credit analysis

Halloween (1978) – Slow and Creepy

Halloween by John Carpenter demonstrates that sometimes the simple is scarier. With a flickering jack-o'-lantern slowly zooming in against a black background and scary music playing, the opening credits are simple. The strong, orange typeface is a bit retro, but appropriate for a film about a murderer who stalks people on Halloween.

The credits roll slowly and steadily across the middle of the screen. Even though the director, actors, and crew are in the proper order, the entire situation is nevertheless unnerving. Tension is increased by the music, giving you the impression that something negative is going to happen. It's the ideal illustration of how, in the realm of horror, little really is more.                                       

                                          https://youtu.be/8_tGvktfjjk?si=11Uw7gxijRSmyRUb  

Se7en (1995) – Straight from a Nightmare

Unlike Halloween, Se7en throws you right into chaos. The opening sequence is an unsettling montage of a strange person writing in a diary, tearing up books, and doing other creepy things. The credits are all over the place, flashing, shaking, and appearing in unexpected areas. It is even more unnerving because the font appears to be sloppy handwriting.

You get the impression that you're stuck in a serial killer's head thanks to the gloomy, industrial music. The director's name usually comes at the beginning of the credits, but in this case, it appears at the end. Even the arrangement of the credits feels strange. This sequence is designed to make you uneasy, and it certainly does that.

                             https://youtu.be/FD7w2l88dl8?si=5tqp6rFgP-GQbP4a

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Meet Freddy Krueger

This one doesn't waste any time introducing the antagonist; the opening credits roll over close-ups of Freddy Krueger creating his iconic glove with razor-sharp blades; the setting is dark and shadowy, and his face is never shown, which adds to the spooky atmosphere; the font is jagged, blood-red, and eerie, fitting the film's nightmarish tone; the credits appear normally over the footage, following a traditional order, but the disturbing imagery makes it much more terrifying.

https://youtu.be/p0sZAnuZwhs?si=gVzINvPrRVdHryEq