Well, it’s October and what better way to bring in the spooky season than a great horror movie? This is a great time of year for horror movie fans to get into the gore, slashing, screaming, and terror that will have you on the edge of your seat. But before you break out the old VHS tapes, let’s review the horror genre’s history, past and present, and discuss some recommendations for each period.
1920s-1950s: The Silent Era and Classic Monsters
This is where it all started with the horror movie genre, which featured silent filmmaking, German expressionism, surreal visuals, and themes of madness. Most crucial films during the early stages of horror were centered around the supernatural and one such film that brought that to life was “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1920). This movie was based on a scientist who tried to separate the two basic natures of man, the good and the evil, and lost himself in the process.
1970s: The Golden Age of Horror
This period brought you the slasher sub-genre with masked killers shrouded in mystery and invading the homes of teenage victims. One such movie is “Halloween” (1978) by the master of horror John Carpenter. The story follows Micheal Myers, who as a kid, killed his teen sister and was incarcerated in an asylum only to return 15 years later to his old neighborhood and slaughter anyone in his path.
1990s: Meta-horror and Psychological Thrillers
The ‘90s marked a time in horror movies where you saw the rise of psychological horror and horror stories that explored the darkest aspects of human nature and morality. Directors used technology with traditional horror to create innovative storytelling techniques that are still used today. A great film that tells the story of 90’s horror is “The Sixth Sense” (1999) by M. Night Shyamalan. This story follows Cole Sear, a boy who has the ability to communicate with the dead and has terrifying visions. He is helped by Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, to uncover the truth about Cole’s experiences, while also dealing with his own unresolved issues from the past.
2000s: Splatter and Found Footage
To conclude the horror history lesson, this time brought us horror in the form of explicit depictions of graphic violence and torture. Saw (2004) Directed by James Wan, this film introduced audiences to the character of Jigsaw, who places victims in deadly traps to test their will to survive. Its success spawned multiple sequels and popularized the “torture porn” label.
If you are a fan of the horror genre, give any of these great movies a watch as they serve as a testament to how far horror movies have come. They will definitely help with bringing in the spooky season.
