The Age Of Reason » Halloween Guest Post: “Horror Explorer: A Genrelogical Journey”

Halloween Guest Post: “Horror Explorer: A Genrelogical Journey”

BPMP’s good buddy, Jonny Metro from Midnite Media (“That Subterranean Beatnik Bastard”) has been kind enough to let us repost links to sneak peeks from his upcoming gigantic project on the history of the horror movie genre.

Starting waaaay back at maybe the earliest known “horrifying film” (L’Arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat) (The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station), Metro currently has sneak peeks from the first thirteen parts available on his badass blog http://midnitemedia.blogspot.com/

Here are few snippets from the first three sneaks. Thanks to Jonny Metro!

Horror Explorer (Sneak Peek): 1910-1912

Part 1: Georges Méliès

The birth of the motion picture dates back to 1878, when English professor Eadweard J. Muybridge used a network of 24 still photo cameras to capture the gallop of a horse. All 24 images were then strung together and projected onto a screen to give the illusion of movement. This short film, now known asThe Horse in Motion is shockingly short, almost too brief to appreciate, but shown in a loop (as in the case below), one can understand how this concept captured the minds of millions…

Horror Explorer (Sneak Peek)

Part 2: The First Horror Film

The films of Georges Méliès, as discussed previously, were certainly amongst the first to contain fantastical elements and with them a plethora of imagery that can be related to the horror genre. But to call them horror films is perhaps pushing the envelope a bit, as they were obviously made to simultaneously impress the viewer with his trick photography and amuse them with the onscreen comedic antics, but rarely, if ever, to horrify.

Similarly, 1907′s Le Spectre Rouge (The Red Spectre) was a 9-minute short film from France that hearkens back to some of Georges Méliès films. In it, a demonic magician performs his tricks until a good spirit arrives to thwart him. Although not particularly frightening, and really just another example of a director showcasing their special effects, it is quite interesting and entertaining and well worth a look…

Horror Explorer (Sneak Peek)

Part 3: 1910-1912

Following close on the tail of 1909′s The Sealed Room was the silent version of Frankenstein, produced by Edison Studios. This film, running approximately 15 minutes, was the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel and was released on March 18, 1910. It was once thought to be lost, but a print resurfaced in a private collection sometime in the early 1970s. The most startling change from what we are used to is the creation of the Monster. Here, there is no patchwork corpse strapped to a table, no lightning rod with which to give life. Instead, he is grown in a vat in a rather lengthy sequence. The monster that emerges is not familiar to us, as he does not appear similar to any of his other famous film incarnations, but rather like a misshapen cro-magnon with stringy hair and spindly legs…