Scream (1996) Review

Written by: BlackTequilaKiss   

A cult favourite among horror fans. So where does it stand with me? It's pretty damn good but not an all time favourite of mine. For where it succeeds, there are also areas where it fails too. A good movie if a tad over hyped.

Still with all the hype I enjoy it and it satisfies the horror taste buds enough throughout the course of the film, there are also enough little gems during the movie to cause a titter and make it worth the time.

Maybe not brilliant but an enjoyable romp of an horror that I do respect and admire Craven for creating and a welcome addition either way to the Horror genre, we all know and love.

Plotline: One year on after the death of Sidney Prescott's mother, two students are brutally murdered and gutted. When the work proves to be that of a serial killer, Sidney begins to wonder if the new deaths and that of her mother are actually related. As is the case no one is safe as the killer begins to pick off victims one by one. However in this case, everyone is a suspect, who is the real killer? And can they be stopped before it is too late?

It starts off really well. I do admire Craven for putting a big star name into the movie and then killing her off pretty quickly. (I also love the way he got her to start crying. Whilst cruel you have to love Craven's disturbed methods). Yes the start is very interesting and paves the way for what it leads to.

Scream is truly stylish, glossed but still with a little bit of grit.

For the actors; so many where do I start...

Neve Campbell (WILD THINGS, THE CRAFT) yes I like this woman and I promise it has nothing to do with Wild Things *coughs*, it really doesn't *coughs*. Nonetheless she is a good actress. She can play her emotions to full strength and therefore give some calibre of realism to her characters. I rarely see her play a contrived performance and when that seems to be the case, she always surprises with the depth she can push into her roles. Safe to say, I absolutely love her!

The other I shall mention is...

David Arquette. I adore this man :) He has a quiet nature in his acting, a studios way to his characters and a charm I cannot resist. That cute smile of his always reduces me to jelly. But seriously he has some real acting chops, he knows how to bring across raw emotion and bring it into characterisation. A wonderful, courteous actor I never tire of him.

As for the other things. I.e. the special effects, the soundtrack/score and the cinematography, well you know these will be a priority when it comes to my reviews ;)

The music of this film. Loud, effervescent and direct the songs all served a real purpose as we must take into account this is a entertaining but raucous film. It does not hide anything behind plain windows, everything you see you get. The rock songs accompanying it just fit. As for the instrumental score it is nicely composed. For such a hyped movie, it has a rather calming and lulling effect. I liked it.

Cinematography, through the lens of an eye it looks beautiful. Ok, so some moments bring the cliché into true focus but more often over it relies on other extenuating reasons. That soft glow of the sun in the background of the town, the gentle shine toward the end of the day when the clouds are darkening and night is making it's way, just gorgeous and really understated. Don't like the movie all that much? Enjoy it for the breathtaking scenery at least.

Blood? Of course, predominantly we are talking of a Craven flick which is usually rich to the point of burning. Right from the opening scene with Drew we are drawn to a tapestry of open guts and rivers of blood and throughout it continues pace, the final showdown being both bloody and kick-ass. Did the special effects look right? Yes, Craven took that blessed approach he applies and made sure that whilst it was frequent it was never overdone to the point that the movie was about the gore and blood alone. Craven this is why you are so respected. Lovingly crafted.

I'll say it once more for the record. It is pretty damn good. I don't love it but neither do I hate it, instead it settles for a comfortable middle ground. The hype of this movie was really overdone. I love Craven but it was OTT to the point it almost put me off the film. I am glad it didn't but a step away from the media of the movie would not have hurt Scream.

But it's no never mind, it's a good wholesome teenage by the book kill shock fest. Enough deaths to appease the appetite, enough flesh to keep young lads interested and funnily enough, enough depth to stop it being labelled as moronic or unintelligent. I like this movie and who knows someday soon might love it but for now, like is the operative term.

Love your slashers, desire a little intellect? Rent this, you will enjoy it. Thanks for reading and love to my viewers, kind regards:

BTK.