Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Interesting Background Of Horror Movies

By Adriana Noton


Horror movies have a long and interesting history dating back to the 1890s. These films are designed to provoke fear from the viewers. Many scenes are intended to startle the audience through a combination of macabre and supernatural forces. These shows are intended to provide a safe outlet for hidden fears.

The plots are often focused on evil events, people or forces. The central components often incorporate the supernatural. Disease outbreaks, vampires, serial killers, haunted houses, ghosts, zombies, curses and werewolves are among the common elements found in the films.

In the late 1890s, Georges Melies pioneered the release of thrillers, they were short silent films. His 1896 film, The House of the Devil, is widely considered to be first thriller ever released. He followed it up with a 1898 release of Cave of the Unholy One.

Gothic literature provided the themes for the early thrillers. The Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, Frankenstein and Dracula were among the earliest releases. A spine-tingling version of Frankenstein was released in 1910.

Producers in Hollywood started to release spine-tingling films early in the 20th Century. The 1923 release of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the 1925 release of The Monster featured Lon Chaney, Senior. He was America's first movie star from thrillers. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff also created successful careers from their roles in thrillers.

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.

Japan entered the global thriller market with a stream of releases during the 1950s. These low-budget films focused on themes connected to the horrific effects of World War II's nuclear bombs. Deadly transformations to people, animals, insects and plants, as well as threats from aliens were common elements in these films.

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.

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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