The Craft of Writing Horror: The Horror Film List
The Early Days of Horror : 1896 to 1940
1896: The House of the Devil – Screenplay by Georges Méliès. Directed by Georges Méliès.
1910: Frankenstein – Screenplay by J. Searle Dawley Directed by J. Searle Dawley
1913: The Student of Prague – Screenplay by Hanns H. Ewers Directed by Hanns Heinz Ewers
1920: Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – Screenplay by Carl Meyer Directed by Robert Wiene
1920: The Golem –
1920: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1922: Haxan
1922: Nosfertu
1923: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1924: The Hands of Orlac
1924: Waxworks
1925: The Monster
1925: The Phantom of the Opera
1926: Faust
1926: The Student of Prague – Screenplay by Hanns H. Ewers Directed by Henrik Galeen
1927: The Cat and the Canary
1931: Dracula
1931: Frankenstein
1931: M
1931: Vampyr
1932: Freaks
1932: The Mask of Fu Manchu
1932: The Mummy
1932: The Old Dark House
1932: White Zombie
1933: The Invisible Man
1933: Island of Lost Souls
1933: King Kong
1934: The Black Cat
1935: The Bride of Frankenstein
1935: The Werewolf of London
Next: The 1940’s and 1950’s
The Craft of Writing: Why Strong Female Characters Matter (And Why Most Writers Still Get Them Wrong)
The Craft of Writing: Beyond the Heroine — Writing Nuanced Female Protagonists
John Risner
John Morgan Risner is a screenwriter, novelist, and story analyst, and the founder of Screen Writer Ink. With over a decade of experience teaching screenwriting and filmmaking at the university level, he has helped writers develop stronger stories through a focus on character, structure, and cinematic storytelling. His work spans multiple genres, including thriller, horror, and mystery, with an emphasis on character-driven narratives. He is also a film historian with a deep knowledge of classic and modern cinema, including the James Bond films and novels. Through Screen Writer Ink, he provides writers with practical, experience-based insight into the craft of storytelling—helping them move beyond theory and write with clarity, purpose, and control.
