, and occasioned a long-standing ban by the British censor.' - David Pirie (Time Out Film Guide)

Steele had also been in the 1961 film 'Pit and the Pendulum,' a British horror film by Roger Corman. The image to the right shows a pivotal moment in horror, showing Steele's body moment away from being sliced in half.

Film producer, director and actor Roger Corman created films based around short stories and poems by Edgar Allen Poe. Corman created a dream like quality to his films, working on a smaller budget than Hammer, Corman created films such as 'The Masque of the Red Death,' and 'The Little Shop of Horrors.' Corman was known for having Vincent Poe, the star of most of his films, receive a dark, slow, painful death where the character was conscious.

The Haunting is a film by director Robert Wise, the creator of West Side Story and The Sound of Music. The film is based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, a story about a conflict between a team of paranormal investigators. The Haunting is known for having silent then sudden noises that spook the audience, a trait that films now in the noughties use constantly, for example the Paranormal Activity films. The film also featured canted dutch (tilted) angles making everything seem a lot eerier and sinister. Films such as The Sixth Sense (1999) use canted dutch shots to make everything seem a lot spookier and awkward looking.



In the 70s censorship had started to relax a little, films would be able to become more graphic, sex and violence wise. This moved along with culture, and the audience's needs and lifestyle as the 60s had brought a more relaxed vibe to the UK.

In 1971, a remake of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was made. Instead of Jekyll being turned into a male monster Hyde, he turned into a woman. This film was also made by Hammer Film Productions and was part of the gothic horror film brand. This pushed the boundaries in film and also the audience as no one was used to seeing people transform into a different gender. They were mainly used to seeing men turn into evil men or monsters.

Psycho is a classic film by director Alfred Hitchcock. The film was refreshing after so many samey films. Psycho was made in 1960 when the revolution was just coming into play, there was a certain amount of taboo in the film as the lovers were seen in the same bed. The woman was in underwear but it was still taboo. Some parts of the film had to be cut or were put under scrutiny by the censor company because of some flesh being shown. Psycho is probably most famous for it's musical score. The shrieking high pitched sounds of the violin go right through you and make you feel like someone is behind you. The creators of movies had moved on from fantasy and started to develop movies based around real life killers. Ed Gein, a murderer and body snatcher inspired the creators of Psycho.

 

 Night of the Living Dead, directed by George Romaro was a ground breaking film that would change horror forever. Romaro showed his monsters as zombies. He told them to look as dead as possible and drained, they were covered in blood and would make weird moaning noises, what you see now as your standard zombie. The amazing thing is that this is an independent film make at the weekends, and because of this it didn't need to be censored as much as a mainstream film. The lead actor of this film was Duane Jones, an African-American actor. This was rarely seen in films around the late 1960s. Using an African-American as the main actor, African-Americans were more accepted in the film industry. Night of the Living Dead reflected political issues that were happening around the time of production. The zombies were based around the concern about atomic power and chemicals. Independent films were low budget but sometimes they would turn a decent profit.

An iconic film from the 1970s is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Leatherface, the horror monster, was also inspired by killer Ed Gein (just like Norman from Psycho). Leatherface was very disturbing as he wore a mask made of skin. He was obsessed with skin and made furniture out of it and lampshades. Director and Producer Tobe Hooper also co-wrote and wrote the screenplay of the film as well. The sound was more important in this film than the visuals, making endless screams so when you look away the woman screaming is still embedded into you. This film brought along a more psychological torture than a physical torture, something that had rarely been seen and was quite terrifying. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was banned in the UK by the BBFC on film and home video. Only 25 years later in 1999 did the BBFC classify the film for video and film release. 

Rosemary's Baby (1968) by director Roman Polanski gave way for children to be used in films. Children had been used before in films such as Frankenstein, but they brought a mass amount of controversy, which resulted in the scene being cut. The film also featured religion and Satan. This theme was carried on into the film The Exorcist which was made in 1973. This film showed a child being possessed by a demon/Satan. The film gave graphic detail of what happened to the child, including a shot of a rotating head. After this, such things became normal conventions in horror.

The first horror blockbuster was The Omen, made in 1976. The film was inspired by The Book of Revelation from the New Testament. This specifically homed the film in on religion, and rather than the plot being based on the supernatural, it was rather a series of unfortunate events. In this film a Classic 70s downbeat ending is used, where the evil wins over the good. The final scene of The Omen is particularly scary, as there is a close up of the child smiling. In the film the Devil/Demon possesses the child without anyone knowing. The evil smile the child gives is scary as we don't know if the child is going to strike again. 







A film that was extremely sexual is Shivers. Directed by David Croenburg, the film showed experiments with parasites that once linked to a host overwhelmed the sexual control and desire of the host. The film was crammed with 'body horror and depraved sex'. This creeped out the audience, but it also brought along watching horror films with fascination and fear. A technique that is still used today. Again in this film the monster wins and the good fall.