Horror movies may have been around since the silent era of the late 1800's but it wasn't until the mid fifties that the British got in on the act, becoming very successful.Hammer Horror Productions was thrust into the limelight, and led the way, when it came to the horror genre and the British.In 1957 the production company released The Curse of Frankenstein which marked the beginning of the Gothic revival both here and in America.Upon release the levels of violence and gore were heavily criticised, but it went on to be Hammer's first worldwide hit.Revamped version of Dracula and the Mummy both went on to enjoy massive box office success as well as making international icons of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.More companies like Amicus and Tigon began filming, producing and releasing horror movies in an attempt to cash in on the genre's success.
Throughout the sixties Hammer expanded the Dracula,Frankenstein and Mummy series, adding several films to each.
But the seventies saw the success of the Hammer films begin to diminish as the Americans brought a new type of horror movie to the big screen.
Directors such as Tobe Hooper and Wes Craven, instead of focusing on monsters from novels, focused on real life monster, the monsters lurking inside human beings, in society with films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Last House on the Left.
But the British matched them releasing The Wicker Man before Ridley Scott took it a step further with Alien and the threat of the unknowns of space.
As the eighties came and went fewer British horror movies were made and cinema go-ers had to be content with American imports such as The Omen and Friday 13th.
However in recent years British horror is once again on the up.
And it was Trainspotting's Danny Boyle that led the way with the small budget and unknown cast format of 28 Days Later that would become standard practice for British horror.
28 Days Later was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and movies like Dog Soldier and The Descent soon followed.
But with the birth of what is affectionately been labelled the 'zom com' the face of British horror changed again.
The release of Shaun of the Dead, with Simon Pegg, mixed horror and laughs as the film is a zombie-themed romantic comedy.
Despite it's modest $4 million budget Shaun of the Dead went ion to gross $30 million and enjoyed critical success on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Cottage is released 14th March
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw