MUAY THAI GIANT: FOREIGN FUNNY

Never let it be said that foreign countries don’t make anything other than action films or deep, depressing dramas. Many have the idea that with the exception of martial arts films those are all they offer. In point of fact there are many great films coming out of other countries that we should open our eyes too. Unfortunately this might not be one of them though this could be one to get kids to do so.

MUAY THAI GIANT is one of the combinations of martial arts flick, comedy and crime story that come out of the oriental film market. Touted as being made by the producers behind THE PROTECTOR, the movie stars muscleman Nathan Jones as a down on his luck tourist in Thailand. Drugged and robbed of his money and passport, he befriends a young girl (a small time thief) when she is set upon by thugs. One would think he would come to her rescue but she’s actually saved by her butt kicking sister, a muay thai fighter. Feeling for Jones they take him home.

The big lug does his best to help around the house. He’s tall and strong so he can do a few things. Their mother wants her daughter not to fight so she’s doing her best to support the family with a beachside food shack. When Jones has a bite of her somtom (an incredibly spicy concoction) he turns a bright shade of red and goes berserk destroying the shack she sells from. Now they need to find a way to make money fast and the only way they can do so is if his new friend fights.

Here again you would think this would lead to Jones being a big fighter but that never ends up being the case. Instead the girl is set up by the promoter and short changed when it comes time to pay up. But her sister has nabbed a special key being used by drug smugglers to open a laser encrypted lock. Now the bad guys go after the trio to get back the key.

Dubbing aside this movie is slow paced at times but that could just be the always popular “lost in translation” style found in some foreign films. The character Jones plays is sympathetic and heroic in his own way, coming to fighting mode once given the secret spicy food somtom. It sort of reminds you of when Curly of the Three Stooges would get a whiff of limburger cheese and go nuts.

The film, though crime scenes involved and a few blood scenes from gunshots, seems more in line with teens than with small children or adults. The problem there comes from teens in this country (U.S.) unwilling to accept anything not set here or in the style they’re used to. Will teens and pre-teens accept these actors and their situations? Perhaps not but they won’t be exposed to anything non-U.S.centric if not given the opportunity.

This film would present that without going towards the more adult fare being offered.

The movie is fun in some parts, action packed with the fighting sequences and touching in others. It’s not the worst movie ever but it’s also not the best. Does it show promise for its star? Not in this country but maybe in more films like these overseas. It does make an interesting look at what other countries are doing though and that’s always worth making a movie worth watching.

SMOKIN’, CLASSIC CIGARETT COMMERCIALS: FOLKS BOUGHT INTO THIS?

I love compilations DVDs of old things like commercials, movie trailers and more. So when I heard this was coming out I was interested to say the least. I grew up in a time when smoking was not just acceptable but was done in every aspect of entertainment seen. TV shows and movies had folks smoking left and right. Forget Joe Camel, most people were induced to smoke watching Ricky Ricardo do so.

I also remembered a number of the old classic cigarette commercials. Come on, who didn’t hum the theme to the Marlboro Man (which was actually the theme to THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN)? And we all knew people would walk a mile for a Camel. There were tons of other commercials that are ingrained in the memories of baby boomers from this time. Unfortunately none of them show up here.

Yes the commercials collected here are some of the weaker ones from the time period. That’s not to say it’s not interesting to watch what they do come up with though. Fans of commercials will enjoy seeing how they tried to sway folks into picking up their first pack.

For the most part these commercials show folks smoking in one of two locations: either at home as they relax their time there or while on vacation. Of course everyone lies back in a hammock on the beach and feels compelled to light one up on that sunshine drenched beach. Or once you go camping, don’t you feel the urge to pop out a cigarette?

The disc offers tons of commercials but as I said, not much in the ones that seem to stick in most memories. It did remind me of brands I’d long forgotten. I’d also forgotten about the coupons on the backs of Raleigh cigarettes that could be saved and redeemed for products much like the old green stamps programs.

On the whole this disc is disappointing in that those famous commercials are not included. Neither are many of the ones that used famous folks to promote the product (including the now famous Flintstones smoking!). But for fans of commercials who want to see what they had to offer, you might find this one informative at least.

THE HIT LIST: A MINOR HIT

It’s sad to see the career of a talented actor be knocked about by the folks in Hollywood. How many times have we seen an actor display great depth, many characters, work hard no matter what roles they were given and go so far as to receive Hollywood’s highest accolade, the Oscar, only to disappear or find themselves in lesser films? Such has been the case with Cuba Gooding Jr.

A talented actor who did fantastic jobs in high profile films like BOYS IN THE HOOD and RADIO, Gooding has been relegated to B movie releases of late. These are films that usually go straight to DVD with little or no promotion. But the truth is that even these films give us the chance to have a top notch actor in what some would call a lesser quality film. I disagree.

THE HIT LIST stars Cole Hauser as Allan Campbell, a businessman with problems. In debt to a loan shark and depending on a promised promotion he finds himself passed over for someone else. Then he goes home to find his wife and best friend in the midst of an affair as she tells him that the life has gone out of their marriage since he seems consumed with the job. What to do? Hit the bar and start drinking.

At the bar he hears on the news that a controversial TV announcer has been murdered. As he starts his binge, he begins a conversation with another guy at the bar named Jonas (Gooding) who isn’t really interested in talking. But something that Allan says piques Jonas’ interest and the two spend the night drinking. During this night Jonas reveals to Allan that he’s the hit man who made the assassination in the news. Allan laughs it off but Jonas tells him to make a list of 5 names and he’ll kill each one to prove it. Quite drunk now, Allan starts with the boss, guy who got the promotion, loan shark, best friend and his wife. A quick trip to the men’s room and when he returns Jonas is gone.

Waking in his car the next morning, Allan heads to work only to find once he gets there that his boss has been murdered. Squeaking past the police he tries to find his competitor only to witness him being killed by Jonas who then takes him captive. The rest of the film plays out with Jonas trying to force Allan to stop him from continuing on, to finally take a stand for himself. He also wants to find his own redemption for a life filled with murder.

The plot runs fairly simple here and rather straight forward. So what makes it any different than any other B movie addition? First off is Gooding who does a great job here. He plays the role straight, a character who has done wrong and wants to pay but at the same time not in search of pity. He truly wants to be put down. Hauser is another B movie actor that deserves better. He might not shine as Gooding does here, but he does solid work. Lastly the thing that fares better than B movie average here is the soundtrack. This music sounds as if it comes from the latest blockbuster.

Yes this film may be relegated to the B movie rack, it might not be a film that you’ve ever heard of but it does offer some pretty decent entertainment. Other films may get the attention but this one is worth giving a shot.

I SAW THE DEVIL: A TRULY DISTURBING REVENGE FILM

There are movies that you watch to be entertained by. There are movies you watch to experience a piece of art. And then there are movies that combine these two ideas and come out with something altogether different, a movie that entertains on some level and yet is so well made as to be considered art. I SAW THE DEVIL is one such film, a truly disturbing picture that will stay with you long after the final credits.

The film opens in winter where a young woman’s car has a flat. While speaking to her boyfriend, a secret agent, she is offered assistance by a bus driver which she declines. Once she hangs up, the bus driver viciously attacks her, breaking out the windows of her car and clubbing her into submission with a hammer. She awakes to find herself in a secluded location where her kidnapper systematically tortures and kills her, even after she pleads for not just her life but that of her unborn child.

The victim’s boyfriend Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hung Lee) is distraught by her murder. Contacting her father, an ex-police detective, he is given several leads as to who may have killed her and begins targeting each one. As he enacts his revenge on the first two in a most brutal fashion, he finds himself realizing that the third is the guilty party. Tracking him down is easy. What he does afterwards is not.

Kim finds Kyung-chul (Min-Sik Choi) and nearly beats him to death. But he stops. His thirst for revenge would be short lived if he killed this monster. Instead he allows him to live with the knowledge that it isn’t over. Kim becomes the hunter, thrilling at the hunt as he continues to track down Kyung. Kyung continues on a murderous rampage almost racking up several more victims but Kim always shows at the last minute and does more physical damage to Kyung.

Readers may recall that I’ve found what is now called “torture porn” to be pretty distasteful, especially the film HOSTEL. There are many scenes in this film that rival HOSTEL for the sheer power of filmed torture. But there’s a difference as well that some will squabble over. In HOSTEL we witnessed a movie in which voyeurs had the chance to become a part of the action, to pay to torture people, no more motivation than the so called thrill. In this film we witness a man whose memory is tortured for his not being there to save his fiancé, a man who is seeking out vengeance.

I found myself watching and thinking what would I do given the same circumstances? Would I want to find vengeance on my own? If I had the skill set as the character of Kim has, the capabilities he displays in fighting and surveillance techniques, would I want to take my own pound of flesh from someone who had caused me such pain? I never did find an answer for my questions, just that there is the possibility that I would.

The film continues with bloody encounters all the way from start to finish. There’s even a stop by Kyung at a home invasion his friend has just done, a friend who enjoys cannibalism and is in the middle of eating one of his victims. But the encounters between Kyung and Kim as Kim nears the threshold of finally exacting his revenge are what make this movie click. It is witnessing Kim perhaps turn into the same monster he seeks in his search for revenge, perhaps not finally doing so, that holds our interest.

A word of warning: This film is not for the weak of heart. It is not for anyone who would be offended or upset at witnessing some of the most brutal moments on film that I’ve witnessed in some time. That being said this film is a movie that will stick with you in more ways than one. On a visceral level it will twist your insides. On an emotional level you’ll wonder how you would react in the same situation. And on a film watching level you will see a movie that holds many lyrical moments visually one minute and gut wrenching moments (literally) the next.

If you’ve seen the movie OLDBOY (which also starred Min-Sik Choi) then you’ll know the type of film to expect. It may not be for everyone but if you’re willing to take a chance you’ll finish by seeing a well made movie that doesn’t treat a serial killer as a jokester ala Freddy Kreuger, but treats him as the terrifying killer that he truly is. This is a film that treats horror as horror and not a joke. And it stays with you even after it ends.

MAN MOVIES: MR. MAJESTYK

How can anyone make a list of man movies and not bring up the films of Charles Bronson? Granted he’s already been in the cast of three of the movies I’ve chosen to write about already (THE DIRTY DOZEN, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and THE GREAT ESCAPE), but those movies included him more as a member of the cast and not as the star. As Bronson’s career grew he went from playing the mute lab assistant in THE HOUSE OF WAX to the main character in a number of action films in the seventies including today’s gem MR. MAJESTYK.

Bronson stars as Vince Majestyk, a watermelon grower who wants nothing more than to get his crop in. As the film starts he shows his caring side by taking the side of migrant workers who just want to use a gas station’s rest room. Hiring them to work along side his already picked crew, he returns to the farm to find a hustler named Bobby Kopas (Paul Koslo) trying to force him into using the crew Kopas wants to supply. A physical altercation that results in Kopas losing his gun and having the stock used to change his mind results in a warrant issued for Majestyk’s arrest.

Placed in a jail Majestyk runs afoul of mob hit man Frank Renda (Al Lettieri). As far as Majestyk is concerned he’s just another guy in jail. Renda strikes fear in the hearts of the rest of the convicts but not Vince. The prisoners are loaded for transfer to another location but their bus is attacked by a group trying to free Renda. In the aftermath of the attack a number of officers are left dead or dying and Vince has taken Renda and the bus for a drive to his summer cabin. He makes a deal for Renda’s release just to get his crop in, but Renda’s crew show to rescue him.

The die is cast. Renda won’t listen to reason, wanting nothing more than to exact his revenge on Majestyk. The police won’t interfere, hoping that Majestyk can be used as live bait to catch Renda in the act. Not willing to bide his time, Renda eventually attacks Majestyk, first shooting up his barn filled with watermelons and then breaking the legs of Larry (Alejandro Rey) his foreman. Now its time for Majestyk to get some revenge of his own.

Written by action author Elmore Leonard, MR. MAJESTYK is a fantastic action/revenge film that moves at a fast pace and doesn’t waste a moment of screen time. Each second seen on the screen is planting the seeds for the final showdown and doing it with perfection. And the two leads are amazing to watch. Lettieri was always cast as a mobster and killer and seemed to excel at those roles.

Bronson was the epitome of the tough guy you just knew you shouldn’t mess with but who stood up for those less fortunate. He made a living playing roles like this, becoming a icon of the seventies. He didn’t possess the looks of the typical leading man having a rough exterior, but there was something about him that made you wish you had him in your corner. He had more movies that fit the “man movie” category and you’ll see me write about them in the future. In looking back Bronson was one of the main stars to represent the kind of actor found in those films. He took no guff, he kicked butt and he stood for something bigger than himself. And in MR. MAJESTYK Bronson gives a good example of the kind of star he was just before he became a bigger international sensation.

BLACK DEATH: TAKE A SWIPE AT CHRISTIANITY

I’ll say up front two things about BLACK DEATH. The first is that it is a well made film, photographed well, acted well, directed well. The second is that it falls into a category of film I’ve tired of: trying to make Christians look responsible for every bad thing to ever happen in the world.

The time is 1342 and England is being ravaged by the Black Plague. The smell of death floats across the air in every corner of every location that exists. The dead are carted to the roadside to be taken away and rotting corpses are nothing unusual.

A monastery is no safer from the plague than anywhere else. Monks are dying just as the everyday citizens are. Young Osmond (Eddie Redmayne) is a monk early on in his life. Having sworn his life to God he also has done the forbidden by falling in love with childhood friend Averill (Kimberly Nixon). Insisting she leave town before she falls victim to the plague, she gives him a last chance: abandon God and follow me. She tells him she will wait for one week in the town they grew up in and then move on with her life.

Once Averill leaves a new group enters. This is an emissary of the Bishop, a warrior named Ulric (Sean Bean) who is en route to find a town where it is said no one dies or is affected by the plague. He’s looking for a guide and Osmond, having just asked God for a sign what to do, jumps at the chance since the town they seek is next to the one he grew up in. That town holds the chance of returning to Averill.

The journey is slow moving as the men walk and one cart is pulled along, a cart that contains the tools of torture used to force confessions of witchcraft and necromancy from helpless victims. The warriors that accompany Ulric all have their own short tales to tell, how they came to this place and what they expect to find. Bloodthirsty and ready for action they get their chance early on.

Near the town, Osmond sneaks off one morning to see if Averill awaits. To his dismay he only finds her cape drenched in blood and a group of thieves, weapons drawn. Osmond runs back and alerts the warriors who take up arms and battle the larger numbered thieves. They win but at what costs as one of their own lies dying and Osmond is wounded.

Moving forward they come to the marshland that holds the mysterious city they are searching for. They enter and find the inhabitants at first inhospitable, but after pretending to seek sanctuary they are welcomed to spend the night. A pale and well groomed woman takes Osmond with her and tends to his wound with a poultice. The rest wander about trying to figure out which one is the necromancer, the wizard, that has taken this village under his wing.

At dinner they discover that there may be more than meets the eye in this group. Are they truly bewitched? Are they pagans, worshipping the devil himself? Or is it just that this town is lucky? Perhaps they’ve discovered a secret that keeps them alive.

In short order (and hopefully without giving too much away) a confrontation involving the warriors being forced to recant their beliefs in order to stay alive is offered and a discussion about the horrors inflicted on many because of their belief in Christianity ensues. Christians are depicted as believe like me or die while pagans are shown as understanding and compassionate yet eventually acting the same way. Follow my way or die. A twist ending feels more tacked on than a part of the whole.

While both sides are shown to have terrible flaws in their religious backgrounds and thinking, the more damaging presentation is tossed at Christians. Certainly if you go back and check history you will find that Christians did some terrible things in the name of God (anyone ever heard of the Inquisition?).  But if all you had to go by was this film you’d think Christians did nothing but attempt to exterminate people and that pagans just wanted to be left to their own devices. The truth is a combination. Both sides did wrong at one time or another. To depict one as being more aggressive at it just shows us another movie maker taking a swipe at Christians.

One thing this movie definitely illustrates. Those of us who can remember far back know of a time when Hollywood made movies like THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, KING OF KINGS and BEN HUR. All of these movies painted Christianity in a good light. With the inclusion of historical “accuracy” into films in the late 60s, things changed. It was no longer considered cool. Weird religions started popping up and those new age followings were given a wider birth to be explored than Christianity. So what happened? Why did it become wrong to believe in God? And why is it that the only religion that seems to be fair game is Christianity?

I can’t give an answer to that other than to believe offers more restrictions than these new age religions. And God knows Hollywood doesn’t want to be restricted from anything.

In any event out of 5 stars I would give this movie 3 just for the quality of the production. Were it on content alone I’d have to slide down to 2. But if it were rated on the basis of how much it would offend or upset someone its 5 stars all the way. Perhaps I took it to hard or too serious. Then again that just might show the strength of my beliefs and their lack of the same.

THE GREEN HORNET: MORE HUMOR, LESS STING

In the sixties the comic book icon Batman was turned into a television series that was low on detective seasoning and high on camp. The show became so popular that it was soon followed by a spin off, The Green Hornet, based on the pulp fiction/radio show character from the past. The show never took off like Batman did, but it did introduce the world to martial arts expert Bruce Lee as the Hornet’s sidekick Kato. Talk of a new film version of the series went on for years, even Kevin Smith the director of CLERKS was involved at one point. So fans were delighted to see the Hornet finally appear on the big screen.

Seth Rogen stars as Britt Reid, the goofball son of publisher James Reid (Tom Wilkinson). The senior Reid puts out The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper that prides itself on reporting the real news and focuses on the issues of crime that happen daily in Los Angeles. When suddenly dies of a bee sting, Britt is left in charge as well as left to finally grow up.

Despondent at first and unable to fill his father’s shoes, Britt turns to the man who took care of his father’s cars and who made his coffee, Kato (Jay Chou). In Kato he discovers a kindred spirit; someone who loved yet felt much anger at his father and a man who feels a need for heroes much as Britt does.

Through a misadventure in which they save a couple from an attack by thugs, the pair decides to take on crime in LA. Kato sets out pimping their ride, a car now armed to the gills with missiles, machine guns, a flame thrower and more. Then Britt turns the newspaper on its ear, insisting that they do extensive coverage of the Hornet, going so far as to come up with his name. The next thing they do is hire an assistant for Britt, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), who knows more about crime than he does, going so far as to predict what the Green Hornet will do next. In truth, her predictions become their directions.

It seems that the entire criminal element in LA is run by one man, Benjamin Chudnovsky (Christoph Waltz), a bloodthirsty criminal who has made it his life’s ambition to control crime from top to bottom. Chudnovsky makes a point of striking fear in those who would oppose him. And when the Green Hornet starts interfering with his operations, the Hornet becomes his number one target.

So does it work? In some ways very much so but in most not quite. As with the recent GULLIVER’S TRAVELS, we’re presented with a star that needs someone to rein him in, to mold him into the character rather than have the character twist into something its not. Rogen can be a great actor at times but here he tends to run wild and use certain mannerisms that he has in past roles, none of which tend to enhance the character of Britt Reid. Instead much of the movie has Britt as the same goofball he was when the film started except rather than party non-stop he behaves like a kid who finally gets the chance to play the hero. It would have been nice to see the change in Britt come about far earlier in the film than it does and to have left more of the comedy out. The story deserves more action and less comedy.

Chou does a great job of presenting himself here. Pretty much an unknown in the U.S., he does a fantastic job of combining martial arts mastery with acting ability, much like Bruce Lee did when first starting out. The scenes with Chou feel more like the Green Hornet than do those with Rogen.

The supporting cast seems just to be walking through. Waltz shows less of the menace in his character here than he did in INGLORIOUS BASTARDS. And Diaz seems to have such a minor part as to nearly qualify as a cameo.

Much of the film comes together towards the last 20 minutes or so. It would have been nice to see many of the things that work well there happen 30 minutes earlier and the movie be taken a bit more seriously than it was. Instead, while entertaining enough, the film seems more like a Seth Rogen vehicle and less a comic hero film. Was it enough to garner a sequel? Doubtful, the box office wasn’t stupendous, something Hollywood expects these days. If one does come about, let’s hope they find a director willing to tell Rogen to rope it in and to play it straight for once. He has the ability, now he needs someone in charge to convince him of it.

SCREAM 3: ANOTHER ROUND

One would think that two SCREAM movies would have milked out all of the ideas they had. Then again any fan of horror films, or follower of Randy in the series, would realize that a good horror franchise needs to become a trilogy to be great. Okay forget the new movie and just consider this one for the moment.

Gone are the days of school, both high school and college. The survivors of the earlier films have moved on with their lives. Gale (Courtney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette) were and item but are now apart. Sidney (Neve Campbell) lives in a secluded and secure location where she councils victims via phone. And Cotton?

Well as the film opens Cotton (Liev Schreiber) has become a radio talk show host and is on his way home when he gets a call. One of “those” calls fans of the films recognize by now. The killer is in his home and about to kill Cotton’s girlfriend. Cotton races home to stop this but fails and in so doing finds himself the second victim of part 3, his girlfriend being the first.

All of this occurs as a film studio is in the process of making STAB 3, the third movie based on the fictional murders in this series of films. I wonder if INCEPTION got their idea for a dream within a dream from these movies within movies? Anyway, Word of Cotton’s death reaches the cast and crew and of course Gale is there to cover the story. In her usual insensitive manner she goes looking for the story. It leads her to the studio where the film is being shot and running into Dewey who is a technical advisor to the film, helping Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey) as the character based on Gale.

The banter between the two goes back and forth but eventually they work together as members of the cast begin being murdered in the same order their characters are in the script. The killer also keeps leaving behind pictures of Sidney’s mother, the woman whose infidelity began this whole story.  He/she also wants to know where to find Sidney.

Each cast member as well as studio executives and the police detective in charge of the investigation (Patrick Dempsey) become a suspect at one time or another. Perhaps the only ones not suspects are Sidney, Gale and Dewey. As the cast and crew are whittled down, the revelation of who the killer is this time around and his/her motivations are revealed.

It is the revelation that shows how original and interesting this series actually was. Once more they could have taken an easy out or done something that didn’t relate to anything. Instead the film works as another whodunit where we are presented with clues that will lead us to the killer if we only pay close attention. Here we are again presented with what could have been a lame excuse for a movie but instead becomes a good little film all in itself.

The ideas behind movies are discussed in each of the films. On the surface this is seen when each one discusses the rules found in all horror films. But it also takes on critics who talk about how bad sequels can be, proving them wrong. It talks about how violence affects us by showing that perhaps the violence we see onscreen isn’t what causes violence but the circumstances of our lives do. It talks about a press who is willing to sacrifice love, honor and respect for people in the attempt to get the story. And it talks about the fact that while we may make fun of sequels we still fill the theater seats to see them when they come out.

The series is well worth adding to your collection if you’re a horror fan. Once again Lionsgate has done a bang up job of putting together a quality product here. The extras on all three don’t offer much but I for one don’t mind. I find that with all the movies I want to watch I rarely have time for these any longer. I mean come on, how come a movie can be 90 minutes long but have 3 hours of extras to watch?

Suffice to say that the SCREAM series as released now on blu-ray is a great buy for fans. Now all we have to do is sit back a few months and wait for the release of SCREAM 4.

SCREAM 2: THE SEQUELS BEGIN

Fans of the SCREAM movies will recognize themselves as the geeky Randy who knows so many tidbits of information about movies, horror films in particular. These fans are the ones who show up on opening weekend for a sequel that, chances are, won’t be near as good as the original film. Those fans were probably quite surprised with what they got when they went to see SCREAM 2. Where most horror films sequels fail, this one lived up to the first.

The time is 2 years after the events of the first film. Those teens who survived are now off at Windsor College, studying and trying to forget the past. If you haven’t seen the first film stop reading now and go watch it. I’ll wait. If you have you know that the survivors are Sidney and Randy. These two are doing their best to be the regular college students everyone expects.

The film opens at a special screening of the movie STAB based on the murders. Young couple Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett (before she was Smith) are there to watch and get more involved than they expected. Epps is killed in the men’s room and Pinkett in the theater while a full house runs around screaming with fake knives and ghosts masks thinking its part of the show.

Other members of the original cast begin to turn up now. Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) has become a celebrity in her own right having written a best seller about the murders. Now she’s back to bother Sidney once more, never thinking of her feelings but simply there to get the story. Cotton Weary (Leiv Schreiber) has been released from prison and is making the rounds of the talk show circuit to cash in as well. He shows as a guest of Gale in the hopes she can catch the first meeting between Cotton and Sidney on film. Then Dewey (David Arquette) shows up fearing that Sidney might be in trouble. Toss in a new boyfriend (Jerry O’Connell), his friend (Timothy Olyphant) and a roommate (Elise Neal) and you have multiple suspects once more.

Victims fall over like flies narrowing the possibilities of who the killer is. We know the original killers are both dead and gone, witnessed at the end of the first film. So who’s responsible now? And why would they be stalking Sidney? Is it simply that, a stalker influenced by the books and the movie, or is it someone else?

This time around the film takes a look at the claims that were made at the time that horror films and slasher films in particular could influence people to repeat the scenes they witnessed on screen. While the proof was never there it made for great defense tactics for lawyers of accused murderers. Its unusual that a film maker like Wes Craven would take up the banner for this argument but he presents a great case here.

There were two things I was most surprised at in this film. The first was the number of actors who had small parts here who went on to bigger and better things. Since it’s been several years since the film came out I’m not sure if some were big then doing cameos or just getting started. Luke Wilson, Tori Spelling, Omar Epps, Jada Pinkett, Heather Graham, Sarah Michelle Geller, Joshua Jackson, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia di Rosi, Laurie Metcalf and David Warner can all be found here.

The second was the fact that even though this film is a sequel it stands up on its own as a truly scary horror film. One would expect the weakest of plot devices to be used in an attempt to cash in on the success of the first film. Instead we have a well conceived idea here as to who the killer is and why. It also ties into the first film rather than one of those oh yeah moments where the reason seems contrived at best.

Randy once again tells us what to expect in horror films and sequels in general. And for the most part he’s right with one exception. Where he claims that all sequels suck, this movie lives up to the name of SCREAM.

SCREAM: FORGOTTEN CLASSIC

So many will wonder why I claim this is a forgotten classic. I mean isn’t the SCREAM mask still sold at Halloween? Haven’t we just seen a new sequel released? Isn’t the movie spoken of in every Wes Craven interview?

All of these things might be true but the fact remains that while SCREAM did do big box office, was sequelized and is talked about at times, I found in watching it again that it was a much better film than I recalled. It was scarier than I remembered. It was better made than I thought at first. And it works on so many levels as to be considered a classic.

For those uninitiated the film tells the story of a group of teenage friends. The film opens with Casey (Drew Barrymore) receiving an anonymous phone call with someone who at first flirts with her and then threatens her. In short order she not only witnesses her boyfriend’s demise but is soon murdered herself by a killer in a stretched ghost face mask and flowing black tattered robe.

The next day the kids at her high school are upset when they hear of the murders. But as teens go they also tend to move on to the next thing that interests them, a true example of A.D.D. Enter our main character Sidney (Neve Campbell), a young woman whose boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich) wants to take things to another level but who remains chaste. Her best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan) isn’t quite as pure. Tatum’s boyfriend Stuart (Matthew Lillard) is the court jester, making jokes at all times. Rounding out this group is Randy (Jamie Kennedy) the nerd of pack who works at the local video store and is a movie fanatic.

As the film progresses so does the body count. With each murder we also get a glimpse of the killer and the fact that he seems to be a bit of a bumbler compared to the villains other slasher films have delivered in the past. Where the cool killer reigned in most, this killer trips over his costume, gets knocked in the head more than once and gets downed occasionally only to mysteriously disappear. While choosing to wear a goofy mask this seems like more of what a real serial killer might be like, a klutz who makes mistakes.

The cast is rounded out by David Arquette as Deputy Dewey, Tatum’s brother and the local goofball policeman. Dewey comes off as little more than a Don Knotts/Barney Fife knock off. But beneath it all lies something more than gets revealed a piece at a time in all of the SCREAM movies.

Offsetting this character is Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), a driven newswoman who will do anything to get the story and advance her career. At the moment she is not well liked by Sidney whose life story Gale has pitched on more than one occasion. Sidney’s mother was murdered earlier and Sidney has identified Cotton Weary (Liev Schrieber) as the killer. Gale has taken Cotton’s side in the matter and has done all she can to get his release much to the displeasure of Sidney.

Now the nice part about all of these characters is that each one has a reason to be the killer and the opportunity over and over again. We constantly wonder who the killer is and each time you think you know you find yourself pausing to consider the next person. Is Dewey really hiding his homicidal tendencies behind the goofy façade? Is Gale so determined to get Cotton released that she’d do anything to see it happen? Could Billy have had a reason to become the killer since his mother left him? Every character bops in and out of the scene with ample opportunity to jump back in as the killer.

At the heart of this is Randy, the movie nerd, who takes the time at a party to discuss the ins and outs of horror films and “the rules”. So many actually fit any number of films that have been released its hilarious. For instance the rule that if you’re a virgin you’re safe. Having sex always results in being the next victim. Or never say “I’ll be right back” when leaving a room since it usually results in your chances of returning being non-existent.

What makes this movie so good is that it keeps your guessing like the best whodunit ever made. You find yourself thinking it’s this person then another then another until you’re never quite sure who you think did it. And then result, the reveal, was a tremendous surprise when this film was first released. Even knowing who the killer is doesn’t spoil the fun watching it again as you catch the clues left throughout.

The movie is also fun because of the in jokes that many movie fans will catch. Names of characters, locations, little aside dropped in all make the movie hilarious with each one. The best one is when high school principal Henry Winkler hears a noise in the hall, sticks his head out and sees the school janitor (played by director Wes Craven) wearing a green and red striped long sleeved sweater who grunts at him, to which Winkler replies “Sorry, Fred”. Yes, a direct reference to Craven’s best known film A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

The SCREAM films are being released in blu-ray format for the first time from Lionsgate who recently picked up the distribution rights. They’ve done a great job with it, just in time for the release of the latest sequel. Best of all its nice to see the film come out in a clean format that means it can be appreciated again for some and for the first time for others. Believe it or not the movie IS fifteen years old now. So if you’re watching it with someone who hasn’t seen it don’t let them know who the killer is, sit back and watch them try to figure it out and enjoy the ride.