Brief history of horror
The typical opening of horror films are rooted around ancient practices of a group of people telling a story around a campfire at night, therefore horror films usually open with a person telling a story hinting to the audience that they are about to hear something frightening.
Horror films have become increasingly popular with audiences than at any other time. It has now become a norm to find one or more horror films in the local multiplex. Television has repeated showings of horror films that revolved around teenagers against a mythical creature. Bookshops are now stacked with horror and graphic novels.
The
target audience for horror films from the 1930-70s was teenagers. Screenings
took place at night to induce the horror element as the limited technology restricted
film practitioners to instill fear through special effects. However, the 2 most
notable films- Psycho and The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock changed the perspective
of horror, bringing the horror genre into contemporary society. Conforming to
the key conventions of horror having monsters, werewolves in a gothic
atmosphere, the sly humor, over-acting and tricks on the audience changed perceptions
on horror movies. The youth of the 1970s were prepared to open their mind to
new experiences, reforming box-office, as the barrier of popular culture and
high culture were lowered causing the horror genre to profit in all media.
