Horror Behind Horror Openings

Hi again! 

In the last post, I examined two genres that caught my attention.  I have decided on the HORROR GENRE for my Final Portfolio Project. As we already know, horror stories are designed to bring viewers feelings of fear, panic, nervousness, and surprise.

When I started my research, I found an article about the 13 Best Opening Scenes in Horror Movie History, and it gave me a general idea about the importance of those first few minutes to catch the audience's attention:

So, I pick up three scary movies to watch and describe their openings. 

Let's do it! First on my list is the well-known IT.

1.-   IT (2017) by Andy Muschietti

This movie generates tension, anxiety, and a feeling of helplessness from the beginning. The opening sequence is an excellent example of a horror movie. I began my research by watching the scene to refresh my memory and taking notes on the techniques used.

In this clip, you can watch how the opening goes with Georgie leaving the house to play with the boat Eddie, his big brother, made for him. He’s having fun until he falls and gets up to realize his boat is about to go down the sewer. He chases after it, but it is no use. He peeks into the sewer to find it, and that's when he sees him. Pennywise The Clown.

 

One of the techniques that I find amazingly executed here is the low-key lighting around Pennywise while he's in the sewer. The ominous shadow that engulfs his face as he talks to Georgie is so unsettling when he's laughing with Georgie. He suddenly stops and begins to stare blankly into Georgie.

The lighting combined with the asynchronous sound of the rain outside the sewer helps make this one of the most unsettling scenes in horror, knowing what's about to happen to poor Georgie. You feel worse and worse for him, as the shot/reuse shot technique during their dialogue shows Georgie slowly starting to trust the clown, but deep down, knowing some things off. However, he does not want to lose his brand new boat, so he enters the sewer.

That's when Pennywise jumps up from the darkness, revealing his mouth, which is complete with razor-sharp teeth, and digs into Georgie’s arm. He tries to escape, But the clown reaches out and drags him down.

The camera then zooms out and pans to the house across the street, where an old lady comes out after hearing Georgie screams and sees nothing but the pool of blood left behind.

The suspense of this scene, the clown’s deception of Georgie, taking advantage of his innocence, and the pure evil of the clown help make this one of the most popular and well-done horror opening scenes. 

Techniques:

• Lighting and Color: The brilliant yellow jacket Georgie wears emphasizes his innocence against approaching catastrophe by sharply contrasting with the dark, rain-soaked surroundings.

• Camera: the camera moves between Pennywise's disturbing close-ups and Georgie, giving Pennywise an appealing but terrifying look.

• Sounds: Before the attack, Pennywise's voice's gentle, lighthearted tone contrasts with the far-off sound of rain and sinister quiet, generating psychological anxiety.

• Editing: When Pennywise exposes his real nature, stunning the viewer, the action moves quickly from slow pace and tension to terrible images. Cut to cut, fast edition. 

2.-  The Nun (2018) by Corin Hardy

The Nun (2018), directed by Corin Hardy and set in the Conjuring universe, opens with a sequence that sets the creepy, gothic atmosphere and introduces central ideas of religion, horror, and supernatural fear.

The first scene starts with a text stating the location and year of the events and a view of the cathedral. It then cuts to 2 nuns walking in an old cathedral, holding a catholic relic. From the dialogue of the 2 nuns, we can infer an evil entity exists in this cathedral.

You can watch how they cross an area with “God Ends Here” written on a wooden board, confirming our inference. The heavy fog on the floor conveys a message of mystery and suspense. They continue down a narrow hallway until the older nun tells the other nun to stay behind and that she will go and expel this entity from here with the relic.

The younger nun is unsure but does as told and begins praying. As she prays, the camera slowly zooms into the dark area the other nun enters. Crosscutting shots of the nun praying and the dark room where the entity is. Shortly after, she hears a diegetic sound straight from hell and stops praying in fear. The camera turns and begins slowly zooming into the dark room until the nun's hand suddenly emerges into the light. The older nun then comes out, bleeding and in pain. She warns the younger nun that this evil needs a vessel to escape the cathedral and that it will come after her and insinuates that she must kill herself to stop it.

The younger nun says she can't do that, and before she can respond, the older nun is dragged away into the darkness, followed by another other-worldly roar from this demon. The nun runs to another room to hide, where she finds a rope. As she ponders if she really will have to kill herself, another door opens by itself, leading to another long, dark hallway. In a panic, she rushes to an open window, ties the rope around her neck, looks behind her, and sees the shape of a nun coming towards her. The low-key lighting gives it an evil and ominous appearance. The cross on the wall turns upside down, symbolizing that evil is approaching. As the figure gets closer, the small candles are put out in the hallway. Seeing this, the young nun jumps off to her death, hanging herself.

The upside-down cross catches flame, and the camera zooms into the window until we see the demon's reflection as a nun.

Techniques

• Lighting: Dark, with shadows and candles to heighten suspense.

• Sound: music unexpectedly rises, and whispers produce a nerve-wracking accumulation.

• Camera: The use of slow, tracking views and fast jump cuts heightens suspense, notably during the nun's suicide attempt.

3.- PET SEMATARY (1989) by Mary Lambert

The opening of Pet Sematary begins with an extreme close-up shot of a wooden cross. The camera pans slowly upwards, and simultaneously zooms out, revealing multiple crosses, revealing this is a cemetery. Eerie music is played in the background, letting us know this is not normal.

It then begins focusing on specific crosses, as children's distorted, non-synchronous voices read the names on the crosses, saying goodbye to them. The camera then zooms out, and reveals the entrance, with "Pet Sematary" written on it. 

This opening scene, while not as suspenseful as the other 2, focuses more on hinting that this innocent pet cemetery, obviously made by children, is not as innocent as it seems. Its slow movements, eerie music, and distorted children's dialogue also help infer something wrong with this. 

Techniques: 

The movie starts with a relaxed aerial pan across "Pet Sematary," setting a dark and frightening mood.

• Lighting and Color : Dark greens, browns, and grays, combined with natural lighting and a muted color palette, help to accentuate the surroundings' poor and decrepit atmosphere.

• Sound: Before any horror occurs, distorted whispers, rustling leaves, and distant animal cries create an alarming, strange suspense.

• Camera: The camera goes across the cemetery, pausing on hand-made pet gravestones, gently creating anticipation and discomfort.

• Editing: Slow Dissolves and Fades. The opening uses smooth transitions between shots, creating an ominous atmosphere as the camera moves through the cemetery.

Analyzing these three openings, I can conclude that they all have the necessary characteristics to be classified as a horror genre. 

1.-  The storyteller's ability to keep the audience in suspense throughout the film's first few minutes creates an atmosphere of suspense and terror. 

2. Similar techniques are used, such as camera angles where close-ups are constantly used to highlight the protagonists' expressions of terror. 

3.- The use of suspense sounds, music,  and silence to generate an uncomfortable feeling that something will happen. 

4.- The Unknown constantly surprises the audience.

5.- The use of a slow transition edition to go through a fast cut-to-cut when some unexpected outcome occurs, such as the death or disappearance of a character. 

In addition, it should be noted that this genre tends to produce sequels. These three options, which I included, are the first in a series of films set with the same themes.

Sources

https://scadrenderq.com/2023/10/the-nun-review

https://suddenlyashotrangout.com/2018/10/14/pet-sematary-1989/

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-nun-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCRH9SLfNzY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8G3Xm6hQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJWJ6RP55nU

https://movieweb.com/best-opening-scenes-in-horror-movies/