Scream
By the mid-'90s, the teen slasher genre seemed utterly played out. But in 1996, a seemingly unlikely figure helped resurrect the genre. That man was director Wes Craven, the horror maestro who had himself been largely responsible for kickstarting the genre in the '80s with the classic A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984). A dozen years later, he directed a new classic called Scream. Written by Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek"), it's a self-referential horror film/satire that's both terrifying and hilarious.
Craven had actually written and delivered another self-referential, postmodern take on the teen horror genre two years earlier, with New Nightmare. But since that film was the seventh installment in the left-for-dead Elm Street series, it was largely overlooked. Scream, on the other hand, boasted a new story line, more laughs and a hot young cast, and it quickly became a hit with critics and audiences.
Neve Campbell plays Sidney Prescott, a teenage girl still coping with the violent death of her mother a year earlier. Now, a deranged killer is offing her classmates and other members of the community. Worse, the murderer's got his eye set on Sidney, terrorizing her with a series of creepy phone calls. A tabloid reporter (Courtney Cox) thinks the current serial killer may be the same person who murdered Sidney's mom.
Sidney's friends try to comfort her by cracking wise about horror films and offering advice on how she can avoid becoming the killer's latest victim. It may not sound helpful, but it's better than leaving herself in the hands of bumbling Deputy Dwight Riley (the perpetually annoying David Arquette). In the end, everyone is a suspect, and Sidney races to find the killer's identity and save her life.
Scream succeeds as both a satire and a horror film. Williamson's excellent script tweaks every scary movie cliche and asks the question every horror buff wants to know: Why, when the heroine is being chased by the killer, does she run up the stairs instead of out the front door? It's a blast to watch Scream's characters talk horror, even as they're being stalked by the killer:
Randy (Jamie Kennedy): There are certain RULES that one must abide by in order to survive a horror movie. First, you can never drink or do drugs. Second, you can never have sex. BIG NO NO. It's a sin. It's an extension of number 1. And last, you can never, ever, EVER under any circumstances say "I'll be right back," 'Cause you won't be back.
Stu (Matthew Lillard): I'm gettin' another beer, you want one?
Randy: Sure.
Stu (speaking in an exaggerated tone): I'll be right back.
Of course, the humorous self-referencing wouldn't be nearly as fun if the movie wasn't damn scary in its own right. With a petrifying opening sequence, Craven immediately establishes that he hasn't lost his touch for delivering scares. Ferociously acted by Drew Barrymore -- giving perhaps her finest performance to date -- it's guaranteed to leave you whimpering.
From there, the laughs and scares come fast and furious and don't stop 'till the film's knockout finale. While Scream did regrettably spawn a slew of weak imitations (including its own limp sequels), the original is a scary treat you don't want to miss.
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Laughs and scares galore make this a good flick to watch with some brews (just don't pee your pants out of fear or laughter)
The handsome young cast and smart script make this a good date pick. Bonus: The scary scenes give you an excuse to huddle up.
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