Scream (1996)

       Hello again fiends!  Welcome (a bit belated) to 2014.  I’ve decided to start up the horror blog again, and I’m going to try to keep up with it a bit better than I have in the past.  More horror, more often.  Doesn’t that sound like a scream?  Speaking of Scream, Wes Craven’s (1996) feature film by that title is the first of this weeks’ reviews.  I know it’s not the newest movie on the block, but in my humble opinion it was one of the better horror films that came out during the 90s.  When it débuted, this film was fresh, exciting, and unpredictable – and it still holds up as one of my favorites to watch.

      For starters, Scream has one of the absolute best opening scenes I’ve ever scene (pun intended), from the sound of a telephone ringing co-mingled with a fever-pitched scream, right to the final shot of Casey Becker hanging from the tree in her front yard – viscera completely on display.  The opening scene also boasts something I’ve had nightmares about myself – when Ghostface makes his first appearance and has already killed one teen (and is working on the second), Casey’s parents pull in.  As they make their way toward the front door, Casey can see them and is running toward them attempting to yell for help – only she can’t get the scream out.  It is a chilling sequence that I still cannot tear my eyes away from, even after watching it over a dozen times.    

       After this brutal beginning, viewers become familiar with Sydney Prescott and her friends.  We discover that Sydney’s mother was savagely raped and murdered just a year before the murders of Casey Becker and Steve Orth, and Woodsboro is completely on edge when faced with this new rash of horrific murders.  Upon your original watch of the film, I’d be surprised if you (horror aficionado I know you are) are able to guess who Ghostface is.  I remember when I was a Scream virgin, and I had so many opinions as to who the killer was – Billy, Dewey, Sydney’s father (Mr. Prescott), Randy, the Sherrif, and the principal – to name a few of the ideas I had.  Personally, I love it when a film or novel stumps me concerning whodunnit, and Scream does a great job of alluding to the fact that it could be one of several people within the film’s cast.

       The rest of the film boasts a wicked soundtrack (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, anyone?), great cinematography, and a splash of humor and intelligence not typical of the genre.  The plot is mostly an homage to horror films that came before Scream’s time, but Craven made the genre fresh and exciting for the new millennium.  The cast was also fresh and exciting, boasting now-seasoned actors such as Neve Campbell and Matthew Lillard (who makes one of the best jokes in the film – “Better LIVER alone!” – cracks me up).  I would go more into detail about the plot and who Ghostface is, but if you haven’t seen this film I truly don’t want to spoil it for you.  Just know that it is a classic teen scream that very likely will become a favorite part of your horror collection.

            Due to the nature of this film, I’m only going to provide you with Raven’s Scream Meter this time around (no boobs, unknown killer, etc) as a courtesy because I’m sure you all know by the end of this review what my feelings about the film are.  So, Raven’s Scream Meter Says:  5 out of 5 screams.  This is one that can be watched alone or with the family (teens and up, of corpse).