Before the genre of horror was explored through film, it was included in some famous books by gothic writers including Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker.
But in relation to film, The House of the Devil, is often credited as being the first horror movie; released in 1896. Although America was home to the first Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde movie adaptations, the most influential horror films through the 1920s came from Germany's Expressionist movement, with films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu influencing the next generation of American cinema.
THE 1930S
In the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s, there was one studio that would be responsible for horror films in this decade – Universal Pictures. Universal really grasped the idea of horror around this time, kicking off what is known as the Universal Gothic horror cycle:
Their first hit was Dracula, directed by Tod Browning and lensed by UFA cinematographer Karl Freund starring the Hungarian Bela Lugosi in 1931.
THE 1950S
From there, with the recent discovery of sound in film, horror became progressively more popular and easy to portray in films. Monsters started to feature in films in the 1950's like the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in 1953, Creature from the Black Lagoon in 1954 and of course the Japanese nuclear monster Godzilla also 1954.
THE 1960S - THE 1980S
From the 1960s on there was an explosion of styles surrounding the horror genre as it gained both in popularity, Prestige and freedom once the restrictive censorship of the Production Code was abandoned in 1964. The introduction of natural and realistic horror also emerged around this time under the influence of Norman Bates; for the first time blood was seen on television which was a shocking revelation to audiences.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws in 1975 made creature horror a large business.1979’s Alien by Ridley Scott successfully mixed horror and science fiction. Spielberg returned to horror with 1982’s 'Poltergeist' working with Tobe Hooper to shoot a creative and popular ghost story. By the end of the 1980s horror had become so reliant on gross-out gore and buckets of liquid latex that it seemed to have lost its power to do anything more than shock and then amuse.
THE 1990S
Ever since Norman Bates's taxidermy collection in Psycho (1960), audiences have shown popular interests in that of the psychopathic serial killer. Psycho, like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,Silence of The Lambs, American Horror Story:Asylum and numerous others, takes inspiration from the murders committed by Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein.
2000s ONWARDS
Between 1999 and 2004 there was a slight decrease in the popularity of horror films; considered to be because of recent social events including the 9/11 terrorist attack. However, by 2005, the horror genre was as popular as ever. Horror films routinely topped the box office, yielding an above-average gross on below-average costs. From 2005 onwards the main theme of horror has been in the style of realism. Films involving plane crashes, paranormal experiences etc are now in demand and have been for many years.
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