I am a huge fan of the Scream films, well the first two anyway, and was eagerly awaiting the fourth instalment from director Wes Craven. I first encountered the Scream films when I was 12 years old, Scream was one of the first horror films I saw and thus began my love of the genre. Everything I saw after that had to be measured against it, including Scream 4 and it did not disappoint! Neve Campbell (Sydney Prescott), Courtney Cox (Gale Weathers) and David Arquette (Dewey Riley) are the three remaining cast members from the trilogy reunited once again by a masked, film loving, serial killer on the loose in Woodsboro. Also back, after sitting out the third film, is screenwriter Kevin Williamson.
Scream 4 is set on the 10th anniversary of the Woodsboro murders (even though it’s been 15 years since the original film). Sydney is a writer and has written a self help book titled ‘Out Of Darkness’. She stops off in Woodsboro on her book tour but almost as soon as she appears the murders start again and Sydney, Dewey and Gale set out to discover who the killer(s) are and put a stop to the deaths. The three veterans are joined by a host of new young cast members including, Emma Roberts as Jill – Sydneys cousin, Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), Rory Culkin (Signs), Anthony Anderson (Scary Movie 3 & 4), Adam Brody (The OC) and there are cameos from the likes of Anna Paquin (True Blood) and Kristen Bell (Heroes).
I think this is Emma Roberts’ (Julia Roberts niece) breakthrough performance, (after starring in so many children’s films like Nancy Drew, Aquamarine and Hotel For Dogs), especially in the third act of the film featuring the reveal of the killer and the showdown.
Although when I own this on DVD it will sit next to the previous Scream trilogy in the horror section of my collection, I feel that only fans of the franchise and the horror-comedy genre will get it as they will understand the references. It does have elements of a mystery whodunit but it is definitely not a thriller-horror. Like the Screams before it, the self aware characters make fun of their situation and of the horror-comedy genre. Scre4m’s tag line is ‘New Decade New Rules’ so the rules are updated to include the new horror sub genre of torture porn and the trend for modern remakes/reworkings/reimaginings.
Some interesting things I noticed whilst watching Scre4m are as follows:
At the Stabathon in the opening credits of Stab 1 it says ‘A Robert Rodregez Film’, which it was, although that credit didn’t appear in the Stab cinema screening in the opening sequence of Scream 2.
Officer Perkins’ (Anthony Anderson) first name, which we discover quite far in to the film, is Anthony – Anthony Perkins – as in the owner of the Bates Motel in Psycho!
Teaser material not in final cut! I saw a publicity still of a body hanging in the middle of a room with ‘What’s your favourite scary movie’ written in blood on the wall. Never saw this in the film? Also the ‘new blood’ kids sitting on the wall at the high school in a similar pose to the kids in the original film, did not feature. Also on the trailer there was a line by Robbie in the film club saying ”even virgins can die” – again, I don’t recall this in the film.
I didn’t find the music in Scre4m as atmospheric as the previous in the series. I missed the industrial sound of the previous soundtracks.
Favourite Quotes:
Kirby – ”That was me, I have powers!” A reference to her role in Heroes.
Gale (to Ghostface) – “Go ahead if you have the guts!”
Sydney “You forgot the first rule of remakes…don’t fuck with the original!”
Perkins – “I’ll be right back….I know this one. You’re not supposed to say that are you?”
Ghostface – “Alright, Kirby, then it’s time for your last chance. Name the remake of the groundbreaking horror movie in which the vill…”
Kirby – “Halloween, uh, Texas Chainsaw, Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, Amityville Horror, uh, Last House on the Left, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street, My Bloody Valentine, When A Stranger Calls, Prom Night, Black Christmas, House of Wax, The Fog, Piranha. It’s one of those, right? Right?”
Perkins – “Fuck Bruce Willis!” After a conversation with Hoss about how cops in films usually die – unless you’re Bruce Willis.
…and finally Ghostface declaring that he is not an app!
Enter Movietopia 