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.