Supernatural Horror openings: The Devil Inside (2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDGxt1aiBJ8 

(The link above has the video for the opening scene. Unfortunately the video couldn't be found when i wanted to put it into the blog).

Box Office (gross) : $101, 386, 096

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Studio: Insurge Pictures, Prototype

Critical Acclaim: Won Best Horror at the Golden Trailer Awards and the BMI Film Music Award at the BMI Film & TV Awards.

Key Characters/ Stock Characters

In the opening we are introduced to the antagonist however not the protagonist. In a majority of horror openings this is the case e.g. the woman in black where we do not see the protagonist. Other than the antagonist being introduced through the phone call made at the start of the clip, we are also introduced to several other stock characters. The first stock character can be heard on the phone call whilst other stock characters make up the police/crime scene investigation team. Another stock character plays a victim. 

Narrative/ Stock situations

In this clip we are first given contextual detail into the the fact that the film is going to show Roman Catholic exorcisms. The phone call followed by the police investigation which has been filmed as the stock characters move through a house establishes that the antagonist is a killer, most likely to be possessed by a spirit because an exorcism will take place. Ordinarily, horror movies show people getting killed which has already happened in this film. We are made to understand that there will be more than one exorcism taking place, perhaps with the same spirit.

Genre Iconography

Typical of horror movies, the opening of this film includes blood which makes up part of the iconography. However the film opening doesn't  include many more symbolic iconography associated with horror. Nevertheless, the use of the blood is still effective in putting across the genre as blood and gore can be associated with horror movies.

Themes of genre

There are several themes associated with horror that can be picked from the film. One of which includes unknown where we are given an unknown being with whom has unknown intentions.The film stimulates a fear of the unknown because we are made to wonder as to how the antagonist killed the victims in the clip. Furthermore, the theme of creature from the beyond is present since the film looks into exorcisms which involves expelling a demonic spirit/host from a body from which isn't human and therefore a force from beyond. Additionally the film uses the theme of a fake documentary where the protagonists document there findings via videos. In quite a few horror movies associated with exorcisms and supernatural beings we find the theme, fake documentary, most prevalent.

Score

In this clip non-diegetic music plays in the background as we see text establishing that the film is linked to Roman Catholic exorcisms yet not those of which have been 'approved' by the Vatican. When the date appears, the music fades out. We then hear the diegetic sound of a phone line where the antagonist talks with a stock character explaining that she has murdered 3 people. Once the 'scene' ends the diegetic sounds of police sirens can be heard which changes to the muffled sounds of police talking through walkie talkies, as well as the shuffling of feet and diegetic sound of cameras flashing. With the use of such the scene is brought to life and made a lot more realistic.

Typography

The typography at the start of the film varies according to the information being provided. In relation to the title, it fades in and out whilst being quite simple but violent in the way capital locks have been used to style the writing. The white text overlays the black background. White has connotations of innocence whilst black can be associated with death and impurity. This contrast helps to represent the genre by creating a sense of good and evil. The fact that the background is entirely black, empowering the small, white text, imposes the idea that the antagonist/ demonic influence in the film is more powerful than the protagonists' hope and strife for salvation and that the antagonist will beat the protagonist/s.

The next form of text we see, just like the title, fades in and out and consists of simple white text on a black background. The only difference with the text is that it's a different font. This signifies that whilst the title and the information, listing production companies, are importance, the information outlined here is significant to
the film with it's own greater importance to the film.

The text changes as a scene begins with a 911 call made by 'Maria Ross'. The colour scheme of the background and text remains the same, however the font changes along with the style of typography which has been styled to look as if it's slightly blurred. Rather than appearing by fading in and out of the shot, the text has instead been made to look as if it's being typed as the characters are speaking. This helps to build tension because it pronounces how staggered the antagonist speaks which in turn, creates an ominous mood.