The opening scene of Misery establishes that the main character, Paul Sheldon, is a famous writer through shots of him typing at his desk. The red and black opening credits symbolize danger and threat that will be focused on him. After finishing his book, Paul celebrates with a cigarette and champagne, unaware of the misery ahead. The film challenges horror conventions by having a male victim and a dominating female instead of male murderer. It keeps the conventions of isolation and an accident leading to the main plot.

1. MISERY STEPHEN KINGROB REINER (1990) UK RELEASE DATE 10TH MAY 1991

2. IMAGE PERCEIVEDWithin the opening two minutes of Rob Reiner’s ‘Misery’ it becomes clear that the man in focus (Paul Sheldon) is a famous writer. This is notably depicted through the use of the opening sound of a typewriter and later medium shots of the typewriter itself. Through visualising the character’s profile, it is suggested that the man may be the victim within the story as the opening credits relate correspondingly to the males clothes. As shown to the right, the credits are written in red writing with a black background suggesting connotations of danger, blood, threat and anger. This idea of the credits symbolising these specificcharacteristics is portrayed meaningfully through the clearly identified image of the male figure. Furthermore through identifying this, it reveals that the focus of the danger and corruption throughout the film will be dominated around him.As the opening scene continues to emerge, we see that he names his story ‘untitled’ and due to the relief of having finished the book, the man in focus lights a cigarette and opens a bottle of champagne as if to congratulate himself. However, by this time it is clear that the life ahead of him will consist of miserable happenings.

3. CONVENTIONSAs identified through many different horror/thriller films, there are typical standard conventions in which some are altered and some remain the same. I noticed extremely early in the opening scene of ‘Misery’ that many of these conventions were challenged:TYPICAL HORROR/THRILLER CONVENTIONS:Female victim

4. Bad weather (pathetic fallacy) – rain, wind etc

5. Usually a male murderer/dominant figure

6. Isolation (house, warehouse etc)

7. Set in the nightMISERY’SCHALLENGED CONVENTIONS:Male victim