Haunted History: A History and Synopsis of Horror Movies, Part 1

With each October comes a certain chill in the air as Halloween approaches. With this atmosphere, there is no better time to watch a good horror movie. Yet this summer I found myself asking the most important question of all, why? Why do we enjoy horror films? What is it about the macabre and unnerving that is so appealing to the cinematic eye? In this three-part synopsis, I aim to answer that question by breaking down three major periods of horror cinema. First, we will be looking at the early age of horror films (1920-1969), the incredibly stacked golden years of horror classics (1970-1999), and finally the polarizing modern era of horror (2000-present).

The 1920s were a pivotal decade in cinema, with the expansion beyond silent films, sound and audio giving directors the perfect opportunity to create scares. The 1920 German Exploitation film “The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” would become one of the most important pieces of cinema ever created. Inspiring films like Citizen Kane and directly influencing Tim Burton’s art style, the striking visuals and dread of the German classic make for a visually striking film. Furthermore, in 1922, “Nosferatu”, another German exploitation film essentially kickstarted the vampire movie industry, as the film was an unofficial adaption of Bram Stroker’s 1897 novel “Dracula”. Interestingly enough, “Nosferatu” is getting a remake this December, after 102 years.

Shifting from the German influence of the 1920s, the 1930s and 1940s saw the rise in Universal Monsters. 1931 saw the release of “Frankenstein” and “Dracula”, two films that despite being nearly 100 years old, are still massively influential in our modern pop culture. “The Mummy” was released in 1932 and “The Invisible Man” in 1933. This growing period of monster movies is interesting as these films were frequently cut quite short in runtime due to restrictions implemented by movie studios. The 1930s were a very interesting time in cinema. Growing into the 1940s, the only real horror film of note was “The Wolfman” released in 1940 as World War II had put the movie industry on hold.

Not only did World War II influence American cinema but the impact of the use of nuclear weapons led Japanese filmmakers to create the 1954 classic “Gojira”. “Gojira” or “Godzilla” was an important lesson in the horrors of nuclear warfare. The titular monster represented American bombs and their unending devastation on Japan. Not only did this influence Japanese media, but the fear of growing uses of technology for violence led to a spark in Science Fiction Horror Movies in the 1950s across all of cinema. “Them!” released in 1954 was a first-of-kind depiction of giant insects and was groundbreaking in its visual elements. “The Blob” released in 1958 offered a unique take on the monster film as the aforementioned “Blob” was a mindless being, enacting the growing fear of the unknown. This unknown stemmed from the possibility of Russian spies in the growing tension of the Cold War, leading to the influence of films like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” released in 1956 which exposed this idea of fearing your neighbor.

The 1960s represent the most pivotal period in diversity in horror cinema and cinema as a whole. With a growing push for women’s rights, the horror industry responded with tales of female trauma. “Eyes Without A Face”, released in 1960, is a horrifying French classic that was influential in its representation of female abuse. “Rosemary’s Baby”, released in 1968, further pushed this idea as the main female protagonist Rosemary is forced to endure consistent gender role domination and abuse in a tale that continues to influence modern cinema. Of all the movies mentioned, none are as important as George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” released in 1968. My favorite film ever, Romero established the now extremely popular “zombie” franchise, despite the word zombie never being used in the film. Not only did Romero create an entire genre of media, but he also broke racial barriers that shook the entire cinema industry. Romero cast African American actor Duane Jones as the protagonist of the film, marking the first time ever a non-white individual would headline a horror film. Jones gave an industry-changing performance but was never given another shot at a serious role. Jones sadly passed in 1988 at the young age of 51, may he rest in peace and know that his influence has not only defined horror as a whole, but the entirety of racial boundaries in moviemaking.