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In the 1930s, iconic monsters such as Universal's Dracula and Frankenstein launch a horror renaissance when they are reintroduced to moviegoing audiences, offering a shared escape from real-world anxieties.

Following World War II, Americans' anxieties evolve into fears around unchecked science, nuclear annihilation, and Communism, aka "the Red scare"; horror filmmakers respond with legendary films like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Blob."

In the 1960s and '70s, horror films reflect the real and intangible change younger Americans demanded; a new generation of auteur horror filmmakers push the envelope with films like "Halloween," "Carrie," "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist."

In the 1980s, 24-hour cable news dominates the threat of new modern terrors; moviegoers embrace iconic slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees; vampire films see a resurgence.

The emergence of cellphones and new technology in the 2000s exposes Americans to new and perpetual terrors; horror filmmakers adapt, and seminal films like "The Blair Witch Project" open new doors; Blumhouse reinvents the genre with new nightmares.