Sick is the new sane

Scream 4  (contains spoilers) 4/5

Being a massive horror film buff myself, I was so excited when the news broke that Scream 4 was being made. I consistently followed the forum religiously on IMDB to find out all the information, gossip and hype surrounding the release of a new film. Of course I had to wait a year until I would find out whom would be terrorising Sydney and how the young new cast would fit into this twisted story. I made a point in booking my tickets in advance for this film and on opening night took my seat, ready to be indulged in a world full of gore and young people being killed by a ghostface killer.

Scream 4 follows Sidney Prescott, survivor of the previous Woodsboro killings who returns to her home town on the anniversary of the killings that terrorised the small town a mere fifteen years before. On first viewing I have to admit that I was not impressed by the opening, being completely skeptical of the idea of a movie within a movie. When it came to the real deal and two girls from Woodsboro discussing the events of the film that they watched I have to admit that I did become excited. I was really interested to know how the killer was going to do it, but also if there would be any nods to the original. We do not see one of the girls being killed; however the audience knows that when it goes deadly silent and then her body gets thrown through a window that it does not bode well for the remaining victim. The remaining girl ends up being chased and has her back broken by a garage door (this is a nod to the original, as Tatum was originally supposed to die with the garage door coming down on her neck.)

As for the introduction to the new characters, I felt you were drawn to them and could identify characteristics within yourself or any friends. I found them to be easily likeable…especially Kirby and Robbie for myself. It was great seeing Woodsboro High again, even with a blink and miss it moment of a bust of Principal Himbry. The moment when they all found out about the two murders was through their mobile phones, another new rule and shows how much technology has changed since 1996. In the new group are: Kirby, Jill, Olivia, Trevor, Robbie and Charlie. Kirby is known as the female Randy and Charlie is also very knowledgeable and runs the movie club with Robbie, who also runs an online blog and updates to the internet through a headgear with a camera attached. 

Concerning the original characters, I liked how Dewey and Gale were introduced, the audience immediately senses that Gale is bored and Dewey is proud of his role as Sheriff. A little humour is also added throughout the film with the Deputy Judy character, obviously in love with Dewey. It was really interesting to note how the Sidney/Billy relationship is mirrored through her cousin Jill and her boyfriend Trevor as the audience are made to think that Trevor is a suspect right from the beginning. One scene in particular is when he sneaks through Jill’s bedroom window. 

The second killing for me was really rather brutal, not that I didn’t enjoy it! Olivia is in her house alone as her parents are away on holiday, while Kirby and Jill are in the house next door watching Shaun of the Dead on DVD.The killer phones and antagonizes the girls, saying that he is in the closet. Kirby then looks and the reply they get is simply “I said I was in a closet, not your closet!” and then we cut to the scene with Olivia being repeatedly stabbed through the bedroom window with Kirby and Jill and Sidney watching who cannot do a thing to stop it. This death is by far the goriest throughout the entire film and for me, the most memorable as when Sidney runs through to catch the killer she glimpses Olivia who is laying on her bed, completely gutted. Again, the audience reaction was groaning throughout this. Jill was also slashed on the arm as Sidney ran in to confront the killer. With the odd shout of “What are you doing!?!”  

Gale helps the new characters and is excited by the prospect that the killings are happening all over again, meaning that she has something else to focus on and this is the beginning of a new book for her? Dewey also does state that he and Gale are having marital problems and that Gale isn’t particularly happy with married life. 

I thought the ending was really good – I had an idea who one of the killers was throughout, however it was not much of a surprise as to who the other was. I joked about the second killer saying “If I find out that she done this because she’s sick of all the attention being on Sidney, I am going to go mental!” Of course this was right and even so that my boyfriend could not even look at me when this particular motive was being described. One of the particular reasons was that people get famous in the present day for doing near enough nothing. I liked the way that both the new and original characters tied into each other and thought that it worked really well. Self mutilation scene was hilarious at one point that the whole cinema audience were laughing so loud. The hospital scene was really good, with my favourite line being “You’re forgetting one thing about remakes – you don’t fuck with the original”  

Still to me nothing will ever beat the original; however I do prefer this film to the other two sequels. It will definitely be a DVD purchase for me. 

Good points: The relationship between new and old characters, the barn and hospital car park scene, writing and of course the ending.

Bad points: One of Jill’s motives – I was not impressed with the attention part. The “fuck Bruce Willis” line – I felt that it was just not needed and rather cheesy.