It's About The Music, Man

   To me, one of the most essential parts of any movie of any genre, is the music. I'm a bit of a music nerd in my everyday life, and the music featured in a film will most likely be my biggest takeaway from the experience. Whether it's a feeling of wonder (the Spider-man: Into The Spider-verse soundtrack; God I cannot gush about that album enough), to playful derision (me and my friends laughing about Eminem's feature on Venom), music in a film can often become the main emotional driver in the story. However, music is often put to the wayside in horror movies. It has become a simple equation. High strings+loud noises=scares. And that's a bit too simple for me/ There are other, very scary kinds of music I can draw upon to deliver the chills. 

 I know I've already mentioned the Into the Spiderverse soundtrack, but The Prowler's theme manages to send chills down my spine, even devoid of the context of the villain it accompanies. The klaxon sounding creates a claustrophobic air, as panic starts to set in. It conjures up images of a nuclear attack, some kind of impending disaster that is much bigger than any single slasher villain with a machete. The idea of dread, more than the feeling of simple fear, is one that I'd like to capture. And a very effective way for me to do this is through music. 

  Therefore, for this film opening, the route I'd like to go is closer to this then say, the Jaws theme. Perhaps, as opposed to the usual strings and orchestra, something more mechanical might add to the general vibe that I'm going for, as it could seem more foreign, more alien. 

I'm Back, Y'all

   I'm sure all the readers of my blog have been waiting with bated breath for my return. Well, worry no more, cause here I am. Granted, it's because it's the third quarter, which means its now Foundation Portfolio time. So, in the spirit of the season, hi Mrs. Marchetti, and hi Cambridge grader. 

   I've given my project a lot of thought in the time since my last post. Mostly, that means I've moved away from my previously picked genre, the black comedy, and have become more interested in straight up horror. Some horror movie openings that I've watched have been very insightful, giving me lots of good ideas, definitely more than is possible to squeeze into a two minute video. One of the foremost ones is the opening to the 1996 movie, Scream, dir. by Wes Craven. 

   I really appreciate the ways that Wes Craven plays with the "rules" of the classic horror movie, turning it on its head with a self aware killer, and referential discussions of other horror movies. But it is also emblematic of the first type of horror movie openings. These openings involve a killer stalking a person who we have not fully been introduced to, and, for the most part, serves as an audience surrogate who, like us, is unaware of what lurks in the night. 

   However, the second type of horror opening is a bit more interesting. This one sets up the main villain, since I am focusing on slasher flicks, by looking at an origin story, quickly setting up why the villain is the way they are. An example of this would be the first scene in the movie Carrie, dir. by Brian de Palma, in which the titular Carrie gets her first period during gym class. When her classmates notice, they mistreat her horribly, obviously causing her great mental anguish. The popping of the light bulb is just a small glimpse of the power that Carrie will eventually wield, and also sets up the mix of repression, mistreatment, and raw, unbridled strength that makes up the majority of Carrie's character. 

   For me, the villain is always the most interesting character of any horror movie. All the slain cheerleaders and jocks are pretty much replaceable, but a great villain can really make or break a movie, and, indeed, and entire franchise. Therefore, for my opening, I'd rather focus on the villain/slasher, and I would like to start my movie with the circumstances that twist them and turn them to darkness. While I'd like to go a less stereotypical route for a origin story, the conventions of trope, such as child abuse or revenge, are a good place to draw inspiration from,because of the near ubiquity of their base emotions.