Group Nineteen - Media Blog: January 2013

My Bloody Valentine (9181)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM4SyfqXAJM

The structure of the 1981 film ‘My Bloody Valentine’ from Paramount is similar to our film through genre because they are both horror films that fall into the sub genre of slasher. Within the first few minutes, a minor character has been killed by the weapon of choice; a pickaxe. The murder weapon in our film is a large kitchen knife so in this way the two films differ. Our film also has a death in the first scene but it has a witness.

The sound used, is mainly heavy breathing, which can create an eerie atmosphere, and slow quite music. This can also create tension, but as the scene progresses, the breathing and music have a sexual connotation. The unknown person’s breathing becomes quicker suggests anger and frustration.

In the first scene, the audience is told many things about the film. For instance, the scene takes place in a mine, the killer is masked and unknown, and his reason for killing the woman has something to do with love because it has a close up shot of the heart she has tattooed on her chest.

Another way in which our film is similar to My Bloody Valentine is that it has a scene prior to the main title being shown. However we plan to have the main actors, producers and other names shown after the main title being shown which is opposite to My Bloody Valentine.

Also the first scene has quite slow editing because it is creating suspense and is misleading the audience, making them think that it is a romantic scene. On the other hand, the first scene in our film will have quick, jumpy editing because it is trying to emphasize the character’s fear and panic. Another way in which the two films are similar is that a female dies first and early on in the film.

Once the main title has been shown, it tells you the date “Thursday, February 12^th”. It is also set in a mine, which shows the audience a link between the first scene and the current scene. The difference between our film and MBV is that our first scene is a dream sequence and then becomes reality, but MBV shows a passage of time with a linear structure.

The screen shot on the right sets the scene and tells the audience that the mine is a main location for the film, the sounds of machinery also reinforce where they are. This is shortly followed by a tracking shot of Howard passing the other male characters in the film. Just before

that it holds a medium shot on TJ which indicates he is a larger
character because he has more screen time.
Later on, two establishing shots are used (below left). One is of the mine, which tells the audience that is where they work and then a shot of the town is shown which tells the audiencethat there is a change in location and that Valentine’s Day is a big deal. It also links back to the tattoo of the murdered girl and foreshadows terrible events happening later in the film.

The next scene in the film is set in the hall and introduces the main female characters and tells us the relationships between them and the male characters. It them focuses on TJ, Sarah and Axel, showing how Sarah is caught in a love triangle and isn’t happy with the situation. The ladder separating the couple represents that there is something in the way of Axel and Sarah which prevents them from being truly happy together. It also reveals part of a background for the three main characters, which develops throughout the film.

Next, two older characters are brought into the film, one of them being an authority figure. We assume this because he is wearing a smart suit. They are talking about the Valentine’s Day dance, but the Mayor is asking Mabel to play it down a little because of what happened, this intrigues the audience and makes it seem that something is likely to wrong.

Howard burst through the door, covered in fake blood, scaring Mabel to death. This action represents that the group of teens will not take things seriously until it is too late and that Mabel may end up being a victim of Harry Warden.

Shortly after, a conversation between TJ and the Mayor, who is his father, lets the audience know that TJ isn’t happy with how things are and that could make the audience suspicious (13).

Howard brings out a Valentine’s candy box to the Mayor and says that he doesn’t know who it is from (14). This is normal at Valentine’s Day so the characters and the audience assume nothing of it.

The film at this point is lighted hearted and just like any other Valentine’s Day. However, in the next scene, the mayor and the sheriff find out that it’s all happening again. The note is read out, which makes the audience wonder what happened because it hasn’t been spoken aloud directly and the note is another riddle. The mayor rushes to open the box and a human heart is revealed (16), telling the audience that something is definitely wrong. This is emphasized by the sharp, clash-y music that starts as soon as this happens. The mayor then says, “It can’t be happening again”, still keeping the audience in suspense and building tension.

It cuts to in bar with the group of teenagers, Axel and Hollis are playing with knives. The bartender begins to say that it’s a bad time of year (17) and they all start to mock him. The bartender fights back and Axel stabs his finger (18), this foreshadows that Axel may come to harm later in the film or that he may be the fool. There is an insert shot of TJ laughing at Axel not with him (19), which shows that TJ really isn’t fond of Axel. This makes the audience even more suspicious of TJ as he would have motives to be the killer as he lost his love, Sarah, to Axel.

Once the commotion dies down, the bartender begins talking again. To draw the audience in and make them focus, a slow zoom is used and the next shot is a flashback to what happened 20 years ago. The audience now find out what happened through visual aids as well as a narrative. It shows an explosion, the two men laughing who should have been at the mine and some disturbing images of the surviving man and how it all started. He then goes onto explain what happened the next year and how the two men died and their hearts found at the Valentine’s Dance and a threat to never hold another one.

The bar is quiet when the flashback ends, then Howard jumps up from behind the bar, mocking the bartender and the tension is lost as everyone starts to laugh. It also makes the audience jump. Because of the way Howard behaves, the audience may assume that something will happen to him as he isn’t taking anything seriously.

Finally, Sarah tries to talk to TJ but he doesn’t want to know, he is very hostile and outright says that he doesn’t like things the way they are. This may support the audience’s early assumptions about who is the killer because he walks out.