I am a huge fan of Scream (1996), it gave a shot of adrenaline to a dying genre in an original and intelligent fashion...inevitably sequels were going to come. Scream 2(1997), although not as good as the first, was still very good, with a great new cast and story. Scream 3 (2000) was a disappointment, two of the main reasons being the change of writer and political climate at the time. There was a lack of interesting characters or tension, and the whole movie just felt like a comedy. Now, into a new decade, much has changed in the horror genre. Remakes are the go, with almost every horror classic receiving the remake treatment, and of course the sequels that follow the remake. Just recently reboots have become incredibly popular, especially in the comic adaptations department, with numerous series being redone to fit in with the modern audience.
Scream 4 (or Scre4m, whichever you prefer) reunites horror director Wes Craven with the original writer Kevin Williamson and actors Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox to deliver a fresh take on the horror genre and I must say, I am impressed. After a fantastic opening which takes multiple 'stabs' (excuse the bad pun) at sequels, remakes, 'torture porn' and movies-within-movies I knew Scream 4 was a step in the right direction not only for the franchise, but the horror genre. The plot is no different from the other films, it revolves around Sidney (Neve Campbell) returning to her hometown Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book. Unfortunately, her return has caused the return of Ghostface, who busily hacks through various citizens of Woodsboro.
Scream 4 feels very familiar, but at the same time fresh. There are many references to horror movies, Iphones, Twitter, Facebook and blogs, with almost every joke hitting the mark. The new cast is fantastic: Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie and Rory Culkin are amongst the many who bring their characters to life very well. Of course, the original actors are excellent, seeing their return will bring a smile to any fans face. The film is very fast paced, almost too much so for the amount of new characters introduced. At times it all feels very rushed, and characters are only in one or two scenes before being murdered. There are scenes which have been shown in stills and trailers which are not present, and it would have been good to see them as it may have fleshed out certain characters and allowed more of a connection (expect a director's cut/unrated DVD). In terms of violence, this is easily the most violent of the series, with the most victims and copious amounts of blood. The deaths are drawn out longer than in the other films, with some being particular nasty.
I can't say I'm disappointed with Scream 4, because I'm not. It is very self-referential, and barely a scene goes by without a reference to a movie convention. Despite the film being too short for the amount of characters present, Craven and Williamson have successfully revived the franchise and once again parodied the horror genre with intelligence. If you are a fan of the series, this will not disappoint you.
4/5
Scream 4 (or Scre4m, whichever you prefer) reunites horror director Wes Craven with the original writer Kevin Williamson and actors Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox to deliver a fresh take on the horror genre and I must say, I am impressed. After a fantastic opening which takes multiple 'stabs' (excuse the bad pun) at sequels, remakes, 'torture porn' and movies-within-movies I knew Scream 4 was a step in the right direction not only for the franchise, but the horror genre. The plot is no different from the other films, it revolves around Sidney (Neve Campbell) returning to her hometown Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book. Unfortunately, her return has caused the return of Ghostface, who busily hacks through various citizens of Woodsboro.
Scream 4 feels very familiar, but at the same time fresh. There are many references to horror movies, Iphones, Twitter, Facebook and blogs, with almost every joke hitting the mark. The new cast is fantastic: Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie and Rory Culkin are amongst the many who bring their characters to life very well. Of course, the original actors are excellent, seeing their return will bring a smile to any fans face. The film is very fast paced, almost too much so for the amount of new characters introduced. At times it all feels very rushed, and characters are only in one or two scenes before being murdered. There are scenes which have been shown in stills and trailers which are not present, and it would have been good to see them as it may have fleshed out certain characters and allowed more of a connection (expect a director's cut/unrated DVD). In terms of violence, this is easily the most violent of the series, with the most victims and copious amounts of blood. The deaths are drawn out longer than in the other films, with some being particular nasty.
I can't say I'm disappointed with Scream 4, because I'm not. It is very self-referential, and barely a scene goes by without a reference to a movie convention. Despite the film being too short for the amount of characters present, Craven and Williamson have successfully revived the franchise and once again parodied the horror genre with intelligence. If you are a fan of the series, this will not disappoint you.
4/5