The history of horror in American culture

What comes to mind when you think of a horror movie? Whether it evokes the classic black-and-white of Dracula and Frankenstein, the schlocky special effects and slashers of the Eighties, or the choppy found footage of the turn of this century, you almost certainly have an idea of what a horror movie is. Both loved and hated, horror is a vast genre spanning over a hundred years in cinema, from creature features to psycho killers, and from the bone-chilling and thought-provoking to the campy and comedic.

Since the early days of cinema, we have had horror movies starting with the 1896 short film The Haunted Castle, believed to be the first. The 1920s and 30s saw the genre really take off, inspired by the gothic literature and classic novels of earlier eras. Early horror mostly focused on gothic mansions and creatures of the night, from werewolves to vampires. Nosferatu, the 1922 silent film, was the first ever to feature vampires as its scare.

The age of Creature Feature, movies with individual monsters as their main attractions, spanned the Fifties. Creature Features such as the original Godzilla and The Creature from the Black Lagoon saw great strides in special effects. The puppetry and practical effects used in these films would inspire filmmakers for years to come. 

With the 1950s came the Cold War and the beginning of the space race in the U.S. Both can be seen in the horror movies of their time. Movies such as The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing (later iconically remade by John Carpenter) speak to the fear of infiltration, of invaders living among us as well as fear of what we may discover as we reach deeper and deeper into space.

The 1960s brought new elements to the genre, with the culture of the Sixties engaging mind-expanding drugs that brought on new and different behavior unrecognizable to previous generations. In horror films. This hitherto unusual behavior took the form of the paranormal. To this day, some of these movies are still considered some of the scariest we have, with lead characters being possessed by something within. 

Like other movies of this bent, Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist terrified and fascinated. They were the first horror movie ever to be nominated for best picture.

The Sixties brought about the era of the psycho killer, a character which would linger in horror for decades to come. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho is one of the most memorable and truly iconic films from this era of horror. 

Significant numbers of the American public were beginning to realize that our own government was in the wrong on a number of issues and were staging protests against it. Evil, people concluded, was not outside but inside. 

Horror movies of the time period showed that killers could lurk around any corner. Maybe outsiders weren’t what we had to fear. Maybe the call was coming from inside the house.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, movies like Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre created an era of horror that would leave its mark on pop culture. Updated news coverage of serial killers as a result of new technologies within the FBI fascinated the public. Filmmakers produced popular franchises like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Horror movies kept up with the times.

Mostly untouched by massive cultural disturbances, the 1990s largely continued the trends started in the Eighties. The Nineties thrived with large, multi-sequeled franchises like Scream and Child’s Play (now more commonly known as Chucky), which often had comedic bends. These low-budget movies marketed to high-school-aged audiences were looked down upon by critics and serious consumers. They remain beloved by many fans of the genre.

With the dawning of the new millennium, the ever-evolving culture and the rising Internet brought new things to be afraid of. With the horrors of real life, such as the September attack, growing every day, the American public sought adrenalin. How far we could go with horror? Could we go bigger? Could we make it gorier? Could we truly shock ourselves? 

Of course we could. Zombie flicks, spanning decades back, took on a new, undead life of their own. Torture-genre movies such as Hostel and Saw (which added another film to its ongoing series on September 29) gained a following.

With the Internet in nearly every home in the U.S., new technologies allowed horror to reach new audiences, enabling new fears. Found footage movies, such as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, brought a modernity that captivated many new viewers for horror.

As our culture continues to develop and new fears make themselves known, new kinds of horror movies continue to be made. With new filmmakers have come new visions. Directors such as Jordan Peele and Ari Aster have gained approbation for a kind of psychological horror film nicknamed elevated horror. New audiences are learning what there is to love about horror. 

To start your horror story this Halloween, view these classic horror movies at your local theater: 

The Others (2001) at the Orpheum in Saugerties on 10/06/23

Hour of the Wolf (1968) at the Orpheum in Saugerties on 10/14/23 and 10/18/23

Horror Hotel AKA The City of the Dead (1960) at the Rosendale Theatre on 10/21/23

Suspiria (2018) at the Orpheum in Saugerties on 10/21/23 and 10/25/23

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) at the Orpheum in Saugerties on 10/28/23 and 11/01/23

The Haunting (1963) at the Rosendale Theatre on 10/29/23

And for brand-new horror movies debuting this October, check out Saw X, The Exorcist: Believer (debuting for the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist), Pet Sematary: Bloodline and Five Nights at Freddy’s.