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Demonic Head Shake

 Demonic Head Shake
type
FeatureClass
 Demonic Head Shake
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake
page
DemonicHeadShake
 Demonic Head Shake
comment
The Demonic Head Shake is a staple of horror movies of recent history, made famous by the 1990 movie Jacob's Ladder. The twitching effect is achieved by filming somebody (or something) waving their head at a very low frame rate and later playing the footage back at normal speed which creates an unsettling motion blur effect. Characteristically, the shoulders and the rest of their body remain completely still while the head goes all jittery.
This effect can be used during a Transformation Sequence or alongside a Marionette Motion where awkward body motions are filmed in Adrenaline Time creating the illusion of a broken doll. Compare Exorcist Head when someone spins their head around 360 degrees.
 Demonic Head Shake
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2024-04-08T23:32:21Z
 Demonic Head Shake
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2024-04-08T23:32:21Z
 Demonic Head Shake
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Dropped link to PlayedForLaughs: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Demonic Head Shake
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Dropped link to Tool: Not an Item - IGNORE
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Dropped link to TropeMaker: Not an Item - UNKNOWN
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TropeMaker
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DBTropes
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367f632a
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367f632a
comment
Dawn of War: One Idle Animation for Chaos Space Marines and Khornate Berserkers has their head start shaking uncontrollably.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367f632a
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1.0
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1.0
 Dawn of War (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_367f632a
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367fab9a
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367fab9a
comment
In the cold open of the Wire in the Blood episode "Torment" (Series 4 Episode) this happens with a mental hospital orderly to indicate the insanity of the viewpoint character, Derek Tyler.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367fab9a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_367fab9a
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1.0
 Wire in the Blood
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Demonic Head Shake / int_367fab9a
 Demonic Head Shake / int_36c89d24
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_36c89d24
comment
Happens in Hannibal episode "Tome-wan". During his Mushroom Samba sequence, Mason Verger envisions Hannibal shaking his head this way for a few seconds until it changes into a boar head. Watch the sequence here.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_36c89d24
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1.0
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 Hannibal
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Demonic Head Shake / int_36c89d24
 Demonic Head Shake / int_514b9ee5
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_514b9ee5
comment
SIGNALIS: Per the game's classic horror inspirations, the heads of corrupted Aras and Kolibris constantly jitter in homage to this trope.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_514b9ee5
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1.0
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 SIGNALIS (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_514b9ee5
 Demonic Head Shake / int_5a3dae52
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_5a3dae52
comment
In season one of Misfits Simon does this when turning invisible.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_5a3dae52
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1.0
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Demonic Head Shake / int_5a3dae52
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6053d9f9
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6053d9f9
comment
The Silent Hill franchise, heavily influenced by Jacob's Ladder, is the Trope Codifier, providing examples of head twitching as well as Marionette Motion all throughout the game series in random scenes and encounters:
In Silent Hill 3, there's the Glutton "boss" in the Hilltop Center Otherworld, Valtiel and the Carousel horses. The head movements also occur during the fight against Memory of Alessa.
The Silent Hill 4 has the victim ghosts do this.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6053d9f9
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Demonic Head Shake / int_6053d9f9
 Demonic Head Shake / int_61a39969
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_61a39969
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In Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange is doing this as he's having spams from seeing millions of possible futures through the Eye of Agamotto.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_61a39969
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 Avengers: Infinity War
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Demonic Head Shake / int_61a39969
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28ca
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28ca
comment
In Silent Hill 3, there's the Glutton "boss" in the Hilltop Center Otherworld, Valtiel and the Carousel horses. The head movements also occur during the fight against Memory of Alessa.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28ca
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28ca
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1.0
 Silent Hill 3 (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28ca
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28cb
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28cb
comment
The Silent Hill 4 has the victim ghosts do this.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28cb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28cb
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1.0
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Demonic Head Shake / int_68ff28cb
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6bbde1c8
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6bbde1c8
comment
Overwatch: In "Sigma Origin Story", Sigma's head vibrates from side to side as his personality fractures due to a close encounter with a black hole. It never comes up in-game due to his mastery of his new gravity powers, but he hasn't managed to eliminate the twitching entirely.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6bbde1c8
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1.0
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 Overwatch (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_6bbde1c8
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6e1d5f36
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6e1d5f36
comment
In the Farscape episode "Thanks For Sharing", the shapeshifting Corlata mercenary does this as it changes back into its Shapeshifter Default Form.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6e1d5f36
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_6e1d5f36
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Demonic Head Shake / int_6e1d5f36
 Demonic Head Shake / int_7ce12025
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_7ce12025
comment
Happens quite a bit in Tetsuo: The Iron Man alongside some truly psychotic stop-motion sequences.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_7ce12025
featureApplicability
1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_7ce12025
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1.0
 Tetsuo: The Iron Man
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Demonic Head Shake / int_7ce12025
 Demonic Head Shake / int_821f49d1
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_821f49d1
comment
A Haunting at Silver Falls: After leading Jordan down to a convenience store with a TV, Holly begins to shriek, point, and move her head around rapidly. Jordan then discovers that the TV is talking about Wyatt Dahl, who is being put to death that night for murdering the twins.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_821f49d1
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_821f49d1
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 A Haunting at Silver Falls
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Demonic Head Shake / int_821f49d1
 Demonic Head Shake / int_85eecea0
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_85eecea0
comment
In the anime adaptation of The Garden of Sinners, the Big Bad Araya Souren does this while regenerating from a wound on his neck where he was stabbed by Shiki earlier. Enjo Tomoe is freaked out by the sight to such an extent that he runs away shrieking.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_85eecea0
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1.0
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 The Garden of Sinners
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Demonic Head Shake / int_85eecea0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_a796bde8
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_a796bde8
comment
A non-demonic example is seen Metal Gear Solid. Gray Fox's exoskeleton and medicine, while enhancing his potential, leads him to have very painful spasms, complete with violently uncontrollable headshakes.
Even scarier on the original PlayStation version as the head is shaking too fast for the framerate that the red glow emitted from the central eye can't even follow properly.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_a796bde8
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1.0
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Demonic Head Shake / int_a796bde8
 Demonic Head Shake / int_b9a7edf4
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_b9a7edf4
comment
In Emperor: Battle for Dune the shapeshifting effect of the Tleilaxu face-dancers is achieved this way. While the Tleilaxu are not demonic, they are still one of the most malevolent factions in the story.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_b9a7edf4
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1.0
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 Emperor: Battle for Dune (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_b9a7edf4
 Demonic Head Shake / int_bc8b07
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_bc8b07
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Epic Rap Battles of History: Jack the Ripper gives off a motion-blurred head-shake at one point, and that's one of the least horrific things about him.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_bc8b07
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1.0
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 Epic Rap Battles of History (Web Video)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_bc8b07
 Demonic Head Shake / int_c43df4d8
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_c43df4d8
comment
Doctor Who:
In the TV movie, the Master attempts to steal the Doctor's body. As part of the process, his head shakes and blurs.
"The End of Time": The Master uses the Immortality Gate to unleash a World-Wrecking Wave that transforms almost every human being on Earth into a copy of him, which causes their heads to shake at blurring speed while they're being converted.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_c43df4d8
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Demonic Head Shake / int_c43df4d8
 Demonic Head Shake / int_cd95b8df
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_cd95b8df
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In Dead Space, Twitchers sometimes have this effect thanks to their Super-Speed.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_cd95b8df
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_cd95b8df
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1.0
 Dead Space (Franchise)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_cd95b8df
 Demonic Head Shake / int_d5780d77
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_d5780d77
comment
A positive example in the first PAGUI, where the Temple Keeper's head in the final cutscene shakes in this fashion after praying to the gods. Thankfully, it's a sign that his prayers are answered, when three War Gods of Taoist culture then descends from heavens.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_d5780d77
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1.0
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Demonic Head Shake / int_d5780d77
 Demonic Head Shake / int_da2dd49e
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_da2dd49e
comment
In What We Do in the Shadows, Nick does this in his bed as part of his transformation into a vampire.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_da2dd49e
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_da2dd49e
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1.0
 What We Do in the Shadows
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Demonic Head Shake / int_da2dd49e
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e293455a
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e293455a
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In the episode "Beauty and the Beasts", Pete does this while Hulking Out, shaking his head wildly and showing Tainted Veins.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e293455a
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e293455a
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 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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Demonic Head Shake / int_e293455a
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e86b4f36
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e86b4f36
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The Austrian psychological thriller Goodnight Mommy has a Nightmare Sequence wherein Elias' mother strips down in the woods and starts spasming uncontrollably.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_e86b4f36
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 Goodnight Mommy
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Demonic Head Shake / int_e86b4f36
 Demonic Head Shake / int_efcd8723
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_efcd8723
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Ultimate Custom Night: Withered Chica's Jump Scare animation has her shaking her head and flapping her arms violently.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_efcd8723
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1.0
 Demonic Head Shake / int_efcd8723
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1.0
 Ultimate Custom Night (Video Game)
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Demonic Head Shake / int_efcd8723
 Demonic Head Shake / int_f0578285
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_f0578285
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In House on Haunted Hill (1999), one of the characters experiences a rather freaky nightmare while trapped in a sensory deprivation chamber. This starts with a ghost nurse "diagnosing" him, before asking the ghost of Dr. Vanacut for his "opinion". The Doctor responds by shaking his head in a blurry fashion.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_f0578285
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 House on Haunted Hill (1999)
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 Demonic Head Shake / int_fc7f736a
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Demonic Head Shake
 Demonic Head Shake / int_fc7f736a
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Innerspace combines this with Shapeshifter Swan Song when Jack (disguised as the Cowboy) loses control over his shapeshifting ability and undergoes an eerie facial deformation process wherein his head shakes uncontrollably.
 Demonic Head Shake / int_fc7f736a
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1.0
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Demonic Head Shake / int_fc7f736a

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Demonic Head Shake
processingCategory2
Camera Tricks
 Demonic Head Shake
processingCategory2
Horror Tropes
 Demonic Head Shake
processingCategory2
The Newest Ones in the Book
 Beasts of Burden (Comic Book) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 A Haunting at Silver Falls / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Dead Night / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 House on Haunted Hill (1999) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Innerspace / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Jacob's Ladder / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 The Babadook / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 The Elephant Man / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 What We Do in the Shadows / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 The Garden of Sinners / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Garth Marenghi's Darkplace / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Wire in the Blood / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Beyond: Two Souls (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Corruption Expanded (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Headbangers: Rhythm Royale (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 I'm On Observation Duty (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 PAGUI (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 SIGNALIS (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Silent Hill 3 (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Ultimate Custom Night (Video Game) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake
 Echo (Visual Novel) / int_e4062526
type
Demonic Head Shake