Scream 4 More of the Same

Scream 4

Fifteen years ago the duo of director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson single handedly saved the horror genre with their witty and self-referential film, Scream. Not only did the success of the film bring back the slasher genre to mainstream audiences, but it also led to the “Japanese horror remakes” and the “torture porn” eras of cinema. Now in its fourth incarnation, the Scream franchise not only takes shots at the horror films that came after the first three films, but also attempts to change and reinvigorate the slasher genre for a whole new audience.

Taking place ten years after the events of the third Scream film, Scream 4 finds our heroine, Sidney Presscott (Neve Campbell) returning to her hometown of Woodsboro where the original murders took place. Now a successful author, Sidney is hoping to turn a new page in her life. However it is only a matter of time before Sidney’s presence causes the infamous “Ghostface Killer” to reemerge. Soon Sidney, her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette), his former reporter wife Gale (Courteney Cox) and the rest of the Woodsboro locals find themselves in grave danger.

Scream 4 is constantly aware that it must raise the bar and defy the audience’s expectations in order for it to be successful. Characters refer to how the rules have changed and everything will be bigger and more unpredictable. Yet for all its boasting, Scream 4 feels anything but daring. While it is nice to see Ghostface running wild again, there is not much in the film that has not been covered to death in the previous three films.

The major problem with Scream 4 is that it too focused on living in the past. A large portion of the film is essentially a reboot of the original film. The big difference is that the film features a new crop of young actors on the cusp of bigger things (e.g. Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Alison Brie, Erik Knudsen). Unfortunately the new cast of characters must fight for screen time as Williamson’s script spends the bulk of its time following the classic characters such as Sidney, Dewey, and Gale.

The inability to break away from the three alumni characters is what hurts the film. When the film reaches the point where the killer is revealed it feels very anticlimactic. While the reasoning behind the killers motivations are sound, the audience really does not get to know the killer all that well leading up to the final act. As a result the film feels hollow and rather forced.

If the film was actually willing to take the risk that it often boasts about taking, Scream 4 might have rivaled the first two Scream films. Yet at its best, Scream 4 is an improvement on Scream 3, but still nothing more than a shallow, and timid, copy of the original film.

Thrills, Chills and Kills for Halloween

No costume, no party, no problem! Whether you are stuck at home giving out candy, or merely having a quiet night in, here are some of my favourite scary movies.

Big Thoughts From A Small Mind's Top Films to watch on Halloween

11) Saw – The yearly, and vastly weaker, sequels has caused many to forget that the original Saw help to bring new life into the modern horror genre.



10) Ginger Snaps – Here is the first proof that the life of a teenage girl can be far scarier than any monster under the bed.




9) Carrie - Here is the second reason why you need to be wary of your teenage daughter. I am not ashamed to admit that the ending scared the heck out of me when I was younger.



8) Scream – Similar to Saw, the sequels have ruined this franchise for many. Yet Scream proved that you could bring the “slasher genre” back to life through witty deconstruction.



7) Night of the Living Dead – Still the best zombie movie ever made in my opinion!



6) Halloween – This one is all about the build up for me. There were many great slasher films I could have included on the list, but this one edged out the competition.



5) The Blair Witch Project – Forget the marketing hype that got bigger than the film itself. In an era of elaborate death and gore, all The Blair Witch Project needed was nature and a handheld camera to scare millions. It still holds up for me all these years later…yes even the highly debated ending.



4) Rosemary's Baby – A true horror classic. While not gory, the chills are all of a mental nature. The ending is both disturbing and fantastic all at the same time.



3) Child's Play – Yes the series has become a parody of itself over the years, but Child’s Play still remains one of my favourite horror films. In my opinion there is nothing scarier for a child than a creepy looking toy. Of course they may be a result of growing up in the era of “my buddy” and “kid sister”.



2) Let the Right One In – Not only was this my second favourite movie of 2008, but it is one of the best films to be released in the last decade. Forget Twilight, if you want a truly engaging vampire love story, that is equally disturbing at the same time, look no further than this underrated gem.



1) The Shining – Stephen King may not have loved this adaptation of his story, but I think Kubrick did a brilliant job. This is the one film that I never get tired of watching.



Honorable Mention: The Fly, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, Psycho, Videodrome, The Descent, Misery, Shaun of the Dead, The Exorcist, Vertigo, The Eye (Japanese version).

Did your favourite scary movie not make the list? List your top horror films in the comments section below.

The Full List Of Big Thoughts From A Small Mind's 2009 Reviews.