A review by John Beachem
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CAST Neve Campbell - Sidney Prescott Skeet Ulrich - Billy Loomis Matthew Lillard - Stuart Maker Jamie Kennedy - Randy Meeks David Arquette - Deputy Dwight "Dewey* Riley Courtney Cox - Gale Weathers
Twelve years ago, director Wes Craven gave audiences "A Nightmare on Elm Street", and terrified an entire generation. After an ungodly number of terrible sequels, Mr. Craven has collaborated with writer Keven Williamson on something quite new. "Scream", is a rare item indeed. A serious horror movie in which all involved seem to realize they are in a horror movie.
A serial killer, obsessed with old horror movies, is stalking a small California town. After the brutal murders of two high school students in the beginning of the film (one of the movie's most shocking and tense scenes), a group of high school students decide to figure out who the killer is. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), is more or less the leader of the group, and her mother had been killed the year before. As the teens search for the killer's identity, everyone becomes a suspect. Things are made more interesting by a TV reporter, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), and a deputy (David Arquette) who are also trying to determine the killer's identity.
This film is not for the squeamish, be forewarned. It just barely squeaked by an NC-17 rating for exessive gore. I can't, in good conscience, give a blood splattered horror movie a higher rating than four stars, but this is truly one of the best I've seen. The only weak point in this film seems to be Neve Campbell's acting at times. It's not that she does a bad job, she simply isn't as convincing as the rest of the cast. In particular, Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard are quite good. Lillard plays Campbell's boyfriend, and Lillard is a goofy member of the group. Jamie Kennedy is a riot as the horror movie expert of the gang, spending a good deal of time spouting off lines from horror films and quoting the rules for how to survive a horror flick.
Another excellent member of the cast, though she isn't in it for too long, is Drew Barrymore. Playing a terrified student, home alone one night at the beginning of the film, she does a marvelous job. One last thing I must point out, is how much I enjoyed the mystery aspect to the story. The majority of horror films make it quite clear who the killer is. Not here. The murderer wears a ghoulish halloween costume which hides the face behind a rather scary looking fhost mask.
This movie is a lot of fun for those who have strong stomachs. If you don't normally enjoy slasher flicks, stay far away from this one. Watch for two rather surprising actors in here too. Henry Winkler, as the high school principal, and Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger) shows up very quickly as a janitor.
* * * * * - One of the greatest movies ever made, see it now. * * * * - Great flick, try and catch this one. * * * - Okay movie, hits and misses. * * - Pretty bad. See it if you've got nothing better to do. * - One of the worst movies ever. See it only if you enjoy pain.
E-mail with comments at: JABII@aol.com
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