Connect with us

News

The Sound Design of ‘Layers of Fear 2’ Is a Devil of its Own

Published

on

Layers

Binaural frequencies are sometimes the marrow of what makes you spill your popcorn at the cinema. That very artful use of layers of sounds and paint flicks of frequency are exactly what is behind the most impressive and terrifying bits of Gun Media’s Layers of Fear 2.

Layers of Fear 2 follows extremely method actor tasked by a complete auteur director to research, and to find, his character aboard a gigantic ocean liner.

Get a look at our full review here.

This sort of auditory alchemy has been used in a variety of ways over the years. Most notably, 2007’s Paranormal Activity raised the bar by subtlety sprinkling in pulse raising binaural elements to great affect. If you go back and watch, you will notice a strange low frequency hum that plays whenever the entity begins terrorizing the unfortunate couple. It was a brilliant and groundbreaking, not necessarily because these methods hadn’t been used before, but because Paranormal Activity is devoid of a musical score. Instead, you get these tense scenes with that harrowing hum.

Unknown to most, the film was using actual tones to affect mood and heart rate. Add that to some terrifying shit befalling a unsuspecting couple, and you had fried horror gold.

Sound Designer, Brunon Lubas incorporated a ton of low-fi tech to achieve the creepy whirlwind that paints the walls of Layers of Fear 2. This even extended to using analogue cassette tapes and a variety of hand crafted sounds.

The approach also leads to the mystically terrifying world of binaural frequencies.

Binaural’s have a wide range of uses, and can literally control aspects of mood when played at varying frequencies. These waves include delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma. Each control everything from sleep, relaxation, high level cognition and peak awareness. Some folks use these tones to help them sleep or to relax, but we aren’t here to talk about that stuff. Masters of the jump scare of found ways to use these tones against us and to ultimately scare the shit out of us.

Layers of Fear 2 creates some rather effective jump scares out of auditory beats alone. Since so much of the game (especially at its beginning) is less things you can see and more things you can hear, the use of binaural artistry goes to work immediately.

Right from the beginning, the game advises using headphones. I couldn’t agree more with this suggestion, to the point of it almost being a necessity. The sound design really swirls, lives and breathes around you in those moments and is incredibly intensified through the use of a good pair of headphones.

Binaurals really are the gravy of horror and Layers of Fear 2 piles it on thick, placing you in tense spot where a simple wine bottle rolling across the floor paired with the right audio cue and a stinging controller vibration is enough to make you jump right out of your seat.

Layers of Fear 2 is out now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

on

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

on

lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

on

28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading