Scream 2 Opening Analysis

Scream 2 (1997) Director: Wes Craven

Couple before being murdered

The film starts by people queuing to go watch a slasher film. The characters shown are a male and female couple; the female says "I hate scary movies and you know I got a bio due" this shows that the female may be the scream queen in the film as she is not doing her work and going to watch a film instead, although she insists on wanting to go see Sandra Bullock instead, the girl is Afro-American with black short hair; which does not follow the usual traits of a scream queen although she seems to be both sexually active and is not doing her school work. When they go into the room where the film is going to be screened a white girl with blonde hair is being chased outside by a male wearing a ghost mask with a knife; this relates back to the first film and the scream queen being killed (as well as that the girl being chased follows the typical scream queen look).


The male say's "No one would pay to see that unless she was naked of course" this show's that they are free to talk about sexual acts, this gives you a lead that they may soon be killed. It also makes the pair seem heterosexual. Throughout the opening of the film it shows how the pair are actually a couple first by the male comforting the female as she is scared by the film and then as they both kiss. 
    
The opening two actors are both Afro-American. Ethnicity is brought up in the first minute and a half of the film; the woman persists in telling the male about what will happen in the film they are about to watch. The female talks only about white people featuring in the film and what will happen to them, even saying that they will be killed. This is the opposite as in the opening of the film the couple are killed. This is the opposite to the majority of slasher films where the scream queen is caucasian and blonde haired. 

Teenagers in Cinema

The main characters in the film are teenagers; like in most slasher films- due to the target audience being between 15-25. The film starts off by teenagers going to see another slasher film, this is filled with teenagers and you barely see any adults present, as well as that the main actress (Sidney Prescott) now attends college, which is where the film is based, you first know this after she is hoarded by media outside of it.

Quantum of Solace Opening Analysis

    The films starts by showing the producing company idents which are MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and Colombia Pictures. During the Colombia Pictures company ident  quick paced music is placed over the top, which eventually gets quicker.

Mysterious Island

 
After the company ident's have played an establishing shot is shown of an island which is getting closer, it would seem your in some sort of vehicle as the camera isn't zooming in but you are going past the waves, possibly a helicopter. From what you can see of the island it is all rural land and there is no civilization.
   
     From that you can then hear the noise of car engines in the background played below the music. It then quickly cuts to a seperate shot showing the side of the car, the bonnet of the car and the exhaust of the car, these show the signs of a sports car possibly showing that the car may be racing or going at a fast pace. It then cuts back to the shot of the island, getting closer to it, it again, cuts to another clip showing 2 cars this time. It shows the back of the cars you can only see below the window of both cars, while only seeing half of the car infront, you can tell from the logo of the car that it is an Alfa Romeo. It then cuts to a shot showing a rack of ammunition while the music is building up causing tension, this could connote that a killing is about too or has previously taken place. It then shows the front of the Alfa Romeo; showing 2 people in the car, while not giving the identity of the car infront or the driver of the car this builds suspense.
    As the music rises it cuts back to a shot of the island where it is now almost reaching it; you can see a tunnel. It then shows a shot of a tire spinning this denotes fast pace and action; it shows a series of shots of the car but not the full image; it shows the car logo, an Aston Martin. These are known to appear in James Bond films and the main character drives them. It then cuts to an extreme close up of the drivers eyes which adds mystery as you want to know who he is while cutting to a black shot before the driver presses a button. It quickly cuts back to the shot of the island which now arrives at the tunnel; cutting between images of the acceleration pedal, gear stick, bonnet and finally tyres where it zooms outwards to show a longshot of the car, although it still doesn't show the car in full.
    From the wing mirror you see the Alfa Romeo behind; the man is hanging out of the window shooting at the car infront. The driver infront crashes into a truck causing a flash of images to appear of the car spinning; the driver escapes this, this could denote he is an experienced driver and knows what he is doing. From this you also notice the driver is wearing a suit; which you wouldn't normally expect a murderer to wear this could connote that he is an assasin instead.
    After the crash in the tunnel the music stops; it picks up again after they leave the tunnel, the music is fast paced and is of a drum noise banging twice. This could connote a heartbeat or adrenaline pumping after his near death experience, the music could also reflect new villains appearing after the ones before died. When the drivers come out of the tunnel the shot type is an extreme longshot panning around the corner, it then shows the driver's face fully for the first time. Gunshots fire again as they turn through a tunnel where a policeman starts speaking in a different language; showing it is a different country. It cuts back to the drivers while the policeman keeps talking as the cars accelerate so does his speech, the police then start to follow.

Establishing shot of new location

     As a new location emerges an establishing shot is shown of the location which appears to be a building site, as the cars come round the corner it then cuts to behind the cars this shows how fast the cars are travelling at as the camera is now behind them. While on the construction site the diggers are still working showing the land is unprepared and dangerous.

Police are useless

    As the policemen follow the 2 vehicles they start shooting at the apparent villains in the Alfa Rome, as soon as they do that the villains fire back causing them to crash into a newly built building and causing them to crash off the mountain. This connotes how the police have no power and are weak compared to the other characters.

Pathway either side

Helicopter Shot

As the police car lands at the bottom of the mountain the gear box is shown where he begins to accelerate; this connotes the faster they go the more dangerous it is. The music quickens the pace as the shots vary between the cars going round the mountain and gunfire from the car behind, again showing danger.

    As the cars go side to side you can tell it is going to be the end very soon, you can tell this shortly after as a digger appears in front. The shot shows the 2 cars and the digger in the middle suggesting they can only go either side and one side will lead to death. The driver of the Aston Martin is then enabled to grab his gun and shoot the car forcing them to fall off of the mountain, this is shot using a helicopter shot. The wreckage is shown after following a low angle shot of where the car came from this makes it feel like the mountain has won as it is a low angled shot making it imposing.



    The shot then blacks out. The next shot is of the Aston Martin driving slowly for the first time in a town, this is the complete opposite to what as just happened as the mountain was rural while this is urban land. Another opposite is how damaged the car was while it was in the rural land it was perfect now it is almost destroyed. The angle then lifts into the air showing an establishing shot of the town, a title comes up on the screen saying "Siena, Italy", this dispurses into a high angled shot.

Estbalishing Shot of Siena

Low angled shot showing car entering Tunnel.

The Aston Martin pulling into a tunnel. The tunnel is dark and looks imposing as the car drives up at a low angled shot building mystery as the location is unknown. The man then gets out of the car and opens the boot, a man is tied up, this is the question as to why he was being chased. The driver of the car then say's "It's time to get out" this is where it fades out onto a black screen.