Sorority House Massacre Deconstruction

Director: Carol Frank
Release date: October 1986
Budget and Gross: Unknown (however there are mentions of the film having a low-budget)


2 minute opening.

It opens with an establishing shot of a big, white house with many windows showing lights that are switched on inside. The shot is framed by branches of a big tree blowing in the wind. It looks like it is twilight time and the blue int used helps to portray this further.
There is non-diegetic music of chimes and low toned violins which are appropriate for anchoring the genre.
White titles appear in a serif font with capital letters. The sound of an organ is added to the music and the music gets progressively louder, higher pitched and more intense. 
The film title is in a different font, more gothic looking. The letters of 'Sorority House' look like symbols.
The music builds up to a climax and the rest of the film title 'Massacre' splats on screen as if it is written with blood. The title is surrounded by blood splatters which look as if they have been spurted on the camera lens and it blood drips down.

1. There is then an establishing shot of a big house. The camera zooms in slowly towards the house. There is a steadi-cam effect of someone walking towards the house and the camera  acts as their point of view, much like the opening of John Carpenter's 'Halloween'.
2. Mid shot of a woman in a hospital gown sitting against a white wall. She has short brown hair, pretty and young looking. She addresses another character by the name of 'Mrs Lawrence'.
3. An establishing shot showing the young woman is laid in bed in a brightly lit hospital room. A woman enters, sits on a chair and asks her to recall what had happened.
4. The young woman begins to tell the story and the story goes to a flash back.
5. Flash back: Low angle shot of lower body half walking outside along a pathway. Person is holding a large bag. It is dark outside and to emphasize this there is blue tint. The camera pans up to show it is a woman. The camera follows her walking into the house which was shown at the beginning.

Our opening relates to this as we also have an element of the past and the future as Rachel the little girl is then seen grown up at the end of the 2 minute opening. 


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091990/