The Reel Scoop's Ode To Scream

Every once and awhile a movie comes along that defines a generation. I'm pretty sure we've all heard how good A Nightmare on Elm Street was, how Halloween scared the shit out of people and how The Exorcist kept people up at night. Unless you are an avid horror movie fan like myself, all that is just hearsay. I'm 25 and The Exorcist came out in 1973, Halloween in 1978 and A Nightmare on Elm Street hit theaters in 1984. I wasn't alive for all three but the horror genre is alive and well in my blood thanks to a slasher flick that wasn't intent on being a slasher flick at all.

Scream slashed onto the scene back in 1996 when the horror genre for all intensive purposes was -- pun intended -- DEAD! Directed by Wes Craven, who turned the horror genre upside down back in 1984 with ANOES, created a new film for OUR generation and once again changed the way we view horror movies. Scream isn't looked at as that classic horror movies. Doesn't have that scary feel to it like the all-time greats do. But that's what sets Scream apart from all the others. Scream was a tutorial on how the perfect horror movie should be made, how we should react if we were in a similar situation and didn't take itself to seriously in the process. Throughout each Scream film it was constantly making a mockery of itself and it did so in such great way.

Now even though this is an ode to Scream you can't forget what brought Scream to the forefront, making the film what it is today. There is a fourth Scream in theaters as we speak for goodness sakes.  Throughout the original Scream movie there were obviously homages to John Carpenter's Halloween. I can see why one would pay respects to such a groundbreaking movie like that. Wes Craven's A Nightmare on elm Street was made (in my opinion) due to the fact that John Carpenter changed the game and created a central horror movie icon that would live on for years to come. Craven did so with Freddy so while making the Scream movie another central horror movie icon would have to be created. One that would use everything we've learned from watching horror movies and use that against his victims. Ghostface!

Ghostface, wielding his knife with his robe dangling just above his feet, cell phone in hand waiting to call his next victim for a quick game of ' What's your favorite scary movie?" Talk about changing the game! Giving his victims the opportunity to save themselves even if he never intended on actually holding up his end of the bargain was genius. Like I said everything that Scream was about came from every other horror movie ever made BUT the execution of it was not only clever but done very, very well.

Laurie Strode. Ring any bells? Sidney Prescott. Sound familiar? Both are the central heroines in their respective films, Strode (played by scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis) being from the Halloween series for those who don't know, but didn't start off as the uberly aggressive, strong willed women that we've seen towards the end of their films. The killer pushed them both, made them fight not only their physical demons but their inner demons as well. That's what's so great about these films. Someone overcoming their fears and that's what we all hope for while watching. Isn't it?

Why? Why Scream? There are tons of horror movies that are way better than Scream right? Of course there are! But do I care -- that would be a resounding NO! Scream allowed it's audience to be apart of the movie. Scream allowed us as fans to not only see a movie made for our generation but gave us a look into horror movies of the past without most of us even knowing. It combined horror with a few scares, more laughs and storylines that kept you guessing to the very end. If anything look at all the movies that have come out since Scream back in 1996 and see if they didn't try to replicate that movie whole-heartedly. Here's a few examples: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, even Halloween came back into the fold with Halloween: H20. Scream made people want to watch horror movies again! So in a way Scream redefined a generation. Redefined FEAR!

As I'm writing this I have Scream 3 on in the background. I'm waiting patiently (well not so much) for my midnight showing of Scream 4 to begin. The excitement is slowly trying to engulf me but I'm trying to keep my cool so typing away at this keyboard is a bit of a detraction but not much.  Think about something you liked 11 years ago. Something that meant a lot to you. Something that at the time, you thought you couldn't live without. Then after awhile, something that you never thought you'd see again! Fast forward 11 years! What, what's this? It's back! Are you kidding me! Imagine that excitement! That euphoria! the jubilation that overcomes you as something you've done without for so long is finally within reaching distance. That's how I feel right now. The last Scream movie hit theaters back in 2000 and now Scream 4 hits theaters 11 years later. That's one hell of a wait!

Scream is more than just a movie. I think we all can say that even if we aren't necessarily Scream fans. Movies in general aren't just movies but that's a discussion for another day. Scream is the type of movie that you take with a grain of sand. The true horror enthusiasts that grew up watching the list of movies I mentioned earlier won't find much pleasure in watching a Scream film. But for US it's everything we want in OUR horror movie. In the 11 years since the last Scream movie there hasn't been a horror movie quite like it since. the horror genre reinvented itself while overly remaking itself in the process. Now that the Scream movies (that's me hoping Scream 4 isn't that last one) are back I'm looking forward to the fact that Wes Craven along with some of the original film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette will try to bring one of the most successful horror movies of our generation back to the big screen. I'm just glad that after 11 years, I'm now back along for the ride.