Review: Scream (1996)

Stars: Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell

Budget: $14 million

Directed By: Wes Craven

Many years before his untimely end horror master Craven did something awesome in the
world of horror films. He brought back the slasher genre, albeit with slightly new updated rules.
The Teens wouldn't be as clueless as before, this would be a generation that had grown up watching those horror films they are now (unknowingly)staring in.
The killers wouldn't be invincible unstoppable killing machines, they would be sneaky, careful, human which would above all make them prone to mistakes.
With no skull crushing super strength or ability to absorb bullets and keep going, you'd think that'd make for a poor killer?
Wrong it served up a more tense, visceral feeling and above all allowed these teens the ability to fight back against their killer. Making it all the more relieving or hard hitting if they lived or died. As mentioned these kids had seen all types of horror movies. Some even referencing scenes or effects used in some of the great and popular scenes from those movies, such as evil dead (corn syrup anyone?).
We even have one teen who's a total horror buff, more on that later though. As mentioned effects play a big role in this film with scream possibly being one of the last times where most of them would be practical special effects for nearly everything which for me adds to the visceral nature of the movies kills.

The film was also a stage for one Drew Barrymore to regain her footing in acting after a turbulent teens saw her go a little off the rails. Though her part is small she's got so much presence and experience from years of acting that it's well delivered. It also starred some other moderately famous faces such as Courtney Cox (she met future husband David Arquette on set too), coupled with a few newer up and comers, Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan who were mostly just TV stars at the time.
This film certainly opened a lot of door for a lot of people, so it should have to it really did refresh and bring back the tired slasher genre.
It spawned 3 sequels too, though many people didn't like these for various reasons, they each weren't as good as the last except for maybe part 2 though each do have their own merits too. Like them talking about sequel tropes in the follow up movies, but that will be for another time when we do the later entries. It also pretty much started off the whole scary movie franchise too.

The film starts with one of the best openings, a simple phone call, a trope that would be used in countless horror movies from then on. Casey (Barrymore) receives a phone call from what seems like a student who has the hots for her. While she's waiting for the popcorn to pop on the stove.
It quickly takes a turn for the worse as the speaker starts spouting lewd, rude and disgusting things to her while shes on the phone. Especially the now iconic Do you like scarey movies? Casey states that her boyfriend is coming over soon and he'll kick whoever's ass this is on the phone.
The voice states is that the same boyfriend who is now held captive, she turns on the light as told seeing he is indeed tied to a chair in the back garden. They force her to try and answer questions about scary movies to save his life. She fucks up and refuses to answer any more questions, bad move. They kill the boyfriend, invade her house and chase her with the now iconic ghost mask and suit on, the killer kills her just before she can get to her returning parents. Which they then find her mutilated corpse swinging, hung from a tree on their return home.
Across town one Billy Loomis (yes in homage to Halloween) sneaks into his girlfriend's bedroom Dawson's Creek style. A bit upset that Sidney won't put out he goes to leave, they are almost caught by Sidney's father who comes to tell her he's going to be out of town for a while.

The next day like vultures the media rain down on the small town eager for a story, One reporter Gail Weathers knows more about the towns shady past.
Sidney Prescott who's mother was a murder victim only a year before. She believes that the man Sidney identified as the killer (Cotton Weary) is not to blame also.
With the police investigating and class cancelled we see the whole gang together, Sidney&Billy, Tatum (Rose), Randy (the horror movie buff played by Jaime Kennedy) and Stu the ex of Casey (Matthew Lillard).
They talk about the killing Sidney gets a little upset in the mean time. She works out to stay at Tatum's while her father is out of town.

Sidney initially goes home to pack a few items when her cell/mobile phone rings. Bad mouthing her mother about why she was killed the killer springs out on Sidney.
She gets to her bedroom where she does the lock trick then rings the police. Literally minutes later Billy climbs through her window asking what's wrong.
His phone however has fallen out of his pocket and Sidney accuses him of being the caller. He tries to explain (see these were early cell/mobile phone days not everyone had one) but Sidney goes running from the house right into the police who where coming to investigate.
They take both her and Billy down to the station for questioning. Here we meet Dewey (Arquette) Tatum's older brother and also the deputy. He's not considered the brightest spark in the box and everyone talks down to him, including Tatum.

Tatum foes to take Sidney home but they are stopped by the nosey Gail. She wrote an exposé on her mother's murder and about Cotton. She believe Sidney is wrong again and the murders may be linked.
While at Tatum's Sidney receives another phone call stating she has the wrong guy again. This acquits Billy of being responsible for attacking her. The next day in school he berates her for accusing him of being capable of murder. She doesn't take to kindly to it and ignores him and walks off. School ends and despite a curfew a big party is called for. Gail once again tries to talk to Sidney but she is stopped by Dewey, strangely the two seem to hit it off.

In the party Sidney spots Billy they talk and she decides to forgive him and that maybe she's been a bit selfish. He's always been there for her and she decides to take him upstairs for sex.
Meanwhile Tatum is murdered by the killer in the garage as she tries to escape his clutches. A lot of kills happen in quick succession now. After Billy and Sidney have sex the killer rushes in and stabs Billy repeatedly in the back. Sidney escapes again to warn Dewey who subsequently gets knifed up too. Gail almost runs Sidney over but avoiding her crashes her van into a tree seemingly dead too.
Sidney gets back into the house where Stu and Randy still are. Stu is accusing Randy of being a killer but Randy just wants to get away, Sidney once again has to make a choice.

Now there's still a good chunk of the film left but I can't spoil anymore because literally at that moment is one of the massive twists of the movie. If your not good at working things out or love twists this would be a massive spoiler for you and also THN doesn't spoil films unless they are very very bad. So we'll leave it there and THN will award Scream the highest of standards 5 out of 5 with an intense watch it if you haven't before. Some times in the future we'll delve into Scream 2 is it any good?