“SCREAM” (2022) SHOWS US THE LEGACY OF THE ORIGINAL IS STILL GOING STRONG
Growing up, we see many different franchises grace the silver screen for our enjoyment. We get hyped over them and eagerly anticipate the release of the next chapter of the film series. There were so many of these out when I was a kid. “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Child’s Play”, and many others were ones I would race to the theaters to see anytime that release date finally hit. Something about those classic horror movies of the 90s and 2000s had a certain allure to me than some of the ones out today. Don’t get me wrong, there are many amazing horror movies in the recent years that have impressed me, but something about those eras of horror movies really grabbed my attention and still does. Granted, I do feel the same way about the classic horror movies of the 80s. Those few decades brought constant horror entertainment to me and many of my fellow horror heads out there.
One writer/director that grasped my attention over those years was Wes Craven. His films had something special with them, much like Stephen King is with the books that he writes. Over his career, he made so many horror gems that have created a slew of cult classic followings all their own. The man was a horror genius and it showed in his writing and on the big screen. If you look at his career over the years, his work got better and better starting with “Last House on the Left” and “The Hills Have Eyes”. Not only did he also create one of the most iconic (also my favorite horror villain) Freddy Krueger, but also helped jump-start New Line Cinema into the titan of industry that it is today. Going from a film distribution company and evolving into a film company juggernaut is quite impressive.
Even some of his not-so-known films like “The People Under the Stairs” or “Shocker” still hold up to this day. If you haven’t seen any of these, you need to find them online and watch them now. Even the super meta installment of another Freddy Krueger chapter of horror “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” did things that have never been seen before at the time. He was way ahead of his time and created horror trends that people tend to subtly add to their movies even to this day. One of these horror films that broke the mold was “Scream”. The meta “pointing out the obvious” horror trends within a horror movie itself made for such great comedy and terror. I would always rush to the theaters anytime a new “Scream” installment came out providing a great “who done it?” via the Ghostface killer. His first “Scream” film gained so much popularity that it has paved the way for 5 sequels to the film. That’s impressive if you ask me.
Recently I got the chance to watch and enjoy the Blu-ray of “Scream” (2022). This movie stars the returning cast of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich, and Heather Matarazzo. It also stars a new cast of characters played by Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison, Jenna Ortega, Dylan Minette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Sonia Ammar, and many others. The movie revolves around the 25th anniversary of the events that took place in the original “Scream” in the small town of Woodsboro, California. A new Ghostface killer starts targeting a group of teenagers who are related to the original people involved in the events that happened so many years ago.
This movie not only has a lot of great kills in it but is of course bloodier than some of the previous sequels, not counting “Scream 4” which upped the gore value more than its predecessors. It also has the revolving storylines within it that all come together with a nice bow on it. There is also the interesting aspect of the Sam character (portrayed by Melissa Barrera) and the ghost of Billy Loomis (portrayed by the original actor of the character Skeet Ulrich) who is revealed to be her father, as well as guiding her through the events of the film. It is a good addition to the movie and gives off a creepy Jedi guidance feel which I greatly enjoyed. We also get unknown cameos from previous “Scream” actors Drew Barrymore, Jamie Kennedy, Matthew Lillard, and Henry Winkler. I love when movies do this, and it is always great to see legacy actors who helped build the cult following this franchise has.
Another exciting cameo in this film is by the hosts/recently married duo of the “Dead Meat” YouTube and podcast James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, portraying comedic versions of their real-life horror reviewers going over the past “Stab” films, and how they have clearly gone downhill over the years. If you have never seen their YouTube channel or listened to their podcast stop what you are doing and follow them now. They both are clearly horror fans and very talented when it comes to providing everyone with unique/comedic commentary on the horror movies out for us to enjoy. Seriously, these two are great so show them some love and enjoy their content. It was a fun cameo and brought so much joy to my nerd heart considering I have been fans of them for years.
The movie has a lot of crucial parts to it including the death of Dewey Riley (portrayed by David Arquette) and Sheriff Judy Hicks (portrayed by Marley Shelton), which caused a bit of controversy among some fans. Yes, I know that is a bit of a spoiler but considering the movie has been out for over 4 months the spoiler embargo has passed. You know I wouldn’t do you guys dirty like that and reveal too much before the spoiler embargo.
The way the killers Richie Kirsch (portrayed by Jack Quaid) and Amber Freeman (portrayed by Mikey Madison) were revealed to be playing Sam, their friends, and her recently injured sister Tara Carpenter (portrayed by Jenna Ortega) was done quite well. The fact that they are hardcore horror fans of the original “Stab” films and met due to their hatred of the franchise in the last few installments was a nice twist. I mean come on, we all have gotten angry at some horror sequels, but they went a little too hardcore with it, right. Even the scene where Tara tells Gale (portrayed by Courteney Cox) and Sidney (portrayed by Neve Campbell) that she is the one who killed Dewey, as well as how he died a coward begging for his life causes Gale to go into an understandably vengeful rage was filmed/written very well.
I greatly enjoyed this movie (obviously) and feel it was very much a worthwhile watch. The cast, the writing, the directing, and the introduction of a new generation of victims/final survivors tied so perfectly together. The standout of the new characters in this movie to me was the niece/nephew of the late Randy Meeks (portrayed by Jamie Kennedy) Mindy (portrayed by Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (portrayed by Mason Gooding) was such a good addition to the movie. Both actors played their new-gen horror movie nerds so well and I loved that their mom Martha Meeks (portrayed again by Heather Matarazzo) was involved in their introduction scene.
Not only did I enjoy this movie, but I also enjoyed the Blu-Ray special features that it had to offer. Most people just watch the movie and put it back on the shelf, but true movie nerds enjoy everything that is included with a movie when it is released for home viewing. Some of the amazing special features include:
Filmmaker Commentary—The directors, writers, and filmmakers reveal the unwritten rules for surviving this genre-busting horror movie.
Bloodlines—Catch up with “Scream” stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette for a deep dive into their characters and why they came back for a fresh stab at their favorite horror franchise.
New Blood—Meet the new generation of Woodsboro victims and potential killers!
In the Shadow of the Master—The cast honor movie maestro Wes Craven and look back on his incredible legacy as the director who redefined horror.
Deleted Scenes—Look out! They're back from the dead: see the scenes slashed from the movie.
Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles for the main feature.
Not only were these enjoyable to experience but adds more context to the movie that we all enjoyed. The movie is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, for obvious reasons of course. This movie is also not only a great rewatch, but also a beautiful love letter to Wes Craven, who fun fact is one of my favorite writers/directors who also shares my birthday. This title also falls to Kevin Smith, who also shares my birthday and is another favorite writer/director of mine. Everyone who was a part of this movie honored the legacy that Wes Craven sadly left behind.
“Scream” (2022) Blu-Ray is now available for your purchase. Buy this Sony movie and enjoy it, as well as all the special features it has to offer today.
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