Nobody really seems so much surprised by the storm as much as they are just startled by it. It was almost as if the storm was a visual and audio representation of their shock and dismay that things had only gotten worse. And often this storm can trap a person inside the building they are in. The latter further creates a feeling of hopelessness. They have to deal with the problem one way or another. There is no escape.
Throughout the 60's and 70's, these storms were very common. They were not preceded by any rain or distant thunder. It could go from a completely dry night to a very noisy storm in the very instant it was necessary--commonly after a big reveal from a villain. At the very same moment, lightning and thunder would occur over and over again followed by the sound of rain. This could go on for the entire movie sometimes. One thing I found a bit annoying was the repetition of the exact same thunder sound. It sounded like someone was jamming his finger down on a sound board doing his very best to make the scene as intense as possible. It only served to make the thunder sound unnatural. Maybe that was the point... or maybe it was just the 60's.
But then when I consider these scenes from an imaginative perspective, I begin to wonder if certain villains just bring storms with them. I do think that some storms, particularly the really horrible ones, are a physical manifestation of the strong emotions of terrible entities. Not necessarily in real-time, mind you. Think of them more like aftershocks of past tantrums.
In modern times, the storms still happen, but I suppose they just do a better job in their presentations. The storms roll in more slowly and the thunder has a bit more variations to it. Yes, they finally fired the sound board guy.
Just to be clear, I don't dislike these storms. I've used them in my own stories. "A Wolf in my Bedroom" is a perfect example of this. I do, however, feel that a bit of a slow entry into the storm is a bit better. It can still roll in fast. Just give it a little time to build up to a climax is all.
The sudden storm has been a tried and true way to strike fear into the hearts of those trapped by evil. At the moment you hear that initial roar of thunder, you know you are trapped and cannot escape. It lets us know just how bad our situation is and what it may take to make it through.
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You described a storm as if advising on a sexual act: how you. Oh, the cheesy thunder was when cheesy was the norm. It was the days when a character's name or back story changed at a whim because no one remembered all those pesky details. Yes, the storm is a telling motif. It does represent turmoil as ambiance. It rings so eerily true.
ReplyDeleteThat thunder was ridiculous, but they did it in so many things. It is almost as goofy as that heart beat sound that you heard just to make a scene more intense artificially.
DeleteThe idea that evil can affect the weather makes it even more dangerous. Thinking of the recent destruction, it is scarier to think that someone could be behind it. That which wields both thunder and lightning is a force to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteDon't be too skeptical about this one. Everything happens for a reason, and things generally don't get moving until people act in some way.
DeleteI've seen this used well in horror movies and books, but I've also seen it used poorly. Timing is key, the recycling of the same thunder sound is indeed just lazy and is annoying to the viewer. A storm can heighten a somber mood or just come off cheesy and overdone it's all about how the tool is used.
ReplyDeleteIt really does work well to set the tone which is why its probably used so much. I do find it very interesting that it strikes us so naturally.
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