1. The History of Horror
By Marissa Whyte

2. History
• 1896 a French director called Georges Méliès' produced a short
horror film called “The House of the Devil”. In To some this is
known as the first known horror film.
• Shortly after motion picture technology was introduced in the
late 19th century, filmmakers decided to start producing horror
films. In history it states that America is the first home of horror
due to classics such as Frankenstein plus Jekyll and Hyde being
made into movies that have come across as the most influential
horror films. Though in the 1920s most concepts of horror films
came from Germany's “expressionist movement”, films like “The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Nosferatu” supposedly played a big
part of influencing American cinema.

3. Late 18th century to early 19th century
1890-1896- George Méliès screens several silent shots that had some super natural events.
1896- The Haunted Castle- 3 minute short film known as the first horror film to be shown with some features that
were meant to amuse the audience but ended up scaring them. This also became known as the first vampire movie
as well.
1898- Movies such as “Bake Jizo” and “Shinin no Sosei” first horror films to come out of Japan.
1910- Frankenstien is produced by Edison Studios know known as a cult classic.
1920: Cabinet of Dr. Caligari becomes one of the most influential films in German expressionist films, critically
exclaimed as the best horror film of the silent era.
1920: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shows the different sides of an individual’s personality turns into one of the most
influential films in American cinema history.
1922: Nosfertu defined by some as not only being a tale of vampirism but has distinctive images inspired by The
Great War and the Great Flu Epidemic fatalities.
1925: The Monster known as the first mad scientist film, shows the first cowardly hero in a horror film but people
class the supposedly tense and horror scenes as comedy.
1925: The Phantom of the Opera starts of as a silent film four years later becomes the first silent movie to have half
the film in silent, sound and music.
1927: The Cat and the Canary

4. Talking
• 1930’s the era where sound and dialogue was
introduced to Horror movies. Sounds such as
monsters grunting , groaning and also howling
helped indicate to the audience the music
used was to build suspense .

5. • 1939- the hunchback of Notre-Dame becomes
the first horror film that had a visual monster .
Dracula 1931 Universal Pictures becomes a hit
due to gothic film success, the movie itself paves
the way for another successful film Frankenstein.
Known now as a cult classic of the horror genre.
1931 Frankenstein released gets critical aclaim and
is called one of the greatest films of all time.
1933- The Invisible Man considered one of the
greatest films from universal pictures in the
horror genre.

6. • 1932- The Mummy is released and changes
the horror genre by making “Egyptology” as a
new theme to be used in the horror genre.
• 1932- MGM, RKO and Warners partner to get
a piece of the financial risk of releasing horror
films.

7. 1950’s to 60’s
• During this period of time technology was advancing leaving film companies to
make two sub genres cross over “the horror of armageddon film and the horror of
the demonic film”.
• The idea of the monsters (Villains) stepping away from the generic conventions of
that time being human, they decided to use out of this world characters. The
characters being aliens, zombies and also another iconic film “Godzilla”.
• 1960- The most iconic slasher film is introduced to the world titled “Physco” . The
shower scene becomes one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
• 1964- AIP (American International Pictures) releases “The Masque of the Red
Death” and “The Tomb of Ligeia” known to some as being both films that paved the
way for films to illustrate explicit violence horror films.
• 1968- George A. Romero's ”Night of the Living Dead” drew away from being like
the rest of the horror films that were released during the 1950’s. Having zombies
and blending psychological insights with gore, helped advance the horror genre
away from gothic horror trends that were introduced earlier showing that horror
can be portrayed into everyday life.

8. 1970’s to 80’s
• 1973- The Exorcist first of the devil/ supernatural evil movies to become a success,
which paved the way for other horror films with the same theme.
1974-The Texas Chainsaw Massacre murderer based on two real life killers
combined considered to be one of the most controversial movies of all time. Also
“Leather Face” paves the way for other villains (Killers) to be able to use tools as
murder weapons.
1975- Jaws is released becomes the highest grossing film in history at the time,
also is called an iconic film with an iconic soundtrack.
1976- The Omen turns into a popular Satanic horror movie, from this point on
Satan becomes a typical villain in supernatural evil movies.
1976- Carrie is released for a limited amount of time, considered to be the best
teen horror film.
1978- Halloween is released but is criticised for being too cliché, resembling
numerous antics from “Night Of The living Dead”.
1979- Alien is released and is praised by critics for combining graphic violence and
being able to use movie plots form earlier decades.
1980- The Shinning critics believe the film was a flop but produced one of the most
iconic quotes “Here’s Johnny!”.
1980- Friday 13th is released becomes one of the most profitable slasher films.
1984- A Nightmare On Elm Street becomes an iconic movie in the “slasher” genre.

9. 1990’s
• The start of the 90’s slasher films were taking
over the horror genre. Due to movies such as
Friday 13th and Nightmare On Elmstreet being
influences on other films in the horror genre
they all had the same conventions of having a
masked killer who used tools as murder
weapons.

10. • 1991- Silence of the Lambs is released gets critical
acclaim also a movie that puts a twist for films in the
horror genre as it is a thriller as well.
• 1992- Candy man shows audiences the real life horror
of racism that leads the villain to act how he does. This
was one of the first films to show fictional combining
with the real world as the candy man is a myth and
racism is a real life issue in the world.
• 1996- Scream is released and becomes an iconic movie
due to bringing back the slasher film genre more
recognition but also making the audience aware that
they knew the typical conventions in a slasher movie as
the characters use references throughout the movie.
• 1999- The Blair Witch Project a physiological thriller
and horror, one of the most successful independent
films of all time.

11. 200’s
• The horror genre was going down hill as films
being advertised as horrors ,fell to the
expectations of critics. Such as they all had the
same storyline numerous killings, teenagers
and generic conventions of that one person
walking into a trap. Fans of the genre were
being to see the generic conventions also
horror’s were becoming more humorous than
scary.

12. 200’s
• 200- Final Destination becomes a breakout hit in the horror genre
for teen centred horrors.
• 2002- The ring becomes a commercial success worldwide, also
paving the way for a killer not to have a name.
• 2004- The grudge became the first horror film to top the box office
at Halloween since “Haunted On Hill”.
• 2003- After the release of Wrong Turn critics voiced their opinions
believing that the horror genre was more about torture and
pornography.
• 2004- Saw changed the horror genre again as it was a film with a
physiological twist, but had mixed reviews.
• 2009- Paranormal Activity portrayed in the style of a home video,
also compared to The Blair Witch Project. It is another successful
budgeted movie.