SCREAM 4
CAROLINE: Scream 4 is the much anticipated sequel to a franchise that hasn’t been heard from in over a decade. Remember how great the first one was?
RYAN: Totally! And I love that they’ve brought back the main cast, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette.
CAROLINE: Not to mention several younger actors to attract the teen audience – Emma Roberts, Hayden Panetierre, Anna Paquin of TV’s True Blood and a Culkin. I didn’t even recognize the Culkin as a Culkin until I saw his name in the credits. He has weird long hair.
RYAN: All I know is Neve Campbell must be psyched to be back on the big screen. What has she done lately?
CAROLINE: I know, right? She’s perfectly fine in this though she has this one angsty face I remember her making throughout the other Scream movies, and she’s reprising it here big-time. I’m not sure she has much in the way of range.
RYAN: She does a lot of acting with her breathing too.
CAROLINE: This movie is a lot of fun. I was dreading it a little bit since horror isn’t my favorite genre, but I enjoyed myself. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it grew on me as it went on.
RYAN: Well, the good news about the Scream movies for people like you is that they’re not super scary. They’re very self-referential and almost funny at times.
CAROLINE: Totally, though I remember being a little shocked at the scariness and gore of the first one. Scream 4 is also quite gory and bloody but not in a over-the-top gross way. When the movie started, it felt a little silly. I was like, “OK, the guy with the voice is calling again,” and I was prepared for the movie to be kind of a joke. Luckily it got more interesting as it went along. You have to enjoy the ride and take it for what it is; it’s not a great movie or anything, but it’s fun to see these characters again.
RYAN: Are there a lot of twists and turns?
CAROLINE: Not really. There’s definitely someone you think might be the killer, but you’re not sure till the very end. At least I wasn’t.
RYAN: How’s Courteney Cox’s face? That can be a horror movie in itself sometimes.
CAROLINE: Yeah, the very few times I’ve watched Cougar Town, I’ve actually recoiled at the sight of her Joker face. But it’s actually not bad in the movie. No Botox and less scary lips, thank God.
RYAN: What about David Arquette aka Deputy Dewey?
CAROLINE: He’s the sheriff now, honey; he’s been promoted. And he’s fun to watch but he really can’t act. LBH, he’s more famous for being Courteney Cox’s husband than he is for being a good actor.
RYAN: Did the movie make you LOL at all?
CAROLINE: Totally! Especially toward the end. There are lots of funny jokes referencing horror movie conventions. I was never truly scared, which was a relief. I was prepared to have nightmares because of all the blood spillage, but I haven’t yet.
RYAN: I told you you’d be fine.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: It’s a fun movie that doesn’t feel redundant or unnecessary. A long time has passed since the last Scream, and given how much people love horror movies these days, I think this is a worthy sequel. It’s clearly not for everyone, but for those who are eagerly anticipating it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I had a lot of fun watching it and there were only a couple of groaner moments. Overall, it was a satisfying flick.
— RATING —
