Scre4m

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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
SCRE4M (Wes Craven)



Don't F**K With The Original.

Sidney has written a book about how she overcame her horrible past and returns to Woodsboro, ten years after her last attack. Gale and Dewey are married, she's trying to write fiction and he's now the Sheriff. Death arrives the same time Sidney does, people start dying and bodies start piling up. Now Sidney has to look after her cousin Jill, as well as her friends.

The original scream, without a doubt, redefined the genre. So many imitators popped up after that movie came out and the subsequent sequels became exactly what the original was parodying. With each sequel in a horror franchise, the quality seems to be watered down, since we are treated to the same stuff over and over again. This happened to the Scream trilogy. I dug the second one, but the third was a horrible mess. The third works on paper, but not in execution. So here comes the fourth Scream film, trying to recoup what it had lost, but can a 4th film in a series really be fresh and exciting?

I must say that Scre4m did surprise me, I liked it more than I thought I would. In fact, I think it's probably the best since the original. The film feels like the first two, mashed into one. Smart move not to try and copy the third. There are scenes that imitate the original and the sequel, it has a nostalgic feel to it. What Scre4m manages to do is bridge the decades together rather well. It feels like a 90's slasher, but updating for this generation. Mission accomplished to Craven and Williamson.

It's great to see Campbell, Cox and Arquette reprise the roles that made them famous (ignoring the fact that Cox was in friends). Sidney has become a stronger woman, Dewey is more confident as the Sheriff and Gale, is still a cold hearted bitch. It's these three characters that we care about, we gives a crap about the new young cast. They're just there to get sliced and diced. I must say that Dewey does seem to have less screen time here, he's always coming in at the last second. He was never in any real danger, it felt off to me.

This is probably the goriest out of all of them. It has to be, if it wants to compete with the films today. Simple stabbing deaths aren't going to cut it. The film acknowledges this, as well as all the crap that happens in remakes and sequels. I had an inkling as to who the killer(s) was before the reveal, I was never 100% confident though. We are still treated to the same thing that has happened in the previous films. Killer(s) reveal, then a spiel of their motive and of course the climax. Scre4m hits all the same notes the previous films did and it doesn't feel stale.

I think fans of the series will really like this one. Characters do really stupid things, like opening doors and leaving their car when the killer is right outside, instead of staying locked in and calling the cops. Yet this is a series that thrives on that. We the audience, know they will be stupid, Wes Craven knows this, even the characters themselves know this. The film has humour and doesn't take itself too seriously. It manages to stay true to the original films and make a fresh new start.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I thought Scream 3 had too much comedy in it, this one had the right balance.

I agree, this film did not need to be made, but how they handled it was good enough for me. It definitely feels like the original trilogy chapters are closed and this is a new one. If they stop here, I'm fine with it. Like you said, they apparently have more story for two more, so only time will tell (well, that and the box office).

Also, Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) seems to be a fan favourite, the new Randy.



OH PLEASE NO ONE GIVE ANYTHING AWAY. I'M SEEING THIS TOMMOROW SO NO SPOILERS becuase Scream is one of those franchises that people tend to avoid spoilers.

Also check my review thread for past Scream Reviews. 2 & 3 will be up soon.



I was going to review the first three Screams before this one came out, but I never got around to it. My ratings for them are:

Scream

Scream 2

Scream 3



Good review, Sus. I'll definitely be giving it ago. Reviews seem to range from mixed to leaning more towards the positive side. The original is a modern classic so if this is at least half as good then i'll consider it a success.



Since we're rating Scream flicks:

Scream:
+
Scream 2:
+
Scream 3:



WOW, there is a blind film critic on Youtube. See (or don't see) what he says about Scream 4:




Dissapointing opening as apparantly Scream 4 only grossed $19 Million for Opening Weekend. Is there no end to this Box Office Slum in America ?



Einhorn95's Avatar
Life is one big movie.
Directed by Wes Craven
Written by Kevin Williamson
Starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, and Emma Roberts

Sidney(Campbell) returns to Woodsboro for her book tour for her self-help book Out of Darkness. She meets back up with now, Sherrif Riley(Arquette) and wife Gale(Cox) as another series of murders take place. While trying to survive these new attacks she is also looking out for younger cousin Jill(Roberts). New Decade, New Rules.

Going into the theater I was thinking, "this has the potentional to be awful and pointless." Wow was I wrong! This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. This movie connects right back to the originals which I think is what fans wanted. There are just as much laughs as there are jumps, we can thank Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven for that. It keeps you guessing till the very end, you should deffinitly see this movie. Craven and Williamson have done it again.



Judging by how well is doing, i say this maybe the last Scream film. Unless it gets a word of mouth and goes up, then maybe 5 is possible. But right now, Scream is done to me.



I can't decide if I like it or it was bad. It's pretty unnecessary if you've seen the others, very much for new generation of fans. It had a mix of good and bad bits, the 'filming' gimmick or attempt to tie-in/parody something seemed a bit contrived, at least until the reveal. The film nerds seemed a bit forced solely to emulate Randy. I liked the killer reveal in that it wasn't retconning anything or revealing a whole new identity to someone but seemed like they wanted a 'gasp' twist for sake of it and didn't have the balls to make it a real 'GASP'. One thing I do need to point out is how the killer's identity was very familiar to another film
WARNING: "killers identity" spoilers below
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane
and didn't really flesh out any prior relationship or character development to these people
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so it is a good movie or not ?



Einhorn95's Avatar
Life is one big movie.
It honesty depends, if you go in there expecting a very serious horror film you will be upset. If you go in there thinking it will be like the others then you will be happy. I really enjoyed it and thought it was good.