The history of horror movies is a very sensitive topic for most as fans of the genre have very strong opinions about which ones are good and which ones should be forgotten. You’ll have fans who love the old movies like “The Invisible Man” and “Horror of Dracula” and they swear all the new stuff is boring and not nearly as scary as the older movies. On the other hand there are fans who only like the classics such as the original “Halloween” and original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. I’m here to say that all horror movies have their place and deserve to be watched by everyone, even those who aren’t really a fan of the genre. For this blog I want to take a step back in time and visit some of the older movies and see how they hold up to todays movies. Of course I’ll ignore the camera quality due to it not being nearly as important as the content and plot of the movie.

To kick things off I want to discuss a staple in the horror industry “Nosferatu” directed by F.W. Marnua in 1922. Nosferatu is a black and white silent film about a vampire, more specifically Dracula, and what happens to those who visit him without being welcomed. The Count (Nosferatu) plays with his victims Ellen and Thomas as they stay at his cottage and feast on them as they sleep. Throughout the movie Ellen seems to be put into a trance by the Count, making him irresistible to her. Because of this trance, Ellen wishes to be with the Count and assist him any way possible, even giving up her blood. Luckily at the end of the movie the Count is forever killed off by the sunlight, leaving Ellen free once again.

This movie is a prime example f how to properly use silence in a movie to strike fear into those watching. You don’t need loud sounds and eery music to spook the audience, sometimes all you need is a scary villain and good writing to bring forth that emotion. 

Next week I will be delving into a movie that was made later in time, however, I do not want to spoil what it is so stay tuned for next time!