Classic Horror

Rising from the fertile imaginative soil of Gothic literature, mingled with the dark tonalities of German Expressionism, horror films have been a staple of filmmaking since the early days of the 20th Century. While a perennial crowd-pleaser throughout the years, the particular blend of heart-pounding, peering-through-splayed-fingers gorefests that have come to define our concept of horror was really shaped by the success of a few key independent filmmakers in the 1960's. Following the end of The Production Code in 1964 which banned any film that "lowers the moral standard of those who see it," filmmakers now could indulge the bloodiest, most depraved fantasies they'd been saving up for years.

As is so often the case, there is the little indie-engine that could which emerges from obscurity and proves that a) it's possible to make a great film for peanuts and b) that it can also be profitable which means that c) Hollywood studio pictures won't be far behind. In this case, George Romero's low-budget fave, Night of the Living Dead was the first to make it over the mountain in 1968. Rosemary's Baby, also released in 1968, was likewise produced without studio money. But the movies that really scarred our collective childhoods didn't come into play until the lat 1970's or 1980's. Classics such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street all had a hand in lowering our moral standards and we love them for it. And with new contenders such as Saw and most recently, Exhibit A, joining the fray, expect the thrill ride to continue well into the future! Mwah hah hah haaaaah!