The Scream Trilogy

A week from tomorrow is a very glorious day indeed: the release of Scream 4! I know I'm probably more excited than I should be about it, but the fact of the matter is, I grew up with the original Scream trilogy. So, in order to prepare myself for the fourth installation, I rewatched the first three and will now talk about how awesome they are. Is a SPOILER WARNING relevant if something is more than a decade old???

Scream (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber
So, this is where it all began. A movie-loving masked murderer begins targeting teenagers (and an ill-fated principal) as a sort of psychotic craze. But is it? Nope, turns out there is a back story involving heroine Sydney (Campbell) and her mother Maureen who has been dead for - oh, what? - just about exactly one year. Scream's plot isn't revolutionary but this smart as hell, quick plotted, witty film revitalized the slasher genre. With it's tongue in cheek humor and it's rules for survival, it mocked the films that came before, while also paying homage to them, while also breathing life back into a genre that was long dead. And, man, was it brilliant, thanks in part to director Craven's knowledge of directing horror films, and writer Williamson's super smart, talky, pop culture laden script. Scream pays homage in the most subtle ways: Billy's last name is Loomis much like characters in A Nightmare on Elm Street and Psycho, Barrymore (a HUGE star who got top billing) bites the dust before the credits a la Janet Leigh in Psycho. It also rewrites the rules: One of the rules Randy mentions is that virgins are the only ones who can outsmart the killer. However, later in the film Sydney loses her v-card and still manages to survive the big third act bloodbath. The best tongue in cheek moment comes courtesy of Sydney who is on the phone with the killer talking about why she hates horror movies, saying the victims are "always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door," and then moments later does just that. Fifteen years later, the movie is only slightly dated. I mean, they sure make a big fuss about a teenage boy having a "cellular telephone" but other than that it still seems as hip as it did back then. All in all, the first scream was just fantastic in every way, shape and form.
Grade: A

Scream 2 (1997)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett Smith, Omar Epps, Elise Neal, Jerry O'Connell, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothy Olyphant, Laurie Metcalf, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi
One year later in real life but two years later in movie life, Scream 2 picks up with Sydney (Campbell) and Randy (Kennedy) both attending Windsor College. A movie called STAB, based on the story of their life, has just hit theaters. In the pre-credits death scene, Pinkett Smith and Epps bite the dust while watching a preview in a theater. Of course, Gale Weathers (Cox) smells a story and shows up and it seems the deaths are happening all over again. And, of course, there are rules to sequels as well. The death scenes are bigger and more elaborate, for one and that is definitely the case here. There is also a healthy debate during the film about the fact that sequels are never, ever better than the original. And that's the case here as well, but not by much. Scream 2 is truly a great follow up to the first. It's still got the tongue in cheek wit while also managing to be genuinely frightening and intense. And it's also got a surprising amount of heart: try not to get a little misty eyed when our poor, sweet, dorky Randy gets murdered.
Grade: A-

Scream 3 (2000)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Liev Schreiber, Kelly Rutherford, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Deon Richmond, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, and a special appearance by Jamie Kennedy just to appease those of us who were completely tramuatized by his death in Scream 2
So, it's a few years later. Sydney is living the life of a hermit, shacked up in an extravagent secluded house, working from home as a crisis counselor, seemingly only having contact with her father and her dog. In Hollywood, Sunrise Studios is making Stab 3. Liev Schreiber's love-to-hate-him character Cotton Weary has bitten the dust, pre-opening credits style. But the plot thickens: the killer left a picture at the death scene and that picture just happens to be of Sydney's long dead mom back when she was young and fresh-faced. Gale smells a juicy story and shows up to poke around in Hollywood. I remember loving all the Scream movies equally, but upon rewatching them, I will quickly admit that Scream 3 doesn't live up to the other two, not one bit. For starters, gone is Kevin Williamson's witty, smart script which is replaced by dialogue that is just trying way too damn hard. The only character who gets good lines is Parker Posey's hilarious actress Jennifer who is playing Gale Weathers. Posey is so much better than her material and she makes every scene a little bit better. She has some particularly hilarious scenes with Cox near the middle of the film that almost make everything that's wrong with this movie a little bit better. And what's wrong with it, per se? Besides sloppy, lazy writing, it calls in question everything that had happened in the first two (which is apparently a rule of the trilogy) but in the most stupid way possible. Also, there are ongoing scenes with Sydney's dead mother appearing to her and talking to her that are just plain dumb. So, I will admit it, the Scream trilogy is not perfect. Scream 3 is not nearly as good as the first two, but I still love it. It's sort of like the Halloween series for me. Everyone knows Halloween 4 and 5 are crap but I love them anyway. In fact, Halloween 4 is probably my second favorite of the series even though it's just plain bad.
Grade: C+

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2010

10. Blake Lively in The Town - Going about as far away from Gossip Girl's Serena Van der Kamp as she can possibly get, Lively proves she's an actress to watch out for in the superb The Town. Lively's character is a tough Boston single mom, who wants ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck back in her bed. A big theme of the film is loyalty but can Lively's drunken, tough talking character be loyal if she's secretly bitter about Ben's new lady love?

09. Emily Mortimer in Shutter Island - In a movie with a huge ensemble of great actors giving great performances, Mortimer shines as Rachel Solando, an escaped mental patient who murdered her children. She only has one really juicy scene but damn if she doesn't steal it straight from Leonardo DiCaprio. One moment she's sweet and loving, and then, in the blink of an eye, she's ready to cut your throat.

08. Chloe Moretz in Kick Ass - Can you think of anything more fun than a 10 year old who curses like a sailor and likes to play with knives and guns?? Me either! Moretz knocks it out of the park as Hit Girl, a total bad ass who will kick your ass while listening to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation."

07. Patricia Clarkson in Easy A - Okay, listen, I love my mom. I love her more than anything. But I will admit that there was a moment of weakness while watching Easy A when I said, "Man, I wish Patricia Clarkson was my mom." She's just so damn... cool. Whether she is giving out relationship advice or admitting to her daughter that she was a teenage slut, Clarkson totally nails the hippie/awesome/mom thing.

06. Barbara Hershey in Black Swan - We go from a perfect mom to a not-so-perfect mom. Hershey is the epitome of a stage mom in Black Swan. She doesn't do anything evil, per se, but she does baby her daughter and push her to perfection so severly that her sweet little daughter ultimately loses her damn mind. Hershey is amazing.

05. Melissa Leo in The Fighter - And here's another mom that I just wouldn't want. Leo proves boxing isn't just a man's world as the mom / manager of two Massachusetts boxing legends in The Fighter. She may love her kids a little too much. She's intense, tough as can be, and also a little crazy, especially when she sends her seven crazy daughters after her son's new girlfriend!

04. Rooney Mara in The Social Network - I haven't always been a fan of Mara's work. I thought she single-handedly ruined the remake of The Nightmare of Elm Street (which had potential but her lifeless performance sucked it dry). However, I take it all back. With just one substantial scene, Mara breaks hearts and steals scenes. She's thoughtful, frustrated, and hilarious as she shows you how to REALLY break up with someone.

03. Mila Kunis in Black Swan - This role is about as far away from Jackie on That 70s Show as you can possibly get. The starting point for so much of the intensity in Black Swan is the demented friendship / rivalry between Natalie Portman's sweet, tightly wound Nina and Kunis' wild and unrestrained Lilly. She's utterly seductive and plays the different facets of her character with ease.

02. Marion Cotillard in Inception - There is a reason her characters name is Mal, meaning she just might be evil. Cotillard is perfection as the crazy dead wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom. She is pure passion - being so very needy one moment, erupting with anger the next, then weeping uncontrollably in the next second. There is a reason that Dom can't get her out of his head. Anyone who has seen the movie can't either!

01. Amy Adams in The Fighter - Amy Adams always plays such sweet, lovable characters. First there was Junebug. Then there was Enchanted. Even when she's playing a nun (Doubt), she's giving bunnies and the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family a run for their money in the "cutest things ever" department. But, in The Fighter, Amy Adams shows a completely different side to herself. She's tough as nails as the former wild child party girl who knows tends bar and falls for a boxer. She stands up to his impossibly intimidating mom, she teaches her man how to grow a little backbone and become a better man, all while being completely and totally sexy. She can seduce and then beat the crap out of seven crazy sisters. In a career that is already stellar, this is Adams' best role yet!

Coming tomorrow... Best Supporting Actor!

Mini DVD Reviews

Paranoid Park - It's no secret that I think Gus Van Sant is brilliant. A genius, even. He is most definitely ever present on a list of my top ten directors of all time (perhaps I shall make that list sometime...). And while I like to pretend that the ill-conceived Psycho remake never really happened, I have come to terms with the all around mediocre lameness of Finding Forester. After all, he's better than those two bit boring films. And Paranoid Park is the next film to prove it. With it's minimilistic cineamatography, non-linear story telling and mostly non-professional cast, Parnoid Park is another gem from Van Sant. It's exceedingly well done with an interesting story (did a high school skateboarder accidentally kill a security guard?) and great acting from lots of unknowns. Van Sant has not disappointed me in a very, very long time.
Grade: B+

Return to Sleepaway Camp - Having long been a believer that Sleepaway Camp is one of, if not, THE best horror films, perhaps my expectations were too high for the long, long, LONG awaited sequel. And since the original Sleepaway Camp has possibly the best twist ending ever, the sequel can't possibly top it, right? Well, unfortunately, it is right. While Return to Sleepaway Camp has the same cast (Felicia Rose and more!) and the same director, it also, unfortunately, has the same story line. There is little difference between the original and the sequel... except for, you know, twenty years or so. You can see the big twist ending coming a mile away and the main character is probably the most annoying horror movie character since Franklin in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Still, it's not a total bust. The death scenes are all original and cool as hell, my friend Nick has a scene stealing cameo and, well, it's just great to have the original cast back together. It's not a great film by any means but it's a fun way to spend an hour and a half.
Grade: C

Get Smart - The best parts are pretty much everything you see in the trailers. There's nothing really to expand on here. Bill Murray's cameo in a tree is brilliant. Other than that, I wasn't shocked by anything: Alan Arkin is a hilarious scene stealing genius, Steve Carrell is adorably dorky, Anne Hathaway is a terrible actress and The Rock has a certain amount of charm that makes up for his lack of talent. It's not a bad movie by any means... it's just not good either.
Grade: C

Transiberian - Now let's talk about the hidden film gem of 2008. I never even heard of this movie. Usually, I at least hear of most films. If I haven't heard of something, then I think it's probably a bad sign. But the cast of this film was enough to make me change my mind and give it a try. After all, it's got Ben Kingsley, Woody Harrelson, Kate Mara and, of course, Emily Mortimer who is so good and so fantastic in this film. The film follows a young couple (Mortimer and Harrelson) who get entangled in a drug trafficking plot while traveling on a train through Russia. Kingsley plays a drug agent who is on to their incidental involvement. Of course, there's so much more to the story but I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Plus, there's so much story it would take forever to explain. Basically, let me say this - Transiberian is totally worth it. It's completely engulfing, interesting and pleasantly surprising.
Grade: B

Pathology - Next on to a film which is neither engulfing, interesting or pleasant in any way. It follows Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes as a pathology student who gets involved with a little game. He and the rest of the med students begin to kill random people. The others have to figure out how it was done. Interesting concept, I guess, but that's all it really has going for it. The acting is mediocre, at best. The character arcs of certain people are completely unbelievable and bizarre. It lacks any likeable characters to cheer for. It's just a bad film, plain and simple.
Grade: D

Birds of America - Who is the MVP of pretty much every movie he's ever been in? If you answered BEN FOSTER, then you're right. Birds of America is just above terrible. The only saving grace, really, is Foster and his performance as a man so sick of society that he begins eating berries and living by a ravine. Maybe it's that I can completely relate to him because that's what I want to do just about every day of my life or maybe it's just that he's such a fantastic actor (or probably both) but it was enough to keep me interested in an otherwise dull and boring movie.
Grade: D+ (the plus is for Foster, of course)

Coming soon - Bond. James Bond.