Red Eye

Tags

2000's, Brian Cox, Cillian Murphy, Rachel McAdams, Red Eye, Thriller, Wes Craven

Film Title

Red Eye

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert
• Cillian Murphy as Jackson Ripper
• Brian Cox as Joe Reisert

Wes Craven takes to the air for this suspenseful little thriller that is lean, mean and nail-biting stuff. Red Eye, with many a Hitchcockian element to it, doesn’t aspire to be something brand spanking new; its main objective is to thrill and that’s what it does.

Lisa Reisert is a hotel manager whose life is all about dealing with tough customers and complaints. We pick up with her in Dallas, where she has just attended the funeral of her Grandmother. She’s not the biggest fan of flying, but is going to catch the red-eye flight back to Miami. Unfortunately, her flight is delayed and she has to wait around for a little while. It’s here that she meets the polite and handsome Jackson Ripper, who engages in friendly talk with her. When the flight is ready, they are happy and bemused to see that they are sitting next to each other on the plane. Though he keeps Lisa calm, there’s something not quite right about Jackson which becomes abundantly clear to us and her. What started as flirting and charming conversation soon turns to something very sinister as the plane takes off. Jackson admits to being part of a terrorist organisation that needs Lisa’s expertise in a deadly plan. You see the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security is staying in the hotel Lisa works in and the people Jackson works for are planning an elaborate assassination for him. They just need Lisa to switch his room for it to be successful. As leverage to ensure she takes part, Jackson informs the terrified Lisa that her father will be killed if his demands aren’t met. Faced with precious time that is ticking away, Lisa digs into her resolve in order to not buckle under the shock that befalls her. But just how long can she hold the evil and ruthless Jackson off before death begins to occur?

Red Eye benefits from the sure hand of Wes Craven in the directing chair. Having been one of the kings of the horror genre, his skills at inducing tension and terror are utilized here in this tightly compact suspense thriller. He gets over a real claustrophobia and paranoia that seeps into every frame, especially the main chunk that is airborne and the most unnerving. Red Eye isn’t aiming for immense originality or to be a game changing suspense movie; its most concerned with offering up something nail-biting and with more than a couple of jolts of unpredictability. economical running time makes sure that we are on the edge of our seats and no flab is seen leaking in Red Eye. The last half hour goes a bit overboard, but the build up and the tightness of most of it makes it easy to ignore and still a well constructed thriller with excitement and a whole lot of tension. The pacing is mainly where the movie is at, cleverly getting to the point after a short but bracing warm up before a white-knuckle intensity covers it splendidly. The mid-air game of sinister cat and mouse is sustained through effectively up close camerawork and  Marco Beltrami, who previously scored the haunting music for Craven’s Scream, is ace at filtering an electronic pulse into Red Eye. He starts with little drops of suspense, before cranking up the action and drama for something quickening and growing in volume.

Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy are the main players in this movie and they are talented performers. McAdams is a kind of actress who keeps things grounded and her part sympathetic and resourceful. She’s no screaming victim and though under duress, she makes her part one of both believable smarts and vulnerability. Cillian Murphy, with his intense stare and icy blue eyes, is superbly cast as the seemingly charming man who is anything but. Nastiness is his middle name but you can also sense some form of desperation to get his job done no matter what from the always watchable Murphy. Together, both are engaged in a deadly hunter and prey routine that is extremely entertaining. Although his appearance is rather sporadic, it’s always good to see Brian Cox in a movie and he is worth the watch no matter how small the role.

A tense and efficient thriller, Red Eye shows Wes Craven directing with great economy and style to give us a cracking suspense thriller.

Scream 4

Tags

2010's, Alison Brie, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Erik Knudsen, Hayden Panettiere, Horror, Marley Shelton, Mary McDonnell, Neve Campbell, Nico Tortorella, Rory Culkin, Scream 4, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream 4

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers-Riley
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts
• Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed
• Rory Culkin as Charlie Walker
• Erik Knudsen as Robbie Mercer
• Marley Shelton as Deputy Judy Hicks
• Alison Brie as Rebecca
• Nico Tortorella as Trevor
• Mary McDonnell as Kate Roberts

A return to the slasher series with a satirical edge, Scream 4 undoubtedly has its flaws. But it would be impossible to reach the heights of the influential first movie and if you look at it from a singular standpoint, Scream 4 is still rollicking and entertaining, albeit with problems. Plus, you’ve got Wes Craven on directing duties, Kevin Williamson back in the writing department and three of the principal actors from the original trilogy. And in those areas, Scream 4 rocks.

It has been ten years since the first spate of slayings in Woodsboro and Sidney Prescott returns. In the time since, she has written a self-help book and become a very confident woman whose no longer scared of her past. She stays with her Aunt Kate and cousin Jill, who is in her teens and surrounded by friends who adore the movies. Her return is part of her book tour and she reconnects with friends Dewey Riley, who is now the Sheriff and Gale, who is married to Dewey and whose career as a writer has somewhat stalled since moving back to Woodsboro a number of years ago. Dewey is having a good enough tenure as Sheriff of his hometown, while Gale has writer’s block and craves a new challenge. Yet as Sidney arrives, her old nemesis of Ghostface makes his presence felt with a rash of grisly murders, akin to the crimes perpetrated all those years ago. With a new generation of wise ass teens on the block, we learn that the killer may be trying to outdo the original in the way that most reboots do. That means it’s up to Sidney, an inquisitive Gale and Dewey to unearth the psycho before more blood is shed from the people Sidney holds dear to her heart. But just who is starting all these killings over again and what is the overall motive?

Wes Craven, that great iconic director of horror, is firmly in the director’s seat and his obvious expertise in the genre are at play. Though some of it feels stale, Craven has enough energy and style to make Scream 4 at least a worthy entry to the canon. In a sad footnote, Scream 4 was Craven’s last directing gig before his death and he left us with a good movie to go out on. While it has some problems, I will say that it has a bit more a better ratio with laughs and scares than Scream 3 did. meta and self referential areas are still pretty much intact, though they can lack some of the panache the other movies had.  Regardless, the many satiric jibes about endless glut of horror movies that attempt to outdo their predecessors by being outrageous and bigger are well-handled. The in jokes here are pretty amusing it must be said, as a new set of reboot rules come out to play. Because so much has changed in the world of movies and technology, Scream 4 can seem a bit forced as it is a totally different age from when the first three where hot. Saying that, quite a lot of the humour regarding us being such a dependent species on the Internet and the lives of others is particularly tart and barbed; something writer Kevin Williamson knows a lot about. Yet for all the mocking of conventions, it slips into many of them a lot more than necessary. Overall though, the script and return of Williamson are inspired and still very witty when it comes to be self-aware. Just that opening film within a film part is wildly entertaining as a send up to relentless sequels in the gore-filled genre. Seriously too, I loved the homages to the other films in the franchise; a lot of them really stuck in my mind and surprised me. Probably the most glaring flaw is the lack of interesting supporting characters, save for movie savvy Kirby, girl next door Jill and geeky Charlie . The rest of the teenagers are mere cardboard cut outs whose main purpose is to die extravagantly( though that does make the film more brutal and pretty scary it must be stated). The other main flaw within Scream 4 is that it overlong and could have been cut better, instead of dragging quite a big chunk of it out. I believe it’s a flawed movie, but it has some excellent moments that bring us back into the feel of the first troika of works. Marco Beltrami also returns on music duties and kicks up the action and winking to the audience that these movies are a dab hand at. The music has always been a big part of why I love these movies and this doesn’t disappoint, along with some side-swiping writing and inventive deaths.

The returning cast members slip back into the roles they know so well and do it with style. Neve Campbell once more impresses as perennial survivor Sidney, who is now older and more confident than ever before. Campbell portrays Sidney at her most hard-edged and ready for battle, even having a bit of sarcasm and as she’s faced this horror before yet refused to be the victim. That quality of overcoming adversity and personal growth has always been the most effective thing about Sidney Prescott, best embodied by the naturalness and heart of Campbell. She is still obviously terrified by events repeating themselves, but by now can take charge and kick ass with both attitude and soul. All bow down to Sidney Prescott and Neve Campbell for bringing this resilient character back to life. Courteney Cox gets to show that Gale can still be a fabulous bitch who wants her part of the glory solving the crimes, in typically defiant and amusing and near dangerous fashion. David Arquette’s puppy like enthusiasm is still there in funny ways, though it is tempered with a weariness now that the character is older. It was nice seeing these three characters return once more and still be interesting to watch. Emma Roberts is good as the cousin of Sidney, while Hayden Panettiere steals the show as the wise ass, movie buff Kirby. Exhibiting a sassy attitude and flirty sex appeal, she was a lot of fun to watch. Rory Culkin and Erik Knudsen are pretty OK as the movie geeks of the piece, though Culkin overshadows Knudsen because he appears more than him. The gorgeous Marley Shelton is unfortunately saddled with an uninteresting part of adoring police deputy who has a thing for her boss and Alison Brie majorly grates as the bitchy publicist with a big mouth and condescending persona. Nico Tortorella is pretty bland and not at all convincing as a creepy ex-boyfriend of Jill’s, while Mary McDonnell is completely wasted in her role as Sidney’s Aunt.

As flawed as it gets and lazy in some aspects it becomes, Scream 4 is largely an entertaining return to the series, aided by some inventive deaths and characters we know and love. Imperfect it may be, but any Scream is better than no Scream, even with some blemishes to its name.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Tags

1980's, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Amanda Wyss, Heather Langenkamp, Horror, John Saxon, Johnny Depp, Nick Corri, Robert Englund, Ronee Blakley, Wes Craven

Film Title

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson
• Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger
• John Saxon as Don Thompson
• Ronee Blakley as Marge Thompson
• Johnny Depp as Glen
• Nick Corri as Rod
• Amanda Wyss as Tina

A seminal horror classic that is perfect for spooky viewing today on Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street is atmospheric and exceptionally directed terror that sucks you right in to the strange story and introduces the world to another horror villain in the shape of Freddy Krueger.

The film centres on a group of teenagers; Nancy, Tina, Glen and Rod, in a quiet town, who begin experience unusual things in their dreams. Tina is the first member to have the vivid nightmares, and who begins to get very frightened of the possibility of death by what she sees. All of the teens seem to have had the same dream of a scarred man with knives on his fingers called Freddy Krueger tormenting them. But these dreams take a definite and more sinister tone when Tina is actually killed while dreaming of this. Thuggish bad boy Rod is accused of the slaying and arrested, but Nancy( who is the daughter of the local police chief) is not to sure as she can’t shake the feeling that the shared experience of dreaming the same thing holds a bearing over this. Nancy is right about the man from the dreams being responsible, but everyone else thinks she his going crazy due to grief. As more blood is spilled, it becomes a struggle to stay awake and not drift to sleep, where Freddy can kill them. It also transpires that there is something hidden by Nancy’s parents regarding Freddy, that may just hold the key to his murderous appearances. Yet Nancy has already deduced a way that she may be able to render the seemingly omnipotent Freddy powerless. With an array of strong plans, she sets up battle against the monster that is Krueger, with the intent on putting a stop to his savage killings once and for all.

The horror maven that is Wes Craven is the man behind this work of cinematic horror. His expertise in the macabre and terrifying are bountiful and for all to glimpse, with most impressive achievement being the way he blurs dreams and reality to become jagged and indistinguishable. By employing this technique, Craven catapults the audience into the confusion of the central teens as they look for ways to stop falling asleep for fear of what will happen. There are numerous times when even we are not sure whether we are viewing a dream sequence or normality as the effect of each is meshed to such a spectacular degree. Memorable moments come from this film and continue to enthrall. My personal favourites being the opening dream of Tina’s in the boiler room that sets the atmosphere of the film, Nancy following a ghostly vision of Tina wrapped in a bloody body bag and Nancy’s setting of traps to ensnare the bogeyman of Freddy for good. A Nightmare on Elm Street established the horror icon of scarred child killer Freddy Krueger, who no doubt had viewers terrified of going to sleep and still no doubt does that today. With that maniacal cackle, gruesome appearance and sly wit, he is one of the best villains to come from the horror genre. The sins of the parents theme is visited quite well and adds another element of tension to the strange mix at work. Where the biggest points are scored in A Nightmare on Elm Street is the aural landscape of spooky synthesizers and repeating percussion to create a haunting, childlike influenced score of sinister backbone that will make even the most serious person afraid and with nerves jangled.

The lead character of scared but plucky Nancy is embodied by the naturalness and likable delivery of Heather Langenkamp. Nancy is the only person who realises the link between the dreams and the deaths and sets out to. She is depicted as a strong and intelligent young girl who is adept at survival and unlike some girls in horror that are thrust into battling, Nancy is the instigator of the fight with a fierce determination. The smarts are wonderfully provided by the assured work of Heather Langenkamp, who shows us a Scream Queen of cleverness and vigor. Robert Englund cements his place in movie history with his creepy interpretation of the knife-wielding Freddy Krueger. With a despicable and unearthly menace, he scares the hell out of everyone because of how powerful the character seems to be(and the fact that dreams are uncontrollable).  John Saxon and Ronee Blakley contribute a sense of unspoken terror and knowledge playing Nancy’s parents, who have more than a little inkling of what is going on. A young Johnny Depp in his movie debut, portrays the goofy boyfriend of Nancy who is also dragged into the creepy goings on that plague him and his friends. Nick Corri and Amanda Wyss are used well as two of the teens who fall victim to the slayings.

Frightening from start to finish and packed with spine-tingling events, not least of which is the ability to traverse reality and imaginary, A Nightmare on Elm Street is deservedly a classic of the horror genre for its execution and ability to scare, even by today’s standards.

R.I.P Wes Craven

Tags

Wes Craven

I was so sad when I just read that Wes Craven had passed away at the age of 76 after battling brain cancer. His movies where so influential on the horror genre, from A Nightmare on Elm Street to the Scream series. Although I’m deeply saddened by the news, I know that I can at least remember the horror maestro through his consummate work as a director and that his films and legacy will live on. Rest in Peace Wes Craven and thanks for all the movies you gave us.

The Serpent and the Rainbow

Tags

1980's, Bill Pullman, Brent Jennings, Cathy Tyson, Horror, Paul Winfield, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Wes Craven, Zakes Mokae

Film Title

The Serpent and the Rainbow

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Bill Pullman as Dennis Alan
• Cathy Tyson as Marielle Duchamp
• Zakes Mokae as Dargent Peytraud
• Brent Jennings as Louis Mozart
• Paul Winfield as Lucien Celine

Loosely based on a true story, The Serpent and the Rainbow is a strange and atmospheric journey into the world of Voodoo which is both eye-opening and chilling.

Dennis Alan is a young Harvard anthropologist who specialises in finding unique herbs for their abilities within the field of medicine and science. He is approached by a prominent pharmaceuticals company who want him to investigate a most bizarre case. In Haiti, a man was pronounced dead and buried years before. Yet somehow he has surfaced and is among the living, literally it seems he has been brought back from beyond the grave. Believing it to be the work of some powder used within the Voodoo religion, the company send Dennis to the unstable country to investigate and see if the drug could prove beneficial back in the States. Dennis is skeptical as to this as he doesn’t believe in any sort of religion and takes the side of science over faith. Although unsure, he accepts the task and journeys to the country. Once there, he is aided by the beautiful Dr Marielle Duchamp and local Voodoo priests Louis Mozart and Lucien Celine. Yet with political unrest and chaos beginning to ignite, Dennis finds himself in more danger. He comes into vicious contact with the corrupt police chief and sadistic witch doctor Dargent Peytraud, who warns him to leave or else suffer. Unafraid, Dennis continues to poke around for the nature of the strange powder. Yet as he ventures deeper, he becomes the target of Peytraud who begins to plague his dreams with vivid and brutal scenes and horrifying hallucinations. Now Dennis is not just fighting to discover the mysterious properties of the powder, but to save his soul from being taken.

Wes Craven is a very deft director of horror and always knows exactly how to scare us. Here he is a bit more subdued with gore, but more than makes for it with the hallucinogenic episodes and strange rites portrayed. The Serpent and the Rainbow is unique in the way it portrays Voodoo. By having the film set in Haiti, it gives extra atmosphere and lets us journey into a world we are unfamiliar with and is quite unexplored. This isn’t sanitized Voodoo that we’re used to seeing, this is more in-depth and strange and all the better for it. This is where the movie derives its horror from, the unknown beliefs and things we are uncertain about. The subtext of revolution and political upheaval provides the film with that added sense of danger. With a slow-burning pace, it nicely builds to thrills and mystical ventures into a nightmarish place of terror and chaos. I do feel that some of the pace could have been improved upon, with some scenes going on for too long. Yet, throughout the majority of it, the slow pace is an asset. The same can be said of the narration provided by Dennis, at times it is quite interesting to hear but in others it feels too insistent for its own good. Yet these are minor quibbles with what is for my money an underrated horror movie, backed by a strange percussive score that perfectly captures the mood and terror.

Bill Pullman is great in the lead role, encompassing an arrogance that none of the spirit talk is real that later gives way to terror as he battles for his life. Cathy Tyson makes the best of her underwritten role, by giving Marielle a pluck and determination. However the real acting highlight from the film is Zakes Mokae in his portrayal of the corrupt and sinister Peytraud. With slithering intensity, booming voice and creepy smiles, he embodies such a memorably terrifying character that will frighten many. Much of the horror in here comes from Mokae and his delivery as he inflicts both mental and physical pain on Dennis. In supporting roles, Brent Jennings and Paul Winfield do their best as Voodoo practitioners.

Despite some flaws along the way, The Serpent and the Rainbow stands as an underrated and terrifying movie.

Scream 3

Tags

2000's, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Deon Richmond, Emily Mortimer, Horror, Jenny McCarthy, Lance Henriksen, Liev Schreiber, Matt Keeslar, Neve Campbell, Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Scream 3, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream 3

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Parker Posey as Jennifer Jolie
• Scott Foley as Roman Bridger
• Patrick Dempsey as Mark Kincaid
• Lance Henriksen as John Milton
• Matt Keeslar as Tom Prinze
• Jenny McCarthy as Sarah Darling
• Emily Mortimer as Angelina Tyler
• Deon Richmond as Tyson Fox
• Liev Schreiber as Cotton Weary

The third entry into the original Scream Trilogy, Scream 3 doesn’t meet the standards set by the first Scream and second film. Yet it does wrap the series up with some witty humour and genuine scares. Scream 3 may be the weakest of the bunch as it falls into the trap of many horror clichés that the other films so greatly lampooned, but it does have some merits that make it enjoyable including the acting and suspense.

In the opening scenes, we see Cotton Weary has now become a major celebrity with his own talk show. As he is driving home one night after filming a cameo in the latest ‘Stab’ movie, he is contacted by none other than Ghostface who proceeds to kill his girlfriend. When Cotton arrives, he is beaten by Ghostface, who asks where Sidney Prescott is. Refusing to answer, Cotton is stabbed to death. Sidney, since the events of Scream 2 has isolated herself in the Californian mountains under tight security, hoping to escape the nightmares of her past encounters with Ghostface. Meanwhile, reporter Gale Weathers is drawn into the investigation of Cotton’s death after a photograph of Sidney’s mother is found near his body. It seems the killer has his own agenda by targeting the stars of the latest ‘Stab’ movie in the order in which the die in the script and an interest in drawing Sidney out of her cocoon with some revelations about her late mother. Reuniting with Dewey, Gale begins to investigate the relevance of Maureen Prescott’s pictures with the added help of Jennifer Jolie, the flighty actress playing Gale Weathers in the ‘Stab’ flick. As the body count begins to pile up, Sidney realises she must break out of her isolation and once more face off with Ghostface in order to rid herself of the pain he has caused her. Yet as we are told via Randy’s video message, with this being a trilogy all bets are off and the usual rules of the horror movie have now been turned upside down.

As I previously mentioned, Scream 3 does not match the heights of the film before it. Part of this is due to the script, which for the first time isn’t written by Kevin Williamson. Whereas he managed to balance the horror and the humour, this one features too much comedy in it and the film suffers as a result. The descent into horror conventions is also a downside as the characters in the past two movies where self-aware of these and mocked them. At least we have Wes Craven’s direction which helps to create many suspenseful moments including a haunting scene in which the isolated Sidney dreams of her mother dressed in ghostly white, who warns that everything she touches dies. Adding to the suspense of the picture is once again the gothic score of morose chanting and slithering drums.

For all of its flaws, at least we have the talented principal cast to fall back on. Neve Campbell once again brings strength and underlying vulnerability to the role of Sidney, who realises that to exorcise her nightmares she must do battle with Ghostface. We see the growth of Sidney in this film and how she can now capably defend herself when threatened with her mind as well as her fists. Courteney Cox shows how Gale has softened but still can’t resist getting her hands on the latest news scoop. She has excellent chemistry with David Arquette as Dewey as the two quietly resume their romance whilst overcoming obstacles. Out of the newer cast, Parker Posey steals the show as Jennifer Jolie, who believes she is better than the real Gale Weathers and has interesting ways of getting into character. She is funny and fawning with her over the top remarks and highly strung personality that really give the film a jolt of much-needed humour. The rest of the supporting cast, which includes Patrick Dempsey, Jenny McCarthy and Emily Mortimer are unfortunately lumbered with uninteresting roles and are purely there to be the victims of Ghostface. Even Liev Schreiber who played Cotton so well in Scream 2 is murdered within 10 minutes of the film starting.

So all in all, Scream 3 doesn’t make as much of an impact as the first two movies. But saying that it does have some effective scares and performances that manage to wrap up the trilogy in a good but not great way.

Scream 2

Tags

1990's, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Elise Neal, Horror, Jada Pinkett, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O'Connell, Laurie Metcalf, Liev Schreiber, Neve Campbell, Omar Epps, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scream 2, Timothy Olyphant, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream 2

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks
• Jerry O’Connell as Derek
• Liev Schreiber as Cotton Weary
• Timothy Olyphant as Mickey
• Elise Neal as Hallie
• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Cici Cooper
• Laurie Metcalf as Debbie Salt
• Jada Pinkett as Maureen Evans
• Omar Epps as Phil Stevens

Following on from the first Scream movie, Scream 2 is a sequel that doesn’t diminish the impact of the first. Rather it expands on the greatness of the first by fleshing out the characters, making the deaths more elaborate and poking fun at the usual run of bad sequels that follow on from a successful horror movie.

Two years after the gruesome events at Woodsboro, survivor Sidney Prescott is now a college student who is trying to put the pain behind her and start again. This seems to be going relatively well as she is still good friends with movie nerd Randy, has new best friends in the form of funny Hallie and film lover Mickey and a sensitive boyfriend named Derek. She is even excelling at acting and her first production is coming up very soon. This attempt at letting go of the past is shattered by the news of two murders by someone in a Ghostface costume at the screening of ‘Stab’, a movie based on the book by Woodsboro survivor and newswoman Gale Weathers. The media turn its attentions to the college and Sidney as the body count begins to rise. On top of this, Cotton Weary( the man Sidney accused of murdering her mother) arrives on the scene looking for fame and forgiveness from Sidney. With a  copycat killer beginning to replicate the past murders committed by Ghostface, Sidney is still very much the target for the twisted psychopath’s sinister games. Banding together with returning police officer Dewey and the opportunistic Gale, she must once again do battle with Ghostface if she wants to survive the brutal events that surround her. But who can Sidney really trust as the killer continues to strike in increasingly brutal ways? Witty in jokes on sequels, a much higher body count and believable characters make Scream 2 a worthy sequel.

Wes Craven continues to direct with assurance and atmosphere as well as capturing the post-modern ideas of film sequels and the expectations. The satiric script complements this by upping the stakes in terms of the gore and violence in the film, whilst commenting on the debate surrounding whether we are too easily influenced by violence in the media. Ironically, a key scene involves film students discussing the declining qualities of horror sequels. Scream 2 thankfully doesn’t fall into this category because of its mix of dark laughs, elaborate deaths and commendable work from the cast. Whilst the dark humour is kept intact, the horror is perfectly balanced with it and generates some chilling sequences and a genuine shock or two. These include Sidney performing Cassandra as part of her acting major and being stalked by someone who resembles Ghostface and Gale trying to evade the killer in a pulse-pounding chase by hiding in a recording studio as he gets closer and closer. The score once again is an eerie listen with melancholy percussion and strings capturing Sidney’s fear of everything starting again and the resilience she must use to face her enemy the second time around.

Neve Campbell contributes another impressive performance as the heroine Sidney. We see how strong she has become since her first encounter with Ghostface but also the hints of vulnerability that lie beneath the surface. Campbell imbues Sidney with a very human quality that makes her a relatable heroine thrust into these brutal circumstances and trying to find the best way to survive it. Courteney Cox is similarly effective as Gale, who for all her ruthless ambition is actually quite scared underneath it all. Her budding romance with Dewey is a highlight as they bicker with one another but can’t deny the spark. David Arquette is earnestly charming as Dewey, who now walks with a pronounced limp following his almost fatal encounter with Ghostface in the first movie. Jamie Kennedy yet again provides trivia and movie lingo as the lovable Randy, whilst Liev Schreiber is suitably menacing and fame hungry as Cotton Weary. Timothy Olyphant and Elise Neal both make impression in their roles as two of Sidney’s college friends and Jerry O’Connell is sensitive as Sidney’s new boyfriend Derek. Sarah Michelle Gellar has a small but memorable role as the gorgeous sorority sister menaced by Ghostface. Laurie Metcalf is twitchy and fawning as the news reporter Debbie Salt who idolizes Gale. Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps are the two students whose graphic deaths spark the media circus.

Satirical and bloody in equal measure, Scream 2 is proof that sequels don’t necessarily herald the death of a franchise.

 

Scream

Tags

1990's, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Horror, Jamie Kennedy, Matthew Lillard, Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, Scream, Skeet Ulrich, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks
• Rose McGowan as Tatum Riley
• Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis
• Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher
• Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker

Wes Craven’s seminal horror movie of the 90’s that rejuvenated the genre, Scream is a fresh, darkly funny and suspenseful movie that is still a real blast to watch.

The film begins with blonde bombshell Casey Becker answering the phone whilst preparing to watch a slasher flick. The caller soon turns threatening after flirting with her and begins to taunt her into playing a game of horror movie trivia. Her boyfriend is tied up outside and is subsequently gutted when Casey gets an answer wrong. The terrified girl is then stalked by the masked caller who eventually stabs her to death and hangs her body from a tree. Meanwhile, teenager Sidney Prescott is trying to adjust to life with the upcoming anniversary of her mother’s brutal rape and murder. Sidney is also contending with her boyfriend Billy who wants intimacy with her but can’t seem to get close. Sidney’s other friends include the sassy Tatum, movie nerd Randy and goofy Stu. The slaying of Casey and her boyfriend becomes big news in the town of Woodsboro( covered in the news by resident bitch and anchorwoman Gale Weathers and investigated by the not so bright Dewey, a cop and brother of Tatum) with everyone suspecting who the twisted killer could be. All the students are sent home for fear of their safety with a curfew put in place. It soon becomes clear that this killer has watched one too many scary movies as more grisly murders occur and Sidney is seemingly the main target. With the body count rising, will the terrified Sidney be able to survive the encroaching bloodbath? In-jokes to many slasher flicks, inventive and gory deaths and credible performances make Scream a refreshingly excellent exercise in the horror genre.

Wes Craven directs with a flair for the material and perfectly manages to balance the grim and knowing humour with scenes of blood-soaked savagery. The endless list of inventive deaths also breathes fresh life into the generic tropes of the genre, with the chilling opening a clear highlight of terror and suspense. The biggest asset that raises Scream above many horror films is the self-aware script that lampoons conventions and gives the proceedings a jolt of off-kilter humour. The scene in which Randy explains the rules about surviving in a horror movie to other students at a drunken party is both a witty commentary on the repeated formulas of horror movies and a subversive nod to the seen it all attitudes of movie-loving teenagers. Scream also gives us a genuinely creepy villain in the form of Ghostface. With his twisted love of horror movies, chilling games and menacing voice, he is a common fixture on Halloween night and has been imitated countless times in so many movies. Marco Beltrami provides Scream with a spine-chilling score of haunting voices and sinister synths.

A splendid cast encompass their roles with wit and believability. Neve Campbell is emotionally convincing in the role of the terrorized Sidney, who goes from vulnerable girl to strong and resourceful survivor as she is galvanised into fighting back against her masked attacker. Playing the role with quiet conviction and buried strength, Campbell makes for a great heroine of horror that you can root for. Courteney Cox makes a fabulous impression as the ruthless and bitchy Gale, who will do just about anything for a scoop or her name in lights. David Arquette contributes goofy charm to the part of Dewey, who is often clueless on matters of the case. Jamie Kennedy is a hoot as the movie geek Randy, imbuing the part with a nervous and manic energy while Rose McGowan is feisty and sexy as Sidney’s best friend Tatum. Skeet Ulrich is mysterious and slightly menacing as Sidney’s boyfriend Billy and Matthew Lillard is great at playing the slightly hyper Stu. Drew Barrymore makes the opening to Scream memorable as the blonde lovely tormented and eventually butchered by Ghostface.

Hip, witty and above all scary, Scream is a horror movie that shouldn’t be missed.