I've just heard that Paramount Pictures just made an announcement that they are producing a fifth Scream installment. How do I feel about this? I don't know. This is actually the first Scream film without the involvement of Wes Craven and even Kevin Williamson. I feel like without the collaboration of Craven and Williamson, It's just not going to capture the sharp wit and suspense of the first film. At least we have our core three leads back: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette. Their characters have become a legacy in this franchise and that's quite an achievement.
But I want to go back to the movie that started it all. Scream is one of those movies that was ingrained in my childhood. The parodies, the inside jokes, the Ghostface costume that became a staple in Halloween stores. The hype was completely overblown.
I've seen trailers, tv spots, clips, and whatnot, though I never saw the movie itself. But it was at the age of ten where I got to watch the whole movie in its entirety. I was shocked at how visceral the violence was. It was actually, dare I say, scary because it wasn't your typical horror movie. It was intensely realistic. Now I've first watched I Know What You Did Last Summer when I was around seven years old and watched half of Wes Craven's New Nightmare when I was eight. And yeah those movies scared me but it didn't scare me as much as Scream did. Hell, I was still too scared to watch A Nightmare On Elm Street back then and have yet checked out the Friday The 13th films. I had to grow into Horror movies a bit, I wasn't an early bird like most kids. But at age eleven, I saw the fun in watching horror movies, even the ones that really, really scared me. At age 12, I was hooked. Age 13-14, the rest is history. And in between those stages in my life, Scream was the movie I watched the most.
Out of all the horror movies I've seen, Scream was a different experience for me. It felt very grounded. It felt very real. The characters were framed as actually relatable and there was a sense of authenticity that we don't see in most 80s slashers. They are now self-aware of the conventions and feel as though they're immune to it. The commentary on horror movies became a staple in the late 90s and brought in a breath of fresh air that was needed in the genre. However, Scream was not without its copycats, which I myself watched every now and then. Certain people would look back at Scream and cringe at the characters' dialogue where they constantly make movie references. But I feel like that's where the movie's charm comes from, demonstrating how the characters are comparing their lives to a movie that they themselves can't figure out.
At this time, I"m only going to focus on the first three films. I might do Scream 4 a little later into this year but I have to tell you that my opinions on Scream 4 have changed a little bit. I still enjoy Scream 4, however, there are some things I'm iffy about when it comes to that sequel. The first three films for me feels like a solid trilogy where you get to learn and explore with the three lead characters of Sidney, Gale, and Dewy with an ongoing theme based on sensationalism, which is rare for a slasher film series. Not only that, the mystery is pretty tight and does keep you invested with a well-enough pace, alongside the late great Wes Craven piling on the suspense with a pulsating atmosphere.
Gosh, I would go on and on about how great these movies are...well, at least the first two. Still not a fan of Scream 3 but I'll tell you my reason when I get to that review.
First and foremost, I present to you, on this Hallows eve, The film that changed the face of horror...
See you soon.
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