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HORROR

• noun 1) an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.

2) a thing causing such a feeling.

3) intense dismay.

4)informal a bad or mischievous person, especially a child.

— ORIGIN Latin, from horrere ‘shudder, (of hair) stand on end’

The Gothic Origins

Horace Walpole's 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto, initialised the term 'horror' as it was full of supernatural surprises. Many people imitated this and today it's called the Gothic Genre. Later on in 1818 the first great horror classic was written by Mary Shelley - Frankenstein.

Nineteenth Century Writers

Many novelists tried to write horror fiction such as Emily Bronte writing Wuthering Heights and Charles Dickens with The Signalman and A Christmas Carol. Edgar Allen Poe is also another celebrated author of the gothic genre and has written literary classics such as 'The Tell Tale Heart' and 'The Raven' - both of which have been parodied in the Simpsons.

Later in the century Sigmund Freud continued Poe's work however advanced the topics including psychological terms with madness and insanity becoming key genres in this new mode of writing. Popular gothic novels included The Turn of The Screw in 1898, and The Yellow Wallpaper 1899. Another revelation in the horror novel genre was Dracula in 1897 which included sexual themes as well as the psychological and horror.

The First Horror Movies

These previous novels have been transformed into the early classic horror films such as Frankenstein which has had many modern adaptations. Other first horror films include:

• The Golem 1915/1920
• The Cabinet of Dr Caligari 1919
• Nosferatu 1922

Horror films of the 1930's include Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Dracula, Frankenstein, Freaks, The Mummy, King Kong and The Bride of Frankenstein.

Contemporary Horror - The Noughties

Due to horrific terrorist attacks such as 9/11 the world's perspective of what is terrifying altered and horror films became reborn with these new fears. There was even calls to ban horror movies for world peace, but in 2005 the horror genre became as popular as ever. The classic monsters have been replaced with paranormal activities such as 'death' in the final destination franchise, which is seen as an unstoppable force as appose to a disfigured beings.

Horror films of the noughties include:

• Final Destination (2000)
• 28 Days Later (2002)
• Dog Soldiers (2002)
• Death Watch (2002)
• The Grudge (2004)
• Hostel (2005)
• Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
• Wolf Creek (2005)
• Slither (2006)

Also in this time a new phenomenon is Asian horror films which are slower paced, heavy thrills and draw heavily on the spirit instead of a material world focusing on ghosts and curses. They do not have so much of a logical plot which creates an aura of strangeness adding to there appeal. Although not popular yet with a mass audience this sub-genre is steadily growing.

As for the future who knows? Only time can tell...