'Scream 4' Review!

Devin Lotfi
11 Years Later..

After three viewings, I'm finally getting around to reviewing the film, although my opinions are hard to muster without being bias, since this is ultimately my favorite franchise. But I will try my best. Eleven years ago I never thought I'd see a Scream film again. At least not so soon...that sounds weird considering 11 years is a long time. But I guess I figured something along the lines of Halloween:H20 which was a twenty year gap. I was only 10 when the first Scream came out and it opened me up to the generation of horror that had passed before me and I sought out all the movies mentioned. Will the 4th one do the same for younger people? Only time will tell. The movie has so many different demographics to satisfy. This one is really for the fans in my opinion, and it happens to be ions better than Part 3 and either on par or better than Part 2.

If Scream made fun of slasher cliches, if Scream 2 poked at sequels and if 3 mocked what it means to be a trilogy then Scre4m is about satirizing the efforts made by hollywood to lack originality by mass producing mindless sequels and mostly bad remakes. Although the film is very aware that this in fact is a sequel itself, let alone a FOURTH. The publicity for months has advertised the fresh young cast, the "new" generation who the torch will be passed to for the future installments or another trilogy. Equal time and money has been spent on showing that the original cast, (Arquette, Campbell and Cox) as well as Wes Craven and original scribe Kevin Williamson have returned. So who is this film for? That you will have to see for yourself.

I would suggest brushing up on the original trilogy before diving into this one, especially remembering what the STAB franchise is.

After an ingenious, scary and hilarious opening scene which is by far the most clever since Barrymore's famous death scene in the original, we immediately get reacquainted with our heroine Sidney Prescott who has been on a book tour promoting "Out of Darkness", in which she penned her life story and what she has overcome in order to move forward in a positive direction. She is no longer a victim but aware of what life has given her. She is brave and ready for battle if need be. And surprise surprise, the very day she sets foot in the town she left behind, chaos ensues. Also along for the ride is Dewey, who is now the Sheriff of Woodsboro and Gale, who whether she admits it or not, is slightly excited to be trying to solve a case again after years of boredom. In efforts to stay safe and surrounded by family, Sidney resides in the home of her Aunt Kate and Cousin Jill. Jill's friends are aware that trouble usually surrounds Sidney but they are scared and in awe of her at the same time. The story gets cranking fast and the bodies drop even faster, leading to a climax that is by far the most intricate yet of the series. A double-ending if you will, which plays up the fact that nearly every movie, not even just horror, has come DVD packaged with the "EXTENDED, DIRECTORS CUT, ALTERNATE" endings etc...

The new cast does well, but the stand out is surely Hayden Panettiere, who has never excited me. She brings an edge very much needed. Her character Kirby has already garnered a huge following among fans, something I have not seen since Randy. Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox go back into their roles with such ease that it's astounding how long its been. You can tell they love playing their characters. And we as an audience remember how much we cared for them.

So many things have changed in the last 11 years, especially technology and media obsession and of course, social networking. It is hard to give true commentary on the messages of the film without revealing the killer or the ending but I will surely keep it a secret because it deserves to be seen for the shock value. I dare you to guess the outcome. But if the movie's purpose is to criticize reboots and remakes then one should get the feeling that Scream would never give in to what other franchises have. The joke is on us, the joke is on this new generation, which lacks the love and intelligence of years past.

Scre4m does not have the most clean cut final scenes, but if there is no more installments after this, it's satisfying enough. But unlike Scream 3's ultra happy ending, this one leaves a more melancholy taste. I am beyond satisfied and the few flaws (Anthony Anderson's now-famous line, One too many self-referencial moments) I found weren't enough to notch it down from perfection. All in all it is a breath of fresh air, as well as a nostalgic time warp, but most of all a funny and suspenseful ride.

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