Scream

Scream, directed by Wes Craven, 1996, ISSN 1558907254

Plot Summary

                       When a murderer known as ghost face due to his ghoulish mask starts killing off teens, Scream's group of high school kids headed up by Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, and Skeet Ulrich know from years of classic horror movies that the only way to avoid getting killed is to behave exactly the opposite as the doomed characters in the movies.  In this way, a new twist is taken on a stale genre, as the characters reference and lampoon the horror greats even as they fall victim to the same old tricks.  There are deeper plot lines running through this movie as well, such as Neve Campbell's personal trauma stemming from her mother's murder and the fact that the supposed killer is about to be released.  The body count grows higher and higher as the movie wears on, and the more the characters think they know, the more the savvy killer proves them wrong.  Swerving towards a surprise ending in which no one might be spared, Scream is entertaining and startling from Drew Barrymore's opening scene reminiscent of Janet Leigh's performance in Psycho, to the last.

Critical Analysis

                           This film's greatest strength lies in its element of fun and sense of humor.  The gimmick of having the characters discuss horror movie cliches within a traditional horror movie is original and very well executed.  The teens from Scream feel smug in their knowledge of the genre, but one by one are proven to be just as clueless as the characters they scorn on screen.  The dialog is fast and clever, consistently funny throughout,  and the scary scenes are high on startle factor.  The acting in this film is also top notch, as the characters vacillate between comedic and dramatic performances.  Neve Campbell as Sidney is effective; she is a nervous, haunted character with a traumatic past, all too susceptible to the horror movie tricks.  Rose McGowan plays the irrepressible Tatum, bubbly and funny - her particularly gruesome death is a shame, as it takes this great character off screen.  Skeet Ulrich is intense as Billy, and Matthew Lillard is goofy and entertaining as Stuart.  Other great performances include Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, an aggressive reporter of questionable professional standards, and David Arquette as Dewey, the hapless small town cop.  One of the best performances is put forth by Jamie Kennedy as Randy, the main horror movie aficionado, who is constantly guessing and second guessing the next twist in their real-life plot, including who might be the killer.  And of course there is Drew Barrymore's very effective opening scene, reminiscent of Janet Leigh's demise in Psycho.  This movie is not only hilarious and completely original in a genre filled with the same old tricks, it will scare you when you least expect it.

About the Director

                              Wes Craven was born in Cleveland and raised in a religious family.  He earned his Master's from Johns Hopkins and he became a professor.  He also worked as a sound editor in a post-production company and, through this job, developed a passion for horror films.  His debut film was The Last House on the Left.  Some of his other hits include Nightmare on Elm Street, one of the horror movie greats, and Scream.  Through these films and others, he developed a reputation as a master of the horror genre.  He and his ex-wife have two children. 

Annotation

                  A masked killer is knocking off teens, and the horror-movie savvy survivors decide they can evade this fate by doing the opposite of what naive movie characters do.  What follows is a witty satire of horror movies that will scare and amuse the viewer.

Genre

          Horror, Dark Comedy

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, sex, underage drinking, graphic depiction of violence, and murder. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                           Satire

Interest Age

                   Grades 9-12.

Why I Included This Movie

                                             This movie became an instant horror classic, fresh and funny and completely original.  Teens will respond to the humor as well as the graphic and always creative violence.

References
Wes Craven. (2011). Biography.com. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/wes-craven-193498