I just wanted to share this with you.. and maybe analyze it a little bit. I love horror movies... maybe not as much as some people I've come across, but I still love them.



I love this film by virtue of the fact that it masterfully uses a horror film shot selection... to the point of caricature. I mean, I felt more empathy for the characters in this film than I have for... just about any of the films I've seen recently.

It starts off very cartoony and flat.
Flat shot.
Cut in close. Still flat.
Cut to truck. Still flat, but the tone of the image is darker simply by having 70% of the image as a darker value.
Cut to hand opening door. Heavy perspective, Camera tilted diagonally. Everything is diagonals... There are no horizontal lines... After door opens, 50% of the image is black. 90% of the image is a dark value.
Cut to 1 point. Almost symmetrical composition. Downshot on characters. Characters almost being trapped by the shape of the houses.
Cut in to show handhold.
Stuff
Stuff
Stuff
In this sequence the important thing to note is the fact that every time the camera cuts it gets closer. Even the time each shot takes has decreased significantly.
And the first shot to break this rhythm is the shot establishing the nervousness of the girl..... Freaking awesome.
And then back to fast paced cuts.

Simply masterful... and that's just the opening 36 seconds.