Do you like scary movies? (Scream (DVD))

Member Name: Dr_Evil

Product:	Scream (DVD)
Date:	30/10/00 (196 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A witty sript that re-invented the horror genre

Disadvantages: Spawned so many poor imitations

Featuring a young cast, a witty script and a good soundtrack Scream was a huge hit upon its release in 1996 and after many years with few horror films, Scream was the film that relaunched the horror genre and spawned a multitude of immitations.

The film uses the tried and tested formula of most slasher films that came before it, but injects humour by being a parody of many of the films that came before it. The film features many in-jokes where the characters discuss the rules of a horror movie and the film even starts with the killer asking his first victim Casey (Drew Barrymore) whether she likes 'scary movies'.

Probably the best scene of the movie is the opening scene, where the films biggest star, Drew Barrymore, is brutally murdered and hung by the knife wielding ghost-faced killer. The scene is very tense with the killer playing a game with Casey over the phone, where if she answers his movie related questions wrongly he will kill first her boyfriend and then her.

Scream stars Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott and is set one year after Sidneys mother was brutally murdered. A ghost-faced killer goes on a killing spree in the town on Woodsboro killing off many of Sidneys friends and terrorising Sidney herself. The film also stars David Arquette as Deputy Dewey who is trying to catch the killer and Courtney Cox as newsreporter Gail Weathers who is trying to get the scoop on the story in order to become a star. The film features many twists and turns and keeps you guessing right up until the thrilling finale as to who the killer is.

Directed by Wes Craven, a master of the genre who also directed the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and written by Kevin Williamson who has since written Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream is pretty scary and will probably make you jump in several places the first time you see it.

The acting in the film is pretty good although not outstanding and the film also inc
ludes uncredited cameo appearances from Linda Blair (star of The Exorcist), director Wes Craven as the school janitor and Henry Winkler (Fonzie from Happy Days) as the school principal.

I have seen Scream several times now and I still enjoy it and find it is the sort of film that you can watch repeatedly and not get bored with. Although some people say Scream 2 is superior, I think the original Scream is by far the best of the series.

Scream is now available on DVD but unfortunately the region 2 release is totally devoid of extras. The region 1 version has recently been re-released as a 'Special Edition' including a multitude of extras, so until this version is released in the UK the region 1 release is probably the best way to see the film.

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