Hello Inky Buds and Happy Halloween! Today, I thought it would be fun to talk about something pretty significant on Halloween. Horror! Whether it's horror movies, art, or books, we all love it, and it is a huge part of Halloween today. Today I will write about some of the pinnacles of horror and how it shaped us today. This includes pieces of art, books, and yes, movies. It's going to be a spooky ride so hold on to your skivvies!
When you think of 'horror' what comes to mind? You probably think of skeletons, witches, and all the creepy monsters that go bump in the night. Horror has become a big part of our entertainment, especially around October. Who doesn't love a good thrill or scare? Well, you have many things to thank for the genres and influences of horror we have today.
It is said that the Ancient Greeks and Romans were some of the first to explore the horror genre. Some of the firsts were the Greek tragedy Hippolytus by Euripides and Parallel Lives by Plutarch. These were plays or books and marked the beginning of the horror genre. Not only did they have these plays, but the Romans entertained themselves by watching macabre gladiator battles, which made humans fight against wild animals, preferably carnivorous and lethal ones. These battles took place in the famed Roman Colosseum.
Many people sat and watched these battles as a form of family entertainment. I can only imagine the things children saw.
During the Middle Ages, people were very religious, these were about the times that people were most superstitious. Think the Salem Witch Trials, but every day. People would make paintings of the devil and things like skeletons and demons. The purpose? To scare people out of committing sin.
Around that time all over the world, people had their own conceptions of Hell, and all kinds of monsters and ghouls. For example, the Japanese had yokai, which were supernatural entities that were both benevolent and malevolent. Yokai literally translates to 'strange apparition.' Many are somewhat recognizable like the kappa, which is an evil turtle-like demon that ate people and consumed their life force through their anus. You've probably heard of this one: zombies. They actually originated from Haiti, it was believed that a voodoo priest, or a Bokor. He would use a potion or brew made of the poison from a pufferfish. This Bokor would then make the already-dead person take the potion, who would then do his bidding. All the monster and demons from different folklore eventually made their way into entertainment in all forms. Many books have been written in the honor of these entities. There are many authors in history who contributed to the horror genre of writing. One of the most famous is Edgar Allan Poe. He is known for his positively macabre tales. He is known for The Raven, The Tell-tale Heart, Fall of the House of Usher, and many more horror works. It is unfortunate that he didn't reach fame until after he died.
I'm sure you've heard of Dracula. The famous 'prince of darkness' known for his cape and blood-sucking tendencies. His story starts in a Gothic horror novel of the same name written by Bram Stoker. Dracula is one of the most portrayed characters ever. There are many movies dedicated to him and include him as a character. Many of the most well-known monsters of horror originated in books as well. Mary Shelley was the author of Frankenstein, the big, tall lumbering mass of human remains brought to life by electricity. He is a well-known face as well and is also in many movies.
Later on, as the books grew in popularity, there were many movie adaptions of them. One of the first ever movie to launch the horror genre was Nosferatu. The silent film released in 1922 with a vampire named Count Orlok as the main antagonist. Later on in 1931, the first ever Dracula movie adaption hit the silver screen. The Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi portrayed the titular character. This marked the beginning of a new era of movies.
After Dracula, the following decades were chock full of horror fun. Movies like The Wolfman (1941), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), The Mummy (1932), and The Night of the Living Dead (1968) also made their debut in the last century. While these movies probably don't have the same frightful response as they used to, they are still nice to watch as horror movies progress further. After the 50's, I believe that's when horror films and books really took off. Many of the greatest horror classics are from the 70's though the 90's. Stephen King is one of the most famous authors to date for good reason. He really fed into the horror genre with his novels. Some of the most famous horror movies are adaptions of his books. Carrie (1974), The Shining (1977), Misery (1987), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), Pet Sematary (1983), Christine (1983), and many more have made their mark in the horror hall of fame.
As time marches on, the horror movies become more gruesome and realistic. In the 21st century, horror movies changed up from the ghouls and spookies of the 20th century. They became more involved with psychopaths and sadistic killers. Some horror movies are even based on actual serial killers. Gacy and Dahmer are examples of this. Now, there have been remakes and reboots of many movies, made into better quality, special effects, and CGI. Horror movies come in all different types and there has been more types as the years go by. There are slasher films, which are films that involve a killer stalking and murdering people like Friday the 13th and Halloween, splatter films with excessive gore like Cabin Fever, zombie horror like Dawn of the Dead and the list goes on. Horror isn't defined by one type anymore. It is made of many sub-genres that hold up the horror genre. Whether you enjoy some monster movies, psychological horrors that mess with your head, or just a good zombie movie, it's all the same. You have many things to thank for the development of horror movies, it might be a book, a folktale, or just some bored Romans.
Horror is one of my favorite genres of books and movies. I love the horror we have now, but I enjoy watching some of the classic horror movies just to see how far we've gone.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this post, and I hope you've learned something today. I know I learned about a lot!
Have a safe and happy Halloween Inky Buds and enjoy your November! đđđŚđ
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Further Readings to Read Alone in the Dark:
What a great read! Keep them coming Inky Rose.