Review: Scream 4 (2011)

Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox

Budget: $40 million

Directed By: Wes Craven

after an 11 year hiatus Wes Craven comes back to direct his franchise with writer Kevin Williamson at the helm and not multiple writers. Only a few rewrites and some last minute reshoots were needed this time, not on the day changes like in 3.
Also Wes dedicated himself this time, unlike with scream 3 where he was basically on and off the set quite a lot.

This time the story seems to play on remakes and reboots. Though they also throw in the effects of social media as well as internet fame in the mix.
Despite this movie being more universally liked by both critics and fans of the franchise it did end up being the lowest grossing of the four films, guess even after 11 years sequel fatigue can set in.

It may have been also been that it faced some of the same criticisms of the last using cliches that coupled with not enough scares!
I do find this entry maybe a little better or at least on par with part 3, both have strengths and weaknesses that seem to either lower or increase them to just about as good as each other in my eyes.

So spoiler time as we head into the movie, Sidney now 32 years old and famous from her own book is this time suspected in the murders. Two school girls are killed when Sidney and her promotion manager come to promote her book in her old town. Police find evidence in her car.
She is then forced to stay in the town due to be suspected in the murder, staying with her aunt Kate and cousin Jill. Jill we find out is having problem with her boyfriend. Jill and her neighbor Olivia both get threatening phone calls from Ghostface later on.
We then get introduced to the new town sheriff, none other than Dewey!
He questions the girls and also their other friend Kirby about the calls, he's being assisted by Judy Hicks his deputy. He is now Married to Gale, who we meet next. he's suffering from writers block so decides to get involved in the murder case too.

Later on Olivia is being murdered in front of Jill and Kirby, Sidney rushes in with the help of Jill to try and save her but they are both hurt and the killer gets away. Sidney sickened by her agents use of the kills to promote her book fires her, she is then subsequently murdered.
Gale uses the help of two high school movie enthusiasts, they tell her that the killer is now using the tropes of remake horror movies. If that's so he will probably strike at a party being held that night.
Gale goes to the party where indeed the killer does strike and almost kills her, she is saved when Dewey shows up scaring the killer away.

At Sidney's aunts house, Sidney discovers that the two guards sent by Dewey have both been killed by the murderer and that Jill has vanished. When she goes to tell her aunt the killer shows up, they end up killing Kate only to vanish again. Deputy Hicks arrives advising Sidney to stay put but she goes to Kirby's to try and save Jill.
A bunch of people at Kirby's house partying when Robbie (one of the film buffs) is cornered by the killer. He tries to use a movie trope by saying he's gay so the killer won't kill him, it unfortunately does not work. Sidney shows up to get Jill but they are chased by the killer, Evading him Sidney manages to call Dewey.
In a scene reminiscent of the first film Kirby is forced to answer horror movie trivia to save a tied up Charlie. While this is happening Sidney is still looking for Jill. After answering the question correctly Kirby goes outside to untie Charlie, he stabs her in the stomach revealing he is the killer leaving her to bleed out.

Now there is a large chunk of the films ending left but if i go any further it will spoil the ending for people who haven't seen it. As you know we don't spoil endings unless the film is so bad we don't warrant it even watchable. So in conclusion Scream 4 scores a steady 3 out of 5 stars at THN.

Review: Scream 3 (2000)

Cast: Courtney Cox, Neve Campbell

Budget: $40 million


Directed By: Wes Craven

The third in the franchise and the last one for a little while. Very varied views on this one it's like the Marmite of the Scream series, though it is still generally liked it's most peoples worst of the 4 films.

For me i kind of like the first half, then it seems to go one step beyond the meta of satirizing itself, in my views at least. It kind of comes full circle with it which in the eyes of many who've watched this was it's downfall .
Though if you didn't know it you can't blame it realky especially for the many weird direction changes. You see the script was incomplete at the time of shooting, not only that it also suffered from many rewrites. Many on the same day of filming.
Some of the cast didn't see the script until the time of filming due to these last minute changes.
For this i commend the actors for such a well done job, it was also still directed by the legendary Wes Craven too which also probably helped.

As with the last film they are still doing the in universe film series based on the killings called Stab, the are on to making Stab 3. Sidney has gone into hiding no one knows where she is, so when a supposed 'ghost face' rings in Cotton Weary's new show 100% Cotton asking for her whereabouts.
He refuses to help the possible killer, this leads to him and his girlfriend being murdered in their home later that night. A detective Mark Kincaid contacts Gale to help with the investigation. She travels to Hollywood where in her investigations she finds her old partner Dewey is working on the set of the new movie.

The lead actress is killed which causes a cascade of things to happen, Sidney with a combination of the killings and receiving threatening phone calls decides to get involved. Some of the cast members of the film along with Dewey and Gale stay over the home of Jennifer Jolie, her bodyguard is killed then ghost face causes a gas explosion that kills another actor Tom.
Sidney is contacted by the sister of Randy the horror movie nerd from the first two films (murdered in the last one). She has a video tape that Randy made posthumously, watching it he explains that in horror movies by the third installment all the rules are off. Any one can die even the main star, which he explains is Sidney.

More of the cast attend a birthday for the director where he is also killed off, Gale discovers his body. Then Angelina is also killed after she refuses to join the others. Tyson one of the other actors tries to fight ghost face but loses and is stabbed and thrown to his death.
Jennifer is also killed when she's trying to escape too. The Killer orders Sidney to go to a mansion to save Dewey and Gale. Sidney tries to go prepared with a gun but the killer guesses and makes her drop it. She finds both her old friends and tries to free them but gets attacked, Sidney actually starts to get the upper-hand.
Revealing she had a second fire arm in case something happened she shoots ghost face scaring him off. The detective Mark shows up but is knocked unconscious.

Meanwhile Sidney gets cornered after hiding in a secret screening room, here she learns that this ghost face is actually Roman. He faked his death earlier, also survived the gunshot due to a bullet proof vest, he also reveals that he is Sidney's half brother. He reveals a bunch of things that he was the reason Billy went mad in scream one after showing him footage of his father with Sidney's mother. All over him feeling left out because Maureen wanted nothing to do with him. Sidney and Roman fight again when Sidney gets angry that he's been behind everything.
Roman however this time get the upper-hand and seemingly shoots and kills Sidney in the chest.

I won't spoil any more here as this is near the end but as with all scream films there's still a few small twists and turns before the end credits roll. Whats my overall thoughts on part 3?
It's decent enough for a third film in the franchise, most films tend to try something new around this time in their cycle. this kind of sticks to tried and tested formula which is probably why people think it became a satire of itself. At least it never went into space, even with the later 4th part.

THN awards Scream 3 a reasonable 3 out of 5 stars, don't watch it alone but as part of the full series.

Review: Scream 2 (1997)

Stars: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox

Budget: $24million

Directed By: Wes Craven

The best received of the scream sequels was indeed part 2. Of course! I hear you collectively scream (hehe).
But bare in in mind that there have been rare occasions where the third films in a series have been the best sequel though never, atleast as far as I can see, a fourth
film being better.
That's cannon fodder for a different day though. Here we have the superior Wes Craven returning to once more stick the meta on its head. Its sometimes rare to get a director to return for sequels but it always helps a films quality in my books.
Using tropes used in sequel horror films for a sequel to his horror film. He does it as well as one as skilled as he his can. Don't forget Wes is one of original slasher
genre daddies too.

Do people we know and love make it in this
one?
Do survivors get killed?
Will Dewey stop getting stabbed in the back both realistically by killers or metaphorically by Gale?
All these answers and more are in the sequel to one of the best, certainly the revival of the horror slasher genre. Nearly all of the 'surviving' cast return in this film. Filmed and released just over one year after the last movie, though a lot of the actors had been given open doors by the first films success. In fact scream 2 had the effect of attracting more names from the bigger TV series's back then. Such as Jerry O'Connell and a very up and coming Sarah Michelle Gellar who wanted a part so much she filmed in between Buffy the slayer. She herself had also done I Know What you Did Last Summer another teen slasher flick around this time too.

Though this is sometimes touted as equal to or even better than the first (some say more original) rewatching these days you can certainly see some disjointed things from the frequent rewrites this this film got (some rewrites even on the day!) but thanks to the amazing Wes this was no where near as evident to a less skilled me back then. Hey I was 15!

I've been talking about this far to long let's get on with the main review. Since the infamy of the killings in the last movie have grown someone decided to make a film based on what went on.
Creating a pseudo film called Stab, within a film a weird 4th wall break within a film, of sorts.

2 students from Windsor College attend the premier of the film but end up getting killed, one in the restroom the other in front of the people in the theater. Though everyone thinks it is a publicity stunt for the movie until they realise otherwise.
The next day the media descend upon the college, Just so happens that one Sidney Prescott along with her boyfriend Derek (O'Connell) study in the same place too. Also Randy Meeks horror movie extraordinaire who survived the last movie too.
She immediately comes to loggerheads with another reporter this time too, one Debbie Salt.

Later Dewey and Gale show up too, Dewey to offer moral support Gale with her own agendas. She's trying to get Sidney to confront Cotton Weary who has been exonerated for the murder of Sidney's mother since the first movie. This amusingly ends up with Sidney socking Gale in the face on camera again. Cici is killed later on, at a sorority house party by ghostface.
Sidney finds out that Cici's real name was Casey which makes her think the new copycat killer is targeting people with the same names as the original murders. Randy gets killed later when he's rang by the killer and tries to keep them on the phone so the others can find them. When Gale and Dewey are viewing the campus security videos they get attacked by ghostface, this ends up with Dewey getting stabbed in the back yet again.

Two officers who are there to protect Sidney and Hallie try to get her to the local police station for protection, they are however killed. However in the ruckus the killer is knocked unconscious, but when it quickly regains consciousness they kill Hallie. Sidney manages to make it back to campus but finds her boyfriend tied to a crucifix in the stage area. We are then introduced to the two new killers in quite a great twist.

Now some people, well quite a large majority find scream 2 superior to scream I like to find myself in some sort of middling ground. I don't agree with the people who don't like it and poke holes at it for the reason it was rewrote due to early script leaks on who the killers were. I think for the quick rewrites it was actually very well handled and shows it.
I find it at the least on par with the first film, it's a very good sequel and has enough differences and new twists and turns to get it in league with it's predecessors. I can't however give it more than the film that actually revived the slasher genre.
In that respect THN awards Scream 2 with a great 5 out 5 score just like part 1!!!

Review: Psycho Goreman (2020(2021in the UK))

 Stars: Nita-Josee Hanna, Owen Myre

Budget: $670,000 US

Directed By: Steven Konstanski

Have you ever wondered to yourself, what would power rangers mixed with David Cronenburg to a banging heavy metal/synthwave soundtrack film with neon colouring be like?

Well think no more Psycho Goreman is here to answer and possibly satiate that hunger.

Made for 670k US or 850k CA dollars it's amazing to see only 50k (CA) of that went into the special effects of this film.

Do things sometimes look rubberised and floppy? of course they do but that all adds to the charm of the film.

Now I do have a confession to make I tried to watch this film once before only got about 20 minutes in and I hated it, not one likable character to route for everyone was despicable in some way.

I genuinely must have been in the wrong mindset for this film. I listened to my friend about giving a bit of time and to actually accept there's no nice main character in this film then gave it a second go, i'm glad I did.

Now yes you heard me right it does take a little while to get going in this film but when it does it's one hell of a funny joyride. I loved parts where sometimes Goreman will go off on a spiel about some things he's done and they either don't listen to it or interrupt him.

So a frightfully unlikable girl (Mimi) is playing a made up game called crazy ball with her brother (Luke) who is a simpering boy who does everything she says. She bullies him quite a bit, this annoyed the hell out of me first time I went to watched this but I kind of accepted it as that was what it was meant to be, a dysfunctional family.

They end up finding something strange sealed with a mysterious pinky/purple gem, Mimi takes the gem and the kids go inside. That night a newly freed Goreman goes to an abandoned shoe factory where some lowlifes are hanging out. They stupidly start on him and he horrifically yet amusing kills them in a variety of gory ways.

The kids find him the next day and Mimi realises she can control him with the stone, he explains his situation that he was a slave on a planet called Gigax and then found the stone and did an uprising vs the controlling Templars faction. Except he didn't stop there he was consumed with rage and went on a killing spree, the Templars eventually caught him and imprisoned him.

It gets a little slow for a while as the kids question him about things then try to name him something better than his real name. It's amusing that he changes one of their friends into a big brain with eyeballs and no-one seems to care. As for the rest of the family, the mother freaks out about PG, but their loser father seems strangely okay with the 'new friend'. Again amusing as Mimi is saying he won't kill them, but PG (they shortened Psycho Goreman to PG) keeps contradicting her saying he'd flay them alive if she didn't have control over him.

The last Templar catches wind the PG has escaped their imprisonment, despite seemingly being the good guys in PG's story it's pretty clear that they are just the lesser of two evils too. They leave PG in the shoe factory with a TV which he uses to communicate with his ex-lieutenants to come help him retrieve the stone from Mimi. From here on out lots of cool fights ensue and one of the most funniest bits of the film involving a melted face police officer.

I won't spoil anymore other than to say a plot point heavily leaned on in the film comes into play near the end. 

THN really ended up enjoying Psycho Goreman a lot, we give Psycho Goreman 2020 A strong 4 out of 5 stars, just give it a chance past the 15-20 minute mark.

Review: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Stars: Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd

Budget: $75 million

Directed By: Jason Reitman

This has been a long time coming and boy was it worth the wait. We had the 2016 dumpster fire that didn't understand what the film series was all about and just perverted it's main story.

I won't go anymore into it because I mean no ill to anyone who was involved with it or anyone who likes it, it was just not for me.

Now I was scared for a long time with this, especially how it's kids taking over and i will say that's a prejudice I do have. Throughout time kids actors haven't been exactly great, but i'm slowly coming around to the fact I think that has been maybe just maybe the writing.

Especially as of the last 5 years people like Wolf Finnhard, Hard Finnwolf or whatever his name, (that was a joke btw) have really shown some great acting chops lately. Mckenna grace is by far the standout here, Phoebe is an amazingly complex character, but easy to love and follow.

So evicted from their apartment Phoebes mom and her brother have to move to their grand dads old farm, nicknamed dirt farm by the locals because he never grew nothing but dirt there. Callie the mother is looking for anything money wise to help with the bills but also lies to the kids about staying there for longer than they expected. Phoebe joins a summer school and despite being awkward makes a friend. Trevor (Wolfhard) lies about his age to both get a job and to impress a girl.

They start to unravel things about their estranged grand dad and find out he was Egon Spengler from the OG ghostbusters line up. Their mother hasn't spoken about him because she believes he ignored her over science.

Something is showing the kids certain things, when Phoebe finds an old trap, her along with Paul Rudds teacher Mr Grooberson open it and release something back into the mountains where the original metal used to make the top floor of the apartments where Gozer showed up back in 1984.

Make of that what you will. It gets midway and the kids have their first ghost bust and trap the ghost but also get arrested for destroying half the town.

I really don't want to spoil anymore of the film other than speak about some points that I DID have gripes with and some things I've seen it have criticism about that I think is unfair.

Firstly the over use of nostalgia, I admit this can be a very bad thing if not done RIGHT, in this film it's done very right, there's familiarity for long term fans and done so as not to alienate anyone new, this also works with the new stuff, enough new things to entertain new folk and to introduce a new generation to us older cranky buggers.

Speaking of older cranky buggers, from the trailer, so I won't see this as a spoiler you know Ray is in the movie due to the trailers, Ackroyds acting is a little wooden, but hell he's old and hasn't been in much lately. The ending is truly a love letter though and had me in tears and only through the Reitmans being close friends with the Ramis's would that have worked.

So final thoughts, This is probably one of the best sequels I've seen in a long time and probably one of the best films i've seen in a long time too. THN for the first time in quite a while, Gives Ghostbusters: Afterlife a FULL 5 out of 5.

Review: Chucky S1 Ep04 (2021)

Stars: Brad Douriff, Devon Sawa, Zackary Arthur

Well well well, what a hit start button and don't stop this episode was.

After last weeks fire we see the aftermath of it when most of the children are in hospital for smoke related illnesses. A lot happened in between the blackness of last week and now, Lexy survived, her sisters in a really bad way from smoke inhalation.

Junior is doing better but his throat is bad and he can't run for a month, which has irked his dad. Everyone pretty much blames Lexy even her parents. We learn Oliver died but not of the fire like most people believe it was stab wounds from Chucky. 

We see more of the flashbacks which are still some of my favourite parts.

So yeah the action really ramps here after me complaining last week its seemed a little slow, he's outed to a few people now too now, lets see how it goes from here!

THN awards this episode 4 out of 5

Review: Chucky S1 Ep03 (2021)

Stars: Lexa Doig, Brad Douriff

After his anger at Lexy starts to subside a bit and he begins to doubt being able to kill her Chucky tells Jake about his times killing people. He says it's difficult but you never forget your first time.

The flashbacks are cool in this episode, they are some of my favourite parts learning more about young Charles.

He attempts to kill Lexy a few times but is thwarted somehow each time, once by junior who thinks he's stalking him. The policewoman is getting more suspicious of Jake too so bans he boy from seeing him.

When Lexy's sister asks for Chucky, Lexy is forced to apologise to Jake which makes him falter in killing her again.

Near the end of the episode we get Chucky getting Jake to give him to Lexy so he can kill her for him/

Overall an amusing episode, some Charles backstory but no real main story line stuff, i'm hoping we start to see what his main objective is in the town soon, as well as some Tiffany, Andy or others. Still possibly best episode so far. 3 out 5 stars