The Beginnings of Horror

“Horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience” (Dirks, 2012). The genre dates back over one hundred years ago where filmmakers used their imagination and fear to make short films in a gothic style. Over the span of hundred years, the horror genre has been cast into various subcategories. These subcategories develop and change over time due to technological advancements, culture mindsets, political shifts, and simply a twist on the horror norm. When looking at the horror genre a few sub-categories have made huge strides in casting a different light upon the genre. The sub-categories that have changed the way viewers look at horror films are slasher, zombie, and torture porn. All three bring a different element to the horror genre’s history, form, content, social, and political significance.

            All horror films begin with the basis of human fears and what type of emotions occur when people are face-to-face with their fear. From the earliest cultures, religions, myths, and folklores, and up to present time common elements appear to fear humans. In nature leeches and vampire bats have always frightened people of all cultures. Religions across the world have always had a fear of hell which involves demons and the supernatural. Blood, fire, sex, and corpses symbolize the human fear in religion. In various cultures, tribes, and cults the practice of cannibalism drives the human fear of being killed in eaten. The earliest film directors took human fear and incorporated their own imagination to write, producer, and stage many of the earliest horror films.

            In what is considered to be the first horror movie made, titled Le Manoir Du Diable  (The Devil's Castle/The Haunted Castle) by  French filmmaker Georges Melies, is only two minutes in length (Dirks, 2011).  The film contained elements of a flying bat, a gothic castle, demons, skeletons, the supernatural, and a crucifix to portray evil. During the silent moviemaking era the earliest horror films dealt mainly with vampires, monsters, and the twisted human. Moving throughout an early timeline the monster films filled up the horror genre of fears of mummies, Dracula, Frankstien, and Werewolves came to haunt viewer’s minds. During the 1930’s and 40’s zombie films began their cycle into the movies, which would soon take off in the 1960’s and 70’s. In the 1950’s movies such as The Blob and The Fly brought on a new subgenre called body horror, which dealt with human genetic mutation. Alfred Hitchcock, a brilliant suspense/thriller director, brought new light in horror with movies such as Psycho, The Lodger, and The Birds  In what can called the turning point of the horror genres during the 1970 came about the sub-categories of the slasher/stalker film, body horror films, the start of sequels, and zombie sub-categories. Finally during the 1990’s horror films began recycling the sub-categories with new and improved technology and the 2000’s saw the rise of torture porn.

Dirks, T. (2011, July 1). Horror Films. Greatest Films - The Best Movies in Cinematic History. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from http://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms4.html

Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2010). Film Art: An Introduction (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.