Ghost face is back. It’s been 11 years since the black hooded, white-faced hooligan graced the silver screen. And while the economy has been murderous over the past few years causing unemployment to spike like punch at an out of control teen party, Ghost face still has a job. This go around, there are fresh victims for a new generation to feast one. There are rules to be followed, as with any slasher flick, but the main rule…don’t f*ck with the original.
Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette are back as well reprising their roles.
I am not going to divulge too much, so don’t worry about spoilers here.
Scream 4 did quite well in capturing the spirit of the original. There is humor, mystery, and lots of blood. Wes Craven and company did a great job of throwing curve balls to the audience, keeping me guessing who was the killer until the very end. That was what made Scream a classic to me. Not only was it a slasher movie, but a mystery as well. Scream 4 delivered this like a pizza to a hungry fat guy.
The opening scene is one of the best in the franchise. The audience howled with thrills and laughter as Ghost face made his come back. The movie does not take itself to serious, given the pitfalls of horror sequels and especially reboots to a franchise. It winked and nodded at what we expected to be cheesy acting, dialog and story lines. (aka-Don’t open that door you big breasted bimbo!) And this is what made Scream 4 brilliant.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a standard horror flick, complete with blood, guts, and big breasted bimbos. But it succeeded in taking the standard formula, and kicking it up a notch.
When the credits began to roll at the end, I felt like I was reaquainted with an old friend I have not seen in 11 years. It captured the delight and fun factor that made the original Scream a classic. Will Scream 4 become a classic? Probably not. No horror franchise can topple the original, but Scream 4 could become one for a new generation.
If you like the Scream movies, you will like Scream 4. So if you’re looking for something to do today, head out and see it. Get you a big bucket of popcorn, sit back, and watch Ghost face do what he does best. And if he asks you, “What’s you’re favorite scary movie?” , you better have a damn good answer if you want to live to see the sequel.
K.B.Wray 