H: Horror cinema
Among the various "genres" of cinema, horror deserves a prominent place. First of all because its birth coincides fairly with the advent of cinema between the end of the 800th and the beginning of the 900th century and then because it has always maintained relevant positions with respect to other genres. Its birth is dated with a 3-minute short film signed by George Méliès from 1896 where the specific characters of this genre were not yet well defined: the monster, fear of the unknown, the supernatural, closed and claustrophobic environments. Soon, these characteristics will mix with science fiction and thriller genres.
The cinematographic cornerstones of horror are taken from important works of Anglo-Saxon literature ranging from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (from which the first film with Boris Karloff was inspired in 1931) to Bram Stoker's Dracula passing through The strange case of Doctor Jekill and the Mr. Hide by Robert Louis Stevenson without forgetting the stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The heyday of horror was around the 60s and early 70s when titles such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers in 1956 with the signature of Don Siegel and the masterpiece of Alfred Hitchcock, Psyco from 1960. To be remembered as a cornerstone of the modern horror genre in 1968 Night of the Living Dead by George A. Romero and Rosemary's Baby by Roman Polanski. In Italy the era of Dario Argento begins with Profondo rosso from 1975. The great productions arrive on the international scene with Alien by Ridley Scott from 1980 and in the same year Shining, signed by Stanley Kubrick.
We arrive in recent years where the horror genre joins the wave of video games with which a path of mutual inspiration is intertwined: resident evil and Final destination among the best known.
Werner Herzog: director of great, suggestive and exciting visions, always with reference to the landscapes, to the challenges of nature, perpetually poised between cinema and documentary. The film that brings him to international prominence is Aguirre, the Wrath of God of 1972 with the actor who will often be the protagonist of other works by him: Klaus Kinski. This will be followed by Nosferatu, the prince of the night from 1979, a remake of Mornau's masterpiece, and his masterpiece: Fitzcarraldo from 1982, winner of the Cannes Best Director Award, an epic story where a man wants to build a theater in the Amazon jungle. "Those who dream can move mountains" was the manifesto in the production of his works which in the following years concerned not only cinema but also theater and television.
Alfred Hitchcock: already from his debut, in 1926, he immediately puts his stylistic figure in sight that will accompany him in all his productions. He is one of the inventors of the thriller genre, where the characteristic elements are growing tension, fear of the unknown and pathos. Up until the 50s he didn't miss a beat with a long line of interesting titles up to the climax of Notorious, from 1946, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, perhaps one of his best known masterpieces. Other important titles will follow such as The perfect crime and The window on the courtyard of 1954. Since then "the master of the thrill" perfects and develops his art in crescendo in telling the intrigue, the turbid, the mystery and titles such as International intrigue, The woman who lived twice up to another of his masterpieces: Psycho from 1960. The synthesis of his infinite production arrives in 1963 with Birds, which will be followed by other works that will not have the same success.
Hollywood: milestone of world cinema. It was born around the end of the 800th century around Los Angeles and found its fortune in the mild climate of California which allows filming for the whole year and thanks to the different state legislation which allows it to escape censorship. Soon the great American directors like CB De Mille and Europeans like Chaplin arrive. Then almost all the great directors of the century will follow to arrive at the great productions signed by the various Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg.
