Analyses on Horror Opening Films

Let The Right One In; Swedish horror film directed in 2008 by Tomas Alfredson.

Scream; American horror film directed in 1996 by Wes Craven. (watched up until  5.17 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3lSvJ5RXKA

The opening of Scream is very fast paced. Due to it starting of with a phone call, the audience automatically assume that this causes a lot of damage throughout the film. Due to the unknown voice asking Casey, "What's your favourite scary movie?" it connotes that this will be the main storyline. The mise-en-scene of the opening is in a general 'american' style house. It being big and having a porch. The lighting is very low key, not very natural for when someone is at home which connotes that it is done for the purpose of what is about to happen. When we see the outside of the house, the swing seems to be swaying due to the heavy winds which also shows how quiet the neighbourhood is, which suggests that someone is secretly there. There are a variety of camera shots used, such as long shots and close ups. The close ups are used at particular times, which shows the significance of them, showing the viewers Casey's emotions and in a way which the audience can be in her shoes. In addition to this, the camera is panning throughout the opening which also could have been done so the views can see from the point of view of the character. 

The Orphanage; Spanish horror film directed in 2007 by Juan Antonio Bayona. 
(watched up until 29 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-fu8f4BN0&feature=related

The opening of this film is at a very slow pace, not something we would expect from a horror film. We get introduced to the main 3 characters, the adopted child (Simone) and hos two carers. The mise-en-scene generally differs from 3 different scenes. We see the Orphanage, were the audience witnesses happy children playing around, connoting that they do not know what has actually happened to them, therefore they are being told a lie. The house where Simon lives, which use to be an Orphanage too. Most of the lighting for these scenes is very low key and looks very mysterious connoting that many of the films mysterious and horrors take place within this household. The last scene we see is the beach, in which there is a cave, also emphasizing the mysteriousness of the film. When the couple and Simon are walking back from the beach, they are walking towards the dark skies, leaving the light behind, whilst Simon is dropping shells on the floor. All of these conventions represent horror and mystery within the film. There is a lot of diegetic sound used such as the dramatic music when we the the girls playing outside the orphanage.
After watching about half an hour of the opening, there are no major aspects that would make the audience think that this film is scene as a horror, despite the fact of the low key mysteries.