A bit of background of the horror genre from 'Monster and Horror Movies' by Thomas Aylesworth

As a lot of our stronger ideas have been leaning towards the horror genre in one way or another I have decided to just provide some background research into the actual genre around the time period 30's - 60's to identify what was popular and what could be useful to work into our story.

Examples

• Always been some sort of Monster hanging around as a sort of fear symbol into the minds of people.
• Just before 1930, Horror stories were creatures of Prehistoric origin such as the early 'Lost World'

The Lost World (1925)

• This later led to Kong and Godzilla as missing link symbols and symbolised as destructive gods
• The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 1954 was a beginning of a hybrid mash, in this case half man, half fish
• rubber suit

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

• A lot more low budget horror movies in the 50's such as It came from Beneath the Sea, a giant octopus - mutated by atomic radiation and attacks San Francisco, another example: The Abominable Snowman

It Came From Beneath the sea

• Also in the 50's were films of experiments gone wrong and one example is Tarantula (1955), a spider treated by serum and grows to a weight of 50 tonnes title creature was a result of effective matte photography
• The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) - "best effects of radiation films of all time" - Pg 34

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

• The Attack of the Crab Monsters - idea of creatures absorbing it's victim's minds and sending out telepathic messages to survivors and lure them to destruction

 The Attack of the Crab Monsters

• A lot of giant atomical insect films 'The Monster that changed the World" a giant caterpillar and "The Deadly Mantis" - Praying Mantis
• Gorgo (1960) - monster with maternal instinct destroying most of the city to rescue her baby



 The Deadly Mantis

Man-made

• Most well known is Frankenstein "Modern Promethus" created in a lab, scientist taking on a parental role over his creation
• Golem made from clay and mud, everyday becomes bigger and heavier, idea of growing in form

  Frankenstein

The Human Fiend

• Popularity of crazed doctors doing strange thing to plants, animals and humans
• Individuals forced to hide away and carry out their ambitions
• The Island of Dr Moreau
• The Fly - accidentially achieveing a horrific result