Research Into Horror

For this project, as I have already discussed I want it be in the genre of a horror film, unsettling and startling for the viewer. Most horror films deal with viewer's worse nightmares, fears, realizations and the supernatural. This is the direction that I plan on taking rather than all the blood and gore, I want to create a psychological horror film. Something which can scare the viewer through the power of the soundtrack and the editing and the actual content which once again will feature just one girl, alone in the world.

I plan on looking at the classic film makers like Hitchcock and the work in the 1980s of John Carpenter, classic horror films which are have atmosphere to them, and which have a mood to them. I also plan on looking at more modern experimental shorter films, music videos and advertisements.


Horror Film Timeline - http://www.killriculum.co.uk/horror-film-timeline

1960: Finally with a larger budget to work with and freed from the constraints of his back to back movies Roger Corman begins a cycle of horror films based upon the works of Edgar Allen Poe, many starring Vincent Price and all borrowing liberally from Hammer’s style of filmmaking. The first in the cycle is House of Usher. Hammer itself releases Brides of Dracula a sequel to their first Dracula movie, again Fisher directs this visually stunning film and Cushing appears as Van Helsing. Lee however is absent as the character of Dracula is not in this film.

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1970-1979

1970: A more permissive society and a tired formula encourages Hammer to make The Vampire Lovers an out and out erotic exploitation film with lesbian vampires and lots more nudity.

1971: Hammer releases an exploitation movie not linked to vampirism Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde.

1980-1989

1980: In an attempt to cash in on the success of Halloween, Paramount releases Friday the 13th. Sean S. Cunnigham (Last House on the Left) produces. Jason Vorhees becomes the latest screen slasher. The film will spawn ten formulaic sequels, a tv series, novels and comics. Master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick releases his answer to the slasher movies, the terrifying The Shining starring Jack Nicholson. Italian film Cannibal Holocaust is banned in many countries around the world due to it’s scenes of sexual violence and real animal torture.

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1990-1999

1992: In a decade in which the horror genre is characterised by a never ending series of tired and hackneyed slasher sequels and during a largely barren period as far as new ideas for horror movies are concerned the genre films become increasingly more knowing and ironic. Peter Jackson takes gore to a new level for comic effect and releases Brain Dead. Elswhere looking back rather than forward for inspiration Francis Ford Coppola releases his own version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It is a box office if not always a critical success and draws heavily on Hammer’s visual style.