Scream If You Want A Classic 90s Slasher (Scream (DVD))

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Scream (DVD)
Date:	02/08/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A classic slasher with a good balance of gore, mystery & atmosphere

Disadvantages: Not everyones cup of tea

I can't believe this film is already over 12 years old! I thought I'd review this as despite it's criticism and mocking by other films (ie. Scary Movie), it was a classic of its time.

Scream was released on DVD in 1997 and is rated certificate 18 due to violence, gore and language. It was directed by the famous Wes Craven, and has become one of his signature movies.

Being a big fan of horror/thriller films, I was glad when this came out. I remember at the time that there weren't many to rival this slasher film because of the way it appealed to its audience. With a unique icon to represent the film by way of the scream mask, a young & trendy cast and scenes to make you squirm & shout "he's behind you", Scream has undoubtedly become a classic.

Neve Campbell tends to lead the way as Sydney Prescot, a college girl living in Woodsboro whose mother was murdered. A year after her mother's death and students begin to turn up dead; most memorable is probably the girl played by Drew Barrymore.

Throughout the 106 minutes we are taken on a cat & mouse, hide-and-seek style chase. Without giving too much away, the film unfolds as we see more people, teens & adults, being killed and suspicions are cast as to who is responsible. Perhaps it's Sydney's father who killed his wife? Then went a little crazy and came back for more? Perhaps it's Billy Loomis (played by Skeet Ulrich), Sydney's boyfriend? Both are suspects, and Billy seems to be a good possibility. As I've said, I don't want to give it away but there are nice twists in Scream, along with its sequels (Scream 2 & 3).

We see the usual teenage antics which appeal to the younger side of the audience, with the cast of Sydney's friends including Rose McGowan as Tatum, Matthew Lillard as Stuart and Jamie Kennedy as Randy.

It bugs me slightly when American film in particular seem to employ a cast of 25-30 year olds to play teenage students. None the less, they are relatively believable in their roles, and Randy is a character in particular you can take quite well to. He dissects the recent murders, being the horror fanatic he is, to suggest how the killer thinks & who he is, claiming the workings of a serial killer are just like in the movies. It's a nice angle; reflecting a film within a film (which is a big feature of a later film in the Scream series).

Whilst all of this is going on, news reporter Gale Weathers (played by Courtney Cox-Arquette) tries to get the latest scoops on what's going on. She's relatively realistic as a hard-nosed journalist, and we see a more humane side of her when she's facing the murderer. We also see a little spark between her and Deputy 'Dewey' (played by David Arquette).

Some areas of this film lack realism, in that you find yourself saying 'that wouldn't happen'. But, if you can let this go, it's an entertaining film.

The storyline isn't the best, but it's not the worst; there's just about enough there to give the film some backbone without you needing to think too much whilst watching it.

The general feel to the film, even this many years later, is still of good quality in my opinion. It's well directed, the music and scenery fits well, and it has a well-rounded feel to it.

There's enough gore for the horror fans, plus enough suspense and mystery for the thriller lovers. It's a film that had enough atmosphere to keep me gripped, and may even have enough of a chill-factor to scare some people.

It does give you the sense that you don't want to be alone in the dark when you watch this film, so if you're easily scared my horror films then you'll probably find yourself turning on all the lights and checking out your wardrobe before you go to bed.

It's a shame because I consider this to be an early 90's classic, though it's now somewhat overshadowed by more recent movies and so it gets undervalued. Overall I would definitely recommend this film a must-see in the horror/thriller genre.

The box set of the Scream trilogy can be bought on Amazon for under £10, and the individual Scream DVD can be bought for a couple of pounds from most DVD sites. It's also aired on TV several times already, and no doubt it will be shown again in the near future (keep a look out at Halloween).

Summary: A classic 90s slasher horror that's definitely worth a watch