THE HISTORY IN 7TH ART

The horror stories have always been part of the human imagination; pleased to be afraid of art and inflict it obviously does not take long to get your space, from the late nineteenth century, in what would be the most influential artistic manifestation in years that followed: the cinema. Among the four walls of the dark room, watching a horror movie became an activity totally dissociated from any other film genre, who was there knew well find that sensations. And it is this predictability of horror movies and thrillers that make them so fascinating, a good movie genre is one that can express convincingly, the contrast between the traditional and originality, ie, the old scare given a new manner. The fascination caused by these works is their main reason for dealing with issues that culturally inspire us some concern, such as nightmares or fear of death.

Horror movies have a peculiar aesthetic, in which technical aspects such as lighting and track incidentally have a greater importance in the composition of suspense, helping the viewer is led to the seizure, and the most diverse reactions, from a squeeze on the arm of a companion (For more fearful) to binge popcorn (for the most sadistic). The evolution of thrillers and horror is closely linked to key events in the history of cinema, from the earliest silent films, through the new sound experiences and colorized by psychopaths with hatchets today, much has been made so that whenever we feel the most uncomfortable possible. And the ironic thing is that the more upset we get, the better our judgment on that movie.

How it all began

The charge of first thrills on the big screen was the great French filmmaker George Melies, with its Castle of the Devil, 1896. Another great reference in the history of cinema was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, one of the most remarkable works of German Expressionism, directed by Robert Wienne in 1919 that, along with Nosferatu (1922), W. Murnau, would influence the entire horror movie produced then, thanks to its gothic supernatural atmosphere and photography. Hollywood studios still had great reluctance to produce genre films. One of the names that stood out to encourage investment in horror movies was the actor Lon Channey, which became known as "The man of a thousand faces" for playing various characters in many films produced in the 20s, like the classics The Hunchback Notre Dame (1923), where his masterful interpretation of Quasimodo has become a landmark silent film, and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), as the disfigured composer / Erik ghost. Another great classic of the season is the first version of The Doctor and the Beast, 1920.

From the 30s, horror films started being produced building on European stories and legends about vampires, mad scientists and mad aristocrats, with the main mythological figures the Dracula and Frankenstein, the classic works of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley , respectively.

Universal Studios became famous for producing dozens of movies with mummies, werewolves and invisible men. Two names stand out in this period: Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. The first memorable for its most famous representation of Count Dracula in literature and the second by his no less remarkable performance as giant grotesque Frankenstein, both in 1931. The producer, wanting to cash in on the success of their monstrosities, went wrong hand in the next decade in dubious productions as Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943), The House of Frankenstein (1944) and The House of Dracula (1945). With the 2nd World War and the true horror part of the day-today lives, the horror movies ended up on low for some time. Other representative works of horror cinema of the 30s and 40s are the classic King Kong and The Invisible Man, inspired by the work of HG Wells, both of 1933, The Mummy (1932) with Boris Karloff in the title role and adapting book by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).

80s: Axes, Panties and Home Video

The 80's marked the rise of "slashers" or "splatters" movies generally low cost, where the wave was having a maniac chasing scantily clad young. The main reference of these films - and which became a brand of the genre works - is the famous Friday the 13th, with no less popular killer Jason Vorhees grinding young sinners who gave soft fucking around Crystal Lake. His best known accomplice, the handsome Freddy Krueger, showed up for the first time in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Wes Craven's always irregular.

Some big names in horror cinema emerged in the 80s, like David Cronenberg, known for not sparing the viewer in such films as Children of Fear (1979), Scanners, Can Destroy Your Mind (1981), The Time of the Dead Zone (another adaptation Stephen King, 1983), Videodrome - A Syndrome Video (1983), The Fly (remake of The Fly White Head, 1986) and Twins - Morbid Likeness (1988). In Brazil, filmmaker Ivan Cardoso became known with his aesthetic "terrir-pornochanchada" in films such as The Secret of the Mummy (1982) and The Seven Vampires (1986).

In 1982, an independent film brought new possibilities for horror movies: Evil Dead - The Evil Dead (1982) showed the world the talent of Sam Raimi, who also made two more films for the series, having recently directed the hit man Spiderman. Also worth mentioning the name of the writer Clive Barker, who ventured into direction and directed the fantastic Hellraiser - Reborn from Hell (1987), one of the great horror films of modern cinema. Other cool movies of the 80s (you watched Owl Session?) Are My Bloody Valentine (1981), Happy Birthday To Me (1981), Camp Cursed (1983), Gremlins (1984), Re-Animator (based on a story HP Lovecraft, 1985), Demons - The Children of Darkness (1985), The Night of Play Deadly (1986), The Lost Boys (1987), The Hidden - The Hidden (1987) and When Enough Darkness (1987). With the latest technology of VCRs, industry horror movies (as well as of erotic films) has entered a new era.

90s:
In the '90s, horror films became more sparse and poorly made, many being released directly to video. Some exceptions are the new version of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), performed by Francis Ford Coppola (despite having a different ending from the book), the delicious and eschatological independent film Braindead (1992), Peter Jackson, a compelling adaptation Book Anne Rice Interview With The Vampire (1994), directed by Neil Jordan and rereading of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Kenneth Branagh. The young director and often "outsider" Tim Burton was one of the few talents to emerge in the period, making beautiful small works with his inimitable aesthetic "dark". Director Wes Craven, this season, returned to the scene with Panic (1996), a film that takes the aesthetics of knockout films of the '80s, a kind of tribute to the young shredder in the previous decade. Unfortunately, the film's success began a series of productions with young actors garbage-American fashion, as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Urban Legend (1998), among others.

The only film that could break this stagnation of ideas - for lack of competitors for height than anything - was hiperestimado The Blair Witch Project (1999), which earned a disclosure in smart new means of mass communication at the time the Internet, to fill the cash box, and fall, generating a continuation awful. And the horror movies of the new millennium, what to expect from them? Before directing Spider-Man, Sam Raimi returned to the genre with The Gift, praised thriller. At the moment, all eyes have turned to Easy Bury, independent film that cost only $ 6000 and has a single dialogue in its 81 minute duration. Moreover, it is worth checking the nearest video store some of the titles above, turn off the lights and let crawl!

Friday the 13th (1980)

(Paramount Pictures) Starring Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, Paramount Pictures A group of young counselors are working to get Camp Crystal Lake up and running for the summer. But someone isn't too happy with the camp and one by one they are knocked off in dramatic gory ways. The big surprise ending was whom the killer turned out to be and introduced the next family member to take up the Camp Crystal cause. Go Team Voorhees!