HorrorCreepshow

21 May 2012

A worthwhile entry in a legendary series!

Back in 2000, Scream 3 left a lot of people cold. Sure, it was the"last" Scream movie, but it didn't have the sense of finality so manyof us fans were hoping for. The movie was goofy, cheesy, and tame ascould be. I'm sure a lot of people were thanking God that the franchisewas finally coming to a close before it had the chance to embarrassitself further. It was with great trepidation that I entered Scream 4 back in April.The film came out to a scattering of mostly mixed reviews, surprisinglyvery little publicity, and a cold audience reaction. Surprisingly,Scream 4 is one of the better entries in the series. It's just as goodas the extremely entertaining Scream 2 and is almost as good as theoriginal. Scream 4 follows the beloved Sidney Presscott returning back home toWoodsboro to promote her new self help book, but, of course, as fatewould have it, a certain someone doesn't want her to leave alive thistime. Can the poor girl ever get a break?Filled to the brim with fresh young talent, Scream 4 manages to do theimpossible - still feel fresh and interesting more than 10 years later. If there was anything to nitpick, it would be the rather half-cookedopening sequence which starts off as fun and cute for 5 minutes or soand then becomes remarkably goofy, unscary, and outright stupid.Considering the fact that the Scream series is known for it's brutal,scary, and suspenseful opening sequences, this is a huge let down. After a fun fake out or two, the real prologue to the film just can'tseem to live up to what's come before it. In fact, it's one of theworst things I've seen in a long time. Thankfully, the DVD/Blu-Rayrelease comes with the much better alternate opening. As to why itwasn't used? Anyone's guess!The film also gets very brutal at times, which is welcome, consideringthe Disney movie that Scream 3 was. I don't want to give much away, but I can tell horror fans that there'sa lot to love about this sequel and it's worth seeing.

mimiwalastyan

20 May 2012

"There's something real about a guy with a knife who just, snaps."

It's been eleven years since Sidney Prescott received that iconic phonecall which stringed a series of killings towards her friends, familyand anyone remotely important. As Sidney (Neve Campbell) returns to herhome town, Woodsboro, on her last stop of her book tour she is greetedby not only Jill (Emma Roberts) - her niece but Ghost Face, her teenagenightmare.It seems that the fourth instalment has tried very hard in making itappeal to the younger generation, this will inevitably mean that thecritics will be a harsh judge on that (seeing as they were probably myage when the first one came out). However, the modernisation has helpedto revitalise the old cast and create a new twist upon the past threemovies. Yes, it is strange to see Scream 4 include words like Facebook,Twitter, iPhone Apps but without that wouldn't Scream fall victim of"recycling the same bullshit" too? Eleven years have past, advances intechnology have occurred and Scream 4 has taken that into account.As the film opens it creates a mockery of the horror genre as a whole,indulging the viewers into an ironic twist. With stars such as LucyHale and Kristen Bell it doesn't fail to surprise and intrigue as towho will be showing up next however, thankfully Courtney Cox and DavidArquette have returned which helps to balance the new faces. Therefreshing acting conducted by Hayden Penettiere, Eric Knudsen and RoryCulkin make the 'friends' very relatable instantly attaching you to thecharacters and fearing for their lives as if it were your own.Viewers seem to forget that Scream is not only a horror, but a comedyalso and 'Scre4m' has captured that on the same level as the others.With references to horror clichés and the juxtaposition of a filmwithin a film, within a film it expects us to understand what they'reon about - and you would, if you had seen the past three. Unfortunatelyone scene did defy the laws of logic (if you've seen it hopefully youknow which scene I am talking about), that and the lack of Nick Cave'ssong which appeared in the rest were the only disappointing factors.I feel the people whom thought Scream 4 was not scary, or was toopredictable tried too hard into figuring out who the killer was, ifthats what you focus on then you would miss all the subliminal reasonsas to why the film had been directed that way. Wes Craven knows whathe's doing, sit back and actually enjoy the movie rather thanpretending to be clever.

tedder

19 May 2012

I don't get it...

Despite it actually being proud of being a complete copy, despitehaving more plot holes than I could possibly sum up here without goinginto every detail of the movie (absolutely nothing makes sense),despite the horrible acting and the total lack of surprises..I have abigger beef..... It's just a guy with a knife and a phone! Even theworst slasher movies I've seen gave the killer a slight edge to maketheir killings a little more realistic. Everyone runs away...from a guywith a knife. Even when the hero manages to kick him in the face and herolls down some stairs (no spoiler; it happens in every movie),everybody runs like it's Satan himself. I have never understood whymovie audiences still feed this industry that has not done any effortfor them, but exploit cheesy, made in china, rubber masks.

stephenjamesb-1

19 May 2012

Best line in the film and also very telling..

Although I didn't think this film re-invented the wheel it was alsobetter than I expected...The only film I remember was the first since it was the best and mostmemorable, I've completely forgotten the 2nd and thankfully the 3rd..But the most memorable thing about the 4th film was the one of the verylast lines spoken by Neve.. "1st rule about remaking a originalmovie... You don't .... with the original.." This may be a line in thefilm but it tells a lot about the the film industry today andespecially when it comes to the needless remakes of older horrormovies... If you look at all these remakes, there's very very few filmsthat actually are better than what their original counterparts were..The line also has a side meaning as well, not directed at the horrorfilm industry as a whole.. But directly to Warner Bros and New LineCinema in general.. After the abomination of the REMAKE of a WesCraven's masterpiece A Nightmare on Elm Street in 2010, it was in myview pure garbage and a slap in the face to the true fans of the film..The film had so much promise but was a massive let down and I think wasan insult to Wes Craven himself.. SO when that line was spoken I justsmiled and I couldn't agree more..Scream 4 might not be memorable, but that line and that meaning.. WAS

krycek19

19 May 2012

Boring and predictable

Take everything that worked in the first two movies, replace that witha boring story, replace the interesting well acted psycho killers ofthe two first movies played by Skeet Ulrich and Timothy Olyphant andreplace them with a killer who is a hysterical annoying teenage girlwho craves fame enough to kill for it. And then you have Scream 4. Asnooze fest with more graphical murders but that does'nt make up forthe boring story, the complete lack of suspense and the overallannoying new cast, that I had a hard time telling apart and rootingfor. Especially the teenage girls. Except for the annoying bitchy Rubybut that's only because she has short hair.I'm glad I borrowed a copy of this movie from a friend and did'nt wastemoney seeing it.See the two first movies instead. They're classics and the originalScream at least has scary moments. Like the opening sequence and theend of the movie.

TheLittleSongbird

19 May 2012

Best sequel since the original

By all means it is not as good as the classic original, but it isbetter than the two sequels before it, the second was worthy, the thirdwhile not bad as such was a disappointment. On its own and as a sequel,Scream 4 is terrific. I loved the opening, it was bloody and funny andthankfully the rest of the film lived up of the opening. The productionvalues are of high quality still, and the music and sound effects areas haunting and as unsettling as ever. The script has a number of funnylines too, the scares are genuinely intense, the story is well pacedand entertaining, Wes Craven's direction is excellent and thecharacters are still credible with GhostFace still iconic andeffective. The acting is great, Haydn Pannettiere is very good, andthose from the previous movies who return turn in good performances aswell. All in all, terrific and the best sequel since the original film.9/10 Bethany Cox

17 May 2012

a good finish to the series!

This review is from: Scream 4 (DVD) all these four movies were excellent!!! each one will keep you on the edge of your seat! can you make a fifth maybe?????

Moogy Lou

17 May 2012

A brilliant new entry.

I went into Scream 4 thinking it will be another so-so sequel to theawesome original from 1996 although I did have high enough hopes thatit would be better than the lack luster Scream 3. Scream 4 was notso-so. Scream 4 was not only better than Scream 3 but also Scream 2.It's funny, gory and sometimes quite jumpy even making me jump out ofmy seat more than a few times. Ghostface is still as cruel andcalculating but I believe the gore level had been kicked up a fewnotches in the years between the original film and the new release. Character wise, there are some really strong, fun characters and someones that I couldn't really care for. Obviously, the originals (Sidney,Dewey and Gale) were my faves along with the comical police woman. Galeis definitely at her sarcastic, kick-ass best. I didn't really likeHayden Panettiere's character; just thought she was trying too hard tobe a tough chick but that is probably just me. Plot wise, it's pretty much the same as the others just played outbetter. Scream 4 is definitely the best out of the sequels, just topping number2. Not as good as the original but which horror movies are?

RicCarr

16 May 2012

Reivindicates the saga after more than a decade.

Never before have I seen a horror franchise spawn 4 movies and still betaken seriously, usually when a franchise follows this path it meansthat the producers are making annual cash-ins trying to milk thefranchise as much as possible while it is still popular and relevant(see Saw, Final Destination), well for Scream 4 (or Scre4m)that's notthe case, this movie makes an effort to continue a saga which was putto sleep for more than a decade, without it being a re-imagining,re-make or re-boot like the hideous Rob Zombie attempt at a Halloweenremake(although the movie makes fun of this in a brilliant way). Scream4 is more than that, while a sequel, it feels like a complete newbeginning, it carried the bad stigma that the failed Scream 3 leftbehind, yet it proved that the series is still relevant, and with theadequate script it takes off on a delightful new killing spree.10 years have passed since Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) lastencountered the Ghostface killer, she has moved on with her life andnow dedicates to writing her most intimate memoirs and book touring thecountry with her publicist, making her last stop at her hometown ofWoodsboro, the place where it all started. Gale Weathers (CourteneyCox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) are living their peaceful livesin that town, the same as Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) Kirby Reed(Hayden Panettiere) and their friends, which, begin being stalked by anew masked killer.When at it's best, Scream 4 manages to make you laugh hysterically butat the same time, in the same scene, give you heart-stopping scares,other reviewers think that the only characters you care about are themain threesome (Sidney, Gale and Dewey) but in my opinion, it isprecisely the "new rules" factor that make you doubt whether they'llmake it or not, meanwhile, you start caring about the other characters(specially Kirby Reed, played by "Heroes" cheerleader HaydenPanettiere) who shares her love for horror films with an unusual crush.While some of the decisions made by characters really fall into the"dumb-blonde-who-goes-upstairs" category, it is precisely the killerthat takes credit for this decision making, since you don't know wherehe'll pop up next, thus making going outside an even scarier choice.Scream 4 is really better thought out than it's predecessor, there's nodoubt about that, this time, the gore is even more gruesome, the bodycount is larger and the truth is that you'll never guess who the killeris, it really could be anyone, and director Wes Craven really makesthis a possibility.In the end, Scream 4 perfectly combines comedy, horror, action anddrama to create a new formula, while not a perfect movie, it'sshortcomings become less important by one aspect, it really doesn'ttake itself too seriously but at the same time it makes a homage of thesaga and utilizes itself as a tool to further immortalize the Ghostfacekiller as one of the most popular icons in the horror genre.

beckylenz1

16 May 2012

Don't waste your time or money...this one is a bomb (contains small 'spoilers')

I read the seven top reviews on this website before I chose this movieas my annual Halloween 'scary movie'. I should have continued to readreviews before making my decision because others saw the same drivelthat I did. I can't believe the actors and director associated withthis mess actually put their names, faces, and reputations on such apiece of garbage. I love scary movies...movies that make me put my feetup in the chair, jump occasionally, and leave the light on when I go tobed. This movie only left a distinctly bad taste in my mouth. There wasno horror, no suspense and absolutely nothing new to add to the Screamgenre or any other slasher horror movies. This was just another rehashof the same boring trash that has been coming out of Hollywood for thelast 15 years. The only 'spoilers' I am going to include are directedat the characters who have been in previous scream movies. Are wereally supposed to believe that as incompetent as Dewey is, he is madesheriff? Or that Gail and Sydney would still fall for the same rusesthat were used in the last three films? I feel sorry for up and comersEmma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere for having this horrible movie ontheir film histories. Both are fine actresses but this movie definitelyputs a stain on every person involved.

Oden Grenville

16 May 2012

Courtney Cox' plastic surgery is the real horror in this film

Yes unfortunately, as truly sad as it is, from the "calf implants" shehad in Scream 2, Courtney Cox is now more synthetic than the ghost maskitself. That aside, and the fact that I'm a big Scream fan, this filmleft me feeling robbed. Why would Wes Craven include such a weakaddition to his otherwise hugely successful franchise!? DO NOT expect adecent storyline. NOR should you expect a half decent motive, and imean that. I expected a lot from this film, the writers have had 11years to think of something original and worth seeing, but the killingswere just too predictable and very out of character for a Screaminstalment.Much like Terminator 3 I'm going to pretend this film never existed.This review is aimed at Scream fans by a very big Scream fan, and i canassure you it really is that bad, of course you will watch it you're aScream fan, but seriously, be prepared for that hollow feeling i gotafter the show.

Ollie Bridge

15 May 2012

Predictable.

I wasn't expecting much from this film as Scream 2 and 3 weredisappointing to say the least. Facebook, Saw and other references ofmodern culture are featured to make the audience aware that the movieis set in a new decade.Many of the death's and scares are predictable but the plot twists aresimilar to that of the first instalment of the horror franchise. Themix of characters is interesting as it features new, modern charactersas well as the familiar 3, David Arquette, Courtney Cox and NeveCampbell.I felt that the character reactions to horrific situations wereunrealistic as they reacted almost normally.The blood and gore were the highpoint for the film as more detail andthought went into the murders.It was definitely an improvement to the previous 2 Scream movies, andthe blood and gore are improvements.

Brian Tallerico

14 May 2012

Wes Craven proves yet again that he has the ability to bounce back and offer a bloody slice of entertainment as well-made as most of the films he has inspired in the decades since his debut.

Lindsay92385

14 May 2012

Finally Its OUT!!

Scream 4 was totally worth the wait. It is a mix between Horror andComedy. Which is was the Scream franchise is. I admit I was a littleapprehensive in seeing how they were going to stick to the originalformat and not go to in-depth with the ten year gap between the lastScream and this new one. We were not disappointed at all. Wes Cravenhas still got it. He had me and the packed movie theater buzzing on whowe thought was the killer. I went in thinking out I'm going to make aguess on who I think it is and boy he got me big time.. It has a fewcheesy moments but what scary movie doesn't now a days?? The ending wasby far the best ending I've seen in a movie in a long time. I highlyrecommend this movie for Scream fans and horror fans alike :) HappyViewing :) I for one cant wait to see it again and buy it when it comesout..Lindsay- A true movie buff..

Jamie Horsley

14 May 2012

Great Installment

After watching Scream 4 I was amazed and surprised, there's so muchtwists in this movie and my favorite part is the ending. It's a scarymovie, however die hard scream fans will not be disappointed.The eerieenvironment throughout the movie was fantastic. There was also moregore in this one and it felt like you were in a saw film. Very happywith the movie and was shock about the ending but there is somepossibility that there could be Scream 5 and I believe there will be.Great film and great horror movie that even fans of Saw will love, Iurge you to watch this film because if you don't watch it you'll regretit.

Jerique

13 May 2012

What we've been missing...

This is the first time I've seen the Scream franchise on the bigscreen. I'm happy to say that this is the second best of the entirefranchise.You know that movie everyone talks about when you go to a party? Thisis it. You and your friends can be happy talking about 'who killed who'in Scream 4. It can be your own theory. It can be plausible and it canbe fun to discuss the possibilities of how and when.Scream 4 follows the plot of Sidney returning home to Woodsboro justwhen the ghostface killer comes back to the surface again. NeveCampbell and company return with a bunch of new faces to add to thetable. Along with some funny puns, good old insults at the currentremakes and reboots happening and the long-over-the-top Saw sequels,Scream is a horror delight. It follows suit with the original trilogyby being suspenseful, and full of memorable quotes. It doesn't do thehorror clichés of needing to show nudity/sex to get the audience'sattention or give a reason for a character to die.It does give a few annoyances, but I won't give away any of thedetails, to keep this spoiler-free. It does a good job of keeping intheme of Scream franchise, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing Scream5 and 6 coming along soon enough. This is the thing we horror fans havebeen missing. Scream returns to form with this new addition and gives alittle more hope to us movie-goers telling us that Hollywood hassomething else in their arsenal besides a remake, a reboot, or a sequelthat is just made for money. They can punch out a quality movie andgive the hardcore fans just as much entertainment as the newcomers.Don't miss Scream 4.

Fred Topel

12 May 2012

I'm too old for this movie. Scream 4 is for the internet generation, and I've kept up as best I could, but I am simply not the person a movie about webcam and found footage is for. That's for them.

capone666

12 May 2012

The Vidiot Reviews...

Scre4mNowadays, killing a teenager is as easy as making them go to bedwithout their cell phone.However, the murderer in this horror movie prefers old school stabbingtechniques.Fifteen years after the Woodsboro murders occurred, its perpetrator,Ghostface, returns and claims two new victims (Aimee Teegarden,Brittany Robertson).At the same time, a survivor of the original slayings, Sidney (NeveCampbell), revisits Woodsboro to promote her new book.Considered a suspect in the murders by the sheriff (David Arquette),Sidney must remain in town. Fortunately, her aunt (Mary McDonnell) andcousin (Emma Roberts) can put her up.Meanwhile, the sheriff's wife and former journalist (Courteney Cox)uses the murders to reenergize her writing career.Slamming modern horror re-makes in order to gain relevance, thisdesperate third Scream sequel is also destabilized by its pedestrianhomicides.I mean, come on, how scary is a knife-welding maniac to today'sself-mutilating teenagers? (Yellow Light)

Van Roberts

10 May 2012

More Ream Than "Scream" in the Fourth Installment

The "Scream" film franchise carved a memorable niche out of the slashermovie genre between the years 1996 to 2000. Not only was the original"Scream" trilogy a hoot because it ridiculed genre classics such as"Halloween," "Friday the 13th," and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," butit was also a holler since it delivered its sadism with smarts that thegrisly classics shunned. "Scream" director Wes Craven and scenaristKevin Williamson have waited just over a decade to reboot the franchisewith "Scream 4." Judging from its dearth of creativity, the latestinstallment doesn't deliver enough of anything to whet our appetite fora fifth entry. Mind you, the production values are solid and the goreis more than adequate, it's primarily the story that leaves somethingto be desired. Craven and Williamson have bled the franchise of itscutting edge spontaneity while other more potent franchises, such asthe hilarious "Scary Movie" comedies and the sadistic "Saw" sagas, haveemerged to make the "Scream" movies appear prudish by comparison.Although original survivor Neve Campbell, small-town Barney Fifesheriff David Arquette, and savvy news reporter Courteney Cox reprisetheir roles, their presence adds only minimal novelty to this thawedout run-of-thrill chiller. Nevertheless, the insightful cinematiccriticism that permeated the original trilogy is just as razor-sharp in"Scream 4." The new technology, such as web streaming, Twitter, andsmart phone applications that enable callers to garble their voiceslike Ghostface, is clever, but none substantially strengthen thethreadbare plot. Chiefly, the motive that the new killers espouse toresume their homicide for the hell of it is incredibly lackluster.Indeed, sitting through the repetitive "Scream 4" is like attending ahigh school reunion where your old classmates have invited theiroffspring to enliven the occasion.Craven and Williamson jump start the action with five wicked murderswith twists that follow one another in rapid succession. Indeed, theyrely on those creepy as well as surefire phone calls from an anonymouscaller (voiced by Roger L. Jackson)to the girls about their favoritescary movies. Actresses Anna Paquin of "X-Men" fame, Kristen Bell ofTV's "Veronica Mars," and Heather Graham of "Scream 2" pop up in cameosduring these opening gambits. Basically, they have modified a skillfultactic that director John Landis deployed with considerable effect inhis legendary 1981 chiller "An American Werewolf in London." After theopening credits subside, we find ourselves back in the small town ofWoodsboro as Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell of "The Craft") returns asa part of her publicity tour for her new self-help tome "Out of theDarkness." Sidney was the survivor girl in the original trilogy. Welearn that Deputy Dewey Riley (David Arquette of "Buffy the VampireSlayer") has been promoted to sheriff, while investigative journalistGale Weathers (Courteney Cox of TV's "Cougar Town") has given up herold job to settle down with Dewey as his wife while she writesexploitation novels about the Woodsboro murders. No sooner has Sidneyshown up for her book promotion tour than Dewey and his deputy JudyHicks (Marley Shelton of "Never Been Kissed"), careen up to find thecell phone of a recently slain Woodsboro teenager in the trunk of ourheroine's rental car.Although Sheriff Riley and Deputy Hicks struggle to keep a lid on thedouble homicide of high school teens Jenny Randall (Aimee Teegarden ofTV's "Hannah Montana") and Marnie Cooper (Brittany Robertson of "Dan inReal Life"), everybody at Woodsboro High School knows about the murdersbefore lunch. As tragic as the news is, the scene in a classroom wherevirtually the entire student body responds to their chiming cell phonesis rather amusing. Since Sidney is a material witness in the case,Dewey demands that she stick around until he can clear up the mystery.She winds up staying with her aunt Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell of"Dances With Wolves") and cousin Jill (Emma Roberts of "Nancy Drew")while a psychotic murderer decked out in a black cape with Edvard Munchmask stabs its way through hapless teens. The most likely suspect isJill's ex-boyfriend Trevor Sheldon (Nico Tortorella of "Twelve") whocheated on her. Jill's two friends, Olivia Morris (Marielle Jaffe of"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief") and Kirby Reed(Hayden Panettiere of TV's "Heroes"), run interference for her againstthe ubiquitous Trevor who appears to be stalking her.Like previous "Scream" installments, "Scream 4" boasts two nerdycharacters, Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin of "Signs") and Robbie Mercer(Erik Knudsen of "Beastly"), who serve as trivial pursuit connoisseurson horror movies. The charm of the original "Scream" trilogy was thateverybody suspected who was going to die next based on the conventionsof the slasher genre. The running joke here is that gay charactersenjoy a greater chance of survival than heterosexual characters.Ultimately, this isn't the case. Everybody who congregates around thenew Sidney--Jill--and her ex-boyfriend Trevor stands an excellentchance of dying. The problem with all this shrewdly staged nonsense isthat none of the old rules apply. None of the teens is involved inillicit relationships that make them vulnerable to a serial killer.Primarily, they become victims when they are isolated in a house, andthe sheriff deputies sent to protect them fare no better as our killerdoesn't discriminate against them when it comes time to stab. Thebiggest problem is that none of the new teens make very interestingcharacters and the thespians that portray them lack charisma. Finally,the last quarter-hour is worse than a classic slasher as things growrepetitively far-fetched, and "Scream 4" draws this finale out toabsurd lengths. Although it isn't a total waste of time, "Scream 4"suffers from over-familiarity and needless self-referentialism.

Todd McCarthy

10 May 2012

The film very quickly, and tediously, becomes more of the same old and Craven thing -- self-referential film buff gags accompanied by a clockwork killing spree that seriously reduces the population of a small town.