Irreversible - most disturbing use of bass

[BoomieMCT]

So I saw the French movie Irreversible on a system with a good sub (more on that later). First off this is definately an adult movie like "Requiem for a Dream" or "American History X" is an adult movie - do not watch it with your kids or anyone with delicate sensibilities. The movie is a story about how a couple breaks up and very bad things happen but like "Pulp Fiction" or "Momento" it is not told in chronological order. It is actually told in reverse order so it starts with the bad consequences of the couple's fight and works forward to when the couple is happy.

Now why I mention the sub - this movie makes very intentional use of very low notes to upset the audience. In the beginning the main character is pushing through a club looking for someone he wants to kill. There is a ton of disturbing imagery used in the club but there is also a constant low bass note. IMDB says it is at 28Hz but it sounded much lower. The effect is quite powerful and apparantly caused many people to leave theaters on opening night (complaining of fear and nausea).

[khellandros66]

28hz is used in alot of stuff like this, they used it frequently in the game Doom 3 cause it causes nausia and in some peopl the release of adrenaline. I am not sure how they come to this conclusion but from peoples reaction it works. i can tell you i was walking through Doom 3 and at one point I almost puked cause I was just so pumped with adrenaline...

~Bobby

[Hakka]

I can't remember anything special about the bass but it was very disturbing either way, now that I think about it I might have watched it on my second system with no sub, does it have a 5.1 track? I will check this out on my main system.

The 2006 US remake of the japanese movie 'Pulse' also uses low bass very effectively throughout the movie, and contains one 'sub demo' scene, check it out.

Hakka.