Notable Horror Novels Made Into Films: The Earlier Days

Hello again everyone! I was looking at my blog and I noticed something. I had not addressed anything related to horror films whatsoever, except maybe for The Rite with Anothony Hopkins.

This point brings me to this entry. I thought it would be cool to share what great horror novels had been made into movies throughout the years. :)

The first one I would like to note is Bram Stoker's infamous novel published in 1897 Dracula. This book has been made into various films ever since the silent film was used to show in theatres. There was Nosferatu (above), a film which was an unauthorized adaptaion in the early 1920s.  Of course later on, the infamous director Francis Ford Coppola took on the project of Bram Stoker's Dracula starring Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins, and Winona Ryder in 1992.

The second one I would like to bring up is the novel Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, published in 1818, by Mary Shelley. The earliest film of Frankenstein came out in 1931 and starred a great actor back in the day named Boris Karloff. Another adaptation came out in 1994 starring Kenneth Branagh (who also directed the film), Helena Bonham Carter, and Robert DeNiro. Of course there have also been spinoffs, sequels, and the like with films such as The Bride of Frankenstein.

The next film you're probably thinking of me mentioning would be the werewolf right? Although there have been SOOOO many films with the werewolf as the villain/hero or whatever, this creature has been put into films because of mythology, NOT one said book like the previous two. However, Stephen King did write a novel called Cycle of the Werewolf in 1983 (in which the 'limited edition hardcover book was released) and 1985 (when it was sold for the masses in paperback).

Before we move forward in time here, I want to backtrack for one novel I think is worth noting. Published alongside Dracula in 1897 was H.G. Wells' novel The Invisible Man. Most of you are probably wondering, 'Does this novel really belong in the horror genre?' My rationale is this: In 1897 I'm assuming society is very rigid and thus most, though not all, novels are probably about how ladies and gentleman of high class should act and so on and so forth. For someone to think of a man who is invisible and can essentially do what he want without consequence, well that is freaky. I mean, who knows if he is a homicidal maniac or a rapist? Anyway, the first adaptation of this film came out in 1933 and was a hit from Universal Pictures as well as a hit under the direction of director James Whale (who also directed Frankenstein). Another adaptation of the novel is set to be released in 2012, so says Wikipedia. . .

I am...THE INVISIBLE MAN!

One more novel I would like to recognize is Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, aka The Phantom of the Opera. This novel was published from 1909-1910 as a serialization and it was authored by French novelist Gaston Leroux. The first film adaptation for this story came out as a silent film in 1925 directed by Rupert Julian. In 1986 Andrew Lloyed Weber took the story and made into a musical that has been airing on Broadway since 1986 and is now known as the longest-running musical there. Director Joel Schumacher directed the 2004 adaptation starring Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, and Patrick Wilson.

Well everyone that's all for now. Stay tuned because next week I will continue my tirade on horror novels being made into films. . .  Mwahahahahahaha!

Who do you pick? [I pick Gerard cause he's sexy ;)]

This Phantom         VS                    This Phantom