December 1996 saw the release of "Scream," a commentary on horror films featuring characters who tried to avoid the typical cliches seen in these films in order to survive. It was an odd time for a horror film to be released, especially since it only came out a few days before Christmas. It opened to a soft $6 million at the box office, initially being labeled as a disappointment; however, its returns only increased in the following weeks as word of mouth spread. It ended up grossing over $100 million and became the highest-grossing slasher film in the United States (in figures unadjusted for today's ticket prices).
Before "Scream" came out, the slasher film was dead (no pun intended). Unnecessary sequels were abundant (we had the awful "Halloween 6" by the mid-90s), and nothing was original and unique anymore. Wes Craven changed that. With "Scream," he created a film that was both terrifying and humorous, more so in the way it poked fun of its own genre.
Let me go on record and say that the iconic opening scene with Drew Barrymore is THE scariest scene in horror film history. Yes, I said it. As intense, shocking, and brilliant as the shower scene is in "Psycho" (to be reviewed later this month), to me, that doesn't even come close to the levels of fright and emotion conveyed in the opening scene. I cannot watch the scene anymore simply because it is so unsettling and so upsetting, especially to those who have children of their own, such as myself. While it lasts only 15 minutes or so, it is so scary and so unnerving. Drew Barrymore should have been up for an Oscar for her heartbreaking performance. It just felt so real, and you are scared every inch of the way with her.
The rest of the film presents a killer (or multiple killers?) whose obsession with horror films terrorizes high schooler Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a girl who has just recently gone through the horrifying experience of losing her mother. After the aforementioned beginning death scene, more of her friends start to slowly perish, with the identity of the killer(s) narrowing down as the film progresses. Is it the boyfriend? The film geek? The nosey reporter? The goofy cop?
What Wes Craven did for horror movies with this film is unmatched to this day. Many films have tried to repeat the success of "Scream," but most were not successful. They felt more like carbon copies, trying so desperately to be original like "Scream," but it just didn't work.
"Scream" is also one of those rare franchises where each of the sequels are wanted and well-made. While they are nowhere near as terrific as the original, they are all excellent in their own way, including the sadly underseen "Scream 4," a fresh jumpstart to the series that could have launched a new trilogy. Sadly, it was not as much of a success as the first three, and it tragically ended up being Craven's last film.
"Scream" ranks towards the top of my all-time favorite horror movies list, just behind "Psycho" and "Halloween" (the originals, not the POS remakes). The opening scene alone is so brutally disturbing. It is absolutely brilliant, a modern-day classic. Horror movies these days wish they could be half as good as "Scream.."
Before "Scream" came out, the slasher film was dead (no pun intended). Unnecessary sequels were abundant (we had the awful "Halloween 6" by the mid-90s), and nothing was original and unique anymore. Wes Craven changed that. With "Scream," he created a film that was both terrifying and humorous, more so in the way it poked fun of its own genre.
Let me go on record and say that the iconic opening scene with Drew Barrymore is THE scariest scene in horror film history. Yes, I said it. As intense, shocking, and brilliant as the shower scene is in "Psycho" (to be reviewed later this month), to me, that doesn't even come close to the levels of fright and emotion conveyed in the opening scene. I cannot watch the scene anymore simply because it is so unsettling and so upsetting, especially to those who have children of their own, such as myself. While it lasts only 15 minutes or so, it is so scary and so unnerving. Drew Barrymore should have been up for an Oscar for her heartbreaking performance. It just felt so real, and you are scared every inch of the way with her.
The rest of the film presents a killer (or multiple killers?) whose obsession with horror films terrorizes high schooler Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), a girl who has just recently gone through the horrifying experience of losing her mother. After the aforementioned beginning death scene, more of her friends start to slowly perish, with the identity of the killer(s) narrowing down as the film progresses. Is it the boyfriend? The film geek? The nosey reporter? The goofy cop?
What Wes Craven did for horror movies with this film is unmatched to this day. Many films have tried to repeat the success of "Scream," but most were not successful. They felt more like carbon copies, trying so desperately to be original like "Scream," but it just didn't work.
"Scream" is also one of those rare franchises where each of the sequels are wanted and well-made. While they are nowhere near as terrific as the original, they are all excellent in their own way, including the sadly underseen "Scream 4," a fresh jumpstart to the series that could have launched a new trilogy. Sadly, it was not as much of a success as the first three, and it tragically ended up being Craven's last film.
"Scream" ranks towards the top of my all-time favorite horror movies list, just behind "Psycho" and "Halloween" (the originals, not the POS remakes). The opening scene alone is so brutally disturbing. It is absolutely brilliant, a modern-day classic. Horror movies these days wish they could be half as good as "Scream.."