Introduction:

1. Hook – Vampires. Mummies. Werewolves… These are all staples in horror movies. Yet, are they as scary as they once were?
2. Background – Since the dawn of cinema, horror films have been an influential part of the American movie experience. From Stephen King’s 1980 The Shining, to the 2019 hit movie It, horror has dragged in massive audiences due to one’s desire to get spooked. However, the source of the horror in films has changed dramatically, as in the past, external threats flashed across the big screen while today, less obvious, more internal thrills daunt audiences across the country. 
3. Thesis – Horror films induce fears within the audience through basing terrors on societal fears that change with the times. 

Body:

1. Historical Background 

• 1898: George Millies → first example of a horror film complete with cauldrons, animated skeletons, ghosts, transforming bats and, ultimately, an incarnation of the Devil (wondrous ideas, not scary).
• 1900 to 1920: The Literary Years → supernatural themed films (ex. Frankenstein)
• 1920s to 30s: The Golden Age → Freaks, highly disturbing film
• 1940s to 50s: The Atomic Years → “disaster” movie genre (Godzilla)
• 1960s: The Gimmicky Years → American appetite for gore
• 1970s, 80s, and 90s: The Slasher Years → religious evil, relentless hunting down of characters
• 1990s: The Doldrums → computer generated affects… zombies, gore, realistic
• Present Day → lots of reboots, remakes, and endless sequels of past movie hits

1. Cause of Change?

• Hotel Transylvania → children’s movie based off of past societal fears
• How fears are developed → predispositioned/society forces certain fears upon us 
• Fear of the unknown
  • Jaws: know a shark is bad, but the element of surprise as to where it is in the water
  • The Exorcist or The Conjuring: ritualistic/religious unknown, element of surprise within the supernatural
• Horror films reflect society’s collective anxieties throughout the decades, holding a mirror up to contemporary concerns 
• Movie sets represent an artificial reality, distorted landscapes reflecting the interior state of the characters or the emotional themes of the story rather than natural locations

1. People’s desire to get spooked

• Feeling afraid vs. excited
• Willing to endure the terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end
• Sense of accomplishment/bravery at the end
• “Happy to be unhappy”

Conclusion:

1. Developments of horror movies has changed over time due to the ever changing fears society induces among its citizens
2. Fear of the unknown is constant, just a different way of delivering 
3. Things that were once scary are now mocked within children’s movies or comedies
4. People will always have a desire to get spooked – sense of accomplishment

How Horror Movies Have Changed Since Their Beginning