Jason KingScream 4 (8.5/10)
April 12th 2011 07:40
:
Nearly as good as the first one!
Category: Reviews
Welcome to the first fully co-written review on Salty Popcorn. Mitch and I attended the screening together last night and he is the horror writer and I am the Salty writer. Put us together and it's like Margeret and Dave or Hart to Hart (if you are old enough to remember it) - I suppose that would make me the ass (just like Dave) with Mitch the much nicer Margeret.
Watching the Scream premiere last night was a journey of full circle for me. Like the films themselves which have come full circle to what I would call a re-commencement with the original leads all returning I made a full circle return to the beginning myself. I watched Scream six months prior to release in 1996 with one other person in Hoyts George Street's Cin 7 - the Premiere cinema that at the time had 1100 seats and the largest conventional cinema screen in the country. When Greater Union took over and the three big cinemas of George St became one the glorious Cin 7 was torn to pieces and made into three smaller cinemas.
It was on a scary night at midnight with coworker Vesna that we started this film and had no idea about the story. We used to screencheck films prior to screening it to VIPs. By the end of Drew Barrymore's scene Vesna and I were sitting on an armrest hugging each other and quivering in fear. It has always stayed with me as one of those cinematic memories of mine from working in the industry.
"Scream" (1996) was a slasher flick where the survival guide was based on the cliched rules of a slasher flick. Don't answer the phone. Don't open the door. Don't investigate. Don't have sex etc.. The original sets the rules. "Scream 2" (1997) was the sequel that based its story on the rules of slasher sequels. The deaths have to be bigger and bloodier etc.. The sequel bends the rules. "Scream 3" (2000) was the closing chapter in the trilogy and therefore based its motives on the events that commonly occur in the final chapter of a horror trilogy. This is the end. Leads may die. The final chapter breaks the rules. Now, with "Scream 4" releasing Australia wide on Thursday (14/04/11), it's a new decade with new rules. This new installment cleverly bases its rules on the rules of Hollywood remakes, reboots and re-imaginings.
From "Scream 2" onwards, a 'movie-within-a-movie' motif was created as Scream 2 features a Hollywood movie called 'Stab' which is based on the events of the original Scream. Ergo, whenever 'Stab' is mentioned, it is basically a direct reference to "Scream". Confused? Don't be. The Scream franchise is one of those rare, clever, smart slasher franchises that gained its respect by essentially siding with the audience and taking the piss out of itself via the 'Stab' movie-within-the-movie. Wes Craven originally did this in "New Nightmare" which was his final Freddy Krueger film, widely believed as his first attempt at doing the movie-within-a-movie story to prelude Scream. I won't go into detail but it's very clever and completely unlike any other Elm Street movie and is definitely worth a watch for the similar direction he went on to take with Scream.
For example, in the brilliant and sure to be memorable opening sequence from the new "Scream 4", 2 sexy blonde girls are sitting on the couch watching 'Stab 6' (the horror movie franchise within Scream). They are complaining that Hollywood keeps churning out countless sequels to mindless horror movies and refer to the movies' predictability that in almost every sequel, there will be a scene where 2 sexy blonde girls will receive a scary phone call moments before being brutally murdered by the killer. A direct reference to the very scene that they are in themselves. This sequence scored rolling laughter from the crowd and will surely be commented on by alot of viewers.
Scream 4 is directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the creative team behind Scream and Scream 2. Also returning are the original cast, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, making it the only horror franchise where all the original leads return for all the sequels. Joining the cast as part of the "new trilogy" characters this time are: Emma Roberts (Wild Child), Hayden Panettiere (TV's Heroes), Marley Shelton (Planet Terror), Anthony Anderson (Scary Movie 3/4) Adam Brody (TV's The O.C) Anna Paquin (TV's True Blood) Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Rory Culkin (Signs and Macaulay's bro) just to name a few.
Set 10 years after the events of Scream 3, Sidney Prescott has been absent from her hometown of Woodsboro having become a published author of the empowering self-help book she has scribed based on fighting her own demons. She returns to Woodsboro on the final stop of her promotional book tour and reconnects with Gale Weathers-Riley and Sheriff Dewey Riley. Her presence, however, also attracts the attention of the deadly Ghostface killer. Dealing with the fact that the killer seems to still be targetting people in her family, her younger cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her friends, Sidney must come to terms with the fact that its all happening again and must once again, fight to survive.
Scream 4 is the most self-aware installment of the franchise due to it's references to Hollywood and the 'Stab' franchise which is an indirect reference to itself. This works brilliantly. Some will say Scream 4 offers horror with genuine laughs, others will say it offers laughs with genuine horror. It can honestly be taken either way. It almost safe guards itself from the Wayans brothers by pumping out a bunch of honest laughs (not toilet humour) as well as satirising itself to the point where it's almost but not-quite a parody yet somehow remains faithful and chilling. It's fantastic. It's such a unique movie to be able to pull all of that off. It makes everything work and it is definitely a great watch.
The acting is fine. We didn't have a problem with it. It is good to see Neve Campbell return to the screen after basically retiring and also to see the real life married duo (although on the rocks at the moment) Courteney Cox and David Arquette. I would like to make reference to the additional symbiotic character of the film and my guess as to why David Arquette and Courtney Cox are on the rocks - her new bloody lips. They have had so much surgery on them they look bloody ridiculous - she looks like a cross between Jack Nicholson playing the Joker and Janice Dickinson. What the hell was she thinking??????
There is a fair few monumental scenes in this one and the twist at the end is fantastic. When it happened, I wasn't sure about it but it moves on and definitely works which leads to one of the greatest lines of dialogue in the entire film. Courteney Cox as the frustrated bitch Gale Weathers-Riley (now obviously married to Dewey) scores a ton of laughs because she is just as ruthless as she always was. David Arquette's 'Dewey' seems less dumb but still somehow retains a few classic dim-witted moments and Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott is nice to have back and she plays the part of repaired broken woman well. JK found her a little mopingly boring - I will give her credit though - she is no longer scared of anyting and just runs on in barehanded to do battle - yay Sidney Warrior Princess.
The new kids also fit in just fine. Usually in this situation, fans of the originals will scrunch their noses at a new generation but in honesty, they're fine. They work really well and the absence of Randy, the film geek, actually flows really smoothly with the introduction of the two leaders of the cinema club played by Erik Knudesen and Rory Culkin.
There are plenty of nods to Wes Craven's past work and other iconic horror movies. This is also, by far, the goriest sequel too.
Usually by the 4th installment, a movie franchise has well and truly begun to wane but this is definitely not the case with Scream 4. Wes Craven, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette all stated that they would only bother returning if the script was as good as the first... and they're all here so it's clear that I wasn't the only one who thought it was brilliant.
Scream 4 releases nationwide on Thursday and we both agreed on 8.5 outta 10.
(Also, props to the Roadshow rep who gave Mitch a free Ghostface costume.. he was trying to put it on even before we left the complex)
Watching the Scream premiere last night was a journey of full circle for me. Like the films themselves which have come full circle to what I would call a re-commencement with the original leads all returning I made a full circle return to the beginning myself. I watched Scream six months prior to release in 1996 with one other person in Hoyts George Street's Cin 7 - the Premiere cinema that at the time had 1100 seats and the largest conventional cinema screen in the country. When Greater Union took over and the three big cinemas of George St became one the glorious Cin 7 was torn to pieces and made into three smaller cinemas.
It was on a scary night at midnight with coworker Vesna that we started this film and had no idea about the story. We used to screencheck films prior to screening it to VIPs. By the end of Drew Barrymore's scene Vesna and I were sitting on an armrest hugging each other and quivering in fear. It has always stayed with me as one of those cinematic memories of mine from working in the industry.
"Scream" (1996) was a slasher flick where the survival guide was based on the cliched rules of a slasher flick. Don't answer the phone. Don't open the door. Don't investigate. Don't have sex etc.. The original sets the rules. "Scream 2" (1997) was the sequel that based its story on the rules of slasher sequels. The deaths have to be bigger and bloodier etc.. The sequel bends the rules. "Scream 3" (2000) was the closing chapter in the trilogy and therefore based its motives on the events that commonly occur in the final chapter of a horror trilogy. This is the end. Leads may die. The final chapter breaks the rules. Now, with "Scream 4" releasing Australia wide on Thursday (14/04/11), it's a new decade with new rules. This new installment cleverly bases its rules on the rules of Hollywood remakes, reboots and re-imaginings.
From "Scream 2" onwards, a 'movie-within-a-movie' motif was created as Scream 2 features a Hollywood movie called 'Stab' which is based on the events of the original Scream. Ergo, whenever 'Stab' is mentioned, it is basically a direct reference to "Scream". Confused? Don't be. The Scream franchise is one of those rare, clever, smart slasher franchises that gained its respect by essentially siding with the audience and taking the piss out of itself via the 'Stab' movie-within-the-movie. Wes Craven originally did this in "New Nightmare" which was his final Freddy Krueger film, widely believed as his first attempt at doing the movie-within-a-movie story to prelude Scream. I won't go into detail but it's very clever and completely unlike any other Elm Street movie and is definitely worth a watch for the similar direction he went on to take with Scream.
For example, in the brilliant and sure to be memorable opening sequence from the new "Scream 4", 2 sexy blonde girls are sitting on the couch watching 'Stab 6' (the horror movie franchise within Scream). They are complaining that Hollywood keeps churning out countless sequels to mindless horror movies and refer to the movies' predictability that in almost every sequel, there will be a scene where 2 sexy blonde girls will receive a scary phone call moments before being brutally murdered by the killer. A direct reference to the very scene that they are in themselves. This sequence scored rolling laughter from the crowd and will surely be commented on by alot of viewers.
Scream 4 is directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the creative team behind Scream and Scream 2. Also returning are the original cast, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, making it the only horror franchise where all the original leads return for all the sequels. Joining the cast as part of the "new trilogy" characters this time are: Emma Roberts (Wild Child), Hayden Panettiere (TV's Heroes), Marley Shelton (Planet Terror), Anthony Anderson (Scary Movie 3/4) Adam Brody (TV's The O.C) Anna Paquin (TV's True Blood) Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Rory Culkin (Signs and Macaulay's bro) just to name a few.
Set 10 years after the events of Scream 3, Sidney Prescott has been absent from her hometown of Woodsboro having become a published author of the empowering self-help book she has scribed based on fighting her own demons. She returns to Woodsboro on the final stop of her promotional book tour and reconnects with Gale Weathers-Riley and Sheriff Dewey Riley. Her presence, however, also attracts the attention of the deadly Ghostface killer. Dealing with the fact that the killer seems to still be targetting people in her family, her younger cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her friends, Sidney must come to terms with the fact that its all happening again and must once again, fight to survive.
Scream 4 is the most self-aware installment of the franchise due to it's references to Hollywood and the 'Stab' franchise which is an indirect reference to itself. This works brilliantly. Some will say Scream 4 offers horror with genuine laughs, others will say it offers laughs with genuine horror. It can honestly be taken either way. It almost safe guards itself from the Wayans brothers by pumping out a bunch of honest laughs (not toilet humour) as well as satirising itself to the point where it's almost but not-quite a parody yet somehow remains faithful and chilling. It's fantastic. It's such a unique movie to be able to pull all of that off. It makes everything work and it is definitely a great watch.
The acting is fine. We didn't have a problem with it. It is good to see Neve Campbell return to the screen after basically retiring and also to see the real life married duo (although on the rocks at the moment) Courteney Cox and David Arquette. I would like to make reference to the additional symbiotic character of the film and my guess as to why David Arquette and Courtney Cox are on the rocks - her new bloody lips. They have had so much surgery on them they look bloody ridiculous - she looks like a cross between Jack Nicholson playing the Joker and Janice Dickinson. What the hell was she thinking??????
There is a fair few monumental scenes in this one and the twist at the end is fantastic. When it happened, I wasn't sure about it but it moves on and definitely works which leads to one of the greatest lines of dialogue in the entire film. Courteney Cox as the frustrated bitch Gale Weathers-Riley (now obviously married to Dewey) scores a ton of laughs because she is just as ruthless as she always was. David Arquette's 'Dewey' seems less dumb but still somehow retains a few classic dim-witted moments and Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott is nice to have back and she plays the part of repaired broken woman well. JK found her a little mopingly boring - I will give her credit though - she is no longer scared of anyting and just runs on in barehanded to do battle - yay Sidney Warrior Princess.
The new kids also fit in just fine. Usually in this situation, fans of the originals will scrunch their noses at a new generation but in honesty, they're fine. They work really well and the absence of Randy, the film geek, actually flows really smoothly with the introduction of the two leaders of the cinema club played by Erik Knudesen and Rory Culkin.
There are plenty of nods to Wes Craven's past work and other iconic horror movies. This is also, by far, the goriest sequel too.
Usually by the 4th installment, a movie franchise has well and truly begun to wane but this is definitely not the case with Scream 4. Wes Craven, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette all stated that they would only bother returning if the script was as good as the first... and they're all here so it's clear that I wasn't the only one who thought it was brilliant.
Scream 4 releases nationwide on Thursday and we both agreed on 8.5 outta 10.
(Also, props to the Roadshow rep who gave Mitch a free Ghostface costume.. he was trying to put it on even before we left the complex)
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Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
There's no doubt though that most of the feedback I've heard from critics on this has been positive just like yours. I think there may just be something wrong with me (though I've known that for years
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I like to think that the three of them are returning for (like they said) the script was that good. I know Neve stopped her career and is playing mum in the UK and the others are just B grade celebrities - they never went anywhere besides Scream or Friends. Although Cox has enough royalties to live on that forever and turn her face into plasticine.
We are all weird - I am sure there is plenty of stuff you love I thought was crap
And nice to see I am not the only person that occasionally cops abuse from film lovers - I see you have an abusive fan this morning haha
I copped it for Red Riding Hood from (I am sure) a 12yr old girl that went mad on me for hating the film.
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Damn I've missed the abusive post - only just got on line and saw the email that I had an anonymous poster but it seems to have been deleted. What was he/she on about? Basically that I'm a complete and utter moron for slagging the film off I suppose? I love those passionate fans either way, a shame he/she didn't have the guts to leave it up.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Oh your fan was really nasty - he said things like fuck and how dare u and to suck a dick lol