Research into the history of thriller films- Miss Georgiou

Research into the history of thriller films.

Introduction.
The thriller genre uses the idea of suspense, excitement, anticipation and terror to keep the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. Thrillers are sometimes similar to mystery stories but are distinguished by the structure of their plots. In a conventional thriller, the hero sets out to stop the  plans of an enemy rather than uncover a crime that has already happened.

Time line of change in thrillers.
1923.
Safety last was the first ever thriller film made. It was directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, and written by Hal roach, same Taylor, Tim Whelan, H.M. walker, Jean c. Havez, and Harold Llyod (information from http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/69797/History-of-the-Thriller-genre/#vars!panel=636139!). Safety last was the first thriller film ever made so, every film after it that is classed as a thriller has some similar conventions to it.

1927.
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog: this film was Alfred hitchcocks' first thriller film and it was based on a real life event. this film is recognised as the first of its kind and it helped to shaped the thriller genre into what it is now.


1931
M was a German drama-thriller directed by Fritz Lang, it was Lang's first sound film and became a classic. the use of sound in thriller films is very important to create the conventional suspenseful atmosphere that is still popular today.

1951
Strangers on a train: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a train is about two train passengers: tennis pro Guy and Bruno who staged a battle of wits and traded murders with each other. This film was the first thriller film made by Alfred Hitchcock in what some say was his 'peak years' and it is still one of his most recognised films.

1960
Psycho initially received mixed reviews, but outstanding box office returns prompted a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four Academy Award nominations. Psycho is now considered one of Hitchcock's best and most recognised films, and this film had a big impact on how thriller films were made and it raised the bar for other thriller films. the narrative included a serial killer that had a strange obsession, which started a trend in the thriller genre.

1989
Phillip Noyce's Dead Calm was a psychological thriller. This films narrative was based around a mass-murderer getting help from others in the middle of the ocean and betraying them and stealing the couples boat and taking Rae, Johns wife hostage. this films narrative was clever and engaging for all audience. This thriller had conventions that had not previously been popular like obsession and trapped victims who must find a way to escape the clutches of the villain – these conventions helped influence more thrillers in the following years, the early 90's.

1991
The Silence of the Lambs was a widespread success. The film has been recognised as a classic alongside films like, Psycho, and Halloween. the silence of the lambs broke away from a popular theme of the late 1980's and early 1990's that was obsession and it used another popular theme of detectives and police forces hunting down serial killers and murderers.

1995.
Seven was a majorly successful thriller film written by Andrew Kevin Walker, directed by David Fincher, it made over $327 million dollars in the box office and received many positive reviews. Seven further continued the trend of police hunting down serial killers. the use of a serial killer with his own message or morals, which were about the 'seven sins' gave this film unique edge against other thriller films at the time and other films such as 'SAW' have use a similar narrative since.

2009
The Last House On The Left. The last house on the left is a modern remake of a classic thriller film. To cut the repetitiveness in modern thriller films that usually have a theme of obsession or a Detective hunting a murderer, there are a number of recent thrillers that maintain some aspects of the horror genre; having more gore, terror and body counts.

Task 2.
This is a list of the top 10 thriller film of all time, according to the money it has made.

1. Hannibal
Hannibal is the highest grossing thriller film of all time which grossed $165,092,268 in 2.292 theaters. Released in 2001 it made $58,003,121 on its opening release. Hannibal is the sequal to The silence of the lambs, and features some of the original characters. This film was set at the target audience was late teens and adults, as the marketing for the film was made to appeal to this age group.
2.The slience of the lambs.
This is the second most highest grossing film of all time grossing in at $130,742,922. And on release date in 1991 earned $13,766,814. The film is a prequel to Hannibal.  The plot follows the story line that a U.S trainee, seeks the advice of Dr. Lecter to imprison a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. Dr. Lecter played by Anthony Hopkins. The target audience for this film is the also late teens and adults.
3.Basic Instinct
Despite initial critical negativity and public protest, Basic Instinct became one of the most financially successful films of the 1990s. Basic Instinct opened in theaters in the United States and was one of the highest grossing films of 1992, after its March 29 release. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $15 million. It was the fourth highest-grossing film of 1992, grossing $352,927,224 worldwide. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes.

4. Seven
The newly transferred David Mills (Brad Pitt) and the soon-to-retire William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are homicide detectives who become deeply involved in the case of a sadistic serial killer whose meticulously planned murders correspond to the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, and envy.
The film was released in the United States on September 22, 1995. Grossing $327 million at the box office internationally, Seven was a commercial success, and received positive reviews from most critics.

5.Red Dragon
Red Dragon is a 2002 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris novel of the same name, featuring psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It is a prequel to both The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Hannibal (2001). Red Dragon grossed $93,149,898 in the United States and Canada and $116,046,400 overseas. In total, the film has grossed $209,196,298 worldwide.

6. Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film, a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw franchise, directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman. Saw II was released on October 28, 2005 and, despite negative reviews from critics, was a financial success, with opening takings of $31.9 million and grossing $88 million in the United States and Canada. It has remained the highest grossing Saw film in those countries.

7.Saw III
Saw III was released on October 27, 2006 and was a financial success, opening to $33.6 million and grossing $80.2 million in the United States and Canada. It is the highest-grossing film of the series in the international market with $84.6 million and the highest-grossing film in the series with $164.8 million worldwide. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

8. The bone collector
The Bone Collector is a 1999 thriller film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Martin Bregman. The bone collector has made $151,493,655, the film had mixed reviews.

9.Saw IV
The film grossed $63,300,095 in the United States and an additional $71,228,814 internationally, bringing the theatrical total to $134,528,909. The review were negative but the film was still a major success.

10. The cell
The Cell is a 2000 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Tarsem Singh, and starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film has made $104,155,843, and some positive reviews.

 

 

Summary.
The films I have researched have shown me how the thriller genre has changed, from a silent black and white film, to multi-million dollar productions. the narrative of the films has also changed over different times and what the themes throughout different decades were. I have noticed what a massive influence people like Alfred Hitchcock has had and the successful films he has made.
The research I have made has helped me understand what conventions are popular in thriller films and what popular plots entail. I feel that this will help me when creating my own thriller opening scene. Specifically the way suspense has been focused on in the thriller genre is being developed all the time and it has changed since early thriller films, as new technology has aloowed film producers to add suspense to films easier, for example films can add specific sounds and soundtracks to their films, which wasnt avalible to early thriller film producers.
The target audiences for the films in the list above are all adults and late teens, the marketing for all the films were expensive campaigns and they were successful, as some of the films on the list didnt have the best reviews but they made the most amount of money, they done this by targeting their audience and making it avertising to them.