Do You (Still) Like Scary Movies? A New ‘Scream’ for a New Generation [Podcast Link!]
In 1996, a fresh vision of the classic slasher film captivated audiences with the releae of Scream. Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, and Jamie Kennedy, with an opening kill scene featuring Drew Barrymore that would go on to become one of the most iconic in not only the eventual franchise but the slasher genre itself, the film made a huge splash and sent the careers of many of the young stars to stellar heights. The film would go on to spawn three sequels (and untold spoofs and copycats), the last of which, Scream 4, released in 2011. It seemed for a time that the Scream franchise had ended with this film and the death of legendary horror director, Wes Craven. When a new entry in the franchise was announced for 2022, it came with mixed feelings across the board.
Was the franchise still viable for a new generation?
Could the quality ever be up to par with the original?
Is this just another shameless cash-grab banking on nostalgia dollars?
As the horror film market has been endlessly saturated with bad sequels, reboots, prequels, and the newly termed ‘requels’, it led to a fair amount of skepticism, particulary so when it became clear that the 2022 offering would simply be titled Scream, a repeat of the 1996 film that started it all. No one was really sure what to expect.
To much surprise and delight, the film turned out to be… shockingly good. There was a sense of a return to form, with returning characters from the original films and the introduction of a new characters who look to become mainstays in the continuing franchise, with a new film in the series already announced.
Recently, I had the privilege of joining Jax at Saturday Morning Pajamas to discuss the franchise and the new film at length, so please visit SMPJ to check out this fun and frank discussion about the franchise, the new film, and its possible future. Please note: this is an in-depth discussion so there will be spoilers. Consider yourself warned!
That being said, there are a few things I spoke in error and completely forgot to mention while recording the podcast, so please check the list below for a few bits and blurbs (and remember — spoilers!):
After the reveal of Amber as one of the masked killers, the death of Dewey seems a little bit suspect. Amber is a slight young woman who is expected to have fought off several people and been injured with a gunshot to a bulletproof vest, which still packs a punch. Yet, the viewer is expected to believe that she not only recovers quickly but is able to stab Dewey and hold him in place with knives both to his torso and back. The physicality of the attack just doesn’t seem to match her size and strength, and it is impossible for the second killer to have been involved, as he is seen unmasked onscreen throughout the struggle.
The carpet in the house on Turner Lane, once stained with the blood of many victims, bears a striking resemblance to the bloodied sweater worn by Stu in the final scenes of the original film. Happy accident, or intentional callback? You decided.
There was some conflation of scenes in my mind leading me to believe the hallucination of Billy Loomis spoke to Sam as she reached for the knife during her struggle with Richie — whoops! Note that I had only seen the film once at the point we were recording so things got a little muddled. Billy (or pseudo-Billy) simply nods towards the knife in question, urging on his illegitimate daughter. Either way, Sam makes sure we all know just whose blood is running through her veins.
I hope you enjoy this guest appearance on SMPJ, and if you canve already, be sure to check out the other episodes I’ve recorded with podcast host Jax, featuring discussions of The Gate, Poltergeist III, and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2!