History and Development of Horror Film Industry

'First Monster Movie released'- The Golem

Jun 18, 1915

The Golem was the first ever monster movie which was silent. It was based on the Jewish legend in Medieval Prague.

Very First Vampire film released- Nosferatu

Jun 18, 1922

Nosferatu plagiarised the novel of Dracula.

Release of Frankenstein

Jun 18, 1931

Release of The Mummy

Jun 18, 1932

Release of King Kong which become the 'Quintessential Monster Movie'

Jun 18, 1933

King Kong become hugely successful upon release and was therefore known as the 'Quintessential Monster Movie'. King Kong was a fairytale with a twist of horrow which made it so successful. The film saved RKO from financial ruin because of the success it made. King Kong has been re-made twice although it does not have the same affect as the original.

Horror Movies were banned in Britain

Jun 18, 1940

Horror movies seen as American products and was banned in Britain in the 1940's.

Release of The Wolf Man

Jun 18, 1941

This film includes several Wolf legends which included spectacular make-up affects. The Wolf Man was set in contemporary Wales.

Release of Cat People

Jun 18, 1942

This is a psychological thriller about a young woman who is cursed.

Horror films developed; science & technology

Jun 18, 1950

Horror films in the 1950's developed to be purely about science and technology. This was an accurate reflection of reality for the confused population.

Mutant films were popular

Jun 18, 1950

In the 1950's films contained mutant characters, i.e monsters. For excample, Godzilla.

Release of Plan 9 From Outer Space

Jun 18, 1950

This film contained mutant characters, such as aliens which was typical of the genre at the time. Howeverm Plan 9 From Outer Space was thought to be the 'Worst Film Ever Made'.

Release of House on Haunted Hill

Jun 18, 1959

This film was a low budget shocker/thriller.

Release of The Wasp Woman

Jun 18, 1960

This film was a story of a scientist which was developing at this stage. However, the special effects used were seen as a let down.

A Big change in what People perceived to be Horror

Jun 18, 1960

The sexual revolution occured where sex and violence was present in horror films. Along with this, ghost stories hit the screen with black and white photography and minimal special effects.

Release of Psycho

Jun 18, 1960

This film displayed use of a monster who was so close to normality.

Release of Carnival of Souls

Jun 18, 1962

This film gave an eerie experience to the audience.

Release of The Birds

Jun 18, 1963

The Birds was a film aimed for an adult audience.

The Castle of Otranto novel by Horace Walpole released

Jun 18, 1964

The novel shows concentions of the Traditional Gothic genre. E.g. supernatural and mystery. This is the point where the term 'horror' first come into play.

Release of Night of the Living Dead

Jun 18, 1967

Zombies become present in horror movies, for exmple in Night of the Living Dead the horror came from out of the water. Also this film contained excellent make-up special affects.

Horror films bgan to reflect the grim mood of the Decade

Jun 18, 1970

Release of The Exorcist

Jun 18, 1973

The Exoricist was deemed 'Scariest Movie of All Time' and was banned release in the UK until 1999 because of the content which in fact caused outrage. This film brough interlectual respect back to the horror genre. The special effects in The Exorcist are amazing and was therefore awarded an Oscar for sound. Along with this, the film has been nominated for 10 Oscars.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Jun 18, 1974

This film was seen as brutally realistic due to the domestic violence it contained. However, this film was banned for 20 years in the UK.

Release of The Stepford Wives

Jun 18, 1975

This is a satirical thriller which is spookily submissive. Stepford is seen as idyllic, with a large house, white middle classed women who are happy and content who would do anything for their husbands and children.

Release of Jaws

Jun 18, 1975

Jaws was both shot and edited in 23 days. Jaws built on mainstream eppetite as a monster was displayed although it was neither human or supernatural- it was real. This built up suspence and menace. Jaws began the era of modern Hollywood blockbusters.

Release of Halloween

Jun 18, 1978

Halloween was a low budget masterpiece which contained very little blood. This film relied purly on shock and suspense.

Monsters finally come out of the closet

Jun 18, 1980

In 1980's Horror films there was an existence of aliens. Finally they were revealed on screen by the use of close ups to show their special effects.

There became more bariations on slasher genre/theme

Jun 18, 1980

Slasher films with 'killings' had a wider variation which were aimed at niche audiences.

Release of A Nightmare on Elm Street

Jun 18, 1984

This took place in ordinary places in order for it to have a sense of realism. Each killing was like a mini-movie due to the separate location, i.e the school corridoor and the bedroom. The special effects of this film look terrible today.

Release of Child's Play

Jun 18, 1988

This film put a spin on slasher films. This is because the serial killer was a doll and not a man or a monster as seen in previous horror films. Chucky (the doll) became an iconic character.

Psycholohical thrillers vs Horror

Jun 18, 1990

Psychological thrillers took over horror in the first half of the 1990's. The 1990's presented monsters which were far more mundane, less interesting and quite dull. Psychological thrillers took over horrors for some time in the 1990's.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Jun 18, 1994

This film seemed to lack raw shock value compared to the orginal.

Release of Se7en

Jun 18, 1995

The script was based around the number seven. This film was seen as a masterpiece by many people and therefore deserves special attention.

Release of Scream

Jun 18, 1996

Scream was similar to other slashers as it was based on a bunch of high school students. This lame horror comedy was preferred by the target audience of teens. Scream scored major box office success and made $161 million worldwide. At the end of the 1990's the slasher/killer in films was played out as a horror trope.

Horror movies of the late 1990s predicted disastrous things for a turn of the Century

Jun 18, 1998

These films were contemporary horror and deemed as frightening.

Release of Final Destination

Jun 18, 2000

This is a teen focused horror movie which made sequels. Death in these films is seen as real, domestic and mundane. There are less masked cartoonish character which killers with supernatural powers as that is now seen as something of the past.

Horror films in 2005 topped the Box Office

Jun 18, 2005

Horror films topped the box office through being above average grossand below average costs. For this to occur it meant that the monsters have had to change.