Evolution of Horror Films PDF

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10 page paper on the evolution of horror films and the influence each film had on each other....

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Evolution of Horror Films The genre of horror movies has been a satisfying medium for over a hundred years due to effect it has on the human mind. Following up after the first horror film in 1896, people have been enticed to spend their hours at the movies, spending their hard-earned money on tickets, finding a seat in the germ-filled theaters and sitting in a dark room staring blankly at a screen, hoping the new horror movie will bring all their nightmares to life. While others want to blatantly experience the thrill and excitement accompanying with despair and death. Humans unknowingly are psychologically attracted to peculiar images, so horror movies are known to fluctuate the acceptance of social entertainment. As Stephen King once said, “the horror film has become the modern version of the public lynching… appeals to all that is worst in us” (King 451). Horror movies overtime have had enormous success, making billions of dollars all around the globe; although, they contain the explicit and gory side of human nature. Over the years, the horror film industry has been forced to adapt and change to fit the preference of the audience. Instead of being boring and predictable, the horror film genre has transformed into entertaining and scaring the viewers. For these changes to occur, the plots have become more complex and psychologically mind-blowing, a change in scenery and the way each scene is filmed, an immense addition of blood and gore which lead to the viewers being more

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shocked every time. Beginning in the 1930’s horror films were based on mainly literature; for example: Dracula and Frankenstein . Moving on to around the 1950’s and 1960’s more monsters  related movies were created in order to take away the fear of the people during the Cold War by allowing humans to be able to take down these creatures, thus invoking a sense of peace in the

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people’s minds; for example, Godzilla . Later on, towards the 1970’s realism became a big factor in the film industry. More films which  had a relatable twist on them like Halloween were created. Slasher films soon became a hit in the 1980’s such as Nightmare on Elm Street. Special effects were relied heavily on while creating monsters during An American Werewolf in London and The Thing. After the 1980’s more paranormal-like films were created which began to create religious connotations and problems throughout society due to the complications that came

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across when local priests began to hear of these movies. Around the early 1930’s in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, she depicts a mad scientist who wants to be the first one to create life from a dead body, and he does whatever humanly possible to get his ways. Victor allows a countless number of books to swallow him up, so he could retrieve enough information as possible. As soon as he learns that his task if very much possible as long as everything goes well, he begins to knock everyone out of his life, eventually reaching insanity. He begins to grow obsessed with wanting to retrieve what he thinks he can retrieve and becomes psycho. As soon as the characters begin to notice the man he starts to become, he begins to shut them out of his life completely to focus on his creation. In this case, knowledge and curiosity are the downfall of this scientist. Therefore, Shelley attempts to write about the scientists in that era and how the level of intelligence and knowledge they want to reach because of their curiosity and their wants and needs could eventually lead to their downfall when they find or create something that may or may not destroy life. In a way, Shelley wants to bring attention to this concept of knowledge being dangerous, since everyone always looks at it in a positive manner. The movie was created in order to depict the curiosity-driven scientists, and tried to make a movement through the showcasing of the movie.

Grewal 3 Focusing on the films between 1978 to the more modern films, Halloween was a hit in the 1970’s. The film is set in the fictional Midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois. On Halloween night in 1963, Michael Myers murders his once loved sister. He is sent to a Sanitarium; he escapes on October 30, 1978 from Smith's Grove Sanitarium, and returns home to kill again. The next day, Halloween, Michael stalks teenager Laurie Strode and her friends. Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis, knowing Michael's intentions, goes to Haddonfield to find and stop him. Around the time this movie was released realism played a big role in the film industry, which led the viewers to be able to relate to these movies. As some viewers described this movie as being easy to relate to because things like mass murder do occur on Halloween or even smaller murders due to the fact people are able to hide their faces and go unnoticed. Also, it's easy to get around and target people because so many people open their doors for you, murderers are able to place sedatives into candies, it takes place at dark, and there are so many children willing to be dragged out into the forest for a “cool” house. Halloween was a game changer for horror films because slasher films began to come to theatres after this film. Movies based on literature or movies based on aliens and random creatures took a step back for a little bit as slasher films began to become more popular. As soon as the 1980’s came around, slasher films were at their peak grossing. Movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, An American Werewolf in London and The Thing, The Shining, Alien, The Fly, soon enough became big hits due to the heavy reliance on special effects. An American Werewolf in London reflects the aspect of special effects and slasher factors in the film. Two boys in college go into a public pub, the Slaughtered Lamb, which already sounds suspicious as is. After being warned to not travel into the moors, the men mysteriously end up

Grewal 4 there, where they are attacked by a werewolf. Here the slaughtering aspect along with the special effects comes into play. David is now cursed, while his best friend is dead; he begins to transform into a wolf and kills innocent people. He's hunted by the police to a dead-end alley. Hirsch and Alex, his girlfriend, find him there and Alex tries to calm David down and help him transform back. With some recognition of Alex in his eyes, David leaps at her, attempting an attack. The police shoot him dead immediately. The special effects of David turning into a werewolf is used in these scenes, along with manslaughter. The slasher films captured the enthrallment and interest of the younger audience, who were their target. Slasher films are a subgenre of horror films, where a psychopath who begins stalking and murdering people, usually in a tortuous way: knifes, swords, etc. These films increased the coverage of the violence in the media charmed the American psyche as slashers started incorporating scenes drenched with more gore and violence than before to advance the attention of audiences. Moreover, after around a decade of the exposure to an immense amount of violence, audiences began to grow sick of the same plot being used in films over and over again. Which led filmmakers to turn towards the paranormal side of horror films, bringing us to the current day of horror films. Movies have now turned to sequels, continuing the storyline even if the plot has killed from previous films. Directors have focused on paranormal films, because that’s what has attracted the most views over the last few years. After the 1990’s horror films took a turn from slasher films into paranormal films. Although there were paranormal based movies before 1990’s, the years after 1990 mainly focused on paranormal movies and the supernatural. Movies like The Ring, Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and The Conjuring, came into theatres. The Ring (1998), Rachel Keller is

Grewal 5 a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers, one being her niece. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. If the legend is correct, Rachel will have to run against time to save her son's and her own life. This movie involves death and murders, yet in a supernatural way. Instead of following the same old plot that directors had been following for years, this movie brought in a twist. A more supernatural feel and a power that no one will be able to control. Unlike in slaughter movies, the killer can be tracked and killed. But in these movies, you can’t come in contact with the spirit, unless you disturb it and trap it. So bringing in a twist attracted even more viewers, bringing movies at this time more money. The mysterious way the teenagers die after watching the films, can be relatable in a way that it could happen in real life, if you believe in the supernatural. LIke any other supernatural based movie, they end of cliffhangers where more information is revealed, or a question is asked and right there the movie ends. Although at first these movies weren't ranked as high because not many people believed in the supernatural, or weren't open to the idea of movies being based around it. People were scared of being possessed through the screens if they began to watch these movies, that why there weren't as many of these films in the 1900’s due to the fact there was a lot of controversy on The Exorcist. After The Ring people began to grow more open to the idea of the supernatural film genre, so many more films began to be produced. After The Ring many other paranormal films were made which were instantly major hits in the film industry. Entering the 2000’s , the biggest hits were the ones involved with the supernatural. The mysterious side of the supernatural is undocumented, and many can assume what lives beyond our realms. These movies were based off of the imaginations of different people. Whether it was hell, demons, or angels. Most of the movies were based off of

Grewal 6 demons, where a demon tries to possess a living human’s body and begins to manifest itself in it. Not having real proof about the outside world, directors are able to become creative in order to create a jaw-dropping movie. Unlike slaughter-based movies, the same plot replays within each film and you can only twist it so much. Whereas with the supernatural, the writer is able to create a false reality, creatures, demons, and characters. In Insidious, a married couple Josh and Renai, their sons Dalton and, and baby, Cali, have recently moved into a new home. One night, Dalton is drawn to the attic when he hears creaking noises and sees the door open on its own. He falls from a ladder while investigating and sees a figure in the shadows. Hearing his terrified screams, Renai and Josh run after to make sure he is safe, and forces the kids to never go up again. After three months of treatment without result, Renai and Josh are allowed to take Dalton home. Soon after, paranormal activity begins to occur; Renai begins hearing voices over the baby monitor when no one is in Cali's room, Foster says that Dalton sleepwalks at night, Renai sees a frightening figure of a man in Cali's room, who disappears when Josh arrives and the burglar alarm is repeatedly triggered for no reason with the front door open. After Renai finds a bloody hand print on Dalton's bed, she questions Josh about the house, but he ignores her. That night, Renai is attacked by the figure from Cali's room, and the Lamberts decide to abandon the house and move elsewhere. In the new house, Renai sees the ghost of a dancing boy who leads her to Dalton's room. Josh's mother, Lorraine, visits them one day, and says she had a dream in which a figure in Dalton's room replies "Dalton" when she asks what it wants; at the same time, she sees a monstrous red-faced demon standing behind Josh and screams, while Dalton's room is destroyed and Dalton himself is found lying on the floor. Lorraine calls Elise  Reiner, Specs, and Tucker. Upon entering, Elise senses a presence in the house and upon entering Dalton's room,

Grewal 7 she sees something on the ceiling; to which Specs draws the demonic, red-faced figure Lorraine saw. Elise explains that Dalton is not in a coma; he was born with the ability to travel mentally to the “astral plane”.  He has traveled too far and become lost in a purgatory realm called "The Further", a place inhabited by the tortured souls of the dead. Without his mental presence, Dalton's body appears comatose and spirits can use it to enter the physical world. Josh is skeptical until he realizes that all of Dalton's drawings are of the demonic entity drawn by Specs. Elise performs a seance to communicate with Dalton, but they contact the demon who threatens them before using Dalton's body to attack them until it is stopped by Elise. She reveals that her acquaintance with Lorraine is decades old, because she previously performed the same service on Josh when he was eight years old, he was possessed by an older woman. Josh also possesses the ability to “astral project”, and Dalton inherited this trait from him. Elise tells Josh that the only way to rescue Dalton is to go into the Further. Elise puts Josh in a trance and he is able to project himself to their previous house. He goes to the attic and finds a red door, but is attacked by the mysterious figure that attacked Renai. After defeating him, Josh enters the Demon's lair, where Josh finds Dalton chained to the floor. After a tearful reunion, Josh frees him, but they are caught by the demon. Josh tries to fight it, but they are forced to flee with the demon in pursuit. Returning through the red door, Josh confronts the old woman that haunted him as a child. The old woman dissolves into darkness after Josh shouts at it to leave him alone. When Josh and Dalton return to their bodies they wake up in their new home and the spirits seem to disappear. As they celebrate the apparent end of their ordeal, Elise starts packing her equipment with Josh, when she senses that something is wrong, she realizes he looks decayed, just like the woman who possessed him, and proceeds to take a photo of Josh. Josh goes into a violent rage, as he

Grewal 8 doesn't like to have his picture taken and strangles Elise to death. Renai is horrified when she discovers Elise's dead body and searches for Josh to inform him of her sudden death. Renai picks up the camera and sees that the image Elise took of Josh is the old woman that haunted him as a child, implying that Josh has been possessed. Movies like this keep the viewer on edge, by having so many twists and turns that are unpredictable. Also, the continuation of these movies slowly takes away from the nervous-filled minds. Insidious 2 was quite the movie, yet Insidious 3 was complete bogus according to viewers. Moving on to more recent movies, The Conjuring. In 1971, Roger and Carolyn Perron move into a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island with their five daughters Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April. Their dog Sadie refuses to enter the house and one of the children, while playing a game of "hide and clap", finds a boarded-up entrance to a cellar. Paranormal events occur within the first few nights, all of the clocks stop at exactly 3:07 AM and Sadie is found dead in the backyard the next morning. One night in bed, Christine encountered a spirit only she can see, prompting her to claim that the spirit wants her family dead. Another night, Carolyn hears clapping in the hallway. When she goes to investigate, following the noises, she gets trapped in the basement by the spirit. At the same moment, Andrea and Cindy are attacked by the spirit on top of the wardrobe. Carolyn decides to contact noted Ed  and Lorraine Warren, who agree to take on the case. The Warrens conduct an initial investigation and conclude that the house may require an exorcism, but they need authorization from the Catholic Church and further evidence before they can proceed. Ed and Lorraine discover that the house once belonged to an accused witch, Bathsheeba, who sacrificed her one week old child to the devil and killed herself in 1863 after cursing all who would take her land. They find reports of numerous murders

Grewal 9 and suicides in houses that had since been built on the property. Lorraine enters the passage and falls through the floorboards to the cellar, where she sees the spirit of a woman whom Bathsheba had long ago possessed and used to kill her child. The Perron family decides to stay at a motel while Ed and Lorraine take their evidence to the Church. The Warrens' daughter Judy is attacked in their own home by Bathsheeba, though Ed arrives in time to save her. Carolyn, now possessed by Bathsheeba, takes Christine and April back to the house. Ed and Lorraine find Carolyn in the cellar trying to stab Christine. After tying Carolyn to a chair, Ed decides that an exorcism needs to be performed on Carolyn, but realizes there isn't enough time to wait for a priest to arrive. Ed decides to perform the exorcism himself, and in the process is attacked by Bathsheeba. Though Carolyn escapes and attempts to kill April, Lorraine is able to distract Carolyn from killing her daughter by reminding her of a special memory she shared with her family, allowing Ed to complete the exorcism, saving Carolyn and April and lifting Bathsheba's curse forever. Returning home, Lorraine tells Ed that they had been left a message saying that they had gained approval from the Catholic Church to perform the exorcism. They also have another case to investigate on Long Island. Before leaving, Ed adds a music box from the Perrons' house to a collection of items he and Lorraine have saved from past cases. It inexplicably opens and plays music until the screen cuts to black.

All in all, horror movies have evolved tremendously over the last forty years. The emotions of the audience played an immense role. The first movies were based off of literature, which were already well known to the audiences. Over the next couple of years, movies took a turn and were based on more alien and creature-like films, where the humans would destroy

Grewal 10 these creatures, invoking a sense of relief in the audience during the Cold War. After, such bizarre films, directors moved in toward creating films that were easy to relate to,w hich were slasher films, and finally to paranormal films. Although there are films that depends on slasher-like ideas and aliens, these movies are showcased less and less every time. The movies with the most coverage and positive feedback have been the paranormal-based films....