Research into the Horror Genre

Research for the Horror Genre

Horror films go back as far as the onset films themselves. From the earliest days people use their vivid imaginations to see ghosts in shadowy shapes, to be emotionally connected to the unknown and to fear things that are improbable. Watching a horror film gives an opening into scary world, into an outlet for the essence of fear itself, without actually being in danger. There is a very real thrill and fun factor in being scared or watching disturbing, horrific images.

Horror films, when well done and with less reliance on horrifying special effects, can be extremely potent film forums, tapping into peoples dream states and the horror of the irrational and unknown, and the horror within man himself. In horror films, the irrational forces of chaos or horror invariably need to be defeated, and often these films end with a return to normalcy and victory over the monstrous.

The earliest horror films were Gothic in style- meaning that they were usually set in spooky old mansions, castles, or fog-shrouded, dark and shadowy locales. Their main characters have included “unknown” human, supernatural or grotesque creatures, ranging from vampires, demented madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, “Frankensteins” “Jekyll/Hyde” dualities (good against evil), demons, zombies, evil spirits, arch fiends, Satanic , villains, the “possessed”, werewolves and freaks to even the unseen, diabolical presence of evil.

Horror films developed out of a number or sources: folktales with devil characters, witchcraft, fables, myths, ghost stories, melodramas, and Gothic or Victorian novels. In many ways, the expressionistic German silent camera led the world in films or horror and the supernatural, the established its cinematic vocabulary and style. Many of the early silent classics would be remade during the talkies era.

Reference: http://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html