RB - Analysing an opening sequence - 'Amityville Horror'

Genre:
- The film is of the horror genre and we can see this in the opening sequence as the audiences generic expectations are fulfilled due to all kinds of montage shots, including the iconistic 'haunted house' location, close ups of the face and a fast cutting rate.There are also flashing lights, which represent lightning and classic creaky doors and floorboards which are iconistic horror sounds. We also hear 'voices' whispering 'kill them' to which the character 'Ronnie' does and kills his family. At the beginning we also get 'Based on a true story' which makes it even more horrifying.
- The text conforms to the characteristics of the horror genre as there are iconistic sounds and images given to us in the opening two minutes. The happenings in the opening two minutes set up the rest of the film by telling you what has happened in the house before.

Film Language:
- The mise en scene in the sequence conveys horror and shock within it. The shots of the bodies, especially children, with blood sprayed all over the bed and walls is used to make the audience feel shocked and sympathetic, yet it builds up tension and creates a storyline. The fact they are all killed in thier sleep (except for one) makes it even more shocking to the audience.
- The camera techniques in the sequence convey meaning as the close up of the mans eyes with the flickering tv reflection in them shows he is being 'controlled' by something unnatural. There are also POV shots which show what the characters are seeing and we as an audience are put in the characters shoes for a moment, this helps create a more terrifying feel to the film.
- The non diagetic sound at the start and the 'voices' telling the man to 'kill them' are aural signifiers to show that there is a 'haunted' theme within the film. The lightning sounds and creaks help to create an enigma around the film.
- Through dialogue and non-verbal language we learn that the character 'Ronnie' is has psychological problems and believes that there are voices in his head telling him to kill his family, however because of the establishing shot of the house, we assume that the house is haunted and that the house is telling him to do it. We also learn that he is quite a secretive and lonely character as he lives in the basement and doesn't have many pictures of friends or family, just a picture of himself. We also see an ash tray full of smoked cigarettes, which also makes him seem unsociable as he is in his room smoking all the time.
- Other techniques in this extract are the use of filters to make the scene seem dark.

Narrative:
- The narrative of the film is linear, it starts with a close up montage of shots from what is happening in the room, and the story is then told from there. However you could argue that the film is also non-linear, because we see one man kill his entire family because of the happenings in the house, then when a different family moves in we see the affect the house has on them and we see the build up of happenings that initially lead to the first homicide, happening to the second family.
- The audience are positioned with 'Ronnie', the character with the psychological problems. We can hear the voices he is hearing and there are POV shots that shows where hes going and what he is looking at.
- Techniques to identify the character are close ups of his face and eyes, and the sounds coming from the house. He is also positioned on a sofa in the basement by himself.These help to show us that he is troubled and alienated.
- The major themes in the film are corruption, evil, murder, homicide and a house that's haunted.
- Tension is built using sound and whispering voices, these not only give you an idea of what the films about but also make the audience think what is causing them and why they are affecting the characters as they are. This tension is kept throughout the film as the audience can see the affect the haunted house is having on the new occupants, as the process begins again.

Representation and ideology:
- The social groups being represented here are white American families and people with mental problems.
- The framework that is constructed through semiotics is shown through many denotational images and cuts, that connote different meanings,and make the audience understand the situation.
- The male gender is represented more than the female gender. The male characters are shown to have more power and control over the families in the film. Examples of this are obviously, the first character we see 'Ronnie' kills everyone in his family, showing he has the most power in that family. Also further in the film we see the character 'George' having the most power, as the woman has to ask him if they can buy the house and he controls what the family does.
- Traditional values and beliefs of families are challenged in this film, which adds to the horror of the film. The Character 'Ronnie' completely goes against the belief that families look after each other and care for them. By him killing them in such a gruesome way the film seems even more horrific and shocking.
Media audiences:
-The target audience for this film is fans of the horror genre, and people who may have heard of the actual Amityville homicide. It is difficult to select an age group that this film may have been targeted towards, but I'm going to say 15+.
- The audience readings of the text will probably be that there is a haunted house that turns one member of the family against the rest and that member kills them, they may also think that the house is built on an ancient Indian burial ground, this is due to there being a picture of an Indian head on the TV during the montage.

- As a British teenager I read the text as being just a normal horror film, however I do find it slightly more shocking as the children are shown being shot in the head with a shot gun. I don't think my reading has been influenced by my age, gender or background in any way I can think of.

Institutional context:
- The only known actor in this film is Ryan Reynolds, who also appeared in 'X-men Origins: Wolverine', 'Blade: Trinity' and 'Smokin' Aces'. There are no bankable, big Hollywood stars in this film. It is important that there is no bankable stars in the film as they're presence may take away from the scariness of the film.
- The film was co-produced by Radar Pictures and Platinum Dunes. Radar Pictures is a more Independent film producer, and Platinum Dunes specialize in producing horror films.
- I think that the institutional context is evident in the opening as there are a lot of after effects put in post production, things such as the blood splatters and the reflection of the TV screen in the mans eyes. These show that the film had a decent budget.