Scream (1996)

Number Rolled: 92

Movie Name/Year: Scream (1996)

Genre: Horror

Length: 111 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Wes Craven

Writer: Kevin Williamson

Actors: Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Lawrence Hecht, Courteney Cox, W. Earl Brown, Rose McGowan, Lois Saunders, David Arquette, Joseph Whipp, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Linda Blair, Wes Craven, Henry Winkler

Sidney has just started to get over the brutal murder of her mother a year earlier, when she learns about the murder of two of her classmates. She’s not very close to them, but it isn’t long before the killer lets her know that his intent is to affect her. Although Sidney attempts to continue on with her life, it gets more and more difficult to feel safe.

When “Scream” came out in the 90’s it was almost instantly known as a classic. To this day, few people are willing to dispute that claim. The question isn’t whether or not this movie belongs in a category with the greats; the question is why it belongs there.

By the time the movie was being produced, Wes Craven was already a seasoned director. He’d already directed seventeen movies and seven episodes of TV shows. The well known director had already learned what makes a good film and what makes crap. He’d seen both ends of the spectrum and when he was hired to direct this piece by Kevin Williamson, he must have had a vision in mind. What we got from that vision was a movie that knows it follows a certain recipe and makes fun of it. We get the thrills with an added nod to the genre. It can come off a little smug, but when a movie reaches a certain level of ‘good’ maybe a little ‘smug’ is allowed.

The best movies I have ever seen have mixed genres: drama with thriller, comedy with romance, comedy with drama, Sci-fi/Fantasy with comedy, etc. “Scream” is no exception; it mixes the horror we expect with the comedy delivered by the spoof of its genre.

To be honest, this is one of those movies that, if I go long enough without seeing, I look back and remember being corny. However, after watching it, I wind up perpetually engulfed in it – regardless of how many times I’ve seen it in the past. I’m not exactly sure what causes this to happen, but I have to consider it in my rating.

Overall Opinion – 4/5