Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic.docx
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Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic.docx
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HorrorFilmsareunsettlingfilmsdesignedtofrightenandpanic
HorrorFilmsareunsettlingfilmsdesignedtofrightenandpanic,causedreadandalarm,andtoinvokeourhiddenworstfears,ofteninaterrifying,shockingfinale,whilecaptivatingandentertainingusatthesametimeinacatharticexperience.Horrorfilmseffectivelycenteronthedarksideoflife,theforbidden,andstrangeandalarmingevents.Theydealwithourmostprimalnatureanditsfears:
ournightmares,ourvulnerability,ouralienation,ourrevulsions,ourterroroftheunknown,ourfearofdeathanddismemberment,lossofidentity,orfearofsexuality.
Whateverdark,primitive,andrevoltingtraitsthatsimultaneouslyattractandrepelusarefeaturedinthehorrorgenre.Horrorfilmsareoftencombinedwithsciencefictionwhenthemenaceormonsterisrelatedtoacorruptionoftechnology,orwhenEarthisthreatenedbyaliens.Thefantasyandsupernaturalfilmgenresarenotsynonymouswiththehorrorgenre,althoughthrillerfilmsmayhavesomerelationwhentheyfocusontherevoltingandhorribleactsofthekiller/madman.Horrorfilmsarealsoknownaschillers,scarymovies,spookfests,andthemacabre.Also,seethissite'sScariestFilmMomentsandScenescollection-illustrated,includingEntertainmentWeekly'sselectionsforthe20ScariestMovies.
Horrorfilms,whendonewellandwithlessrelianceonhorrifyingspecialeffects,canbeextremelypotentfilmforms,tappingintoourdreamstatesandthehorroroftheirrationalandunknown,andthehorrorwithinmanhimself.(Thebesthorrorfilmsonlyimplyorsuggestthehorrorinsubtleways,ratherthanblatantlydisplayingit,i.e.,ValLewton'shorrorfilms.)Inhorrorfilms,theirrationalforcesofchaosorhorrorinvariablyneedtobedefeated,andoftenthesefilmsendwithareturntonormalcyandvictoryoverthemonstrous.
Ofnecessity,theearliesthorrorfilmswereGothicinstyle-meaningthattheywereusuallysetinspookyoldmansions,castles,orfog-shrouded,darkandshadowylocales.Theirmaincharactershaveincluded"unknown,"human,supernaturalorgrotesquecreatures,rangingfromvampires,dementedmadmen,devils,unfriendlyghosts,monsters,madscientists,"Frankensteins,""Jekyll/Hyde"dualities,demons,zombies,evilspirits,archfiends,Satanicvillains,the"possessed,"werewolvesandfreakstoeventheunseen,diabolicalpresenceofevil.
Horrorfilmsdevelopedoutofanumberofsources:
folktaleswithdevilcharacters,witchcraft,fables,myths,ghoststories,GrandGuignolmelodramas,andGothicorVictoriannovelsfromEuropebywayofMaryShelleyorIrishwriterBramStoker.Inmanyways,theexpressionisticGermansilentcinemaledtheworldinfilmsofhorrorandthesupernatural,andestablisheditscinematicvocabularyandstyle.
TheEarliestHorrorFilms:
Monsters,VampsandMore
Thefirsthorrormovie,onlyaboutthreeminuteslong,wasmadebyimaginativeFrenchfilmmakerGeorgesMelies,titledLeManoirDuDiable(1896)(akaTheDevil'sCastle)-containingsomeelementsoflatervampirefilms.
OneofthemorememorableandinfluentialoftheearlyfilmswasGermany'ssilentexpressionisticlandmarkclassic,DasKabinettdesDoktorCaligari(1919)(akaTheCabinetofDr.Caligari)fromdirectorRobertWiene,aboutaghost-likehypnotist-therapistinacarnivalnamedDr.Caligari(WernerKraus)whocallspale-skinned,lanky,blackleotard-wearingCesare(ConradVeidt,laterknownforhisportrayalasMajorStrasserin
Casablanca(1942)),hisperformingsomnambulist(andhauntedmurderer),fromastateofsleep.Theshadowy,disturbing,distorted,anddream-nightmarishqualityofthemacabreandstylistic'Caligari,'withtwistedalleyways,lopsideddoors,crampedrooms,overhangingbuildings,andskewedcityscapes,wasshotinastudio.ItwasbroughttoHollywoodinthe1920s,andlaterinfluencedtheclassicperiodofhorrorfilmsinthe1930s-introducingmanystandardhorrorfilmconventions.Aswithmanyclassicfilms(i.e.,InvasionoftheBodySnatchers(1956)),theoriginalstorywasaltered(duetoitsinsinuationthat"authority"wasquestionableandinsane),andaflashbackframingdevice(composedofanepilogueandprologue)wasaddedtosoftenitsmessage.Thismadethefilmappeartobeadelusionalnightmareinapsychoticmentalpatient's(Francis)dream,therebydilutingthesubversivenatureoftheoriginal.
TheearliestvampirefilmwasdirectorArthurRobison'sGermansilentfilmNachtedesGrauens(1916),akaNightofTerror,withstrange,vampire-likepeople.TheHungarianfilmDrakulahalala(1921),akaTheDeathofDracula,wasthefirstadaptationofIrishwriterBramStoker's1897vampirenovelDracula.ThefirstgenuinevampirepicturewasalsoproducedbyaEuropeanfilmmaker-directorF.W.Murnau'sfeature-lengthNosferatu,ASymphonyofTerror(1922),akaNosferatu,eineSymphoniedesGrauens.Shotonlocation,itwasanunauthorizedfilmadaptationofStoker'sDraculawithMaxSchreckinthetitleroleasthescreen'sfirstvampire-amysteriousaristocratlivingindistantBremennamedCountGrafOrlok(MaxSchreck).Becauseofcopyrightproblems,thevampirewasnamedNosferaturatherthanDracula,andtheactionwaschangedfromTransylvaniatoBremen.
[Note:
Attheturnofthecentury,ShadowoftheVampire(2000)fancifullyretoldthemakingofthe1922classic,withJohnMalkovichasobsessivedirectorF.W.Murnau.Itaskedthequestion:
"WhatifMaxSchreck(Oscar-nominatedWillemDafoe),whoplayedthecharacterofCountOrlok,wasindeedavampire?
"]
Theemaciated,balding,undeadvampire'simagewasunforgettablewithadevil-ratface,pointyears,elongatedfingers,sunkencheeks,andlongfangs,withplagueratsfollowinghimwhereverhewent.Inthefilm'sconclusion,thegrotesque,cadaverouscreatureistrickedbytheheroineNina(GretaSchroder)intoremainingpastdaybreak,soOrlokmeetshisfatebydisintegratingintosmokeinthesunlight.[ThefilmwasremadebyGermandirectorWernerHerzog-NosferatutheVampyre(1979),withKlausKinskifaithfullyrecreatingthetitlerole.]
InDanishdirectorStellanRye'searlyGermansilenthorrorfilmDerStudentvonPrag(1913)(akaStudentofPrague),basedupontheFaustlegend,apoorstudentmadeapactwiththedevilinreturnforwealthandabeautifulwoman.[Thestudentwasportrayedbyactor/producerPaulWegenerinhisfilmdebut.]ItwasthefirstartisticallyimportantGermanproduction-andwaslaterremadein1926anddirectedbyHenrikGaleen.WegenerdirectedthefirstofhisinfluentialadaptationsoftheGolemlegendbyGustavMeyrinck-DerGolem(1914)(akaTheMonsterofFate),andthenremadeitafewyearslaterasDerGolemUndDieTanzerin(1917)(akaTheGolemandtheDancer)-notablythefirsthorrorfilmsequel.Heremadethefilmathirdtime,withKarlFreundascinematographer,againtitlingitDerGolem(1920)(akaTheGolem:
orHowHeCameIntotheWorld).TheexpressionisticfilmwasbaseduponCentralEuropeanmythsandinfluencedlater'Frankenstein'monsterfilmsintheearly1930swiththemesofacreatorlosingcontrolofhiscreation.TheGolem,playedbyWegener,wasanancientclayfigurefromHebrewmythologythatwasbroughttolifebyRabbiLoew'smagicamulettodefendandsavetheJewsfromapogromthreatenedbyRudolfIIofHabsburg.Theman-made,claycreatureroamedthroughtheJewishghettoofmedievalPragueinthefifteenthcentury.
Theearliesthorrorpictures,now-forgotten"vamp"pictures(filmsfeaturingdevilishcaptivatingladies)inone-reelorfulllengthfeatures,wereproducedintheUSfrom1909totheearly1920s,makingthehorrorgenreoneoftheoldestandmostbasic.ThefirstFrankensteinmonsterfilmintheUSwasEdisonFrankenstein(1910),a16-minute(one-reel)versionmadebytheEdisonStudiosandstarringCharlesOgleasthemonster.Inthisearlyversion,theMonsterwascreatedinacauldronofchemicals.TwoothersilentprecursorstolaterFrankensteinfilmswereLifeWithoutaSoul(1915)andtheexpressionisticGermanfilmHomunculus(1916),aserialaboutanartificially-createdman.Beforethe1930s,Hollywoodwasreluctanttoexperimentwiththethemesoftruehorrorfilms.Instead,thestudiostookpopularstageplaysandemphasizedtheirmysterygenrefeatures,providingrationalexplanationsforallthesupernaturalandoccultelements.
ManofaThousandFaces-LonChaney:
TheFirstAmericanHorrorFilmStar
OneactorwhohelpedpavethewayforthechangeinoutlookandacceptanceofthehorrorgenrewasLon(Alonso)Chaney,Sr.,knownas"themanofathousandfaces"becauseofhistransformative,grotesquemakeupandactinggenuis.HewasthefirstAmericanhorror-filmstar.Heappearedinnumeroussilenthorrorfilmsbeginningin1913atUniversalStudiosincollaborationwithdirectorTodBrowning(infilmsincludingOutsidetheLaw(1921),TheUnholyThree(1925)withChaneyasacriminalventriloquist,andWestofZanzibar(1928)).InthefirstofChaney'stwohorrormasterpieces,heappearedintheearliestversionofVictorHugo'snovelaboutthehunchbackedQuasimodo-atorturedbellringerinacathedralindirectorWallaceWorsley'sTheHunchbackofNotreDame(1923)-thesecondfilmversionoftheclassictale.[ThefirstversionwasTheDarlingofParis(1917)starringvampThedaBaraasEsmeralda.]
Chaney'smostmemorableportrayalwasintheground-breaking,vividly-frightening,Beauty-and-the-Beastsilentfilm,RupertJulian'scostumehorrorclassicThePhantomoftheOpera(1925),asDevil'sIslandescapeeErik-adisfigured,deranged,bitterandvengefulcomposer/ghostoftheParisOpera(basedonthecharacterinGastonLeroux's1911novel).Thisfilmwasatec
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