Movie Review: Scream

Director: Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Jenna Ortega, Mikey Maddison, Dylan Minnetti, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Sonia Amar, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich
 
Description: 25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, California, a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town’s deadly past.

Review: I was thinking it with the fourth film, thought it with the fifth as well: we really don’t need this (and I don’t understand the title, why isn’t it “Scream 5”?). Where I really like the original film, also liked number 2 and even enjoyed 3 even with it not being that great, number 4 just wasn’t good. It was a simple cash grab. But this fifth installment is different.

A requel, as one of the characters in the film explains it, is both a reboot and a sequel. You introduce a whole slew of characters and supplement them with the original ones. The idea is that the original characters don’t survive and the newcomers continue the franchise. Whether all these rules always apply remains to be seen. But the fact is that 25 years after the first “Scream” film renewed the horror genre, this fifth film is constantly self-deprecating. But I still would have named it “Scream 5”.  

This time, main character Sidney Prescott is replaced by Sam Carpenter (honoring director John Carpenter in a way). She hasn’t spoken to her sister Tara for a few years, but she resurfaces after Tara falls victim of a new Ghostface killer, in a somewhat lackluster opening scene. It’s no spoiler that Tara’s group of friends then run into the killer one by one. Sam and her boyfriend Richie would prefer to escape the situation but decide to track down the killer. They seek help from former sheriff Dewey Riley, living alone after his now ex-wife Gale Weathers is the host of a morning show. Sidney has put all the traumatic experiences behind her.

For the most part, we follow the new characters. It takes a while for the old characters to enter the stage. And of those three, it’s David Arquette’s Dewey that gets the biggest and best part. He is excellent.
In putting those new characters at the front, directors Matt Bettenelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet don’t shy away from bold plot twists and choices, without omitting the humor. Constantly, they play with the conventions of the genre, delaying jump scares and having the characters slam doors of kitchen cabinets of refrigerators with the expectations that there is a murderous creep behind them. In addition, many of the newcomers have links to the original characters. And of those new characters Jenny Ortega and Melissa Barrera, as sisters Tara and Sam, are the strongest and most interesting.

This is the first “Scream” film not directed by Wes Craven, since he passed away in 2015 and I think he would look at this movie with a smile (the even named a character after him). Even though “Scream” can’t avoid some clichés, the film (as are all the others) is very self-aware and does a lot of things right too. And when I thought it was going to be un unneeded terrible sequel, “Scream” is by no means a bad movie. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Kiss the Ground

Director: Joshua Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell  
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 84 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ray Archuleta, Gisele Bündchen, Tom Brady, Patricia Arquette, David Arquette, Jason Mraz, Rosario Dawson, Ian Somerhalder

Description: A revolutionary group of activist, scientist, farmers, and politicians band together in a global movement of “Regenerative Agriculture” that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies and feed the world.

Review: “This is the story of a simple solution, a way to heal our planet”, says actor Woody Harrelson, narrator in the Netflix documentary “Kiss the Ground”. That sounds hopeful and it is, although the first 25 minutes are far from uplifting. Because before we get to the solution, we get an explanation in detail how we ended up here and where things went wrong. In short: pesticides, monoculture and industrialized agriculture.
Because we started ploughing and spraying with chemicals, we killed the microbes in the soil. No healthy soul without microbes. And without healthy soil the CO2, which is normally stored in the soil in large quantities, goes back into the atmosphere. Desertification occurs, driving 40 million people from their land every year. If we continue like this, y 2050 there will be about a billion people on the run as a result of desertification. So much for a brief summary of the first 25 minutes of misery.
No crisis is so great or there are always people out there who won’t give up says Woody Harrelson. For example, we see a regenerative farmer from North Dakota, who saw his harvest fail year after year to due extreme weather conditions. Until one day he ran out of money to buy fertilizer and pesticides and was forced to seek refuge in regenerative agriculture. Not only has he been doing well financially since then, but you can also see a clear difference between his lusg green land and the parched land of his neighbor.  
There is also the story of Loess Plateau in China. Once the most dehydrated and neglected piece of land on earth, until scientist started restoring the land. The images before and after show how a dusty void can turn into a true green paradise.
Besides Woody Harrelson narrating the documentary, lots of famous stars join him in the fight for a better planet. Supermodel Gisele Bündchen and her husband, American footbale player Tom Brady, singer Jason Mraz and actors Ian Somerhalder, Patricia Arquette, David Arquette and Rosario Dawson. All of them know how important our soil is and found a way to help our planet. As Patricia Arquette is committed to compost toilets.
Overall, “Kiss the Ground” is a very interesting documentary and an eye-opener.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Scream 4

Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Marley Shelton, Mary McDonnell, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie

Description: Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.

Review: Wes Craven couldn’t take all the endless remakes of his own classics, like “House of Wax”, “The Hills Have Eyes” and “Last House on the Left”. Craven wanted to make a fourth installment, only if Kevin Williamson would write the script.
Sidney has finally put her past behind her by writing a book. She visits Woodsboro to promote the book. But with her return, a killer also strikes. With ‘oldies’ Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox as the only surviving characters, there is room for a bunch of new ones. There is hardly any character development and it’s predictable who will make it to the end and who will die before the end credits role.
The “Scream” movies are good because they don’t take themselves very seriously. The opening sequence of “Scream 4” is the perfect example. Craven and Williamson have some new tricks up their sleeves, but most of it is still very unoriginal. And the ending is, like “Scream 3”, a bit far-fetched and not satisfying at all.
All the movies in this series are very entertaining, but I really hope this is the end of it.

Rating: 2/ 5

00s Movie Review - Scream 3

Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Liev Schreiber, Patrick Dempsey, Kelly Rutherford, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, Patrick Warburton

Description: While Sidney (Neve Campbell) and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them.

Review: After the success of “Scream” and the sequel “Scream 2” Kevin Williamson was one of the most requested scriptwriters. He was so busy, he couldn’t be there for the third installment and Ehren Kruger replaced him.
The third movie is set in Hollywood, where they are shooting “Stab 3”, based on the Woodsboro murders. Sidney, the woman that lived this nightmare, leads a quiet life in the middle of nowhere. That life is brutally disturbed when people are murdered on the set of the movie in making. At the scene of every crime, a picture of Sidney’s mother is left behind.
“Scream 3” isn’t different from the first two films, but it’s less entertaining. I think the tricks don’t work that well anymore. The script isn’t inventive or surprising and the new characters add nothing extra. Even Neve Campbell doesn’t sparkle like she did before.
Even though the movie cannot live up to the first, “Scream 3” does have some good moments. The self-mockery is present again and there are some fun cameos.
“Scream 3” was clearly made to earn some more money, without giving the audience a good quality horror flick. And the climax is so far-fetched, that even the most creative minds wouldn’t come up with it.
“Scream 3” is entertaining, but it can never live up to “Scream” or “Scream 2”.

Rating: 2/ 5

90s Movie Review - Scream 2

Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalfe, Jerry O’Connell, Timothy Olyphant, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett Smith, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi, Omar Epps

Description: Two years after the first series of murders, a new psychopath dons the Ghostface costume and a new string of killings begins.

Review: Halfway through the nineties a successful scriptwriter stands out. Kevin Williamson brought in the big bucks after “Scream”, the movie that brought the horror genre back to life. Off course a sequel had to be made, something the characters in the first movie referred to. Williamson wrote it in only three weeks and Wes Craven directed it again.
“Scream 2” starts on the premiere night of “Stab”, the movie based on the Woodsboro murders. A couple gets murdered and soon it’s clear that a killer is on the loose. Sidney is in danger again and the past still haunts her.
Craven and Williamson form a good team again and like “Scream”, this flick shouldn’t be taken too seriously. This script is also filled with references to the genre, this time focused on sequels. It follows the same path as its prequel, but sadly the ending isn’t as strong. “Scream 2” isn’t surprising and then ending is a bit improbable.
If you don’t take this sequel too serious, you are in for a good horror movie night.

Rating: 3/ 5

90s Movie Review - Scream

Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Drew Barrymore, Henry Winkler

Description: A masked killer begins murdering teenagers in a small town, and as the body count rises, one girl and her friends contemplate the "rules" of horror films as they find themselves living in a real-life one.
Review: Director Wes Craven has been a specialist in the horror genre. Classics as “The Last House on the Left”, “The Hills Have Eyes” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” are some of the movies that shine on his résumé. Half way through the nineties, he decided to mock his favorite genre, by making “Scream”. This film is unique in its genre, because it manages to scare the viewer, but also make you laugh. “Scream” was an unexpected success and later more movies in the subgenre of so called ‘slasher movies’ followed.
“Scream” has an almost classic opening scene, where we see student Casey Becker preparing for a movie night. She gets a call from a man who apparently dialed the wrong number. Soon Casey realizes it’s a psychopath who wants to play a morbid game of life and death. When she and her boyfriend get killed, all the students at the high school are interviewed. The attentions goes out to Sidney Prescott, whose mother was murdered a year ago. Sidney is eventually the target of the killer.
The great thing about “Scream” is, that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters talk about all the clichés horror movies have and with that Wes Craven separates himself from other horror directors. “Scream” is in my opinion not really a horror movie, it’s not scary enough. But it’s very entertaining and fun.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Eight Legged Freaks

Director: Ellory Elkayem
Genre: Action/ Horror/Comedy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scarlett Johansson

Description: Venomous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.

Review: Monster movies are popular, monster-like creatures attacking the city. Whether it’s sharks, crocs, dinosaurs, dragons or giant insects, we’ve seen it all. And when it comes to those monster movies, there are more bad ones than good ones.
They can also be divided in different categories. There are the serious monster movies that are actually good, comedic monster movies that are good, bad monster movies that take themselves way too seriously and bad monster movies that mock themselves. “Eight Legged Freaks” fall in tat last category.
It’s a comedic monster movie and it’s not very good, but it never takes itself seriously and that’s why it’s better and more enjoyable.
The town in “Eight Legged Freaks” is under the attack od giant spiders, who have grown due to toxic waste. It starts out innocent, they attack local dogs, cats and even ostriches. But eventually the local citizens are the victims of the murderous spiders.
The film is cheesy and cliché and it looks like a B-movie. But that’s not really true. It’s a fun mix of horror, science fiction and a big dose of humor. The spiders look real, but sometimes the effect look a bit outdated. It probably won’t stand the test of time.
Don’t expect layers or deep characters. “Eight Legged Freak” is still a monster movie, a perfect popcorn flick.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 55: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Director: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Genre: Action/ Fantasy/ Comedy/ Horror
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 1992
Starring: Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, Hilary Swank, David Arquette, Stephen Root, Thomas Jane, Ben Affleck, Seth Green

Description: A flighty teenage girl (Kristy Swanson) learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampires.

Review: I think more people saw the TV show than the film, but this is definitely a fun watch. It’s not as spectacular and dark as the series, because it focuses more on the comedy than the horror. But still very watchable and entertaining.
Kristy Swanson plays Buffy and Luke Perry is her love interest. Donald Sutherland plays Merrick, not very spectacular though. Rutger Hauer is the villain but doesn’t get a lot of screen time. Paul Ruebes, aka Pee Wee Herman, plays the villains sidekick. His death scene is hilarious by the way.
For horror fans this might not be satisfactory, but if you like the comedic kind with a low budget and no special effects, you will be happy. This story sounded ridiculous when it first came out, but eventually it got millions of fans because of the TV show.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 58: Bone Tomahawk

Director: S. Craig Zahler
Genre: Western/ Horror
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Matthew Fox, David Arquette, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Morris

Description: Four men set out in the Wild West to rescue a group of captives from cannibalistic cave dwellers.

Review: When the film starts, it looks just like your standard western. About the eternal fight between the cowboys and Indians. But this film has a horror twist and it feels very refreshing. In the opening we get a glimpse of the horror, but we still don’t really know what it is the men are afraid of. Next we meet the leading characters. The wife of one of them is abdicted. Husband Arthur and Sheriff Hunt go on a quest for her, together with two other men.
The first hour is pretty slow, but has a good buildup. The second half of the film is a lot more serious and has some serious horror moments in it. Not for the weak stomach I can tell you.
The cast is really good. Kurt Russell as the sheriff. Matthew Fox does a good job too as Brooder. Patrick Wilson is really strong as Arthur, but Richard Jenkins is the star in my opinion. His performance is really good.
“Bone Tomahawk”had to work on a budget and this doesn’t show. The film stayed pretty much under the radar, I hadn’t heard of it ‘till a few weeks ago. A great combination of western and horror.

Rating: 4/ 5