Jan 14 2009
SCREAM
The first film franchise that I am going to review is something that is current and only a trilogy. I think I’m going to start with Trilogy’s first then perhaps work on films with more than two sequels, but I’m going to review the 1996 smash horror hit SCREAM. Let’s go back to the year of 1996, where previously there were absolutely NO horror movies being produced. More thrillers and over-the-top action movies (BROKEN ARROW, THE ROCK) were being produced rather than good old-fashioned horror movie. It took an unknown screenplay writer and a horror legend the scare the pants out of audiences in December of 1996. I remember it perfectly; I didn’t even see the trailer and a friend of mine dragged me to the theater. I did know that Wes Craven was the director so immediately me ears perked up that it was yes indeed a horror film. The cast was virtually unknown, except for some television personalities: Neve Campbell (PARTY OF FIVE) and Courtney Cox (FRIENDS), plus a cameo by Henry Winkler, the only celebrity was the ill fated Drew Barrymore who opened the film as the Casey, the girl who gets terrorized by the infamous “killer caller.” After the first ten minute opening sequence I was hooked and freaked out and wanted more, I didn’t even care that the film was almost two hours long, the movie was just that good and exciting. My only gripe with the film, and I believed this back then, and I believe it now: Is that the idea of the two killers was kind of silly to me. However, my friend made a good point, this was probably one of the first films ever to conceive of such an idea, so in essence this film was pure entertainment. I think the next weekend, the Hollywood studios must have started pumping money into horror movies because SCREAM was an instant hit, beating out such Holiday fare as THE PREACHERS WIFE. If you haven’t seen SCREAM and our horror movie I think this is a good bookend to some of the classic films from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Excellent movie with a cast that includes Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard.
