Arms Erupting From the Grave	In front of a neglected grave, the earth stirs, and a gaunt, clawing hand thrusts forth from the earth's cold embrace. Don't ask me how they do it. Buried six feet deep in a coffin (or even a concrete vault), clawing up to the surface... the undead are coming, and they are great diggers.
First Use	"Die Hand auf dem Grabe," by J. D. H. Temme (1839) details an account of a wayward son in Gro�-Redensleben, who raised his hand to his father around the year 1610. Stuck dead for his sin, he is remembered in the village by a tablet, under which hangs a length of iron chain, from which swings an dessicated ashen grey human hand, cut off at its root. The hand was said to have appeared from the grave itself.
Adaptations	I Bury the Living (1957) invokes the image, while stopping just short of showing a hand pop out. It certainly creates the anticipation of that moment. Perhaps the most famed use is in the shock ending of DePalma's Carrie (1976), which had audiences jumping. Also used effectively in Dan O'Bannon's Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Michael Jackson's Thriller video. We see the whole upward journey in Kill Bill Volume II (2004), although that is not strictly part of the horror genre. I also think Creepshow (1982) used it in the Birthday segment. See also the cover art for The Evil Dead (1981) as a noteworthy adaptation. Perhaps the most unexpected entry can be seen early in Troma's long awaited Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006, but relased in 2009), in which a number of gooey undead arms erupt from the earth, becoming invasively familiar with a young couple.

Arms Erupting From the Walls	If you are in a haunted house and an army of arms don't erupt from the walls and grab at you, then you aren't in a proper haunted house. This wonderful effect is the perfect marriage of surrealistic shock and low-tech implementation.
First Use	Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete (Beauty and the Beast, French, 1945) provided many nightmarish visual innovations, but the most widely used is the image of living human arms erupting from the solid walls, as usual, in a narrow hallway.
Adaptations	Used very memorably in the opening sequence of Romero's Day of the Dead (1985), and creatively adapted in a pit scene in Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986). Also seen in the Michael Jackson Thriller video (at about 11:00 minutes in), and the Portugese I'll See You in My Dreams (2003). The motif also features prominently in the "Wee Chapel of the Dawn" battle from Return of the Living Dead (1985). Perhaps the best stylized use of this device is the seven-foot long zombie arms used by Wes Craven in The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) (which may have been an unconcious homage to Freddy Kruger's long-arm scene in Nightmare on Elm Street. The 2006 film The Slaughter adapted this motif as ghostly arms reaching up out of the floor. Nicely adapted as twitching arms from the ceiling in the 2007 video game Condemned. Even Willie Wonka has been known to use wall-hands as hatracks. Since they are in an isolated house, it is not surprise to see furry arms through the window-boards in Dog Soldiers (200x), an still-satisfying Australian werewolf movie. A staple in just about any zombie movie that ends up with a seige in an old farmhouse, especially if you see folks nailing boards across the doors and windows - Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) uses it with driving gloves in the zombie return of 'Johnny,' who was killed at the beginning of the film. I spoke to Russ Streiner ('Johnny') around 2006, and he said this was a deliberate tie-back to help the audience understand that Johnny was now a zombie, coming for his sister Judy.

Evil Baby	Few things are as universally cute as a baby, so turning one into an antagonist caught everyone off guard at first. Now, the motif has become mundane, stretching all the way to subgenres like demonic possession and juvenile psychos. Maybe this is why W. C. Fields wouldn't work with children.
First Use	Aside from the folklore tradition of changelings, the first film treatment of a baby gone wrong was Roman Polansky's Rosemary's Baby (1968), where the evil stems from the father's side of the family.
Adaptations	Certainly noteworthy is The Omen and it's remake, again featuring the devil's child. Also of note is It's Alive, which introduced the iconic baby stroller. Don't forget the messed up baby in Peter Jackson's Dead Alive either - more of a festering muppet than a realistic depiction of a baby. Wrong Turn 2 - Dead End (2007) featured a horrifically inbred baby - it wasn't necessarily evil, but it was quite nasty.

Premature Burial	This entire motif apparently ties back to genuine concerns of premature burial during Victorian times (in a world before embalming), where the funeral industry briefly held an aftermarket for please don't bury me alive alarm bells and sundries.
First Use	The premature burial motif was articulated best and probably first in several works by Edgar Allen Poe, specifically The Premature Burial (1844), originally published in The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. Yes, this is a literature thing, not a movie thing. Life isn't all horror movies, you know. Go out and read a book.
Adaptations	Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) did a great job with this motif. It appears several times in the Roger Corman adaptations of Poe stories in the 1960s (most notably The Premature Burial (1962) with Ray Milland), and is given new energy in Kill Bill Volume II (2004). I have also heard of a newer film adaptation in a project called Nightmares from the Mind of Poe, but I don't think it made it to production. Premature burial also provides plot climax to The Vanishing (1993) and The Pit and the Pendulum with dear Vincent Price(1963) Premature burial is used very vividly as a torture technique in Broken (2006).

Cannibalism	When you have run out of ways to horrify audiences without mining the supernatural, a little cannibalism can amp up the shock factor. The genre was especially popular with Italian directors in the 1980s. Still, it is worth noting that some supernatural elements (Wendigo, even vampirism) spring forth from cannibalistic acts.
First Use	Generally, the first major use of cannibalism as a theme is attributed to Umberto Lenzi in The Man from Deep River (1972), which layed the groundwork for all of the Italian 'cannibalism in the jungle' films to follow a decade later.
Adaptations	Certainly, Lenzi returned to the theme in Cannibal Ferox (1980, released in the US as Make Them Die Slowly), which has lost much of it's punch over the years (although most available versions are cut by 6 minutes). Also in the genre is Deodata's Cannibal Holocaust (1980) which features many of the same elements (animal killing, jungle locations, and cannibalism). Ravenous (1999)took the genre to the American frontier with style and occasional humor (including the anonymous quote 'Eat me' at the beginning of the film). Certainly the best known participant is Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lechter from Manhunter (1986), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Red Dragon (2002), Hannibal (2001) and Hannibal Rising (2007). Man, he gets around. Fish (2007), which documents the case of serial killer/cannibal Albert Fish, also deserves mention. Although not horror (but a musical), it would be remiss not to mention Cannibal, the Musical (1996)(also known as Alferd Packer: The Musical), and early film from the South Park creators that romanticises the history of Alferd Packer. With music. And a mule. In love.

The Chainsaw Chase	As car chases are to crime dramas and action films, so has the Chainsaw Chase become a staple of horror movies, typically within the slasher genre. Chainsaws are, in fact, pretty heavy. However, I think the biggest fabrication is the way characters in films are able to start a cold saw on the first pull. If only it were so easy.
First Use	Last House on the Left (1972) includes the first chainsaw chase and attack that I am aware of - surprisingly, it is directed at an antagonist. It is surprising that Wes Craven would do it before Tobe Hooper, although it lacks the impact of the latter.
Adaptations	Tobe Hooper ran with the chainsaw in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series (beginning in 1974), and Sam Raimi locked it on in the Evil Dead (1981 to 1992) films . I could expand this to tool killings like The Driller Killer (1979) or either version of The Toolbox Murders (1978 and 2003) but those were more directly influenced by Tobe Hooper, who directed the latter. Never to be outdone is the chainsaw mayhem marking the conclusion of Peter Jackson's Dead Alive (1992) (along with lawnmower mayhem). Don't forget the floating chainsaw that menaces the car in Poultergeist II: The Other Side (1986). The list of adaptations goes on and on.

Scary Clowns	While the term coulrophobia popularly describes an extreme or irrational fear of clowns, it is not a specific psychological term. However, from tramps to joeys, everyone seems to get a little creeped out by a clown. Maybe it is because we cannot see their true face. Maybe it is because of their garish fashion sense. Maybe it is because they are never completely appropriate. Whatever the case, effect is summed up in a quote often attributed to horror legend Lon Chaney - "There is nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight".
First Use	Although more drama than horror, the 1869 novel by Victor Hugo, L'Homme qui rit (The Man Who Laughs) establishes the motif of a mutilated man who performs as a clown. Adapted for film in 1928 film as The Man Who Laughs, the tone is tweaked towards gloomy, horrific effect. Originally planned for as a Lon Chaney roll, this film had a huge budget for its time, and was a major release.
Adaptations	Pennywise sets the standard in Stephen King's IT (published in 1986) - portrayed with loving malice by Tim Curry in the 1990 made-for-tv miniseries. Also fairly nasty is the clown puppet under the bed in Poultergeist (1982), and the surprisingly entertaining Killjoy (2000). Under 'aliens that look just like clowns' are the Chiodo brother's Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), complete with cotton candy cocoons. Of a more serious tone was Clownhouse (1989) which showed just how creepy carnivals (and carneys) can really be. The legendary Tiny Tim appeared as a ukelele playing psycho clown in the much overlooked Blood Harvest (1987) during a reprise of his earlier career. Don't forget Sweet Tooth from the Twisted Metal videogame series and Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (2003). No report on the effectiveness of direct-to-video Dead Clowns (2003) or Clown (2007), but the genre is far from exhausted. A new trilogy of clown-based horror shorts is in the pipe for 2009, but the title escapes me. Interestingly, Cryptomundo reports that 1981 included a wave of sightings of �Phantom Clowns� in vans, trying to kidnap children, apparently from Boston to Kansas City. A brief repeat was reported in Chicago in October 2008.

Comedy Horror	Without shadows, we cannot appreciate the light. Similarly, filmmakers have discovered that horror can be given extra punch if it is mixed with interludes of comedy. Mixing these two genres allows audiences to relax, settle down, and become ripe for the next fright. Often, the addition of comedy makes a film more naturalistic (e.g. Tarantino dialog), adding to its effectivness. Intermingling horror performances with comedy performances can be traced back to the Grand Guignol theater in France, which mixed horror and comedy in stage performances as far back as 1898. Lately, a grim, nihilistic sort of comedy is favored in more intense films to provide better balance.
First Use	The silent 1925 film Dr. Prickle and Mr. Pryde featuring Stan Laurel in title role is the first clear horror comedy mix. Although slapstick and suspense blend in the Bowery Boys films of the early 1950s often seem older, my favorite for full horror-comedy is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) that put big budget comedy horror on the map. Ironically, this was a vehicle to wring a little more profit out of the tiring Universal stable of horror characters, which were becoming less frightening. Perhaps not as scary as it once was, this movie is still a joy to watch.
Adaptations	An early entry in the genre was Roger Corman's The Raven (1963), featuring many of the horror greats (Karloff, Price, Lorre) in a self-effacing vehicle. Don't bother with The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954), as these films have lost whatever charm they once had. In the 1980s, schlock director Mark Pirro brought the world Polish Vampire in Burbank (1985) and Curse of the Queerwolf (1988) with little impact. Perhaps the best example is John Landis' An American Werewolf in London (1981), where the comedy and horror were both top-notch. Also best in class are Army of Darkness (1992), Brain Damage (1988) and Shaun of the Dead (2004), which is a best-in-class comedy horror. Return of the Living Dead (1985) has quite a lot of humor as well. It could be argued that George Romero's heavy irony in Dawn of the Dead (1978) qualifies as comedy - perhaps to some viewers. This irony is attempted in Fido (2006), but less successfully. See also Eight Legged Freaks (2002) and Feast (2005) for healthy horror comedy blends. 2007 brought Botched, which brings mayhem from an occationally rediculous, often terrifying killer in a Russian failed caper formula. 2006's Hatchet benefited from frequent transitions between comedy and horror, and the director (Green) commented on the need to keep the two well seperated within a film, since many purists in horror are generally against the use of comedy in horror films.

Killer Computer Game or Website	As we are inclined to fear the things around us, computer games and the internet behind our glowing screens are the new 'unknown.' Either that, or writers are getting lazy about targeting teenage audiences. After all, the way video game technology keeps advancing, it seems unavoidable that paranormal forces would want to play as well, evidenced by the growing list of well made horror-themed games. Sometime the anonymity of the internet works well to deliver suspense, and the advent of wireless devices could have the antagonist around the nearest corner. Other times, it is just lazy and boring. I have seen the phrase darknet used to describe this subgenre, although it also describes a sneaky networking technique.
First Use	I am still trying to sort this out. The HAL9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was first to bring the uncertainty of sentient automaton to the movies, but those were mainframe days. The thread of computers as a portal for evil was explored in the TV series Millenium with Lance Hendriksen in the 1996 - 1999 timefream, pontentially making it the first real use of this theme.
Adaptations	Early on the map was Dee Snyder's Strangeland (1998), where the anonymity of the internet provided the link to Snyder's freaky Captain Howdy. The 2002 file Fear-Dot-Com effectively presented a horrific website (enter and die), while Stay Alive (2006) presented a nice horrific videogame (play and die - sort of like electronic Jumanji) with Frankie Muniz. In 2005, Hellraiser: Hellworld included Pinhead targeting computer users who had opened a virutal Lament Configuration on a website named Hellworld.com in direct-to-video fashion. 2006 also brought Pulse from Wes Craven, riding the internet to evil. EOF.

Impossibly Elaborate Death Machines	Although this horror genre has been usurped by secret agent movies, there is a rich history of elaborate death machines in horror. Perhaps the difference is that in spy movies, the hero must be able to free themselves from the device; in horror, the exact opposite is typically the payoff.
First Use	Like so many other literary devices (pun intended), Poe is the originator of this genre, in The Pit and the Pendulum, which described a set of devices pitted against the antagonist. Later, Kafka described a cruel death machine in The Penal Colony that causes death in a programatic manner, guided by description of the victim's sins. This 'poetic justice' is a common thread with this genre in horror films.
Adaptations	Used very effectively in Saw (2004) and especially so in its sequels (four at last count), the elaborate death machine is enjoying a major comeback. Pit and the Pendulum made it to the screen in 1961 with Vincent Price. Possible infusion into the Final Destination (2000 and on) movies, which feature 'accidental' Rube Goldberg methods of dispatching cast members. The Abonimable Dr. Phibes (1971) made use of several of these, employing the range from acid drips to locusts. Don't forget the Cube (1997) series, in which the entire set of the film is the killing environment. The first installment was conceived to create tension and thrills with a very modest budget - all the Cube-rooms are actually the same, but they altered the lighting colors between set changes. While not in the horror genre, the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964) is credited with perfecting the elaborate, slow, laser-to-the-crotch death scene. "I expect you to die, Mr. Bond." Good luck with that.

Evil Posessed Doll Running Amok	Just because they are little doesn't mean they aren't lethal. Or creepy. These diminutive golems have been spooking people throughout the history of movies, despite the fact that a well placed kick usually mitigates the threat.
First Use	Tod Browning's The Devil Doll (1936), with Lionel Barrymore, is the first example of this genre I know of. This film used to run on Chicago's Creature Features show in the 1970's. At the time, it gave me nightmares. Browning is also well known for Freaks and Dracula, with Bela Lugosi, although they lie outside of the freaky doll genre.
Adaptations	Following the Devil Doll is the English film Dead of Night (1945), which introduces the malevolent dummy Hugo, and includes a nightmarish segment with Hugo walking unnervingly across a skewed room. In comics, Tales from the Crypt published the story The Ventrilquist's Dummy in issue 28 (February/March 1952), and this was later made into an episode of HBO's Tales from the Crypt series. In Magic (1978) a young Anthony Hopkins explores the dark dummy terrain handily. See also the entire Child's Play series (1988 - 1998), Goosebump's Night of the Living Dummy (and it's sequel), and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror III (1992) segment "Clown Without Pity," in which a Krusty doll is accidentally set to 'Evil.' And don't forget the Zuni fetish doll from the classic made-for-TV 70's movie Trilogy of Terror. Adapted again in Dolls (1987) and the Puppetmaster movies (many with Guy Rolfe), which ran with this theme for Full Moon Entertainment from 1989 to 2004's Puppetmaster vs Demonic Toys. 1995 brought the charm and grace of Gary Busey to life in dough as The Gingerdead Man - slow at times, but good low-budget fun. I also believe there was a British version of The Devil Doll in black and white some time in the early 1960s (checking). Also of note is the basic-cable staple Pinata: Survival Island (2002), where the 'doll' begins small and inanimate before becoming more formidable (and obnoxious). Tongue in cheek blaxploitation film Black Devil Doll is also in the works, with release rumors surfacing in 2009.

It Was All A Dream, You Are Really Just Dead	Whenever a screenwriter has written their characters into a corner, there is only one choice left - the 'nuclear option' of lazy writing: Pretend the whole thing never happened - it was all just a dream! Sure, it is done as a legitimate script vehicle on occasion (as it was originally), but overuse has exhausted the surprise that once came with this device.
First Use	Ambrose Bierce's short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1890) established the theme of developing a story as an increasingly disturbing reality, only to resolve the issue by revealing that the entire plot was a near-death hallucination. Although this is a story, I have seen early use in film, possibly La Riviere du Hibon (French, 1962).
Adaptations	Firstly, let me say SPOILER ALERT, since anything you are about to read will likely give away an awesome trick ending. That said: Jacob's Ladder (1990), Carnival of Souls (1962 and the 1998 remake), the infamouse season of the TV show Dallas, the last season of Roseanne. (I told you they were lazy) Arguement for inclusion could also be made for The Wizard of Oz (1939). More recently, I have seen it used purposefully and well in The Reeker (2005). Some may also argue that the entire Final Destination series falls into this category without ever actually revealing it, but I don't think that was the filmmaker's intent. It's OK to forget Hellraiser 6: Hellseeker (2002) that continues this motif in a cheesy fashion.

First Horror Movie	Everyone loves a spooky tale, so it was not long after the onset of motion pictures that filmmakers tried to create something frightening. Certainly these early films were somewhat crude, but considering that early film audiences had never seen moving pictures before, early frights in a darkened theater must have been pretty overwhelming. Horror films are made for dark places, and there was a lot more darkness over a century ago.
First Use	Early film pioneer Georges M�li�s was the first out of the gate with Le Manoir du Diable (The House of the Devil) (1896) and La Caverne Maudite (The Cave of the Demons) (1898), but I have seen neither of these. Le Manoir du Diable is generally regarded as the first horror film, and at two minutes length it manages to pack in a spooky house, a bat, witches, skeletons, ghosts and the devil. Generally I like to cite Thomas Edison's Frankenstein (1910) as the first real horror film, partially because of the cool creation effect and the singlular Charles Ogle as the monster. Lost for years, this short film was only restored to the public in 1993 after growing publicity of the film's 'lost' status caught the attention of the Wisconsin collector who held the only surviving copy since the 1950s.
Adaptations	Rather than 'adaptations,' I would prefer to cite outstanding early efforts in horror. Foremost is Nosferatu (1922) which shows why nobody does spooky expressionism better than the Germans. An argument may be made against Edison's 1910 Frankenstein, as it was presented specifically to be a morality play, rather than a horror film. Indeed, Edison hyped the film to emphasize its uplifting values: �To those familiar with Mrs. Shelly�s story it will be evident that we have carefully omitted anything which might be any possibility shock any portion of the audience. In making the film the Edison Co. has carefully tried to eliminate all actual repulsive situations and to concentrate its endeavors upon the mystic and psychological problems that are to be found in this weird tale. Wherever, therefore, the film differs from the original story it is purely with the idea of eliminating what would be repulsive to a moving picture audience.� Still, it is a cool 15 minute film with fine effects, and I firmly believes it qualifies as a horror film.

Hellish Geometry	Interdimensional portals have always been a little tricky in movies. Either they are swirling vortexes (ala Poltergeist (1982)) or lame devices that look like a gateway (ala The Gate (1987)) or even lamer devices that look like the turnstyle at a Wal-Mart (Phantasm (1979)). Combining unconventional angles and planar intersections with interdimensional portals requires a symbolic representation that is simple enough for people to understand.
First Use	H.P. Lovecraft began developing the idea in some of his earlier works (The Nameless City (1921)), but the idea did not come to fruition until Dreams in the Witch House (1932) which depends on the use of uncommon geometry to provide intersections between planes of existance. In this story, the odd angles of the ancient house were specifically intended to provide a means for the titular witch to move between dimensions at will, vexing the current occupant. This remains one of my favorite works by Lovecraft.
Adaptations	The entire Hellraiser series (1987 - 2007 so far) owes much to this motif, as the Lament Configuration is a direct descendant of such thinking. Another is the ship Event Horizon (1997), which is kind of "Hellraiser-in-space." Interestingly, I have been told that an offshoot of the Church of Satan developed an entire cult around Lovecraft's odd geometry, called the Order of the Trapezoid. I am far too chicken to check on this, though. Better still, check out the adaptation of the source material, Dreams in the Witch House (Masters of Horror series, 2006), which did a pretty good job of preserving much of the feel of this short story, albeit in a modern translation while adding a lot of new plot elements. The remake of 13 Ghosts (2001) is set in a house that is one big ghost containment/release system, bearing protective inscriptions on the moving wall sections, endlessly reconfiguring itself. Numeric sequences of supernatural nature figure prominently in Pi, but the evil geometry of Cube (1997) is more terrestrial. Some consideration may even be given to the "Pyramid Head" character from the Silent Hill franchise of films and video games, as he evolves into ever more complex symbolic layers of interpretation - and his head is a big wonky pyramid! Strangely drawn symbols that have horrible effect are also central to Stephen King's 1997 short story Everything's Eventual. The shapes themselves are given fanciful names, creating a personal lexicon for the story's protagonist. Yes, please read a book from time to time.

Final Girl	More often than not, it is a girl that survives to the end of the film. Discussion of the effectiveness of this motif suggest that a female provides a better point of empathy from viewers of both genders. Furthermore, by empowering her at the end (with say, a knife phallus) to initiate attack, she achieves a sort of gender crossover, which allows her to overcome the antagonist. Oh, and girls scream a lot better than most guys.
First Use	Possibly Carnival of Souls (1962), but 'survives' is kind of misleading in this case. Reportedly, the term 'final girl' was first used by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (1993).
Adaptations	Possibly the best use is Marilyn Burns in the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), who endures more than most final girls. Jamie Lee Curtis also excells in Halloween (1978), setting the bar high. Don't forget the aggressive androdgynous Ripley in 1979's Alien either - one of the best examples ever. The Scream (1996) film franchise builds off of the cultural awareness of this motif, and is one example of the use of an androgynous name (Sidney) for the final girl - this seems to assist in the crossing of gender perception. Tom Savini's 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead inverts the plot of the original to include the final girl. Behind the Mask (2006), as part of its self-aware horror movie theme, actually identifies the 'Last Girl' (or 'Survivor Girl') part way through the film as a nod to this movie meme.

Exploding Heads	The pinacle of special effects is the exploding head. Firstly, it requires some quick editing to set up the gag. Secondly, the artwork of the head must be good enough not to look fake and spoil the whole thing. Finally, more is better as the charge is blown and kibbles spray.
First Use	Certainly Scanners (1981) did a great job of creating a whole movie about exploding heads. Prior to this, effects and efforts were limited to occasional head-crushing (see H. G. Lewis' 2000 Maniacs! (1965) for a fine early example).
Adaptations	Any time Tom Savini is in the room, heads will 'splode. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978) exploited Savini's talents first, with more in the Day of the Dead (1985) sequel. Big budget allowed heads to explode in the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead as well, usually from high-powered rifle blasts.

Holiday-Themed Horror Films	Anyone who made it through the early 1980's can tell you that every holiday has a corresponding slasher movie. This tissue-thin contrivance ran it's course almost as quickly as it started, which is just as well.
First Use	The success of John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is widely credited with inspiring a gaggle of wanna-be's when the slasher genre needed a boost in the 1980s. Despite the fact that Black Christmas (1974) didn't seem linked to these films, it probably contributed to the whole 'holiday' idea.
Adaptations	Perhaps the best of the imitators were My Bloody Valentine (1981) and New Year's Evil (1980). But don't forget Mother's Day (1980), which had a really nice poster. It might be argued that Bill Murray's darker moments in Groundhog's Day (1993) qualify, but I would be stretching the point. Even Happy Birthday to Me (1981) may have been loosely inspired by this genre. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) made people uncomfortable enough to merit being pulled from many theaters - Santa as a killer just caused too much conflict. Less known is Valentine (2001). Adding a fake adaptation of this genre is the fake trailer for Thanksgiving in 2007's Grindhouse, directed by Eli Roth and including some very over the top violence and a boy who loved his pet turkey. 2009 brought the 3D remake of My Bloody Valentine, which is a better movie than we have come to expect from these drop-kick remakes.

Supernatural Justice	Over the decades, horror films (especially the slasher films of the 1980s) have taken on the role as modern morality plays. Promiscuous or bullying behavior is a fast-track to a memorable on-screen murder, and the virtuous generally survive. Key to this is a sense of supernatural justice, or predetermination in horror plotlines - you will ultimately pay for your transgressions. Often, there is no human judgement rendered - only the supernatural. In other words, if you don't like the characters, you can root for the villain without remorse... which is fun.
First Use	Certainly, Dante's description of Malebolge got it first and best. Within the circles described in The Divine Comedy (roughly 1308), flatterers drown in a river of feces, thieves must constantly (and painfully) steal each other's reptile forms, hippocrites labor in gold-colored robes of heavy lead - you get the idea - for all eternity. It may be argued that Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein (1831) first illustrated the horrific penalty (death of loved ones) for tampering with the mystery of life and death. The German legend of Faust may be considered an early treatment as well; specifically Goethe's well known treatment, first partially published in 1806.
Adaptations	Right off the bat, Friday the 13th (1980) put an arrow through Kevin Bacon's neck just for being a hormonal teen. Conversely, the moral rectitude of Kirsty in the Hellraiser (1987) films armors her in her direct confrontation with the Cenobites, who themselves represent amoral indulgence and avarice. I have little hope of such care rendered in the 2009 remake. Often, the treatment is more heavy-handed, as in the Night of the Demons films (1988, 1994 and 1997 and another 2009 remake), where two dimensional whores and thugs are quickly dispatched. 2009 brought the release of the Friday the 13th remake, suitably released on Friday, February 13th. Apparently supernatural justice dictates that all horror movies will be remade in 2009.

Kids as Monsters	Children are generally not the problem in a horror film - unless you are hiding from the monster and trying to keep them quiet. Using children as a surprise threat is a motif that used to catch audiences off guard, and really only works in supernatural based horror. Unless you count bullies.
First Use	At this point, the earliest appearance of a child-monster is the sick daughter in the basement who becomes a trowel-toting zombie in George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968).
Adaptations	The use of this motif includes some pretty good titles. Stephen King created a horrific kid-at-the-window vampire in Salem's Lot (published 1975) which also worked well in that book's film treatment (1979). He hit it again in Pet Semetary (1989) which featured an incredibly young revenant. That movie led to sequels that included the motif, including introduction of the 'bully from beyond the grave' (Pet Semetary II (1992)) as a scary genre mashup. The remake of Dawn of the Dead (2005) had an incredibly alarming child zombie in its introduction, and 30 Days of Night (2007) had a somewhat scary child vampire as well. For more natural themes, Children of the Corn (1984) set the bar, but don't overlook the troubled young Michael Meyers in Halloween (1978) or its remake (2007). And please ham-fist me if we forget young Regan Macneil in The Exorcist (1973). Demon Knight (1995), the first Tales from the Crypt franchise film, included a kid named Danny who becomes a full-on demon towards the end of the film. An infected child goes nasty in Quarantine (2008) as well, but everyone saw that coming.

You Can't Snuff Kids in Horror Movies, Can You?	It seems that this is one of the firmest taboos in horror films, and for mainstream horror, you could generally assume that the kids would be just fine. This issue is closely tied to the old "dog seemingly killed in act 3 shows up at the conclusion, everyone smiles" motif.
First Use	Innovation honors have to go to James Whale's child drowning scene in Frankenstein (1931), which was cut until 'restored' re-releases beginning in the 1990s. Following that, the first KinterSnuff I recall was in the remake of The Blob (1988), in which a child is consumed just before escaping the sewers. It was very surprising at the time. I have read of a play produced by the Grand Guignol theater in France, entitled L'Horrible Passion in which a nanny strangles the children in her care - this would pre-date even Frankenstein, as the theater was popular in the early 20th century.
Adaptations	Out the same year as Frankenstein is Fritz Lang's M (1931), which includes a child murderer as a central plot element, although understandably, the act itself is not fully realized on film. The Hong Kong film Men Behind the Sun (1988) has never been equalled (thankfully), and became notorious for allegedly including footage of an actual autopsy being performed on a child (shudder). Demon Knight (1995) exploded a kid named Danny just because he became a demon. Recently, I am seeing a greater willingness to include this motif. Jeepers Creepers 2 (2002) opens with a farmboy being carried off by the creeper to certain doom. Project Greenlight's horror film Feast (2005) uses it to an ironic end (the introduction actually makes a reference to the child's apparent guaranteed survival), and Slither (2006) jumps on with two little girls. Apparently this is the new shock needed to take horror films to the 'next level.' Perhaps most disturbing of all is Murder Set Pieces (2004), which includes the murders of several children, one of which occurs brutally on screen without any hesitation. Grindhouse's Planet Terror (2007) gives one child a great reason not to play with guns. Also snuffing it is a child at the beginning of the passable Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). Kicking this motif over the goalposts is Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds (2008) in which a baby is suffered to endure a fantastic airborne end (but it's the landings that really get you).

Proceed to Part 2 of First Frights...